Businesses in the food service industry must always utilise refrigerators to keep their products fresh. They also use these appliances to make sure that a large number of foods and drinks can be stored without any issues, exposing them to low temperatures at all times.
One aspect of refrigerators, however, that must always be considered is their upkeep. Refrigerators are connected to a power supply throughout their service life. Once they got disconnected from the said supply, the stored products may slowly get spoiled until they can no longer be used by the employees or sold to consumers. The lack of upkeep can often lead to frequent disconnections to the power supply, deteriorated components, and many more.
A great way to maintain the efficiency, longevity, and performance of commercial refrigerators is through testing and tagging.
The Process of Test and Tag
Test and tag is a two-part process of checking the safety of electrical appliances.
One part of this process is inspecting the appliances for any potential damage. The second part of the test and tag involves electrically testing the appliances with a portable appliance tester. Once the appliances have been tested, they are placed and left with a tag, confirming that they have already been tested by professionals. The tag will often indicate the name of the tester, the test date, and the next date for the test.
Testing and tagging appliances like refrigerators are essential so that workplaces can be safe for employees and other people within the premises. This process also minimises electrical hazard risks, which can often injure or kill people.
Guidelines and regulations for the test and tag process are provided by the AS/NZS 3760. This Australian Standard enumerates important details such as test and tag intervals, people who are qualified to conduct the testing, and general guidelines. A recent update of this standard has been published, changing it to AS/NZS 3760:2022.
Test and Tag Requirements
Generally, the test and tag process is required for construction, demolition, and mining industries as their equipment pieces tend to get damaged faster than those from other industries. They usually have to test and tag their appliances every 3 months.
Businesses from other industries, however, can still have their appliances tested and tagged for safety reasons. Employers, after all, have the responsibility to take care of their employees and ensure the safety of their visitors or customers. This is the reason why businesses that take advantage of refrigerators can still have their appliances tested and tagged.
Testing and tagging, based on the standards, can be done not only by an electrician but also by a Competent Person. A Competent Person is someone who has taken a test and tag course and acquired the knowledge and skills needed in using a portable appliance tester.
Test and Tag Refrigerators
Testing and tagging refrigerators can be done by either an electrician or a competent person. When conducting this process, they have to ensure that a metal touch point will be pinpointed. Next, they must make sure that the door will be left open. An Earth Continuity and Insulation Resistance test can then be performed, which confirms that safety measures present on the appliances are working as intended.
If you want to have your commercial refrigerators tested and tagged, you must contact us at P&R Commercial Refrigeration.
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