Questions & Answers Click here for information about AS/NZS 3760:2003 Here are answers to some common questions we receive...   Why should I use ACME? (we get asked this a lot!) Who needs to get it done? How often do appliances need to be tested? What needs to be tested? What about 15 amp and/or 3 Phase appliances? Will testing damage any of my appliances? Can anybody do the testing? Can't my electrician do this for me? What happens to the items that fail? Most of our equipment is brand new or near new, do we still need to have it tested? How long does it take to test an appliance? I haven't received a shock from the appliance, so doesn't that mean it's safe?     Why should I use ACME? That’s a fair question, so here are 5 reasons worth considering; Guaranteed compliance We guarantee all our services will pass a Worksafe audit with flying colours! So if any of our work is deemed non-compliant by a Worksafe Inspector, we will rectify the problem for you free of charge   Minimal disruption. We know not all businesses operate 9 - 5 and some have special needs that we have to work around. With a bit of forward planning we can usually make it so you barely even know we are on-site.   Minimal paperwork. Nobody likes paperwork, and like most things these days, there some to be done with your test and tagging. The good news is we do just about all of it for you.   Easy to read reporting. On completion of our visit, we will provide you with a report detailing what appliances were tested, whether they passed or failed and when they are due for their next retest. If you need more detailed information, such as what tests were done and the actual results etc, we can provide that as well.   Properly trained and experienced technicians. Your safety is too important to leave to chance or beginners, so all our technicians have undergone specialist training and been formally assessed to be a “competent person” as defined under the standard AS/NZS 3760. This means they have acquired the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to be able to correctly undertake all your test and tagging needs.   [top] Who needs to get it done? ALL workplaces need to get their electrical appliances tested. This includes; offices, factories, warehouses, retail outlets, schools, construction sites, mobile businesses (tradies, reps etc) , hotels, motels, accommodation, resorts, entertainment venues, home offices etc. [top] How often do appliances need to be tested? The retest interval will depend on a number of factors including the type and electrical Class of the appliance and the environment it is being used in. In general, the periods range from from 3 months to 12 months, with some going up to 5 years. As part of our service, we can assist you on formulating what intervals are appropriate for each appliance. [top] What needs to be tested? All low voltage (240V - 415V) single and poly phase (three phase) electrical appliances. As a simple rule-of-thumb guide, "If you plug it in, it needs to be tested". This covers a wide range of electrical appliances, including, but not limited to; Computers, printers, monitors, photocopiers, fax machines, power tools, desk lamps, battery chargers, vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, extension leads, power boards, TVs, radios, some air conditioners, fridges, portable flood lights, blow heaters, jugs, toasters, hand dryers, hair dryers, washing machines, transmitters, modems, CD players etc. Fixed and portable safety switches (RCDs) also need regular testing. [top] What about 15 amp and/or 3 Phase appliances? They need to be done too and Yes, our technicians have the necessary equipment, training and experience to test them for you as well. [top] Will testing damage any of my appliances? The test procedures we use are designed to be non-destructive, so there is little, if any, risk of your equipment being damaged. To date, after conducting tens of thousands of tests on all sorts of appliances, we have not received any reports of an appliance being damaged due to the testing. The only proviso on this is one particular test we conduct in certain circumstances is designed to detect a faulty earth connection in an appliance and if that connection is sub-standard, the test will cause the connection to fail. When this happens, it’s actually a good thing as it’s better for it to happen under test conditions than when somebody is using the appliance. [top] Can anybody do the testing? NO. The Standard AS/NZS 3760:2003 makes it quite clear that only competent persons shall do the testing. A competent person is "...one who has the necessary practical and theoretical skills, acquired through training, qualification, experience or a combination of these." They also need properly calibrated equipment capable of doing the tests within the very specific "tolerances" detailed in the Standard. If you are using an employee or engaging a contractor to do the testing for you, be aware you have a legal responsibility to ensure they are a "competent person" before they start any works for you... so be careful. All our technicians have been assessed to be competent and can provide you with evidence. [top] Can't my electrician do this for me? This is where we all need to be very careful. Although electricians are well trained and highly skilled in performing electrical work, they are not automatically deemed to be a "competent person" in electrical test and tagging simply by virtue of their trade qualification; unless that qualification did include the correct competency training or they have since gained the necessary skills and experience required under the Standard. If they have done the required training, and have necessary equipment that complies with the Standard, then yes, they can do this for you. You, as the "responsible person", as defined under OH&S Acts, must ensure that whoever does the test and tagging work for you is competent to do so. The easiest way to do this is ask for evidence of their training.    ... more info [top] What happens to the items that fail? Because the item is electrically unsafe for personal use, it must have a "fail" tag applied to the lead and be withdrawn from service / use. Then it's up to you to decide if you want to get it repaired or not. [top] Most of our equipment is brand new or near new, do we still need to have it tested? When you put new items into service, you can either apply a "new to service" tag to the lead or have it tested first. What we are finding is that a growing number of faults are being detected in brand new appliances. That's probably because they are being manufactured to a price, rather than a standard of quality. So just because something is brand new, doesn't make it any safer than an older appliance. [top] How long does it take to inspect & test an appliance? Most general appliances can be done in a few minutes. This allows time to get the appliance ready, properly conduct the inspection and testing, apply the tag and return it to service. Some more complicated appliances, such as three phase appliances, take longer. A bit of forward planning can dramatically reduce the overall time, so we will discuss this with you before starting. As a word of warning: Don’t be impressed by those who claim it’s a good thing to be able to do large numbers of appliances per hour. Think about how much time they are actually spending on each appliance.  Usually, there is no advantage, benefit or saving to you if they can do a high number per hour, so why put your safety at risk? [top] I haven't received a shock from the appliance, so doesn't that mean it's safe? Absolutely not! Without getting too technical, many faulty electrical appliances have the potential to deliver an electric shock but due to the electrical resistance of the person touching it, not enough current flows through them to be a problem. This could be due to a number of factors, such as dryness of their skin, footwear, floor coverings etc that can create the high electrical resistance. However, should the user do something different and, say, not be wearing shoes, be standing on a wet floor or maybe touch something else at the same time that has much less electrical resistance, then that may allow the fault current to flow through them, resulting in an electric shock or electrocution (the latter you don’t survive!). This is why many people are surprised when we detect an electrical fault in an appliance that they use regularly and can't understand why they never received an electric shock from it... the potential was there but luck has saved them so far. For more information; Ohms_law or Electric_shock [top]