Electrical Safety Checks

Electrical safety checks are a mandatory requirement by landlords under the Victorian act. Below is a list of both Residential and Commercial safety checks that are compulsory.

Simply choose your preferred safety check below, we will take care of the rest

Smoke alarm safety

All Victorian homes must have smoke alarms. Landlords must make sure that smoke alarms are properly installed and working. It is compulsory to check your smoke alarm every year which includes battery replacement, push button test and location checks to meet with the building code.

Gas safety check

It is a requirement to have a qualified plumber conduct a gas check every 2 years of the tenanted home. These tests include pressure test, leak test, carbon monoxide test, etc

Electrical safety

It is a requirement to have a qualified electrician conduct an electrical safety check every 2 years of the tenanted home electrical fixtures & fittings. These tests include testing power points, lights and switchboards. 

Exit and Emergency

All exits and emergency lights must be tested every 6 months to ensure they run for 90 minutes on battery by simulating a loss of power. The results of the duration test, any defects, locations and maintenance history shall be recorded in a log book.

Fire detection and alarm system

Fire Detection and alarm Systems are made up of a fire control panel, smoke or heat detectors.

The most common form of alert is either a fire alarm bell or strobe light adjacent to the main entry of the building. Most fire control panels can also call the fire brigade automatically or notify security companies which can then pass on the information to personnel required to deal with these situations.

Fire detection and alarm systems require regular testing & maintenance to ensure all functions are working correctly by an experienced testers with logbooks to be kept onsite.

A monthly test check involves testing on all functioning equipment, Initiate alarms, ensure brigade connection and warning devices.

It can be quite common to have false alarms if the fire detection and alarm system is not maintained correctly. At some sites, due to a number of factors, it may also be necessary to have a regular smoke detector cleaning regime either 6 monthly or annually to prevent false alarms due to dust, debris and insects.

Test and tags

Test and Tag is compulsory requirement for the process of checking the safety of portable electrical appliances. Testing involves visually inspecting the appliance for any damage, followed by testing it with a portable appliance tester.

Once tested, a tag is placed on the appliance to confirm that it has in fact been tested, along with showing who tested it, the test date and when the next test is due.

The primary reason behind doing testing and tagging is to ensure the safety of the people in the workplace coming into contact with the appliance, while also minimising the risk of an electrical hazard.

We recommend the following time frames of testing:

• 3 months: building, construction and demolition – tools, leads, etc
• 6 months: factories, warehouses and production – equipment, machines, etc
• 12 months: an environment where the equipment/supply cord is prone to flexing or open to abuse – computers, switch boards, etc
• 5 yearly: an environment where the equipment/supply cord is not prone to flexing or open to abuse – this is commonly referred to as a non-hostile environment – server room, fixed equipment, etc