By name: as-nzs-3760 description: "Technical reference for AS/NZS 3760:2022 (In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment). Use this skill when the user asks about test and tag requirements, electrical equipment testing intervals, RCD testing, insulation resistance testing, or portable appliance testing — or when an action skill needs to verify or cite specific clauses of AS/NZS 3760:2022."
AS/NZS 3760:2022 — In-Service Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment and RCDs — Complete Reference
Purpose
This skill provides the complete text of AS/NZS 3760:2022, In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment and RCDs, incorporating Amendment No. 1 (December 2022). It enables accurate clause lookup and compliance checking against the standard's requirements for the inspection, testing, tagging and documentation of electrical equipment in service.
AS/NZS 3760 is the primary Australian/New Zealand standard governing in-service testing of portable and stationary electrical equipment connected by flexible cord or connecting device. It specifies inspection procedures, electrical test methods (earth continuity, insulation resistance, leakage current, RCD operating time), pass/fail criteria, testing intervals by environment type, tagging requirements, competent person requirements, and documentation obligations. The standard is commonly referred to in the context of "test and tag" programmes.
Critical Rules
- Only cite clauses that appear in the section files. Never fabricate or assume clause numbers, table numbers, or content.
- Citation format: Use "Clause X.Y.Z" for individual clauses, e.g. "Clause 2.4.3.1 of AS/NZS 3760:2022". For tables, use "Table X.Y" e.g. "Table 2.1". For figures, use "Figure X.Y".
- Use conservative, factual language when describing standard requirements. Describe what the standard requires in objective terms.
- Always use Australian English spelling.
- If a clause cannot be located in these files, state this explicitly. Do not guess or reconstruct clause content.
- Distinguish between normative and informative content. Sections 1–2 and Appendices C, D, E, F, G and H are normative. Appendices A, B, J and K are informative. When citing appendix content, note its status.
- Relationship with AS/NZS 3012: AS/NZS 3012 prescribes testing intervals for construction and demolition sites. AS/NZS 3760 prescribes the test methods. Where equipment is used on a construction site, AS/NZS 3012 testing intervals apply (typically more frequent than AS/NZS 3760 Table 2.4), and the tests are performed in accordance with AS/NZS 3760.
- Relationship with AS/NZS 3000: AS/NZS 3760 does not apply to fixed equipment connected to installation wiring (which falls within AS/NZS 3000), except in Australia for RCDs installed in the electrical installation.
- Note text extraction limitations. Tables, figures, and diagrams may not be fully preserved in the extracted text. If a query depends on specific table data or figures, advise the user to verify against the published standard.
Section Index
| File | Section | Key Clauses | When to Read |
|---|---|---|---|
sections/section-01-scope-and-general.md |
Section 1 — Scope and General | Clauses 1.1–1.4 | Scope, application, exclusions, interpretation, definitions (Clause 1.4) including Class I, Class II, competent person, hostile environment, RCD, responsible person |
sections/section-02-inspection-and-tests.md |
Section 2 — Inspection and Tests | Clauses 2.1–2.6 | Testing intervals (Clause 2.2, Table 2.4), personnel (Clause 2.3), inspection checklist (Clause 2.4.2), earth continuity test (Clause 2.4.3.1), insulation testing (Clause 2.4.3.2, Tables 2.1 and 2.2), RCD testing (Clause 2.4.3.4, Table 2.3), polarity testing (Clause 2.4.3.5), non-compliant equipment (Clause 2.5.1), tagging requirements (Clause 2.5.2), documentation (Clause 2.6) |
Appendix Index
