WHAT IS TEST & TAG?
Test & Tag refers to the testing of the electrical safety of appliances against Australian Standards AS/NZS 3760, and is primarily an Occupational Health and Safety (OH & S) measure, ensuring workplaces have tested - and will regularly re-test - their electrical appliances for faults or potential hazards.
HOW IS TEST & TAG CARRIED OUT?
The test & tag work done will be done by a trained competent person, using special tools to test electrical appliances for any number of potential faults or hazards, and then tag them by affixing/attaching an appropriate label. The label either indicates the appliance has been tested and deemed satisfactorily safe, or that the appliance is unsafe and is not to be used.
COLOUR-CODING OF TEST & TAG LABELS
A variety of labels are used in test & tag practices, often dependent on the industry and/or appliance. At LabelPrintScan.com.au we supply a range of standard 100mm x 50mm colour-coded and plain white labels for use with thermal printers. Unlike other test & tag labels, our labels are blank, allowing for greater customisation of printed information and easy integration with a testers equipment, software and computerised database - and no more hand-writing! Additionally the coloured labels include a white section for barcode placement, with the barcode providing means for digitally tracking individual appliance history over time.
These colours do have a significance within the standards, specifically with construction and demolition industries, but can be useful for other industries and environments as well. Below is a table showing what each colour represents:
As an example, a tested appliance tagged with a red label was tested in either January or September if in NSW, or tested sometime between December and February if outside of NSW. This allows for quicker recognition of when the appliance was last tested - provided the appliance hasn't been relocated into or out of New South Wales!