What an electrical risk assessment actually is
An electrical risk assessment is a short, structured look at the electrical equipment in your workplace and the conditions it is used in. The point is simple: work out what could go wrong, decide how likely and how serious it is, and put sensible controls in place before someone is hurt. It is the same risk-management thinking you already apply to ladders, chemicals or forklifts — applied to plugs, leads, power tools and appliances.
It is not a form you complete once and file away. WorkSafe explains that testing and tagging is one useful way to check electrical equipment is safe, but that testing and tagging is not mandatory. What is legally required is that equipment is electrically safe and maintained in a safe condition. An assessment is how you work out what that duty means for your site, and it is the foundation any testing programme should sit on.
Why the duty is about safety, not paperwork
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 places a general duty on the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to ensure health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable. The Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 sit alongside that and apply to appliances, leads and hand-held tools connected to electricity. Neither instrument says that every appliance has to carry a tag. They say the equipment must be safe.
That distinction changes how you approach the job. A tag is only ever a snapshot: as WorkSafe puts it, testing and tagging does not guarantee future electrical safety, because it records how safe the appliance was at the moment it was checked. A fault can also be invisible — a cord can look perfectly fine and still be damaged inside. So the assessment, the daily visual checks and the controls around the equipment matter as much as any formal test.
It helps to keep four ideas in their own boxes: the law (the Act and the Regulations), the standard (AS/NZS 3760, which is not law), the regulator’s guidance (WorkSafe’s published advice), and best practice (what experienced operators do beyond the minimum). Blurring them together is where most confusion starts.
A five-step method you can run this week
You do not need software or a consultant to start. A clipboard, a walk around the site and an hour of honest thinking will get you most of the way.
Step 1: list the equipment
Walk the site and write down every item that plugs in or is wired in and that a worker could touch: hand tools, extension leads, power boards, kettles, microwaves, chargers, compressors, welders, cleaning equipment, desk lamps and fixed machinery. Group identical items rather than listing every one — “20 drill chargers” is easier to manage than twenty separate rows. Note the age and condition as you go.
Step 2: assess the environment
Environment drives risk more than almost anything else. Equipment used outdoors, in damp areas, in dust, in extreme heat, or where it is knocked around will deteriorate faster and fail sooner than a desktop computer in a dry office. WorkSafe’s own example is a construction site: equipment used outside and in damp conditions needs more frequent attention than a computer in an office.
Step 3: assess the users and the task
Ask who handles the equipment and how. Is it shared, moved daily, or left in one place? Is it used by trained staff, casual workers, students or members of the public? Is it used near water, near fuel, or in a confined space? Equipment used roughly by many different people carries more risk than a single item used carefully by one trained operator.
Step 4: set an inspection and testing regime
Decide three things: how often someone does a visual check, how often equipment is formally inspected and tested if you choose to test, and how you will protect people with RCDs. Frequency is a risk decision you make, informed by the equipment, the environment and the task — there is no single interval that applies to every workplace. AS/NZS 3760 is one option a PCBU can choose to follow, but it is a standard rather than legislation; our AS/NZS 3760 guide explains how to use it as a starting point.
Step 5: record it and act on it
WorkSafe recommends documenting results when equipment is tested or inspected, and keeping those results on site in paper, computer or phone form. A record shows what was checked, when, by whom and what was found. If an item fails, take it out of service immediately, then have it repaired and tagged by a licensed electrical worker, or replace it. Repaired equipment should carry the proper repair tag.
Environment at a glance
The table below is practical guidance, not a legal schedule. Use it to sort your equipment into rough bands, then set your own intervals from there.
| Environment | Typical equipment | Relative risk | What to prioritise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry indoor office | Computers, monitors, chargers, desk lamps | Lower | Regular visual checks; test only if you choose to |
| Kitchen or hospitality | Kettles, microwaves, mixers, fridges, cleaning gear | Higher | Frequent visual checks, RCD protection, periodic inspection |
| Outdoor or damp | Tools, leads, pumps, lighting | High | RCD protection, daily checks, shorter intervals |
| Construction or demolition | Power tools, leads, PSOAs, builder’s temporary | High | AS/NZS 3012 guidance, daily RCD test, PSOA checks |
| Workshop or manufacturing | Fixed machinery, welders, compressors | Higher | RCD protection, guarding, scheduled inspection |
| Dusty or corrosive | Saws, grinders, lab equipment | High | Sealed equipment, cleaning regime, frequent inspection |
Practical checklist
- Equipment list completed and kept up to date
- Each area classified by environment: dry, damp, outdoor, dusty, corrosive or high-traffic
- RCD protection in place where required, with RCDs test-button tested every day
- Visual checks scheduled and actually happening: cords, plugs and tools
- Inspection or testing interval chosen and recorded as a risk decision
- Results documented and available on site
- Faulty items removed from service immediately and tagged out
- Repairs carried out only by a registered electrical worker, then re-tagged
- A schedule in place to alert you when equipment is due to be checked or re-certified
For a wider set of controls, see our workplace electrical safety checklist.
Common mistakes
- Treating a tag as a guarantee. A tag is a snapshot; cords and plugs still need regular visual checks.
- Assuming only an electrician can test. WorkSafe’s gate is knowledge and skill — the tester must be able to understand the Standards involved. Only a registered electrical worker may carry out repairs.
- Using one interval for the whole site. A commercial kitchen and a server room do not carry the same risk.
- Forgetting RCDs. RCD protection is a separate control. Equipment still needs it in certain circumstances, such as outside in the damp, whether or not it has been tested and tagged.
- Skipping the record. If it is not written down, you cannot show what you did or when.
When to bring in a professional
You can run the assessment yourself. WorkSafe notes that a PCBU can either buy testing equipment and train a worker, or engage a third party to do the work. Bring in workplace test and tag services when you have a large or multi-site equipment register, when you need periodic testing done to a documented schedule, or when you would rather not carry the training and record-keeping burden. A provider can also help you settle on a sensible frequency — our guide to how often to test electrical equipment walks through the factors. If you are weighing up doing it in-house, see what the role really involves in testing and tagging your own equipment.
Bringing it together
An electrical risk assessment does not need to be complicated. Identify what you have, look hard at where and how it is used, set a sensible inspection and testing regime, protect people with RCDs, and write down what you did. That gives you a practical, defensible system that keeps people safe and stands up to scrutiny. If you would like a hand building that programme for your workplace, you can request a quote and we will help you work out the right approach.
