Suppose you live or work in Western Australia and you handle old computers or other electrical gear before sending them for recycling. In that case, you have probably noticed the coloured tags that technicians attach to plugs and appliances. Those tags do more than look neat. They are a quick way to show when an appliance was last checked for safety and if it can be handled, repurposed, or must be isolated as faulty. With e-waste now tightly regulated in WA, knowing what the colours mean helps you meet safety rules and makes e-waste collection smoother and safer.
Global electronics waste is growing fast, and Australia produces a large share per person. The world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022. That trend is exactly why safe handling and clear tagging matter.
The common Colours and Their Quarterly Schedule
In WA, the most common system for construction, mining and other high-risk sites follows a four colour rotation. The colours are red, green, blue and yellow. Each colour aligns with a three-month period, so you can see at a glance when an item was last tested.
- Red tags cover December, January and February
- Green tags cover March, April and May
- Blue tags cover June, July and August
- Yellow tags cover September, October and November
These RGBY colors match the Western Australian testing rules. For instance, if a power tool was last tagged in June with a blue label, it would receive a yellow label when retested in October. This way, crews can tell at a glance which quarter the last test occurred. In fact, WA safety regulations like AS/NZS 3012 mandate that industries like construction, demolition and mining test their equipment every three months. So using the color cycle makes compliance straightforward.
Why the Colour Code Matters for Safety and Recycling
A simple tag colour can reduce accidents and improve recovery rates. Tagged equipment signals to handlers that the appliance has passed a visual and electrical check or that it failed and must not be used. For recycling centres, the colour system speeds sorting and separates items that need special treatment before shredding or component recovery. In regulated environments, tagging is recognised in standards and helps show that organisations did their part to protect workers and the public.
What Test and Tag Electrical Actually Involve
Testing and tagging is a combined process of visual inspection and electrical checks to make sure cords, plugs, and internal wiring are safe to handle. A trained tester follows the Australian New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3760 and uses a PAT meter to measure earth continuity, insulation resistance and polarity. After the tests, the technician attaches a tag that shows the test date, pass or fail result and who performed the check. That record is essential proof for businesses that need to show compliant handling of electrical goods before disposal or reuse.
Other Test and Tag Colours in WA
Outside the high-risk industries, WA does not require the strict RGBY scheme. In offices, homes or light-commercial sites, inspectors can use any tag colour. The key thing is that the tag itself displays the last service date. Since the date is printed on the tag, the colour is just a convenience and not legally fixed in those environments. For example, some providers may even use black tags for office equipment. When you are not in a high-risk site, feel free to use whatever tag color is available, but do make sure that the inspection history is still recorded on the label.
Ensuring Workplace Safety with Test & Tag
Regular test and tag inspections are crucial for safety and compliance. WA’s Occupational Safety and Health laws require that all portable electrical gear be kept safe and regularly checked by a competent person. By following a routine electrical test and tag schedule, businesses catch worn cords or faults before they cause trouble and thus prevent electric shocks, burns or fires. It is also worth mentioning that faulty appliances are a leading cause of workplace injuries. Skipping these checks is a gamble for businesses, because if someone gets hurt due to an untested device, the business can be held liable under its duty of care. So in the end, keeping test dates current and using the color tags helps meet these OH&S requirements easily.
What To Do Before Ewaste Collection in WA
If you are preparing equipment for collection, tell the collector if items have been tested and tagged and if any tags show fail or out of service status. For devices that passed, keep the tag and test record with the equipment. If a device failed its PAT test, do not send it for reuse, as it may have live faults or damaged insulation.
Batteries and power supplies often require separate handling and should be removed and stored safely until a specialist recycler can accept them. Also, keep invoices or certificates from your test and tag provider so you can show that you followed electrical test tag requirements if a regulator asks. The WA government now prohibits landfill disposal of regulated ewaste and expects businesses and service providers to make reasonable efforts to comply with the ban. That makes a tidy test and tag trail even more valuable.
Steps To Set Up a Simple Colour System
First, agree on the intervals you will use for testing and the colours to represent each interval. Next, assign someone to keep the register and to coordinate tests ahead of the colour changeover so tags do not expire in the first week of a quarter.
If you work with an external test and tag contractor, ask them to attach durable tags and to supply a digital report. Finally, confirm with your ewaste collection partner that they recognise the tag codes and that they will segregate failed items for safe processing.
Choosing a Test and Tag Provider
Pick a technician or company that follows AS/NZS 3760 and can show training credentials. If you need on-site testing for many items, choose a provider who offers a digital register and can link each tag back to a record. For organisations handling large volumes of IT equipment, look for a partner that also provides secure data wiping services and works with certified e-waste recyclers so data security and environmental compliance are both covered.
Conclusion
Colour-coded tags are small, low-cost and hugely effective at keeping people safe and streamlining the flow from workplace to ewaste collection and recycling. If you use test and tag and make sure tags are current, you reduce electrical hazards and increase the chances that equipment will be safely repaired, repurposed, or processed for material recovery.
For anyone in Western Australia, this is especially important now that landfill diversion of regulated ewaste is in force. If you need help, find a qualified test and tag electrical contractor who can test your fleet, provide documentation and advise on ewaste collection options and recycling partners.
If you would like a hand turning your tested and tagged items into responsibly handled e-waste, Cyber Recycling can help. We offer on-site test and tag services, arrange ewaste collection, perform secure data destruction and provide Certificates of Destruction so you have a reliable audit trail. Working with a recycler that also handles test and tag electrical checks removes the guesswork, helps keep your site compliant and makes your next e-waste drop off smooth and worry-free.
