Does testing and tagging of leads and portable equipment have to be carried out by a licensed electrician?

Not necessarily. Clause 4.3 of the Industry Standard states that “inspection and testing should be undertaken by a licensed electrician or electician supervised (ES or L)’. WorkSafe and OCEI accept this is not always practical. An alternative is to use and individual who has satisfactorily completed a competency-assessed training course on testing and tagging.

Any person carrying out these tests must:

• Have the appropriate test instruments and be competent in their use,
• Carry out both visual inspection and electrical tests,
• Use testers that have been re-calibratede within the previous 12 months,
• Keep in a logbook proof of compentency and all required test information,
• Have the logbook available for audit purposes within 24 hours of request, and
• Use a tag that identifies the person who carried ou the test.

NOTE:-This does not mean that the individual is qualified to repair any defects found during the testing.