Electrical testing requirements for odour control equipment

Don't assume so. Australian law sets strict requirements for electrical safety in the workplace, and we regularly see rented odour control equipment that has never been tested and tagged, some of that equipment installed for almost a decade. Others are tagged with a renewal date a year or two away, when the rules call for 6 months. It's cheaper for the supplier not to take the time or employ qualified staff.

You can check your own equipment at any time. A durable safety tag must be on the power cord of rented equipment, with the date the equipment was tested and the date the next test is due.

Test and tagging is set out in the AS/NZS 3760 standard, and applies to all electrical equipment, not just air purifiers. But odour control equipment runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in damp rooms, and the equipment's fans make a little vibration, so the testing matters.

Test and tagging is a series of tests on the equipment, to make sure there's no fault that could put people around the equipment at risk, done by a competent or licensed person. Once the equipment is tested, a durable safety tag goes on the power cord, saying who tested the equipment, when, and when the next test is due, and a log of every test is kept.

The rules vary a little from state to state, but as a guide:

• Rented or leased equipment that's permanently installed must be tested and tagged before installation, then every 6 months. That's the job of the company you rent the equipment from.
• Equipment you own outright must be tested at least every 12 months, and that's the owner's job.

Our technicians are licensed electricians, and they test and tag at every service, whether you own your Garbage Doctor or rent one. Our service intervals are set to meet these requirements.

For more on electrical safety in the workplace, see Safe Work Australia's guidance on managing electrical risks in the workplace, or your state's regulator for local test and tag requirements.