Helpful Info

September 7, 2026

Workplace Electrical Testing & Tagging in Auckland

By Jordan Statham, Director and Registered Electrical Inspector at The Conduction Company. EWRB registration I272615.

Two hands rewiring a power lead into a plug top on a wooden bench

Need testing and tagging for your workplace?

The Conduction Company tests and tags appliances across Auckland, and gives you the records your health and safety obligations need.

Book testing and tagging

Direct answer: Test and tag is not compulsory under a single New Zealand law. What the law does require is that businesses keep people safe, and that includes making sure the electrical equipment people plug in and use is safe. Testing and tagging to the standard AS/NZS 3760 is the recognised way to show you have done that.

Need test and tag for your Auckland business?
Keep your team safe, meet your obligations, and take the guesswork out of appliance safety with professional testing and tagging. Request a compliance inspection.

Is test and tag a legal requirement in NZ?

No single law makes test and tag compulsory for every workplace in New Zealand. The duty sits one step back from that. Under New Zealand's health and safety law, every business has to keep people safe, so far as is reasonably practicable, and that includes making sure the electrical equipment people use is safe. WorkSafe is the regulator that enforces it.

Test and tag is not the only way to meet that duty, but it is the recognised one. Testing and tagging to AS/NZS 3760 gives you dated, documented proof that each appliance was checked and passed. If something goes wrong, or if WorkSafe or your insurer asks, a current tag is evidence you took practicable steps to keep people safe.

Some settings go further. Construction and demolition sites, for example, follow a separate standard, AS/NZS 3012, with much more frequent testing, because the environment is harder on equipment. So while "is it the law?" has a nuanced answer for a general office, on a building site regular testing is effectively expected.

"Most business owners think test and tag is either compulsory or pointless. It is neither. It is the simple, documented proof that the gear your team plugs in every day is safe, and that is worth having long before anyone asks for it."

Jordan Statham, Registered Electrician and Electrical Inspector, The Conduction Company

What is test and tag, and what does it involve?

Test and tag is a two-step safety check on electrical equipment: a visual inspection, then an electrical test with a proper appliance tester. Equipment that passes gets a durable tag. Equipment that fails is taken out of service.

Here is what happens on the day:

Visual inspection. We check the appliance, its plug, and its lead for damage, wear, and anything that looks unsafe. A lot of faults are caught right here.
Electrical testing. We test the appliance with certified equipment, an appliance tester or multifunction tester, to confirm it is electrically safe.
Tagging. Anything that passes gets a durable, non-reusable tag. Under AS/NZS 3760 that tag shows who tested it, the test date, and when the next test is due. Anything that fails is tagged out and removed from service so no one plugs it back in by mistake.

That tag is the whole point. It is on-the-spot proof, on the appliance itself, that the item was checked and passed.

How often should appliances be tested and tagged?

How often depends on the environment the equipment works in. The harder the environment, the more often you test. AS/NZS 3760 sets out indicative intervals, from every 6 months in a busy workshop to up to 5 years in a low-wear office.

Environment or equipment	How often to test and tag
Factories, workshops, and places of manufacture	Every 6 months
Equipment that flexes, gets knocked about, or works in a hostile environment	Every 12 months
Offices and other low-wear environments	Up to 5 years
Hotels, motels, hostels, and boarding houses	Every 2 years
Commercial cleaning equipment	Every 6 months
Hire equipment	Before every hire, then at least every 3 months
Repaired or serviced equipment	Re-test before it goes back into use
Second-hand equipment	Test before it is sold or put back into service

These intervals are from AS/NZS 3760, Table 2.4.

Construction and demolition sites are a special case. They follow a separate, stricter standard, AS/NZS 3012, with much shorter intervals than office or workshop equipment. If you are running gear on a building site, talk to us about the right schedule for your site.

Two honest caveats. These are indicative intervals. A business with the right expertise can vary them based on a documented risk assessment, and manufacturers' instructions or industry rules can set shorter periods. The one exception is hire equipment, where the intervals are fixed, because the hirer cannot control how it gets used.

What gets tested?

Test and tag covers portable electrical equipment that plugs into a normal socket by a flexible cord or lead. If it has a plug and a lead, it is usually in scope.

Typical items include:

Power tools and heavy-duty tools like high-pressure washers and grinders
Extension leads, cord sets, and portable outlet boards
Chargers, power packs, and battery chargers
Kitchen appliances, computers, and office equipment
Portable RCDs and portable socket-outlet assemblies

Fixed wiring and switchboards are a separate job. If you are not sure where the line sits for your site, that is exactly the kind of thing we sort out in the first visit.

Who can carry out test and tag?

