FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT ARE THE LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS REGARDING TESTING AND TAGGING?
If you are an employer or self-employed person, you have a duty of care to ensure that employees and visitors to the workplace are safe from injury and risks to health. You must, therefore, manage any safety risks surrounding electrical hazards, in accordance with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (the Act) and the Regulation.

To support the application of a risk management approach to electrical safety, you must also comply with the specific legislative requirements outlined in clause 64 and 65 of the OHS Regulation 2001

Clause 64 (2) requires,

• all electrical equipment that is used in construction work to be regularly inspected, tested and maintained by a competent person to ensure it is safe for use, and
• all electrical equipment that is used at a place of work where the safe operation of the electrical equipment could be affected by a hostile operating environment is regularly inspected, tested and maintained by a competent person to ensure it is safe for use, and
• all electrical equipment at a place of work that is found to be unsafe is disconnected from the electricity supply and is repaired, replaced or permanently removed from use.

Clause 65 (1) requires,

• that an employer must ensure that a record is made and kept of all inspections and tests made
  and maintenance carried out on electrical equipment.

WHAT IS A HOSTILE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT?
In clause 64 of the Regulation a hostile operating environment means an operating environment at a place of work where an item of electrical equipment is, in its normal use, subject to operating conditions that are likely to result in damage to the item of equipment. This includes an operating environment that may:

• cause mechanical damage to the item of equipment, or
• expose the item of equipment to moisture, heat, vibration, corrosive substances or dust that is likely to result in damage to the item of equipment.

DOES ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT HAVE TO BE TESTED AND TAGGED?
No, Clause 64(2) of the OHS Regulation only requires testing and tagging of those items of electrical equipment that are used for construction work or used in a hostile operating environment where the safe operation of the electrical equipment could be affected.

Note: In addition to the above legislative requirements employers may following completion of a risk assessment determine that inspection and testing of identified electrical equipment is warranted.

DO I NEED TO RECORD THE RESULTS OF INSPECTIONS, TESTS AND MAINTENANCE CARRIED OUT ON ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT?
Yes. Clause 65 of the Regulation requires that a record is made and kept of all inspections, tests and maintenance carried out on electrical equipment that is used for construction work or used in a hostile operating environment. The employer is to ensure that the following information is recorded,

• (a) the name of the person who made the inspection or carried out the test or maintenance,
• (b) the date on which or the dates over which, the inspection was made or the test or maintenance
  was carried out,
• (c) the result or outcome of the inspection, test or maintenance, and
• (d) the date by which the next inspection and test must be carried out.

The requirements for recording the results of inspections and tests carried out on construction sites can be found in the WorkCover Code of Practice - Electrical practices for construction work. Records can consist of documents, logbooks, asset registers or a computerised database. They should be located conveniently so that managers, employees and employee representatives can access the information. WorkCover inspectors have the right to examine the records of employers, which are required to be kept by the Regulation.

DO I HAVE TO ‘TEST AND TAG’ MY DESKTOP COMPUTERS AND OFFICE TYPE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT?
No. Office type equipment such as computers, photocopiers, printers, extension cords sets, power outlets devices (power boards) electrical equipment used in office tea and lunch rooms does not normally present a risk to the user. This is due to:

• the permanent nature of their location
• the low risk working environment in which the electrical equipment is used.

In workplaces like these, a risk assessment must be carried out in accordance with the risk management provisions of the OHS Regulation. If the risk assessment determines the electrical equipment is being used in a hostile operating environment it must then be regularly inspected and tested in accordance with the provisions of the Standard, AS/NZS 3760.