Testing and Tagging 101
We’re here to help with everything you need to know about testing and tagging to make sure your electrical appliances are safe to use in your business.
Why get a test and tag?
All businesses in New Zealand are required to ensure the safety of their employees and visitors to worksites, including eliminating risks or reducing them as much as possible.
A number of entities monitor compliance, including Standards New Zealand, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), the Health and Safety Work Act (2016), Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010. On top of this, certain industries maintain their own standards for members. Your insurance policy is also likely to require you to comply to the standards.
Failure to meet the standards can result in a hefty infringement fine for negligence.
More importantly, neglecting maintaining electrical equipment can increase risks that could lead to injury or even death if unsafe equipment causes electrocution or a fire. Give our friendly and professional team at The Connection Company a call to get an assessment underway.
By tagging and testing electronics regularly, you can help prevent accidents before they occur.
What’s involved in a test and tag?
Our fully qualified team will come to your place of operations and complete a comprehensive visual and technical test to assess the performance and safety of electrical equipment your employees work with day to day.
We use a Portable Appliance Tester (PAT) to assess earth continuity, insulation resistance, polarity of wiring, and performance of your electronic equipment.
Our technicians are highly trained and experienced in the New Zealand standards and regularly service a range of industrial and commercial business in the Christchurch area.
For every test and tag you’ll receive a full report on the pass or fail rate of all your electronics, and we can advise on any action you’ll need to take to repair or replace failed equipment.
How often should testing and tagging be done?
Depending on the type of industry, the environment of the equipment to be tested, and the type of equipment itself, testing should take place between every three months to five years. As a rule, office equipment will require less frequent testing compared to infrastructure related industries.
Over time all electronics will deteriorate, which is why regular review and maintenance is needed.
We follow the recommendations set out by the AS/NZS3760 and AS/NZS3012:2010 Standards.
Here at The Connection Company we can make an assessment and give you advice on how often you should be testing and tagging. We’ll make it easy by getting your schedule sorted and providing reminders to ensure regular servicing.
What needs to be tested and tagged?
Any electrical device, tool, appliance or power lead that plugs into a power socket should undergo regular testing. This includes any equipment your business hires out to others.
Some hard wired appliances don’t need to be tested if they’re installed in a fixed position.
Make sure you get any new, second-hand, or repaired equipment tested before use and regularly test existing equipment in your workplace.
Take a look at some other important resources about electrical safety requirements:
The AS/NZS 3012 Standard (for construction and demolition sites)
Give us a call or send us a quote request to get your tagging and testing underway.