Test and tag has to be done by a competent person, someone with the training, skills, and test equipment to do it properly. Under AS/NZS 3760 that person does not have to be a registered electrician.

Here is where it pays to use one anyway. We do test and tag as a qualified electrical contractor, so if a test turns up a fault, we can fix it on the spot rather than just tagging it out and leaving you to find someone else. Jordan Statham is a Registered Electrician and a registered Electrical Inspector, and we are Master Electricians members with 600+ five-star Google reviews and more than 2,000 clients served across Auckland. If appliance safety ties into wider compliance, our inspection and certification page covers how we handle it.

How much does test and tag cost?

Test and tag is priced per tag, plus a call-out fee to get us on site. We charge $7.90 plus GST per tag and a $54.90 plus GST call-out fee. A minimum fee applies for jobs under 10 tags, and for large batches we can negotiate a lower per-tag rate.

We quote on facts, not guesses

Before we give you a price, we carry out a proper assessment of your site and how many items need testing. That way you know exactly what you're buying and the total cost, with no surprises. Clear expectations from the outset, start to finish.

What test and tag actually costs

The estimates below are for standard test and tag on portable appliances. Final pricing will be confirmed after we assess your site.

What you need	Our rate (plus GST)	Notes
Per tag	$7.90	Charged per appliance tested and tagged.
Call-out fee	$54.90	A one-off fee to attend your site.
Jobs under 10 tags	Minimum fee applies	A minimum fee covers small jobs. Talk to us for the exact figure.
Large batches	Lower rate negotiable	We can agree a lower per-tag rate for high volumes.

For thermal imaging of your switchboard and fixed wiring, which is a different check for a different kind of fault, see our guide on thermal imaging inspections in Auckland.

Why choose TCCO for test and tag in Auckland?

Appliance safety is not just a box to tick. Done properly, it protects your team, keeps you on the right side of your obligations, and gives you clean records when an insurer, an auditor, or WorkSafe asks. Done as a tick-box, it does none of that.

We keep it straightforward. We set up a schedule that suits your site, remind you before the next round is due, test to AS/NZS 3760, fix what we can on the spot, and give you clear records. If test and tag sits alongside other compliance work, we can pick that up too, because we also handle inspections, certification, and switchboard work in-house. Businesses that want ongoing cover can roll it into our maintenance and servicing work. If you also want to understand certification more broadly, our guide on electrical certification in NZ breaks it down. And because RCDs are part of a full safety picture, our post on what to know about RCDs is worth a read.

Ready to sort your appliance testing?

If you want your workplace appliances tested and tagged properly, get in touch or call us on (09) 390 0525. We will set up a schedule that fits your site, do it to the standard, and give you records you can actually use. Happy to help.

Frequently asked questions

Is test and tag a legal requirement in NZ?

Not under a single law. No New Zealand law makes test and tag compulsory for every workplace. What the law does require is that every business keeps people safe, so far as is reasonably practicable, and that includes making sure electrical equipment is safe to use. Testing and tagging to AS/NZS 3760 is the recognised way to show you have done that. Some settings, like construction sites, effectively expect regular testing.

How often does test and tag need to be done?

It depends on the environment. AS/NZS 3760 sets indicative intervals, from every 6 months in a factory to up to 5 years in a low-wear office. Hotels and hostels are every 2 years, and hire equipment is checked before every hire. Construction and demolition sites follow a separate, stricter standard, AS/NZS 3012, with much shorter intervals, so harder environments mean more frequent testing.

Does test and tag have to be done by an electrician?

No. Under AS/NZS 3760 test and tag must be done by a competent person, someone with the right training, skills, and equipment, but that person does not have to be a registered electrician. The advantage of using a qualified electrical contractor is that any fault found can be fixed on the spot, rather than just tagged out.

What is AS/NZS 3760?

AS/NZS 3760 is the Australian and New Zealand standard for the in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment. It sets out how to inspect and test portable appliances, how often to do it, and what a compliant tag has to show. It is the standard behind the term test and tag.

What happens if an appliance fails a test and tag?

It is taken out of service. Under AS/NZS 3760 any item that fails is tagged as non-compliant and withdrawn so no one plugs it back in by mistake. Because we do test and tag as a qualified electrical contractor, we can often repair a minor fault on the spot and re-test it, rather than leaving you without the gear.

How much does test and tag cost in Auckland?

The Conduction Company charges $7.90 plus GST per tag, plus a $54.90 plus GST call-out fee to attend your site. A minimum fee applies for jobs under 10 tags, and we can negotiate a lower per-tag rate for large batches. Every total is an estimate until we know how many items you have and where they are, so we confirm it after a quick assessment.