What Office Equipment Needs Test and Tag?

Short answer

Office equipment that plugs into mains power may need inspection and testing depending on how it is used, the environment it operates in and the electrical risk it presents.

This can include computers, monitors, powerboards, extension leads, chargers, heaters and office kitchen appliances.

What equipment is commonly tested in an office?

• Powerboards
• IEC leads
• Computer towers
• Monitors
• Laptop power supplies
• Phone and USB chargers
• Printers and photocopiers
• Floor heaters
• Kettles, microwaves and coffee machines
• Sandwich presses and other kitchen appliances

Some equipment has more than one component that needs to be considered.

For example, a monitor may use an external AC adaptor connected to a clover, figure-8 or standard IEC lead. In that case, the power supply and lead are the components being inspected and tested rather than the monitor itself.

What matters most is how the equipment is being used

Office electrical risk is not limited to equipment being flexed or used in a workshop. How equipment is used can create just as much risk.

We regularly see powerboards plugged into other powerboards, powerboards that have been in service for decades, plastic bags or other items covering powerboards and trapping heat, blocked PC ventilation, cheap imported electrical equipment being used with adaptors, and chargers and leads being repeatedly moved, bent or shared between staff.

Equipment that stays in one place can also develop problems. Dust can build up over many years and restrict ventilation around computers and other electrical equipment.

What we commonly find in offices

Power boards and IEC leads are among the most common items we test.

We also find that office managers often focus heavily on kitchen appliances while overlooking the wider electrical risks throughout the workplace.

On one office inspection, we identified a GPO with no incoming earth supplying equipment in a copier area and executive workspace. It is a good example of why electrical risk is not always visible.

Office kitchens also produce their share of failures. Sandwich presses are a common example, particularly where water can enter around indicator lights or where the closing mechanism has become distorted.

Even small items matter. When tagging phone and USB chargers, we trim the tag so the important information remains readable instead of folding or crushing a full-size tag around a small charger.

What about servers and equipment that cannot be switched off?

Critical equipment such as servers, communications cabinets and security systems may need to be managed differently.

In lower-risk areas where equipment remains undisturbed, longer inspection and testing intervals may be appropriate, supported by regular visual inspection and a documented risk assessment.

If you are wondering whether smaller everyday items like chargers fall into the same category, our guide on whether laptop and phone chargers need test and tag explains it in more detail.