Test and tag interval finder

Choose your state and where the equipment is used to find how often it should be tested and tagged, and whether that interval or the testing itself is a legal requirement.

Figures checked 5 November 2026. Free to use, no sign-in.

Victoria and Western Australia have their own Acts; the tool switches to them.

Test and tag interval

Testing required by law; interval from AS/NZS 3760

6 months

Plug-in equipment used where normal use is likely to damage it or shorten its life (moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals or dust) must be regularly inspected and tested by a competent person (r 150). The law does not fix the interval; this is the AS/NZS 3760 interval for your environment.

Source: r 150–151 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW); AS/NZS 3760:2022.

  • Test more often if the equipment is damaged easily or used hard.
  • New, unused equipment does not need a test before first use, only a visual check for obvious damage.
  • Keep a record of each test (who tested, the date, the outcome and the next test date). A tag on the equipment counts as the record.

General information, not legal advice. A competent person must do the testing.

How this works

Most states and Comcare: r 150 of the WHS Regulations requires regular testing of plug-in equipment in conditions likely to damage it, without fixing an interval. The intervals shown are those in AS/NZS 3760:2022, as published by SafeWork SA. Construction work must comply with AS/NZS 3012 (r 163).

Queensland: the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 sets intervals by class of work: manufacturing, amusement, office, service, rural, construction and hire. Office and service equipment on a safety switch has no fixed test interval.

Victoria: no regulation sets an interval. The employer’s general duty applies and AS/NZS 3760 is the usual reference.

Legal basis

Checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Tell us.

Questions

Is test and tag a legal requirement?

Under the WHS Regulations, plug-in equipment used where normal use is likely to damage it, such as wet, hot, dusty or rough conditions, must be regularly inspected and tested by a competent person. On construction sites, AS/NZS 3012 applies by law. Queensland sets binding intervals by type of work. Elsewhere the intervals are recommendations from AS/NZS 3760.

How often should office equipment be tested?

AS/NZS 3760 suggests every 5 years for equipment that isn’t moved, flexed or exposed to damage. In Queensland, office equipment must be tested at least every 5 years unless it is plugged into a safety switch.

Does new equipment need testing?

No. New, unused equipment only needs a visual check for obvious damage before first use. Its first test is due at the normal interval.

What record do I need to keep?

Who tested it, the date, the result and when the next test is due, kept until the next test or until the equipment is disposed of. A tag on the equipment can be the record.

Related tools

All tools
CheckerNotifiable incident checkerCheck whether a workplace death, injury, illness or dangerous incident must be reported to the WHS regulator, how fast, who to call and what records to keep.Open checker CheckerPsychosocial risk self-assessmentRate the 14 common psychosocial hazards to build a ranked risk register, with the psychosocial regulations that apply in your state or territory.Open checker CalculatorWorkplace amenities calculatorWork out the toilets, urinals, washbasins and drinking water points a workplace should have from its headcount, under the code of practice for your state.Open calculator

Questions the calculator can’t answer?

Workfloor answers pay, award, leave and termination questions for your team, with the Fair Work Act section or award clause behind each answer.

See plans