Electrical safety testing is the most frequently required piece of medical equipment compliance work in Australia — and the one most often left until an accreditation deadline is close. Nova Biomedical has been testing medical and general electrical equipment to AS/NZS 3551 for hospitals, clinics, aged care providers, and government sites across Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia for over 25 years, and we’re ISO9001:2015 certified for the quality systems behind that work.
What’s Included in Our Electrical Safety Testing Service
- Visual inspection of each item for physical damage, cord condition, and enclosure integrity before any testing begins.
- Earth continuity and insulation resistance testing, and leakage current testing where applicable, performed with calibrated test equipment.
- Test tagging of every item with pass/fail status and next due date, so staff can see compliance status at a glance.
- Digital compliance reporting — a full asset-level report you can hand directly to an accrediting body or keep on file for audit.
- Faulty equipment flagged on the spot, with repair or replacement options discussed immediately where practical.
Who Needs This Service
Any facility operating medical or general electrical equipment in a clinical or care environment — hospitals, GP and specialist practices, aged care facilities, mine site medical rooms, government and defence sites, and ambulance services. If your equipment features in an accreditation framework such as the NSQHS Standards, RACGP Standards, or the Aged Care Quality Standards, electrical safety testing is almost always part of the evidence an assessor expects to see. Read more about how this fits into AS/NZS 3551 accreditation requirements.
Our Testing Process
We work around your operating hours wherever possible, scheduling testing to minimise disruption to clinical areas. For larger sites we coordinate a rolling schedule across departments or wings rather than shutting down equipment access all at once. Every item tested is logged against your asset register, so gaps and overdue items are easy to spot ahead of your next testing cycle — not just at renewal time.
Common Issues We Find
- Equipment with no prior test history — newly purchased or transferred equipment that’s been in use without ever being added to a testing schedule.
- Damaged cords and connectors that pass a casual visual check but fail closer inspection.
- Equipment moved between departments without the asset register being updated, making it hard to track testing status.
FAQ
How often does equipment need AS/NZS 3551 testing?
Testing intervals depend on the equipment’s risk classification and your facility’s own risk assessment — commonly annual for most clinical equipment, though some lower-risk items may be tested less frequently. We can advise on an appropriate schedule for your equipment fleet.
Do you provide documentation we can use for accreditation?
Yes — every testing visit produces asset-level compliance reporting that’s ready to hand to an AGPAL, QIP, ACHS, or other accrediting body assessor.
Can you test equipment across multiple sites?
Yes, we regularly coordinate testing schedules across multi-site organisations, including hospitals, aged care groups, and government facilities.
What happens if an item fails testing?
It’s tagged out of service immediately and flagged to you, with repair or replacement options discussed on the spot where practical.
Do you test patient areas to AS/NZS 3003?
Yes. Body Protected Areas and Cardiac Protected Areas (theatres, ICU, cath labs and similar) have their own electrical safety requirements under AS/NZS 3003, covering earthing and bonding, isolation transformers, insulation resistance and earth fault loop impedance — tested at intervals not exceeding 12 months. This is separate from, and in addition to, AS/NZS 3551 testing on the equipment itself, and we test both as part of the same visit where a facility needs it.
Testing your electrical equipment but not sure about your medical gas system? Pipeline systems and medical air purity are tested separately, under a different licence — see our medical gas testing page.
Not sure whether a device needs AS/NZS 3551 testing or falls under general test and tag instead? See AS/NZS 3551 vs AS/NZS 3760: What’s the Difference? for how to tell them apart.
Who We Provide This Service To
Electrical safety testing is core to compliance for hospitals, GP & medical centres, aged care facilities, and mine sites. We deliver this testing across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and beyond.
Book Your Electrical Safety Testing
Whether it’s a one-off testing round or an ongoing schedule, Nova Biomedical can help keep your equipment compliant. Contact Nova Biomedical for a quote.
