What is test and tag?
"Test and tag" is the routine electrical safety inspection of portable equipment — power tools, extension leads, power boards — under AS/NZS 3760. Here's what it actually involves, who has to do it, and what the paperwork needs to look like.
The short answer
A competent person visually inspects and electrically tests each item of portable electrical equipment, then tags it with the result and the next due date. The record of every test — the register — is what an inspector asks to see. AS/NZS 3760 is the standard that defines how the testing is done; the WHS Regulations are what make it mandatory in certain environments.
Why construction sites can't opt out
Under the Harmonised WHS Regulations, a construction or demolition site is classified as a hostile environment — heat, moisture, vibration, and dust that make electrical faults more likely and more dangerous. For hostile environments there's no risk-assessment step to skip the requirement: testing and tagging portable equipment is simply mandatory. Lower-risk environments (a typical office, for example) are governed more by risk assessment than a fixed rule — see our intervals guide for how often different environments actually need retesting.
What the register needs to contain
Whatever format it's kept in, a compliant register needs to answer: what was tested, when, by whom, with what result, and when it's due again. Our free register template lays out exactly those fields as a ready-to-use spreadsheet.
Frequently asked questions
Is test and tag a legal requirement?
Yes, in specific situations. Under the Harmonised WHS Regulations, electrical equipment used in a "hostile environment" — which includes construction and demolition sites — must be inspected and tested in accordance with AS/NZS 3760. For a hostile environment there is no risk-assessment opt-out: it is mandatory. Outside hostile environments, requirements are typically driven by a workplace risk assessment, state/territory regulation, or an insurer or head-contractor condition.
What equipment needs to be tested?
Portable electrical equipment — anything with a flexible cord and a plug that can be moved while in use or between uses. That covers power tools (drills, grinders, saws), extension leads and power boards, portable RCDs (safety switches), and site equipment like generators and portable lighting. Equipment permanently wired in (like fixed switchboards) is covered by different standards.
What does the tag actually show?
A compliant tag typically shows the test result, the date tested, the next test due date, and an identifier for the tester or testing company. Different colours are sometimes used to make the current test period visually obvious at a glance across a site.
What happens if equipment isn’t tagged or the tag has expired?
The equipment should be treated as unsafe to use until it’s retested. On an audited or inspected site, equipment without a current tag can be ordered out of service, and a company without a working register can face WHS penalties. It’s also a common reason head contractors reject subcontractor equipment at site induction.
Who is allowed to test and tag equipment?
A "competent person" — someone with the training, knowledge, and (for the higher-risk work) sometimes the licensing to safely carry out the inspection and test. Many businesses use a specialist test-and-tag contractor rather than training staff internally, especially for larger equipment fleets.
Get the register done for you
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More free resources
- AS/NZS 3760 Test and Tag Register Template (CSV)A free, ready-to-use spreadsheet with the exact fields an inspector expects to see.
- Test and Tag Intervals by Environment (AU/NZ)How often tools need retesting on a construction site vs a factory vs an office.
- Free Tool Register & Sign-Out Sheet Template (CSV)Track who has every tool, on which site, without electrical test dates in the way.
Keep the register without keeping the spreadsheet
SiteWarden writes the same register automatically, from the same tap a worker already uses to take or return a tool — and prints an inspector-ready audit report in one click.