Yes — you can test and tag your own electrical equipment in New Zealand. Testing and tagging is not mandatory, and it is not restricted to registered electrical workers. The person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU) can choose to get the testing equipment and train up a worker, or hire a third party. What matters is that whoever does the work has the knowledge and skills to do the task correctly and to understand the Standards involved. Only a registered electrical worker may carry out repairs.
That is the accurate position from WorkSafe New Zealand, and it is worth stating plainly because a lot of online advice gets it wrong. This guide covers what WorkSafe actually says, who is allowed to test, what competent-person caveats really mean, why your test equipment needs to be calibrated, and how to keep records that stand up.
What WorkSafe New Zealand actually says
WorkSafe describes testing and tagging as one useful way to check that electrical equipment is safe, then makes the crucial qualification: it is not mandatory. What is legally required is that equipment is electrically safe and maintained in a safe condition. WorkSafe also notes that testing and tagging does not guarantee future electrical safety — it provides a snapshot of how safe the appliance is at the time of testing.
On who may do it, WorkSafe is equally clear. It is up to the PCBU to decide whether to test and tag. They can either get the testing equipment and train up a worker, or hire a third party to carry out the testing. Whoever does the work must have the knowledge and skills to do the task correctly. It does not need to be a registered electrical worker, but the person needs to be able to understand the Standards involved. However, only a registered electrical worker will be able to fix any problems the testing reveals.
Who is allowed to carry out the testing
There is no separate New Zealand licence that gates testing and tagging. The gate is knowledge and skill. That means a trained staff member can legally carry out the testing on your own equipment, provided they genuinely understand what they are doing and can interpret the Standards involved. It also means the convenient myth that only a licensed electrician may test and tag is wrong.
The same rule works in reverse. If you are going to do the work in-house, you need to be honest about whether the people involved actually have that knowledge and skill. Sending someone on a short course and handing them a tester is not the same as them understanding what a result means, when equipment should be withdrawn from service, and how the Standards behind the process work. The AS/NZS 3760 compliance guide is a useful starting point for the scope of the standard, which is one option a PCBU can choose to follow.
What "knowledge and skills" means in practice
Competence is not one document on a wall. In practice it means the tester can:
- identify what has to be tested and what can reasonably be covered by a documented visual inspection;
- use the test equipment correctly and understand what each reading means;
- recognise a failed item, withdraw it from use, and know that repair must go to a registered electrical worker;
- tag and record the outcome accurately; and
- understand the standard behind the process well enough to apply it sensibly rather than mechanically.
If a tester cannot explain what a result means, they do not yet have the knowledge and skills the task requires, regardless of how the training was delivered. This is the practical caveat behind the phrase “competent person”.
Your test equipment needs to be calibrated
Even a fully trained tester produces meaningless results with an uncalibrated instrument. Portable appliance testers read continuity, insulation resistance and earth continuity, and those readings drift over time or after physical damage. A tester that is out of calibration can pass an unsafe appliance or fail a sound one, and either outcome undermines the whole programme.
Build calibration into your routine from the start. Know when the instrument is next due, keep the calibration record with the tester, and treat an overdue device as unserviceable until it has been checked. If you are comparing providers rather than testing in-house, ask how they manage calibration — it is one of the questions a good provider selection checklist should cover.
Keep records of everything you test
WorkSafe recommends documenting results when equipment is tested or inspected and keeping the test results on site, on paper, a computer or a phone. For DIY testing especially, the record is your evidence that the work happened and that you acted on what you found. A practical record shows the asset, the date, what was checked, the outcome, and any action taken.
If an item fails, the record should show it was removed from use, then repaired and tagged by a registered electrical worker or replaced. Repaired equipment should carry the proper repair tag. The daily visual check also belongs in the record, because a test is only a snapshot and regular inspection between tests is part of keeping equipment safe. A structured compliance reporting routine keeps this from becoming a filing burden.
In-house testing versus a third-party provider
| Factor | In-house testing | Third-party provider |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Test equipment, training and calibration time | Per-visit or per-item pricing |
| Control | You schedule and manage everything | Provider schedules and reports |
| Calibration | Your responsibility | Provider maintains instrument calibration |
| Records | You build and keep the register | Provider supplies reporting |
| Best fit | Small registers, stable sites, willing staff | Large, multi-site or technically complex equipment |
Neither column is automatically correct. The right choice follows your register size, how technical the equipment is, and whether you can sustain the calibration and record-keeping that in-house testing demands.
Repairs are different — only a registered electrical worker can do them
This is where DIY testing stops. You may test your own equipment, but only a registered electrical worker may repair faults the testing reveals. A failed item should be removed from use and isolated, then either repaired and tagged by a registered electrical worker or replaced. Trying to repair a faulty lead or appliance yourself does not just defeat the purpose of the check — it crosses a clear line in WorkSafe's position. Build a repair pathway into your routine so failed items do not sit in a corner and drift back into use.
Related to, but separate from, testing is RCD protection. Equipment still needs RCD protection in certain circumstances, such as outside in the damp, whether or not it has been tested and tagged. RCDs should be checked with the test button every day. Our explanation of RCD testing covers how that control differs from testing and tagging.
Common mistakes with DIY test and tag
- Assuming it is a licensed trade. Testing does not require a registered electrical worker, but it does require real knowledge and skill.
- Using an uncalibrated tester. The numbers may look fine and mean nothing.
- Repairing faults in-house. Only a registered electrical worker may fix what testing reveals.
- Testing but not recording. Without records you cannot show what was checked and when.
- Skipping visual checks. A test is a snapshot; a damaged cord can still look fine the next week.
- Treating a pass tag as permanent safety. It reflects the appliance at the moment of testing, no more.
When DIY stops making sense
Testing your own equipment is a reasonable choice when you have a manageable register and people with genuine competence. It becomes harder to justify when you have many items, several sites, three-phase equipment, or no one who can own calibration and records. At that point a provider usually costs less than the time and risk of doing it badly.
If you would like your own staff trained to a proper standard, or you would rather have workplace test and tag testing handled for you, the same rules apply either way: knowledge and skill, calibrated instruments, honest records, and registered electrical workers for repairs. You can request a quote to compare the two routes for your site.
