What Does SafeWork NSW Say About Test & Tag?

What does SafeWork NSW require?

SafeWork NSW says regular inspection and testing is required where electrical equipment:

• Is supplied with electricity through a socket outlet, and
• Is used in an environment where its normal use exposes it to operating conditions likely to cause damage or reduce its expected lifespan.

SafeWork NSW gives examples including:

• Moisture
• Heat
• Vibration
• Mechanical damage
• Corrosive chemicals
• Dust

These conditions matter because electrical equipment used in different workplaces is exposed to different levels of risk. They are not, however, the only factors to consider.

A 3-Phase welder being moved around a workshop, a portable RCD box on a construction site and a desktop monitor in an office are not being used under the same conditions or in the same way.

The decision is therefore not simply:

Does this appliance have a tag?

The broader question is:

What electrical risks is this equipment exposed to, and how are those risks being managed?

Testing frequency depends on the workplace and the risk

SafeWork NSW is clear that testing frequency varies:

“The frequency of inspection and testing will vary depending on the nature of the workplace and the risks associated with the electrical equipment.”

SafeWork NSW then points businesses to AS/NZS 3760 for inspection, testing and tagging methods and testing frequency.

The appropriate testing regime cannot be determined by looking at the appliance alone. The workplace matters as well.

Factors may include:

• How the equipment is used
• How often it is moved
• Whether it is exposed to moisture or dust
• Whether it is subject to vibration or impact
• Whether cords, plugs or casings are likely to be damaged
• Whether it is used in a controlled or harsh environment

A warehouse, construction site, commercial kitchen, school, workshop and office can therefore present very different electrical risks.

Inspection and testing should reflect the risks associated with the equipment and the environment in which it is being used.

Making that decision may involve consultation with workers, observing what is happening on the factory floor or in the workplace, considering how equipment is being used and drawing on existing inspection and testing records.

That is risk management in practice.

Why section 26A is so important in 2026

This risk-based approach has taken on greater significance in NSW.

Section 26A of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 commenced on 1 July 2026.

SafeWork NSW explains that approved Codes of Practice are now minimum performance standards. A PCBU must comply with an applicable Code of Practice or manage the hazard or risk another way that provides an equivalent or higher standard of health and safety.

Section 26A does not create a blanket rule requiring every appliance in every workplace to be tested and tagged.

Nor does an approved Code of Practice simply become a checklist requiring the same control in every workplace.

The starting point remains identifying the hazards and risks that exist in the workplace and determining how those risks will be controlled.

A business may need to consider Codes of Practice dealing with silica dust, falls, hazardous manual tasks, electrical risks or other hazards relevant to its operations.

For electrical safety, SafeWork NSW refers businesses to the approved Managing electrical risks in the workplace Code of Practice for further guidance on inspection and testing.

The practical questions become:

• What electrical hazards are present?
• What equipment is exposed to those hazards?
• What controls are appropriate?
• Does inspection and testing form part of those controls?
• How often should that testing occur?
• How was that decision reached?
• Are those controls being maintained?
• How are electrical risks being managed in lower-risk environments?

Test & Tag should therefore not be treated as something a business simply “does” as an isolated compliance activity.

It sits within a wider electrical risk-management process that starts with understanding what is happening in the workplace.

What role does AS/NZS 3760 play?

SafeWork NSW identifies AS/NZS 3760 as the relevant Australian Standard for in-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment and RCDs.

SafeWork NSW says the Standard outlines:

• Inspection methods
• Testing methods
• Tagging methods
• Testing frequency

It also directs businesses to AS/NZS 3760 when determining how frequently equipment should be inspected and tested.

AS/NZS 3760:2022 should be read in context rather than reduced to a table of testing intervals. The type of equipment, environment, use and associated risks all form part of that picture.

There is not one universal interval for every item in every workplace.

SafeWork NSW itself says frequency varies according to the nature of the workplace and the risks associated with the electrical equipment.

Construction and demolition sites have specific requirements

Construction and demolition sites are treated differently because the operating environment presents significantly different electrical risks.

SafeWork NSW refers to AS/NZS 3012 for construction and demolition sites.

Its construction guidance states that equipment including power tools, flexible cords, extension leads, portable socket outlet assemblies and portable RCDs must be inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding 3 months.

SafeWork NSW’s construction inspection checklist also asks whether extension leads and power tools have in-date test tags or test results available on site.

