Test and Tag Frequency: AS/NZS 3760 Intervals Explained (AU/NZ)

Test and Tag Frequency: AS/NZS 3760 Intervals Explained

Test and tag runs on the same misunderstanding in Australia and New Zealand as PAT testing does in the UK: everyone assumes there's one legally mandated interval, and there isn't. AS/NZS 3760 sets recommended intervals that vary enormously by environment — three months on a construction site, up to five years for double-insulated office equipment under the 2022 edition. Testing everything annually is the expensive middle path that's wrong in both directions.

Here's how the framework actually works, the interval table, and a free register to run it.

Where the Duty Comes From

In Australia, WHS legislation puts a general duty on the PCBU to ensure electrical equipment is safe; in New Zealand it's the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and the Electricity (Safety) Regulations. Neither mandates test and tag universally — AS/NZS 3760 is the standard that defines what a reasonable inspection and testing regime looks like, and following it is how you demonstrate the duty is met.

The exception where it is effectively mandatory: construction and demolition sites, where AS/NZS 3012 applies and three-monthly testing with colour-coded tags is enforced site practice across Australia. Mining sites run similar or stricter rules.

The Interval Table

The 2022 edition of the standard stretched the office interval considerably — if you're still testing office IT annually on an old contract, you're likely over-servicing. The money saved belongs on the site tools, where quarterly is the real requirement.

Construction Tag Colours

The common Australian quarterly convention: Dec–Feb red, Mar–May green, Jun–Aug blue, Sep–Nov yellow. A glance across the site shed tells the safety officer what's current — no register lookup needed. (Check your state and site rules; some sites run their own schemes.)

Who Can Test

You don't need to be an electrician. A competent person — someone trained in the use of a portable appliance tester and the requirements of AS/NZS 3760 — can test and tag in most contexts (New Zealand practice is similar; some site and contract rules are stricter). What matters for the duty holder is being able to show the tester's competency and the records.

The Records Problem

Tags on the equipment prove the last test; they don't schedule the next one. The regime needs a register — every appliance, its environment, its interval, its next-due date — plus a test log with results and tester details:

The register includes the interval table and tag-colour reference. And it carries the standard spreadsheet caveat: mixed intervals across sites and vans is exactly where next-due dates expire silently. If test and tag sits alongside vehicle inspections, plant servicing, and heavy vehicle obligations, a CMMS that schedules each appliance's retest and alerts ahead of the due date turns the whole thing into a queue someone works, not a date someone remembers.