What's in this template?
This Electrical Safety and Test-and-Tag Policy gives Australian healthcare practices the WHS Regulation 150 and AS/NZS 3760:2022 framework behind their electrical testing program: how work areas are classified, what testing interval applies, RCD (safety switch) protection, and who may carry out electrical work.
The template includes:
- The boundary against the Practice Equipment Register, so the rules and the item-by-item log stay in separate documents that reference each other
- A hostile operating environment classification table, applying the AS/NZS 3760 test to each area of the practice
- Default testing intervals by equipment category, with the rule that any extension needs a documented risk assessment
- RCD provision and testing requirements
- Licensing controls for who may carry out electrical work versus who may perform a test and tag inspection
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{abn}},{{practice_address}}{{whs_officer}},{{electrical_tester}}{{admin_area_classification}},{{admin_area_basis}}{{effective_date}},{{next_review_date}}
The policy, not another register
Your Practice Equipment Register already includes an AS/NZS 3760 test-and-tag section: a fillable log with one row per item, its test date, and its next due date. This template is not a second register competing with it.
| This policy | Practice Equipment Register | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Risk classification of work areas, RCD provision, testing intervals under AS/NZS 3760, who may do electrical work, and what happens to a failed item | The fillable log: one row per item, its test date, its result, and its next due date |
| Answers | How often should this area's equipment be tested, and by whom? | When was this item last tested, and is it still in date? |
Use this policy to set and justify the rule, then record every individual result in the Practice Equipment Register, which already has the AS/NZS 3760 fields built into it. The two documents cross-link so nobody has to guess which one has the answer to which question.
What AS/NZS 3760 and Regulation 150 actually require
WHS Regulation 150 requires electrical equipment used in a hostile operating environment, defined as one involving moisture, heat, vibration, dust, mechanical damage, or equipment that is moved during use, to be inspected and tested by a competent person in accordance with AS/NZS 3760. A general practice's clinical rooms, sterilisation area and kitchen typically meet that test on multiple counts: moisture from clinical procedures and cleaning, and equipment that is regularly moved.
The standard's testing intervals are risk-based rather than fixed. As a general guide, construction environments test every 3 months, workshop and manufacturing environments every 6 months, and other hostile environments, which is where most general practice areas sit, every 12 months. A longer interval, sometimes 2 years or more for fixed equipment, is possible, but only where it is supported by a documented risk assessment. Extending an interval without that documentation is one of the most common findings in a WHS audit, which is why the template's Section 5 states the default and flags the requirement explicitly.
RCD, or safety switch, protection is a separate duty: the practice must provide it, so far as reasonably practicable, for plug-in equipment used in a hostile environment, and both fixed and portable RCDs need to be tested regularly by a competent person to confirm they actually work when needed.
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with your details. - Classify every area in Section 4 honestly. Most of a general practice qualifies as a hostile environment, but reception or administrative areas without moisture or frequent equipment movement may not, and the template leaves that classification open for you to decide with reasoning, not assume.
- Set your testing interval in Section 5. The 12-month default matches most general practice areas. If you want to extend it, attach the documented risk assessment that justifies doing so.
- Confirm your electrical work and test-and-tag contractors in the cover block, and check they are appropriately licensed or competent for the work they do.
- Feed results into the Practice Equipment Register, not into a second log inside this policy.
- Review every two years, or sooner if premises or equipment change.
Related templates and tools
- Practice Equipment Register: the item-by-item AS/NZS 3760 test-and-tag log this policy's rules feed into.
- WHS Hazard and Risk Register: electrical hazards identified during testing are logged here.
- WHS Incident Report Form: use it for any electrical incident or near miss.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need both this policy and the Practice Equipment Register?
Yes, if you want the reasoning behind your testing intervals documented separately from the log itself. The register already has an AS/NZS 3760 section built in and is sufficient on its own for many practices. This policy exists for practices that want the risk classification, RCD provision and electrical work controls set out as their own reviewable document, particularly useful if an assessor asks why a particular interval was chosen rather than just what the results were.
Is a general practice a "hostile operating environment"?
Most areas are. AS/NZS 3760's test includes moisture, heat, equipment that is regularly moved, and similar factors, and a clinical or treatment room, a sterilisation area, and a kitchen will usually meet that test on at least one ground. Reception or a purely administrative office may not, which is why the template leaves that specific classification for you to complete rather than assuming a blanket answer.
What's the default testing interval for a medical practice?
12 months for portable equipment in a hostile environment, which covers most clinical and treatment room equipment under the standard's general guidance for environments outside construction and heavy manufacturing. A longer interval is possible for fixed equipment, but needs a documented risk assessment to support it under AS/NZS 3760:2022.
Who can do our test and tag testing?
A competent person, consistent with AS/NZS 3760. This does not have to be a licensed electrician for the testing and tagging itself, though many practices use one. Actual electrical work, installation, repair, or connecting new fixed equipment, is a different matter and must be carried out by a licensed electrician.
What do we do with a piece of equipment that fails a test?
Tag it out of service immediately and remove it from use. It is not returned to service until it has been repaired and retested, or it is permanently decommissioned. The template's Section 8 sets this out as a firm rule rather than a judgment call for whoever finds the fault.
Do we need RCDs on every circuit?
The duty is to provide RCD protection, so far as reasonably practicable, for plug-in electrical equipment used in a hostile operating environment, which in a general practice will usually mean most clinical and treatment areas. Both fixed and portable RCDs then need regular testing by a competent person to confirm they are actually working, not just installed.