The short answer
How often you test and tag depends on where the equipment is used. SafeWork NSW's general rule is that equipment in a hostile environment is inspected and tested at least every 12 months, with every 6 months for manufacturing, workshop and commercial cleaning equipment, and every 3 months for hire equipment. On construction and demolition sites, tools, leads, power boards and portable RCDs are tested every 3 months under AS/NZS 3012:2019. For lower-risk places such as dry, clean offices, the interval comes from your own risk assessment and AS/NZS 3760, and it is usually longer.
The intervals that are spelled out
These are the frequencies stated by SafeWork NSW in its Managing electrical risks in the workplace Code of Practice and its construction site fact sheet:
| Where the equipment is used | How often |
|---|---|
| Hostile environment (general rule) | At least every 12 months |
| Manufacturing, workshop and commercial cleaning equipment | Every 6 months |
| Hire equipment | Every 3 months |
| Construction and demolition sites: tools, leads, power boards, portable RCDs | Every 3 months |
| Construction sites: relocatable structures, fixed or transportable equipment | Every 6 months |
A hostile environment is one where normal use exposes equipment to moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals or dust. Under section 150 of the NSW WHS Regulation 2025, testing in those environments is mandatory, and untested equipment must not be used until it is tested.
What about offices, shops and other low-risk places?
This is where people get mixed messages. The older 2018 national model code said testing was not required in lower-risk environments. The NSW Code takes a different line: dry, clean workplaces like offices, shops and classrooms may still need inspection and testing, just less often.
The law does not set a fixed number for these places. Instead:
- you assess the risk (how the gear is used, whether it gets moved, whether cords get flexed or knocked about, who uses it);
- you use AS/NZS 3760:2022 as the guide. The standard sets intervals by type of environment, from frequent checks where cords are flexed or open to abuse, through to much longer gaps for fixed equipment that sits in one place in a clean area;
- you write the interval down and stick to it.
We have deliberately not printed a full interval table from AS/NZS 3760 here. The standard is a paid document and the numbers you see online are not always quoted correctly. When we test your gear, Nelson will set each item's next due date based on where and how it is used, and talk you through the reasons.
How the environment changes the answer
A few examples from around Wagga and the Riverina:
- A farm workshop with grinders, welders and extension leads on a dusty concrete floor is a hostile environment. At least 12 months, and every 6 months is the SafeWork expectation for workshop equipment.
- A commercial cleaning business moving vacuums and polishers between sites every day falls under the 6-monthly group.
- A hire business renting out tools and leads is every 3 months.
- A builder or trade on a building site is every 3 months for portable gear, as covered in our construction site test and tag guide.
- A small office with a few computers, a kettle and a fridge is lower risk. The interval comes from your risk assessment and AS/NZS 3760, and it will usually be longer than for a workshop. A kettle that gets carried around and plugged in daily is a different risk to a monitor that never moves.
Mixed sites are common. A farm might have an office, a shearing shed, a workshop and pump sites, each with a different risk. It is fine to have different intervals for different areas, as long as they are recorded.
Safety switches have test intervals too
In any workplace, RCDs must be tested regularly by a competent person, and records (other than push-button tests) kept until the next test or disposal.
On construction sites the intervals are fixed by AS/NZS 3012:
| RCD | Push-button test | Operating time test |
|---|---|---|
| Portable | Before each use | Every 3 months |
| Fixed | Monthly | Every 12 months |
For other workplaces, AS/NZS 3760 sets RCD intervals by environment. Ask Nelson and we will work out the right schedule when we test your gear. At home, the NSW Government recommends pressing the test button on your safety switches about every 6 months. That is a recommendation, not a law. Our guide on how to test a safety switch shows how.
Keeping track of when tests are due
Every tag and test record must show the tester's name, the test date, the outcome and the date the next test is due. That last item is what keeps you on schedule. A few tips:
- Look at the "next test" date when you pick something up. If it has passed, don't use it until it is retested.
- New gear that arrives between test visits should be added to the register.
- Anything that fails gets an out-of-service tag and stays out of use until it is repaired, retested and retagged.
- Keep the register somewhere you can show it quickly to a principal contractor, SafeWork inspector or insurer.
We hand over a digital test register with every job, so the due dates are all in one place.
Planning the cost of regular testing
Test and tag is priced on the number of items, so the price per visit depends mostly on how much gear you have and how often it needs doing. The per-item price drops as the number of items goes up, and three-phase items cost more than standard plug-in gear. Travel is free close to Wagga and charged further out.
A few things keep the cost down over the year: keep the register up to date so nothing is missed or tested twice, group areas with the same interval into one visit, and retire gear you no longer use. Price your own list with the test and tag estimate, which works out travel from your address, or read more about our test and tag service.
Common questions
Is it a law that you test and tag every 12 months?
Not for every workplace. Section 150 of the WHS Regulation makes testing mandatory in hostile environments, and SafeWork NSW's general rule there is at least every 12 months. Some equipment needs it more often. For lower-risk places, the interval comes from a risk assessment and AS/NZS 3760.
How often should tools on a building site be tested?
Every 3 months. Under AS/NZS 3012:2019, tools, leads, power boards and portable RCDs on construction and demolition sites are tested to AS/NZS 3760 every 3 months.
How often does hire equipment need to be tested?
SafeWork NSW expects hire equipment to be inspected and tested every 3 months.
Can I set a longer interval for my office?
Yes, if your risk assessment supports it. Offices, shops and classrooms are lower risk, and AS/NZS 3760 allows longer intervals for equipment that is not flexed, not open to abuse and not in a hostile environment. Write down your reasoning and the interval.
What happens if my equipment is past its test date?
In a hostile environment, it must not be used until it has been tested. Take it out of use and get it retested before anyone picks it up again.