| File | Appendix | Status | Content | When to Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
sections/appendix-a-background.md |
Appendix A | Informative | Background information | Background on inspection/testing regime, principles of equipment construction, functional earthing, protective earthing, insulation resistance, test equipment, documentation |
sections/appendix-b-competent-person.md |
Appendix B | Informative | Competent person guidelines | Guidelines on electrical knowledge required for a competent person |
sections/appendix-c-polarity.md |
Appendix C | Normative | Cord set and cord extension set polarity | Conductor colours, polarity verification for cord sets and cord extension sets |
sections/appendix-d-earthing-continuity.md |
Appendix D | Normative | Earthing continuity test | Test method, instrumentation, test conditions for earth continuity resistance measurement |
sections/appendix-e-insulation-testing.md |
Appendix E | Normative | Insulation testing | Leakage current and insulation resistance test methods, instrumentation, test conditions for Class I, Class II, cord sets, EPODs |
sections/appendix-f-isolating-transformers.md |
Appendix F | Normative | Portable isolating transformer testing | Insulation resistance testing of portable isolating transformers |
sections/appendix-g-power-supply.md |
Appendix G | Normative | Power supply testing | Insulation resistance testing of power supplies |
sections/appendix-h-rcd-testing.md |
Appendix H | Normative | RCD operating time test | RCD test method, instrumentation, test conditions for single-phase and three-phase RCDs |
sections/appendix-j-arc-welders.md |
Appendix J | Informative | Arc welders | Description of welding power supply types |
sections/appendix-k-regulatory.md |
Appendix K | Informative | Regulatory application | Contact details for Australian and NZ regulatory authorities |
Regulatory Standing
AS/NZS 3760 is a Category 2 — WHS Approved Code of Practice Reference. It is referenced in various WHS Codes of Practice (notably the Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace Code of Practice) and by AS/NZS 3012 for construction site equipment testing methods. Compliance with AS/NZS 3760 provides a "safe harbour" for demonstrating that a PCBU has met their duty of care in relation to in-service testing of electrical equipment. Departure from the standard is permissible where the PCBU can demonstrate an equivalent or better standard of risk management.
For full regulatory context, including how this standard interacts with the WHS framework and how to frame compliance advice for different categories of standards, read ../../REGULATORY-CONTEXT.md.
Workflow
- Identify the subject matter from the user's query — is it about testing intervals, test methods, pass/fail criteria, tagging, competent person requirements, or compliance checking?
- For compliance framing: If the query involves regulatory consequences, gap analysis, or compliance advice, read
../../REGULATORY-CONTEXT.mdto ensure the response correctly reflects the legal weight of this standard. - Read the relevant section file(s) — consult the Section Index above. For most queries, Section 2 will be the primary source.
- For testing interval queries: Read Section 2, paying particular attention to Table 2.4 and Clause 2.2.
- For test method queries: Read Section 2 (Clause 2.4.3) and the relevant normative appendix (D for earth continuity, E for insulation, F for transformers, G for power supplies, H for RCDs).
- Cite clauses accurately from the extracted text.
- Cross-reference with AS/NZS 3012 where the equipment is used on construction or demolition sites — AS/NZS 3012 prescribes more frequent testing intervals and AS/NZS 3760 prescribes the test methods.
- Cross-reference with AS/NZS 3000 for matters relating to fixed electrical installations and RCD installation requirements.
