Test and tag is valuable because it sometimes finds exactly what the business hoped it would not find: an unsafe electrical item.
A damaged extension lead.
A faulty power board.
A portable tool that fails electrical testing.
A kitchen appliance with an electrical defect.
A charger that is no longer safe to use.
Finding the problem is not a failed compliance program.
Finding it is the point.
The real question is what your business does next.
Here are eight steps Perth workplaces should follow when equipment is identified as unsafe.
1. Stop Using the Equipment
The first rule after a test and tag failure is simple.
Do not keep using the item.
WorkSafe WA’s electrical risk Code states that unsafe electrical equipment must be disconnected or isolated from its electricity supply and must not be reconnected until it has been repaired or tested by a competent person and found safe, replaced or permanently removed from use.
That means a failed item should not stay at a workstation with the assumption that staff will remember not to touch it.
Remove the risk.
2. Disconnect or Isolate It
Where it is safe to do so, disconnect the equipment from the electrical supply.
For normal portable equipment, this may mean unplugging it and moving it away from the work area.
For more complex equipment, proper isolation procedures may be required.
Your test and tag process should define who is responsible when equipment fails.
A simple rule helps:
If it fails, it leaves service.
Do not create a grey area where employees continue using something because it is needed to finish today’s work.
3. Clearly Label the Failed Item
A failed piece of equipment should be clearly identified.
WorkSafe’s electrical risk guidance recommends unsafe electrical equipment be labelled so it is not accidentally used before testing, repair or replacement.
A failed test and tag item should not look like every other appliance sitting in the storeroom.
Use an appropriate out-of-service or failed tag.
Make the status obvious.
A clear label helps prevent someone from plugging it back in tomorrow because they did not know why it had been removed.
4. Record the Test Result
Good test and tag programs create records.
The equipment register should show what failed, when it failed and what happened afterwards.
Current WA workplace guidance requires testing records to identify information including the person who carried out the test, test date, outcome and next testing date where applicable.
Your records may include:
- Equipment ID
- Equipment description
- Location
- Date tested
- Pass or fail outcome
- Fault identified
- Action taken
- Repair date
- Retest date
- Final status
This makes future audits and compliance checks much easier.
ACS Electrical’s test and tag service includes compliance-focused testing and reporting.
5. Decide Whether to Repair or Replace
Not every failed item needs to be repaired.
Sometimes replacement is more economical.
A damaged extension lead may simply be removed and replaced.
A high-value tool may justify repair.
An old appliance may have reached the end of its practical life.
Your test and tag procedure should include an approval process so failed equipment does not sit in a storeroom indefinitely.
Decide:
Repair.
Replace.
Dispose.
Do not create a fourth category called “leave it there and decide later.”
6. Retest Repaired Equipment
A repaired item should not automatically return to service.
WA workplace electrical guidance states that electrical equipment should be tested after repairs or servicing that could affect electrical safety before being returned to use.
That makes the workflow:
Fail.
Remove.
Repair.
Retest.
Return only when safe.
This closes the loop.
Without the final test and tag verification, employees may assume a repaired item is safe before that has actually been confirmed.
7. Investigate Similar Equipment
One failed appliance may be an isolated problem.
Several similar failures may reveal something bigger.
For example:
Multiple damaged leads may indicate poor storage.
Several failed tools may indicate harsh site conditions.
Heat-damaged plugs may suggest overloading.
Repeated faults around one work area may indicate another electrical issue.
Use test and tag results as information.
Do not just count how many items passed.
Look for patterns.
If broader electrical maintenance is required, ACS Electrical provides commercial electrical services across Perth.
8. Fix the Process That Allowed the Fault
A strong safety system asks why.
Why was the cable damaged?
Why did nobody report it earlier?
Why was the equipment still in use?
Why was the problem only found during scheduled test and tag?
Visual inspection by staff can identify obvious damage between formal testing intervals.
Employees should know that they can remove equipment from service if they notice:
- Exposed wires
- Cracked plugs
- Burn marks
- Damaged cords
- Loose connections
- Unusual heat
- Physical damage
The testing program should support daily awareness, not replace it.
What About Brand-New Equipment?
Brand-new equipment that has never been used is treated differently from second-hand or repaired equipment.
Current WA guidance notes that brand-new equipment does not necessarily require testing before its first use, although it should still be visually inspected for transport or installation damage and entered into the workplace’s testing system where ongoing testing applies.
Second-hand electrical equipment should be tested before first use.
This is another reason an organised test and tag register matters.
Build a Better Test and Tag System
The strongest workplace electrical testing system has a complete cycle:
Identify equipment.
Inspect.
Test.
Record.
Remove failed items.
Repair or replace.
Retest.
Schedule the next inspection.
That process helps make test and tag more than a sticker exercise.
It becomes a practical method of controlling electrical risk.
Need Test and Tag in Perth?
ACS Electrical provides workplace test and tag, RCD testing and commercial electrical support for Perth businesses.
If you have overdue tags, incomplete records, failed electrical equipment or a growing equipment register, arrange a professional site assessment.
Book Test and Tag
Call 0419 967 838 to discuss your workplace.
You can also explore ACS Test and Tag or contact ACS Electrical online.
ACS Electrical
Perth, Western Australia
EC 15832