Test and tag for construction sites in the ACT
Construction runs on the strictest testing regime there is: a 3-monthly cycle, colour-coded tags, and principal contractors who will turn equipment away at the gate. Here's what Canberra sites expect — and how to never be the subbie whose tools get refused.
Published 31 October 2026· ADVARO Test & Tag
Why construction is the strictest regime
A construction site is the textbook hostile operating environment: moisture, dust, vibration, mechanical damage and equipment dragged across concrete all day. Under the WHS Regulation, plug-in equipment used in these conditions must be regularly inspected and tested by a competent person — and for construction and demolition work, the recognised cycle under AS/NZS 3760:2022 is every 3 months.
In practice the rule is enforced less by the regulator than by principal contractors. Site WHS systems require a current tag on every tool, lead, board and portable RCD, inductions say so explicitly, and untagged gear gets refused at the gate. For a subcontractor, an out-of-date tag doesn't mean a fine — it means tools sitting in the ute while the job runs without you.
The quarterly colour system
So that a site manager can check currency at a glance, construction tags are colour-coded by the quarter in which the item was tested. The rotation commonly used under AS/NZS 3012 is:
| Test period | Tag colour |
|---|---|
| December – February | Red |
| March – May | Green |
| June – August | Blue |
| September – November | Yellow |
One glance down a lead tells anyone on site whether it was tested this quarter. We tag to the colour system as standard on construction work, and the asset register we supply records every item against its location and next due date.
What gets tested on site
- Power tools — drills, saws, grinders, nail guns and chargers
- Extension leads and power boards — the highest-failure items on any site
- Portable RCDs and RCD protected leads — push-button function plus measured trip time
- Site office and lunchroom equipment on the same visit
One boundary worth stating plainly: our work is the in-service testing of plug-in equipment. Temporary site wiring, switchboards and fixed RCDs are electrical installation work for a licensed electrician — we don't touch them, and we'll tell you straight when that's what you need.
What the principal contractor will ask for
- A current, correctly coloured tag on every plug-in item
- A test record for the equipment — who tested it, when, and the result, kept until the next test is due
- Evidence that failed items were removed from service, with electrical repairs referred to a licensed electrician
The digital records and register we supply after each visit cover all three — in a form you can hand to a site manager or attach to a WHS pack. There's a sample report on this site showing exactly what that looks like.
Keeping the cycle without thinking about it
The practical problem with a 3-monthly cycle isn't the testing — it's remembering it four times a year across changing sites. We record next-due dates on every tag and in your register, and because we price per item with volume rates, a quarterly visit for a crew's gear costs a known, small amount rather than a surprise. If you're new to how the testing itself works, our process guide walks through a visit step by step, and the frequency guide covers the intervals for every other environment you work in.
What builders and subcontractors ask us about site testing.
Every 3 months. Construction and demolition sites run on the shortest cycle in AS/NZS 3760 because the environment is classed as hostile — tools, leads, power boards and portable RCDs are all expected to carry a current tag from the most recent quarterly test.
Want this handled for your site?
Send us your approximate item count and suburb and we'll come back with a fixed quote — testing in accordance with AS/NZS 3760:2022, clear tags and digital records included.