Guide
How often do you need to test and tag?
It depends on where the equipment is used. On construction sites the answer is short and strict; everywhere else it depends on the workplace and your state. Here is what the regulators say.
Updated · General information, not safety or legal advice. Check your state or territory regulator and your own safety system.
The short answer
| What | How often |
|---|---|
| Portable equipment, power tools and extension leads | At least every 3 months |
| Portable RCDs: operating time test | Every 3 months |
| Portable RCDs: push-button test | Every time the unit is used |
| Fixed RCDs: push-button test | Monthly |
| Fixed RCDs: operating time test | Every 12 months |
That is from SafeWork NSW's fact sheet on electrical practices for construction and demolition sites, which says portable equipment, leads and RCDs must be tested and inspected using the methods in AS/NZS 3760, in a period not exceeding three months. Construction wiring and switchboards are inspected under AS/NZS 3012. Other states set similar rules for construction work; check yours.
Other workplaces
Away from construction sites, how often equipment is tested depends on the kind of workplace and how hard the equipment is used. SafeWork NSW says the frequency of inspection and testing will vary depending on the nature of the workplace, and points to AS/NZS 3760 for general workplaces, which sets intervals by the type of environment. A workshop or a factory floor is tested more often than an office.
In NSW, businesses must ensure plug-in electrical equipment is regularly inspected and tested by a competent person where it is used in conditions likely to damage it, such as moisture, heat, vibration, dust or corrosive chemicals. Rules differ between states, and some apply more widely, so check your regulator.
In New Zealand, WorkSafe NZ says how often you test depends on the equipment and the workplace, and that AS/NZS 3760 is one way to show testing and tagging is being done properly.
AS/NZS 3760 is a paid standard, not published free, so we do not reproduce its tables here. If you test for customers, get the current edition and test to it.
Who can test and tag
SafeWork NSW says inspection and testing can be done by a competent person, someone who has the knowledge and skills from training, qualification or experience, and on construction sites by a competent person trained in using RCD testers and portable appliance testers, or a licensed electrician. Construction wiring and switchboards must be inspected and tested by a licensed electrician before they are energised.
What the record must show
In NSW, the record must show the name of the person who did the test, the date, the outcome and the date of the next test. The record may be a tag attached to the equipment. It must be kept until the equipment is next tested, removed from the workplace or disposed of.
Test and tag register
- Each item: a description and its tag or asset number
- Where it is used, so the right interval applies
- The tests done and the result: pass or fail
- Who tested it, and the date
- When it is next due
- What happened to anything that failed
Our free test and tag register template has these columns as a CSV for Excel or Google Sheets, or to print.
Keeping track of when tests are due
In Crewzy the test and tag register is one of the ready-made forms, filled in on the phone at the customer's site, offline too, with a row for each appliance and its result. The finished register is saved to the job as a PDF and can be emailed to the customer. Set the job up as a repeating job at the interval the site needs, and the next round of testing is on the schedule before you forget it. See the electrician page for the rest.
Common questions
How often do power tools need to be tested on a construction site?
SafeWork NSW says portable equipment, leads and portable RCDs on construction and demolition sites must be tested and inspected in a period not exceeding three months, using the methods in AS/NZS 3760. Check your own state regulator.
Do I need to be an electrician to test and tag?
Not always. SafeWork NSW says a competent person, trained in using the testers, or a licensed electrician can do it. Construction wiring and switchboards must be inspected by a licensed electrician.
Sources
Official pages this guide relies on, read on 23 October 2026. Rules change; check them before you rely on anything here.