About Us

Occupational Health and Safety Acts throughout Australia and New Zealand discuss, in part, 'that an employer shall provide and maintain a safe working environment'. This manual covers the aspects of routine frequent inspecting and testing of electrical equipment and electrical protection devices within your workplace to satisfy the Australian New Zealand standard in relation to such topic. In some states of Australia and New Zealand, this standard and parts thereof, is called up within legislation and therefore mandatory. This manual is written in a way that the non-electrical minded or experienced person should easily be able to understand, from the theory and fundamentals of electricity, right through to learning how to actually carry out the practice of in-service inspecting and testing, and being able to identify appropriate test equipment required for the job.

This ‘How To’ manual should be read in conjunction with the latest Australian New Zealand Standard known as AS/NZS 3760 and other relevant standards, acts and regulations applicable to your working environment.

The idea behind the design of this manual is to bestow a widespread knowledge to the workforce in relation to their electrical safety obligations, and to inform them that they do not necessarily have to employ a contractor specialising in the services of Testing and Tagging. They may be able to learn how to achieve this themselves and become competent within the task. This manual will also enable you to challenge the knowledge, and equipment used, of your service provider to ensure you are receiving real safety outcomes for your dollar. This manual becomes a valuable resource either before or after completing a course of training run by a Registered Training Organisation.

This manual is also written to assist those who are thinking about, or who already have established a business to offer such services to employers, including electricians. This manual offers valuable knowledge relating to the mandatory tests required as well as best practice. You will discover a lot of information in relation to test equipment and test aids out there on the market to assist you.

For anyone just wishing to learn about what electricity is and where it comes from, you must read our easy to understand analogy in the section relating to the Fundamentals of Electricity.

The authors, Damien Virieux and Frank Zahra have widespread knowledge and hands on experience in relation to this topic. Damien has been in the Test and Measurement field for over 20 years and is currently working as State Manager for a national supplier of electronic and electrical test equipment, & has lectured at TAFEs in the field of Testing and Tagging. Damien has an Associate Diploma of Electronic Engineering, a Diploma in Services Management and is currently studying for his Masters in Business Administration. Frank Zahra, Licensed Electrical Inspector, has been in the electrical field for the past 20 years. Frank is currently working as an electrical auditor to the Victorian electrical regulatory body, a position he has retained for the past seven years. Frank practiced as an electrician for 14 years, and currently teaches Testing and Tagging at two TAFE institutions. These experiences, and the undergoing of extensive practical on the job experience, have increased his knowledge in this field.

While both Damien and Frank were extensively servicing this new growing industry, the feedback received led them to the conclusion that the "competent person”, having completed a Testing and Tagging Course, had no further resource for additional knowledge or assistance. Hence the partnership of ‘Best Practices in Testing & Tagging’.

Edition 1, 2007