Test and tag intervals
Retest intervals and pass limits for portable gear.
Reads AS/NZS 3760:2022. Tables checked 1 Oct 2026.
Try a job 7
Each job fills in example values. Replace them with your values.
- Tag a workshop angle grinderThe retest interval and the pass marks for a Class I tool in a workshop.
- Tag a kettle in an officeThe retest interval for a Class I appliance in an office kitchen.
- Tag a double-insulated drillThe interval and insulation limit for a Class II tool.
- Tag a hire extension leadThe interval for hire equipment.
- Test a portable RCDWhether a portable RCD that trips in 25 ms passes.
- Tag cleaning equipmentThe interval for commercial cleaning equipment.
- Check a leakage readingWhether 3 mA of leakage passes on a Class I heater.
Inputs
Worked example with the default inputs. The live calculator replaces it when the page loads.
- Environment
- 1 · Factories, workshops, manufacture, assembly, maintenance
- Equipment
- Class I equipment
- RCD
- No RCD
- Check earth continuity
- Yes
- Measured earth resistance
- 0.4 Ω
- Check insulation resistance
- Yes
- Measured insulation resistance
- 25 MΩ
- Check leakage current
- No
- Check RCD tripping time
- No
Retest interval
6months
- Record retention
- 7 years
- Earth continuity
- 0.4 against 1
- Insulation resistance
- 25 against 1
This result is a design aid. Verify it against the current standard.
Calculation steps
- Retest intervalResult6months
AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.4
- Earth continuity limit1Ω
AS/NZS 3760:2022 Cl 2.4.3.1
- Insulation resistance limit1MΩ
AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.2
- Leakage current limit5mA
AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.1
- RCD tripping time limit300ms
AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.3
- RCD tripping time limit, permanently wired with external timing300ms
AS/NZS 3760:2022 Cl 2.4.3.4
- Record retention7
AS/NZS 3760:2022 Cl 2.6.2
About this calculator
How this is calculated
The tool gives the retest interval for portable electrical equipment. It checks test readings against the limits of AS/NZS 3760:2022. It does not print a tag.
- Interval. You pick the environment, from 1 to 8. The tool reads the retest interval for that environment and the equipment class from Table 2.4.
- Earth continuity. For Class I equipment, the tool reads the earth continuity limit from Cl 2.4.3.1 and compares your reading.
- Insulation resistance. It reads the minimum insulation resistance for the equipment from Table 2.2. Your reading must not be lower.
- Leakage current. Table 2.1 gives the leakage limit. The tool checks it only when you enter a reading.
- RCD trip time. Table 2.3 gives the trip time limit for a portable or fixed RCD. A permanently wired RCD with external timing uses Cl 2.4.3.4.
- Records. Cl 2.6.2 sets how long you keep the test record. The tool states that period.
| Step | Table or clause | What it decides |
|---|---|---|
| Interval | AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.4 | How often you retest |
| Earth continuity | Cl 2.4.3.1 | The highest resistance that passes |
| Insulation resistance | Table 2.2 | The lowest resistance that passes |
| Leakage current | Table 2.1 | The highest leakage that passes |
| RCD trip time | Table 2.3 and Cl 2.4.3.4 | The slowest trip that passes |
| Records | Cl 2.6.2 | How long you keep the record |
Worked example
- Class I equipment in environment 2. Environment 2 covers flexing cord, abuse or a hostile place. The retest interval is 12 months. The tool keeps the record for 7 years. An earth reading of 0.4 Ω passes against a limit of 1 Ω. An insulation reading of 25 MΩ passes against 1 MΩ.
Limits
The tool reports the interval and compares the readings you type. It does not run a test. It does not print a tag. Cl 2.5.2.1 says what a tag must carry. Check the tag against that clause.
The tool gives one interval for one environment. Equipment used in more than one environment needs your own decision.
See also: Testing to Section 8, the test results checker and the assessment intervals tool.
Questions
Each answer describes what this tool calculates. The result is a design aid. Verify against the current standard.
What does the test and tag tool do?
The tool reports the retest interval for the environment you choose. It reports the push-button and operating time intervals for a portable or fixed RCD. It gives the pass limit for leakage current, earth continuity and insulation resistance. It then checks the values you measured.
How often must equipment be tested?
AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.4 sets the interval by environment. It gives 6 months for factories, workshops and commercial cleaning. It gives 12 months where the cord flexes, or the place is hostile or open to abuse. It gives 5 years where none apply, and 2 years in hotel residential areas. Hire equipment is 3 months.
What are the pass limits?
The protective earth circuit must not exceed 1 ohm. Insulation resistance is 1 megohm, the same for Class I as for Class II. It is 0.05 megohm for a PRCD functional earth and 0.01 megohm for a sheathed heating element. Leakage is 5 mA for Class I and 1 mA for Class II.
What tripping time must an RCD meet?
Table 2.3 gives 300 ms for a 30 mA Type II device and 40 ms for a 10 mA Type I device. Clause 2.4.3.4 gives the same times for an RCD wired permanently inside equipment and timed externally. The 2010 edition gave 150 ms there, so a fixed RCD between 150 and 300 ms now passes.
Which edition does the tool use?
AS/NZS 3760:2022, in its printing with Amendment 1. The limits and intervals match the 2010 edition. Table 2.4 adds second-hand equipment, which points to AS/NZS 5761. Clause 2.6.2 recommends 7 years where records are kept, and defers to the regulator.
Clauses and tables this tool reads
- AS/NZS 3760:2022 Cl 2.4.3Tests on equipment in service
- AS/NZS 3760:2022 Cl 2.4.3.4RCD operating test
- AS/NZS 3760:2022 Cl 2.5.2.1Tag content
- AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.1, 2.2, 2.3In-service test limits for electrical equipment
- AS/NZS 3760:2022 Table 2.4Indicative testing and inspection intervals for electrical equipment
Every clause and table, with how each was verified
Tables last checked on 1 Oct 2026.
Related tools
- Test results checkerCheck measured test results against Section 8 limits.AS/NZS 3000AS/NZS 3017Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010
- Fire alarm sounder level calculatorFind the sound level a fire alarm system must reach.NZS 4512
- Cable size calculatorFind the smallest cable size that passes each check.AS/NZS 3008.1.2AS/NZS 3008.1.1AS/NZS 3000
Was this useful?
A question, or a value that looks wrong? Contact us.