Testing and Tagging (PAT Testing)

As hire and rental companies you should all be aware of your responsibilities in relation to the regular testing and tagging of portable electrical appliances.  Australian Standard AS/NZS 3760 outlines the testing process and the recommended test intervals for portable appliances depending on the type of appliance and the environment in which that item is located.

Compliance is a costly and time consuming process, however it is important that you understand and meet your obligations both as a provider of hire equipment and employer to minimise the impact on your business operations. A hire business is likely to have a range of environments such as workshops, office space, showrooms etc. Therefore testing within the facility may vary from 6 monthly to 5 yearly.

Test and Tag of Hire & Rental Equipment.

Section 6 of Table 4 of the Standards outlines the requirements for hire equipment. Hire equipment needs to be visually inspected for safety prior to every hire and tested and tagged once every three months. The new version of the standard requires some additional information to be recorded on the Test Tags. The tag must now include a re-test date as well as the test date & there must also be a reference to AS/NZS 3760 on the tag.

Who can conduct the Testing and Tagging?

In order to conduct the testing and tagging an individual must be deemed competent against the criteria set out in AS/NZS 3760 and have undergone a level of training. For more information about who is deemed competent click here

The nationally recognised qualification that relates to the Testing & Tagging of portable appliances will require that students complete an additional pre-requisite unit that relates to basic Occupational Health & Safety after March 2013. This will only apply to those who complete the course after this date, there is no need for those already qualified to sit undergo and upgrade.

Most States & Territories stipulate that this training should be conducted by a Registered Training Organisation to Nationally Recognised Standards.

The penalties for non-compliance can cripple a business & if there was an instance where an employee or customer was injured as a result of faulty electrical appliance & there were no test & tag procedures in place, the Director of that business may be held accountable & insurance companies would not cover damages.

How our Rental Management Software helps...

CloudRent is a dynamic software solution that keeps abreast of business requirements within the hire and rental industry. We realise the importance of maintaining equipment to safety standards and the time consuming task of meeting these requirements. One of the many features we have incorporated into the software is the capacity to firstly tell you what inventory needs testing and easily record test and tag details as a compliance record and a monitoring system. Click here to watch a video on how CloudRent manages Test & Tagging.

Secondly integration...

CloudRent makes compliance easy by being able to import files from your PAT tester and applying the data to the relevant electronic equipment. CloudRent also connects to multiple Test and Tag printers for compliance management.

‍

‍

‍