Additional Information
The need for In-service testing.
In-service testing is necessary for the safety of persons using the equipment and for the proper discharge of obligations of employers and employees, as listed in legislation covering occupational health & safety matters.
One of the requirements necessary for the safety of persons using electrical equipment is that the equipment, without being dismantled, needs to be subjected to routine inspection and testing to detect obvious damage, wear or other conditions which render it unsafe.
The inspection and testing of electrical equipment is covered by the Australian/New Zealand Standards 3760:2010 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment.
Test & Tag Regulations Western Australia.
Regulation 4.37 of the Occupational Safety & Health Regulations 1996 places an obligation on a person who is an employer, a main contractor, a self-employed person, a person having control of a workplace or a person having control of access to a workplace, to 'ensure that plant at the workplace is subject to appropriate checks, tests and inspections necessary to reduce the risk of injury or harm occurring to a person at the workplace'.
An electrical Testing & Tagging regime for electrical equipment is the way to demonstrate compliance with the above regulation. Test And Go can help you achieve this.
So what needs to be inspected, tested & tagged and how often?
ALL portable electrical equipment and RCD's used in a workplace must be regularly inspected and tested in accordance with the OSH or MSI regulations, as appropriate.
The frequency of inspection and testing varies for different workplace situations.
Inspections need to be carried out more frequently in an operating environment where electrical equipment is, during normal usage, subjected to adverse operating conditions likely to result in damage to the electrical equipment, e.g. potential exposure to moisture, heat, vibration, corrosive chemicals or mechanical damage.
Generally speaking though, equipment used on construction and mine sites should be tested quarterly and tagged with the appropriate colour tag for that quarter. Factories/workshops and commercial cleaning equipment should be tested twice a year. Other workplaces such as offices, hotels, schools, etc should be tested every 1 to 5 years, depending on the situation.
Don't just take my word for it!
To check some of this information for yourself, go to www.worksafe.wa.gov.au then in the Search Box, type in 'In-service testing and inspecting'. Then choose 'Guide to testing & tagging portable electrical equipment and residual current devices at workplaces'.
So don't take that risk. Give us a call at Test And Go and we'll provide a free, no obligation quotation to keep your workplace compliant with AS/NZS 3760:2010
Be SAFE - not sorry.