What's in this template?
This Practice Equipment Register and Maintenance Log gives Australian general practices a complete equipment register aligned to RACGP Standards 5th edition practice equipment indicators and the relevant Australian Standards for fire equipment, emergency lighting and electrical testing. The register is a fillable table with one row per item plus a covering policy that defines roles, intervals and audit cadence.
Important scope note: the vaccine fridge is not in this register, vaccine cold-chain management is covered by the dedicated Cold Chain Management policy and its own log. This register covers everything else.
The document covers 12 sections plus a sign-off block plus the Equipment Register table:
- Purpose: RACGP indicators and WHS plant-and-equipment duty
- Scope: clinical, emergency, safety; excludes vaccine fridge and IT
- Roles and responsibilities: coordinator, manager, clinicians, contractors
- Register fields: item, location, asset ID, intervals, status
- Service and calibration intervals: equipment-by-equipment table
- Electrical test and tag, AS/NZS 3760: healthcare interval, biomedical AS/NZS 3551
- Routine checks at every use: visual, tag in date, accessories, batteries
- The register: fillable table with starter rows for typical GP equipment
- Faults, repair and decommissioning: out-of-service tagging, incident logging
- Audit: monthly coordinator, annual manager
- Related documents: links to Cold Chain Management for vaccine fridge
- Approval and review
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{practice_address}}{{equipment_coordinator}},{{practice_manager}}{{electrical_tester}}, your test-and-tag contractor- Register rows for every piece of equipment
- Sign-off blocks for Practice Manager and Equipment Coordinator
Who needs a Practice Equipment Register?
Every Australian medical and allied health practice. RACGP accreditation looks for a documented register of clinical equipment with maintenance, calibration and electrical testing on schedule. The template is suitable for:
- General practices of any size, solo, group, corporate
- Specialist medical practices: adapt the equipment list to scope
- Day procedure clinics: extend with procedural equipment
- Allied health practices: adapt to discipline-specific equipment
- NDIS providers: assistive technology and shared equipment
Why the vaccine fridge is excluded
Vaccine cold-chain management is its own discipline with regulator-specific requirements:
- Twice-daily temperature monitoring
- Continuous data logging
- Defined excursion management protocol
- Vaccine wastage reporting
- AIR reporting obligations
These do not fit a generic equipment register. The Cold Chain Management policy handles all of this with its own dedicated log. This register cross-references but does not duplicate.
What's in the equipment intervals table
A complete service/calibration table covering common Australian general practice equipment:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Clinical assessment | Sphygmomanometer, ECG, spirometer, pulse oximeter, otoscope, dermatoscope, doppler |
| Treatment | Autoclave (AS/NZS 4815), examination couch, examination lights, suction |
| Emergency | AED/defibrillator, oxygen cylinder, emergency drugs kit, BVM |
| Fire safety | Extinguishers (AS 1851 6-monthly tagging), fire blanket, smoke alarms |
| Lighting and exits | Emergency lighting and exit signs (AS 2293 6-monthly) |
| Electrical | All portable electrical equipment (AS/NZS 3760 test and tag) |
The starter register table includes typical GP equipment so you can begin filling in immediately.
Australian Standards referenced
- AS 1851: Routine service of fire protection systems (extinguishers, fire blankets)
- AS 2293: Emergency escape lighting and exit signs (6-monthly testing)
- AS/NZS 3760: In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment (test and tag)
- AS/NZS 3551: Biomedical equipment management (healthcare-class biomedical equipment)
- AS/NZS 4815: Reprocessing of reusable medical devices in office-based and similar settings (autoclave)
- AS 2030: Gas cylinders periodic inspection
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with your details - Walk the practice: every room, every drawer. List every piece of clinical and safety equipment in section 8 (Register). One row per item
- Add asset IDs: most practices use a simple format like
PE-001,PE-002 - Confirm intervals: defer to the manufacturer instructions; default to 12-monthly where the manufacturer is silent
- Schedule test-and-tag: annually, by a licensed contractor; confirm whether your equipment falls under AS/NZS 3760 (general) or AS/NZS 3551 (biomedical)
- Note any state variation: particularly for electrical testing in healthcare settings
- Set the AED monthly check: most practices nominate the practice nurse or a senior receptionist; visual indicator self-test, pad and battery expiry monitoring
- Tag faulty equipment immediately: "OUT OF SERVICE" and remove from clinical use
Related templates and tools
The Practice Equipment Register sits alongside several other practice safety documents:
- Cold Chain Management: vaccine fridge has its own dedicated log (not in this register)
- Infection Control Policy: autoclave validation and cycle records
- Emergency Response Plan and Emergency Evacuation Plan: fire equipment context
- Computer and Information Security Policy: separate IT asset register
- Incident and Hazard Report Form: equipment failure causing or potentially causing harm
- Quality Improvement Policy and Activity Log: register audit outputs
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't the vaccine fridge in this register?
The vaccine fridge has its own regulatory framework, twice-daily temperature monitoring, continuous data logging, defined excursion management, AIR reporting. It does not fit a general equipment register. The Cold Chain Management policy and its dedicated log cover it. This register notes the exclusion and points to that policy.
What service interval should we use?
Defer to the manufacturer's instructions for use; default to 12-monthly where the manufacturer is silent. Some equipment has a tighter cadence (autoclave cycle records per cycle; spirometer daily calibration; AED monthly visual check). The table in section 5 lists the typical intervals.
Do we need test-and-tag and how often?
Yes for all portable electrical equipment in healthcare settings, typically annually under AS/NZS 3760. Biomedical equipment (defined under AS/NZS 3551) has its own classification, Critical, Major, Minor, with intervals set per class. Engage a licensed test-and-tag contractor for your jurisdiction; some practices choose 6-monthly for higher-use items.
What about the AED?
Monthly visual check by the practice (battery indicator, pad expiry); manufacturer service per the manufacturer schedule. Most AEDs have a self-test indicator that's checked daily or weekly. Replacing pads and battery on expiry is the most common ongoing cost.
How do we handle faulty equipment?
Tag "OUT OF SERVICE" immediately and remove from clinical use. The Equipment Coordinator investigates and decides on repair, replacement or decommission. Faults that caused or could have caused patient harm are also logged in the Incident and Hazard Report Form. The policy covers this in section 9.
Will accreditors accept this template?
Yes, when populated. The register maps directly to RACGP practice equipment indicators and the relevant Australian Standards. Surveyors will spot-check items at random, pick up a sphygmomanometer, ask when it was last calibrated, look at the tag. A current register with up-to-date entries answers this well.
What's the relationship between this register and the autoclave cycle records?
This register notes the autoclave's annual service. The infection control cycle records (parametric release, biological / chemical indicators per AS/NZS 4815) are kept under the Infection Control Policy. Both are needed; both are scrutinised at accreditation; both are referenced in the register entry.