Home › Articles & guides › Is test and tag a legal requirement for Perth businesses?
Compliance
⏱ 4 min read
📅 Updated Sept 2026
SHORT ANSWER
Yes, for most Perth and WA businesses. Regulation 150 of the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) requires a business to have plug-in electrical equipment regularly inspected and tested by a competent person wherever that equipment is used in conditions likely to damage it. Construction and demolition sites must test every 3 months under AS/NZS 3012. Every other workplace still carries a legal duty to keep electrical equipment safe under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA), and testing to AS/NZS 3760:2022 is the accepted way to show that duty has been met.
Is test and tag a legal requirement for Perth Businesses?
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Does your business need test and tag?
The requirement depends on the type of workplace and the conditions your equipment is used in. This is how it applies across Perth and WA.
| Workplace | Legal position | Typical interval |
|---|---|---|
| Construction and demolition sites | Required. AS/NZS 3012 covers all portable equipment and flexible cords on site, including site offices and amenities, and requires RGBY colour-coded tags. | Every 3 months |
| Factories, workshops and production environments | Required under Regulation 150, because equipment is exposed to conditions such as moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals or dust. | Every 6 months |
| Offices, retail, hospitality, childcare, healthcare and other workplaces | Required as part of the WHS duty to manage electrical risk. AS/NZS 3760:2022 is the accepted method of showing compliance. | 12 months where cords are flexed or moved; up to 5 years for stationary equipment in low-risk offices |
| Safety switches (RCDs) in any workplace | Required under Regulation 165. RCDs must be tested regularly by a competent person. | Every 3 or 6 months, by environment |
Intervals for non-construction workplaces come from AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.4. A technician should confirm the correct interval for your site, since one business can have areas that fall into different categories.
Law
WHS Act 2020 (WA)
Places a duty of care on every person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to keep the workplace safe for workers, customers and visitors. It is sometimes cited as the "WHS Act 2022"; the correct title is the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA).
Law
WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA)
Set out the specific electrical duties, including Regulation 150 for inspecting and testing equipment and Regulation 165 for testing RCDs, and define who counts as a competent person.
Standard
AS/NZS 3760:2022 and AS/NZS 3012
Not legislation on their own. They set out how testing is done and how often. AS/NZS 3760 covers most workplaces; AS/NZS 3012 covers construction and demolition.
The standard becomes the benchmark because the regulations define a competent tester by reference to portable appliance tester training, and AS/NZS 3760:2022 is the only Australian standard for testing equipment with a portable appliance tester.
The Act, the Regulations and the Standards
What Regulation 150 actually says
““(1) A person conducting a business or undertaking at a workplace must ensure that electrical equipment is regularly inspected and tested by a competent person if the electrical equipment is (a) supplied with electricity through an electrical socket outlet; and (b) used in an environment in which the normal use of electrical equipment exposes the equipment to operating conditions that are likely to result in damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span, including conditions that involve exposure to moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals or dust.””
Part (b) is the detail most articles leave out. Where equipment is used in those conditions, testing is a direct regulatory requirement. Where it is not, such as a kettle in a quiet office, the regulation does not name testing directly. The business is still responsible for eliminating or minimising electrical risk, and AS/NZS 3760:2022 provides the accepted method for demonstrating that obligation is being met. In practice, that makes regular testing a compliance requirement for virtually every WA workplace.
New equipment and tag colours
Does new equipment need to be tested?
New equipment does not need an electrical test before its first use. It does need a visual inspection and a “new to service” tag before it goes into service, in accordance with AS/NZS 3760:2022. From that point the normal testing interval for its environment applies.
Do tag colours matter?
Only on construction and demolition sites, where AS/NZS 3012 uses the RGBY (red, green, blue, yellow) system to show which quarter an item was tested in. For offices, retail, hospitality, warehouses and other workplaces under AS/NZS 3760:2022, there is no mandated colour schedule in WA. What matters is the information on the tag. See what the test and tag colours mean.
What happens if you do not test?
Failing to meet your duty of care is a breach of legislation, not just of industry best practice. Non-compliance can lead to fines from WorkSafe WA, can put your insurance cover at risk if an electrical incident occurs, and increases your legal liability after an accident or investigation.
The larger risk is to people. Untested or poorly maintained equipment can cause electric shock and fires, leading to injury or death among staff, customers and visitors, as well as damage to property and costly disruption to your business. You can see what testing catches in our pass vs fail examples.
What proof should you keep?
If WorkSafe WA, an auditor or your insurer asks, you need to show that testing happened and when it is next due. That means three things: a durable, non-reusable tag on every item showing the test date, next due date and technician details; a register listing every item tested, its individual pass or fail result and next due date; and a compliance certificate confirming the work.
After every PTTS visit you receive a full digital asset register and a compliance certificate suitable for audits and insurance, issued within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
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Yes, for most businesses. Regulation 150 of the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) makes testing mandatory for plug-in equipment used in conditions likely to damage it, and construction sites must test every 3 months under AS/NZS 3012. All other workplaces have a legal duty under the WHS Act 2020 (WA) to keep electrical equipment safe, and testing to AS/NZS 3760:2022 is the accepted way to demonstrate it.
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No, AS/NZS 3760:2022 is an Australian Standard, not legislation. It becomes the benchmark because the WHS Regulations define a competent tester by reference to portable appliance tester training, and AS/NZS 3760 is the Australian standard for that type of testing.
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Construction and demolition sites every 3 months. Factories, workshops and production environments every 6 months. Environments where cords are regularly flexed or moved every 12 months. Stationary equipment in low-risk offices up to every 5 years. These intervals come from AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.4 and AS/NZS 3012.
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If you are a competent person, meaning you have completed a competency-assessed training course on testing and tagging with a portable appliance tester, yes. Most businesses use a professional service for calibrated equipment, correct procedures and complete records.
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New equipment does not need an electrical test before first use, but it must be visually inspected and fitted with a "new to service" tag under AS/NZS 3760:2022.
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Yes, Regulation 165 of the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) requires RCDs in a workplace to be tested regularly by a competent person, typically every 3 or 6 months depending on the environment. In WA this is done with the device's push-button test. Removing switchboard covers for injection or timed trip testing is treated as energised work under the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991. See our RCD testing requirements guide.
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Businesses that fail their duty of care can face fines from WorkSafe WA, legal action, increased liability and problems with insurance cover after an electrical incident.
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