Common Query Routing
| Query Topic | Primary Section(s) | Key Clauses/Tables |
|---|---|---|
| Testing intervals / frequency | Section 2 | Clause 2.2, Table 2.4 |
| Earth continuity test method | Section 2 + Appendix D | Clause 2.4.3.1, Appendix D |
| Insulation resistance test | Section 2 + Appendix E | Clause 2.4.3.2, Table 2.2, Appendix E |
| Leakage current test | Section 2 + Appendix E | Clause 2.4.3.2, Table 2.1, Appendix E |
| RCD testing | Section 2 + Appendix H | Clause 2.4.3.4, Table 2.3, Appendix H |
| Pass/fail criteria (earth continuity) | Section 2 + Appendix D | Clause 2.4.3.1 (≤ 1 Ω) |
| Pass/fail criteria (insulation) | Section 2 | Table 2.1 (leakage), Table 2.2 (insulation resistance) |
| Pass/fail criteria (RCD trip time) | Section 2 | Table 2.3 |
| Visual inspection checklist | Section 2 | Clause 2.4.2 |
| Tagging requirements | Section 2 | Clause 2.5.2 |
| Non-compliant equipment | Section 2 | Clause 2.5.1 |
| Documentation / records | Section 2 | Clause 2.6 |
| Competent person definition | Section 1 + Appendix B | Clause 1.4.5, Appendix B |
| Equipment scope / exclusions | Section 1 | Clauses 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2 |
| Hire equipment | Section 1 + Section 2 | Clauses 1.2.4, Table 2.4 (row 6) |
| New equipment | Section 1 | Clause 1.2.1 |
| Hostile environment definition | Section 1 | Clause 1.4.13 |
| Polarity testing | Section 2 + Appendix C | Clause 2.4.3.5, Appendix C |
| Arc welder testing | Section 2 + Appendix J | Clause 2.4.3.7, Appendix J |
| Portable inverter testing | Section 2 | Clause 2.4.3.8 |
| Isolating transformer testing | Section 2 + Appendix F | Clause 2.4.3.3, Appendix F |
| Power supply testing | Section 2 + Appendix G | Clause 2.4.3.3, Appendix G |
Key Tables Summary
Table 2.1 — Leakage Current Limits
| Equipment | Maximum Leakage (mA) |
|---|---|
| Class I | 5 |
| Class II | 1 |
| PRCDs with FE | 5 |
| Cord extension sets, cord sets, EPODs and PRCDs | 1 |
Table 2.2 — Insulation Resistance Limits
| Equipment | Minimum Insulation Resistance (MΩ) |
|---|---|
| Class I | 1.0 |
| Class II | 1.0 |
| PRCDs with FE | 0.05 |
| Cord extension sets, cord sets, EPODs and PRCDs | 1.0 |
| Class I with mineral insulated metal sheath heating elements | 0.01 |
Table 2.3 — Maximum RCD Tripping Times
| RCD Type | Test Current (AC mA) | Maximum Tripping Time (ms) |
|---|---|---|
| Type I | 10 | 40 |
| Type II | 30 | 300 |
Table 2.4 — Indicative Testing Intervals (Summary)
The exact table data is in sections/section-02-inspection-and-tests.md — always read the source file for precise values. The general structure covers:
- Environment 1 (Factories, workshops): Equipment 6 months; Portable RCD push-button daily; Portable RCD operating time 6 months; Fixed RCD operating time 12 months
- Environment 2 (Flexing/abuse/hostile): Equipment 12 months; Portable RCD push-button 3 months; Portable RCD operating time 6 months; Fixed RCD operating time 12 months
- Environment 3 (Not flexing/not hostile): Equipment 5 years; Portable RCD push-button 3 months; Portable RCD operating time 6 months; Fixed RCD operating time 2 years
- Environment 4 (Residential-type): Equipment 2 years; Portable RCD push-button 6 months; Portable RCD operating time 6 months; Fixed RCD operating time 2 years
- Environment 5 (Commercial cleaning): Equipment 6 months; Portable RCD push-button daily; Portable RCD operating time N/A; Fixed RCD operating time 6 months
- Environment 6 (Hire equipment): Equipment prior to hire and 3 months; Portable RCD push-button prior to hire; Portable RCD operating time 3 months; Fixed RCD operating time 12 months
- Environment 7 (Repaired/serviced): After repair or service per AS/NZS 5762
- Environment 8 (Second-hand): Per AS/NZS 5761
Version Information
- Standard: AS/NZS 3760:2022, In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment and RCDs
- Incorporating: Amendment No. 1 (December 2022)
- Edition: 7th (supersedes AS/NZS 3760:2010)
- Prepared by: Joint Technical Committee EL-036, In-service Testing of Electrical Equipment
- Published: 24 June 2022 (original); reissued incorporating Amendment No. 1 December 2022
- ISBN: 978 1 76113 874 4
- Source: Licensed copy, text extracted from .docx conversion
Note: This skill covers AS/NZS 3760 only. For construction site electrical installation and verification requirements, consult the companion as-nzs-3012 skill. For general electrical installation requirements, consult the as-nzs-3000 skill. For WHS legislative requirements, consult the relevant whs-act-checker and whs-regulation-checker skills.