Construction equipment may be exposed to:

• Dust
• Moisture
• Movement
• Mechanical damage
• Heavy use
• Changing site conditions

These conditions justify a much shorter inspection and testing interval than would apply to some lower-risk environments.

Three months is a maximum interval for the relevant equipment in that environment. Where conditions or risks warrant it, inspection or testing may need to occur more frequently.

The construction regime should not simply be transferred to every other type of workplace.

Who does SafeWork NSW consider a competent person?

SafeWork NSW says inspection and testing must be carried out by a competent person.

It defines a competent person as someone who has acquired, through training, qualification or experience, the knowledge and skills required to carry out inspections and testing of electrical equipment.

AS/NZS 3760:2022 also provides guidance on the electrical knowledge expected of a competent person.

For portable appliance inspection and testing, this does not automatically mean the person must be a licensed electrician.

The person must, however, be competent to perform the required inspections and tests, understand the equipment being tested and correctly interpret the results.

Electrical work that is legally restricted to licensed electrical workers remains separate from portable appliance inspection and testing.

What records does SafeWork NSW require?

SafeWork NSW requires a record of testing to be kept until the equipment is:

• Tested again
• Permanently removed from the workplace, or
• Disposed of

The record must identify:

• The name of the person who carried out the testing
• The date of testing
• The outcome of the testing
• The date the next test is due

SafeWork NSW also says the record may be in the form of a tag attached to the equipment.

The tag provides evidence that inspection and testing has taken place. It does not, by itself, demonstrate how the business is managing electrical risk across the workplace.

That requires a broader system of identifying hazards, selecting appropriate controls and maintaining those controls.

What might a SafeWork NSW inspector look for?

Where electrical equipment is required to be periodically inspected and tested, one of the simplest things an inspector can establish is whether it is still within its testing period.

In practical terms:

Are the required test tags in date?

SafeWork NSW’s own construction inspection checklist specifically asks whether power tools and extension leads have in-date test tags or test results available on site.

But an inspection can go much further than checking dates on tags.

Issues an inspector may consider include:

• Visible damage to electrical equipment
• Damaged cords, plugs or socket outlets
• Equipment being used in unsuitable conditions
• Availability of testing records
• RCD protection
• The condition of extension leads and power tools
• Whether electrical risks have been identified
• Whether appropriate controls are in place
• Whether those controls are being maintained
• Construction-specific electrical requirements where relevant

SafeWork NSW inspectors may also gather information from workers, managers and Health and Safety Representatives.

A current tag can answer one question.

It does not answer the broader question of whether electrical risks in the workplace are being properly managed.

SafeWork NSW is the regulator

SafeWork NSW is not simply a source of workplace safety information.

It administers and enforces work health and safety laws in NSW.

Where safety issues or breaches are identified, inspectors may use regulatory tools including:

• Improvement notices
• Prohibition notices
• Penalty notices

SafeWork NSW can also investigate incidents and prosecute offences through the courts where appropriate.

SafeWork NSW states that inspectors may refer to an approved Code of Practice when issuing an improvement or prohibition notice.

Section 26A gives added weight to that risk-management framework.

Businesses should be able to demonstrate not only that inspection and testing has occurred where required, but that they have considered the electrical hazards in their workplace and selected appropriate controls.

So what does SafeWork NSW say about Test & Tag?

SafeWork NSW’s position is more nuanced than:

“Everything must be tested and tagged.”

Its guidance is built around workplace conditions and electrical risk.

Plug-in electrical equipment used in conditions likely to cause damage or deterioration requires regular inspection and testing by a competent person.

How often that testing is required depends on the nature of the workplace and the risks associated with the equipment.

SafeWork NSW refers businesses to AS/NZS 3760 for inspection, testing, tagging methods and frequency, while construction and demolition sites have specific requirements under AS/NZS 3012.

Since 1 July 2026, section 26A has also strengthened the role of approved Codes of Practice in the way NSW businesses manage workplace hazards and risks.

Electrical inspection and testing is one part of managing electrical risk in the workplace.

A current test tag provides useful evidence that an inspection and testing process has occurred.

Effective electrical safety management goes further.

A business needs to understand the risks associated with its equipment, select appropriate controls and be able to demonstrate how those risks are being managed.

For the broader legal picture, including the WHS Act, WHS Regulation, Codes of Practice and Australian Standards, see:

Is Test & Tag Still Required in NSW?