You have just taken delivery of a new piece of equipment. A laptop, a coffee machine for the kitchen, a power tool, a printer. It is brand new, still in the box, never been used. Surely it does not need to be tested and tagged straight away?
That is a reasonable assumption. And for the most part it is correct. But there is a step most business owners skip entirely, and it is one of the things that comes up during WHS inspections more often than you would expect.
It is called a new to service tag. Here is what it is, why it exists, and what you actually need to do when new equipment arrives at your workplace.
What Is a New to Service Tag?
A new to service tag is a small label applied to a piece of electrical equipment when it is first brought into use at a workplace. It records the date the item entered service, which starts the clock on when it will next need to be formally tested.
Unlike a standard test and tag label, a new to service tag does not require any electrical testing to apply. You do not need a qualified technician. You do not need a PAT tester. You simply apply the tag and record the date.
The tag exists because AS/NZS 3760:2022, the Australian Standard that governs electrical testing in workplaces, requires all electrical equipment to have a documented record from the moment it enters service. New equipment from a reputable manufacturer is assumed to be safe, but it still needs to enter the compliance system from day one.
Why Does New Equipment Need a Tag at All?
The honest answer is that new does not always mean safe.
Electrical faults in brand new equipment are rare, but they happen. Manufacturing defects exist. Items get damaged in transit. A brand new extension cord with a hairline crack in the insulation looks fine in the box. It will not look fine after six months of use when the crack opens up.
The new to service tag is not about testing the item right now. It is about acknowledging when the item entered service so that the correct testing interval starts from a known date. Without that tag, there is no record of when the item was first used and no baseline for when testing is due.
It also protects you. If a new item is involved in an incident and there is no record of when it entered service, the absence of documentation becomes part of the problem. The tag closes that gap for a cost of almost nothing.
Does New Equipment Need to Be Formally Tested Before Use?
No. Under AS/NZS 3760:2022, new electrical equipment from a reputable supplier does not need to go through formal portable appliance testing before it is first used. The assumption is that it left the manufacturer in a safe condition.
What it does need is the new to service tag applied before or when it is first plugged in.
After that, the item enters the normal testing cycle based on your workplace environment. For most offices and low risk workplaces, that means the item will need its first formal test and tag within 12 months of the date on the new to service tag. For higher risk environments like construction sites or workshops, that interval is shorter.
How Long Is a New to Service Tag Valid?
The new to service tag remains valid until either:
The item reaches the end of its first testing interval based on your workplace type, or a technician performs the first formal test and tag, whichever comes first.
For an office environment with a 12 month testing interval, a laptop purchased in June needs its first formal test and tag by June the following year. The new to service tag covers that gap.
For a construction site with a 3 month interval, the same laptop would need its first formal test within 3 months of the date on the tag.
The point is simple: the new to service tag is not a permanent solution. It is a placeholder that keeps the item compliant until formal testing is due.
What Information Goes on a New to Service Tag?
At minimum, a new to service tag should include:
The date the item was first brought into service. The words "new to service" or similar wording that makes the tag's purpose clear. Ideally, an indication of when the item's first formal test will be due.
Some businesses also include the item description and the name of the person who applied the tag. That level of detail is not strictly required but it makes record keeping cleaner, especially if you have a lot of equipment coming and going.
New to service tags are available from electrical safety suppliers and some hardware stores. They are inexpensive and designed to be applied quickly without any special training.
What About Second Hand or Donated Equipment?
This is where a lot of businesses get caught out.
A new to service tag only applies to genuinely new equipment from a supplier or manufacturer. If you receive second hand equipment, donated equipment, or items transferred from another site or business, those items cannot receive a new to service tag. They need to go through formal test and tag before they are put into use.
The reason is straightforward. You have no way of knowing the condition of second hand equipment, how it was used, or how it was stored. A new to service tag on a second hand item provides a false sense of compliance. If that item causes an incident, the lack of proper testing before use becomes a significant liability issue.
The rule of thumb: if the item has ever been used before, regardless of where it came from, it needs a formal test before it goes into service at your workplace.
What If I Already Have Equipment With No Tag at All?
This comes up constantly. A business has been operating for years and has equipment that was just never tagged. No new to service tag, no test and tag label. It just got plugged in and has been running ever since.
In this situation, do not apply a new to service tag retroactively. That tag exists to document when an item genuinely entered service as new equipment. Backdating it or applying it to equipment that has been in use for years is not compliant and creates a false record.
The right move is to have that equipment formally tested as soon as reasonably practical. Once it has been through a proper test and tag, it enters the normal cycle going forward. The technician will tag it with the test date and the next due date, and the record is clean from that point on.
If you are not sure about the status of your equipment, a technician can assess your premises and sort out what has been done, what needs doing, and what is genuinely overdue.
A Simple Summary
New equipment from a supplier: apply a new to service tag before first use. No electrical testing needed yet.
Second hand, donated, or transferred equipment: formal test and tag required before use. A new to service tag does not apply.
Equipment already in use with no tag at all: book a formal test and tag. Do not try to apply a new to service tag retroactively.
Equipment that has been tested and tagged before: follow the normal testing cycle based on the date on the existing tag.
Making This Easier
For most small businesses, keeping track of new equipment, testing intervals, and due dates is genuinely one of the more tedious parts of running a compliant workplace. The good news is that you do not have to manage it yourself.
When the Local Guys Test and Tag team completes a service, every tested item is logged in a report with its test date and next due date. We also set reminders so that when your next round of testing is coming up, you hear about it before it becomes overdue rather than after.
If you have new equipment that needs tagging, existing equipment that has never been formally tested, or just want someone to walk through your premises and tell you where you actually stand, that is exactly what we are here for.
We service small businesses across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart and beyond. Call 13 11 05 any time or get a free quote online.
