Test and Tag Christchurch

Test and tag is the routine inspection and electrical testing of plug-in equipment: kettles, computers, power boards, extension leads, power tools and anything else on a flexible cord. Each item that passes gets a tag showing when it was tested and when it is next due.

We test offices, shops, cafes, rentals, schools, workshops and building sites across Christchurch, from the central city to Hornby, Sydenham and Belfast, and out to Rolleston and Rangiora. Our testers work alongside licensed electricians, so faults are repaired or replaced, not just tagged and left. Test and tag sits within our wider commercial electrician services.

Pricing: a free quote and a fixed price agreed before we start. You get a written, itemised quote, and small jobs can be quoted from photos.

Need the fixed wiring and switchboard of a building inspected? See electrical inspections.

Is test and tag a legal requirement?

Not in itself. WorkSafe says testing and tagging is one useful way to check electrical equipment is safe, but it is not mandatory. The law requires that equipment is electrically safe and kept in a safe condition, and it is up to the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to decide how to achieve that.

Tagging is the most common route because of regulation 26 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. Where a fitting or appliance is used by an employee or contractor of its owner, it is deemed electrically safe if it carries a current tag issued in accordance with AS/NZS 3760. The Regulations currently cite the 2022 edition of that standard.

Building sites, workshops and the cold

Selwyn is the fastest-growing district in the country, and around Christchurch you will find new townhouses going up in Sydenham and Merivale and whole subdivisions in Halswell, Wigram, Rolleston and Pegasus. WorkSafe says testing frequency depends on the equipment and the workplace, and that tools used outdoors and in damp conditions on a construction site need testing far more often than a computer in an office. AS/NZS 3012 gives guidance for electrical safety on construction and demolition sites.

Canterbury winters add wear. With around 80 ground frost days a year, leads on site are dragged through frosty mud, coiled cold and stiff, and left out overnight. Between tests, WorkSafe advises regularly looking over cords, plugs and tools for damage, and remembering that equipment used outside in the damp still needs RCD protection.

• Site tools and leads on short retest cycles
• Portable RCDs tested and push-button checked
• Visual checks between tests encouraged
• Industrial workshops tested around shifts

How It Works

Rentals, hire gear and leased premises

Regulation 26 also covers fittings and appliances supplied to a hirer or lessee, or to the occupier of rented or leased premises, such as a landlord's heater or a hire company's tools. Those items are deemed electrically safe either with a current AS/NZS 3760 tag, or if, when first made available, they are supplied through a portable RCD or an RCD-protected circuit that protects against electric shock.

For Christchurch landlords, that means a choice between tagging the appliances you supply and making sure they are on RCD-protected circuits. We can test the RCDs at the switchboard and tell you which route suits the property.

What we test

AS/NZS 3760 covers low voltage equipment connected by a flexible cord or plug, and extends to extension leads, portable outlet devices such as power boards, and portable RCDs. Every item gets a visual check first: frayed cords, cracked plugs, missing earth pins and scorch marks fail before a meter is connected. Then we carry out the electrical tests the standard requires.

Test and tag is not the right check for EV charging equipment. WorkSafe warns that a tag does not make modified EV charging cables safe, because the standard was written for tools and leads. Chargers are covered on our EV charger installation page.

• Kitchen appliances: kettles, toasters, microwaves, fridges
• IT gear: computers, monitors, printers, chargers
• Power boards and extension leads
• Power tools and site equipment
• Heaters and portable RCDs

Who can test, and what happens to failures

WorkSafe says the tester does not need to be a registered electrical worker, but must have the knowledge and skills to understand the standards involved. A business can train a staff member or hire someone in. The catch is what comes next: only a registered electrical worker can fix the problems testing finds.

That is the difference with us. When an item fails, we label it clearly, take it out of service, and either repair it on the day or quote a replacement. You get a register listing every item, its result, its tag number and its next test date, and we contact you before the next round is due.

• Failed items labelled and withdrawn
• Plugs and cord ends repaired on site where practical
• Replacements quoted when repair is not worth it
• Register with results and retest dates

Why Choose Cheeky's Electrical for Test and Tag

Test and Tag FAQs

Test and Tag Near You

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Related Electrical Services

• Commercial Electrician
• Data Cabling
• Emergency Electrician
• Electrical Repairs

See the electrician prices guide or every service we offer.