Australia and New Zealand share a common standard when it comes to electrical equipment testing in offices and other places of work. The standard has been in place since 2010 and is referred to as AS/NZS 3760. In Australia, it covers all of the electrical equipment tagging processes that are required to meet the law. The standard is in place to ensure the electrical safety of all types of portable appliances, such as computing equipment, audio and visual display equipment and powered kitchen appliances. Its primary aim is to ensure workplaces remain safe for everyone to carry out their day-to-day functions and to be able to use equipment without fear of a shock or of an electrical fire breaking out.
What Does the Standard Cover?
AS/NZS 3760 sets out a range of recommendations that mean testing of three-phase and 240-volt electrical equipment is required on a regular basis by an approved electrician. More specifically, the standard centres on test and tag inspections. The way in which tests must be carried out is specified, as is the manner in which records must be kept. Things like insulation resistance, earth continuity and polarity are all checks that need to be made for each appliance.
The standard is designed to cover any electrical appliance that might be brought into the workplace that is not permanently used there. For example, battery chargers, laptop transformers and electric power tools all need to be inspected if they are ever used in a workplace environment. Bear in mind that, although AS/NZ 3760 constitutes a national standard, there are also state and territory regulatory bodies that may place further tagging requirements on businesses operating in a particular location.
What Does the Standard Not Cover?
Although portable equipment that can be plugged into wall power outlets are covered by AS/NZ 3760, so-called hard-wired items are not. This might include a business telephone system that is wired into its own fused spur, for example. Any electrical items that are used at a height over 2.5 metres are covered by other regulations. Furthermore, demonstration products, sample appliances or new consumer stock that has been brought into a warehouse or a retail outlet do not need to be tagged under the standard. If any electrical equipment is found to be unsafe and subsequently causes an accident, then both the business owner and the person who provided the appliance may be liable for prosecution.
Share4 October 2018
Welcome to my blog. My name is Mia. A few years ago, my partner and I bought an old home. It needed to have all new wiring installed, and through that process of working closely with a fabulous electrician, I learned a lot. I learned everything, from which questions to ask, to how to do a bit of wiring on my own. If you are hiring an electrician, you need to explore my posts. I hope they help guide you in the right direction. Now, that our home is finally, for the first time, not in the midst of a repair or project, I decided to start this blog. In addition, I also like to fish and read.