AS/NZS 3012 Compliance Checklist for Builders

Temporary power is one of the first things onto a construction site, and one of the most heavily regulated. In Queensland, the Electrical Safety Office audits sites, and a non-compliant board or an untested lead can stop work — or worse, hurt someone. AS/NZS 3012 is the Australian Standard that sets the rules for electrical installations on construction and demolition sites. If you want the background first, read our explainer on the Australian Standard for temporary power. This checklist turns it into a practical list you can work through on site. Family-owned since 1960, we’ve kept it plain.

This is a general guide, not electrical advice. The standard is updated periodically — always confirm current requirements with your licensed electrical worker.

When does AS/NZS 3012 apply?

The standard covers the temporary electrical installation on a construction or demolition site — from the moment a builder’s temporary supply is energised through to the permanent connection and handover. It applies to new builds, knock-down rebuilds, civil works and demolition alike. In practice, the day your temporary power pole goes live, everything below is in play, and it stays in play until the site moves to its permanent supply. Treat the checklist as a living document: walk it at set-up, then again at each inspection and whenever the site layout changes.

The 12-Point Checklist

1. RCD protection on every circuit. All socket-outlet circuits and the supply to portable equipment must sit behind a residual current device (RCD) with a rated tripping current of 30 mA or less. This is the single most important life-safety control on a site.
2. The right RCD in the right place. Fixed RCDs at the distribution board; portable RCDs for leads and hand-held gear. Every point a worker can plug into should be protected.
3. Test RCDs on schedule. RCDs need both push-button (operational) checks and instrument trip-time tests at the intervals set in AS/NZS 3012. Build the schedule with your electrician and stick to it.
4. Inspect, test and tag every 3 months. On construction and demolition sites, portable equipment, flexible leads and RCDs are inspected, tested and tagged at three-monthly intervals — more frequently than a standard workplace. Each tag should show the test date and the next due date, so a glance tells you whether it is current.
5. Socket outlets rated for the environment. Outdoor and exposed outlets need weatherproof, appropriately IP-rated enclosures suited to where they’re mounted.
6. Protect and support leads. Keep flexible leads out of water and clear of traffic; elevate or cover them where they cross access ways so they can’t be crushed or trip someone.
7. A clear, lockable point of supply. The main switchboard or point of supply should be identified, accessible, and able to be locked off.
8. Lock-out / tag-out for isolation. Mark isolation points clearly and use lock-out/tag-out whenever equipment is being worked on.
9. Signage and identification. Display warning signs, identify the switchboard, and show emergency contact details where they’re easy to find.
10. Daily visual check. Before work starts, give leads, plugs, the board and RCDs a quick visual once-over for damage.
11. Keep records. Maintain a register of inspection and test dates, results and the next-due date — compliance is only as good as your ability to prove it.
12. Licensed electrical work only. Installation, testing and repairs must be done by a licensed electrical worker, and the temporary supply connected through an approved Electrical Work Request (EWR). Keep the EWR reference with your site file — it is your proof the connection was done properly.

Who can inspect?

AS/NZS 3012:2019 expects inspection and testing to be carried out by a competent person, and in Queensland, electrical installation work, testing and repairs must be done by a licensed electrical worker under the Electrical Safety Act 2002. Day-to-day visual checks for obvious damage can be done by a trained site worker, but instrument testing, repairs and the installation itself are electrician’s work. Keep the worker’s licence and competency details with your site records — if you’re audited, the first question is usually who signed off the testing and when.

Common gaps we see

• Leads run through puddles or across vehicle paths with no protection.
• Test tags expired — especially after the three-month construction interval lapses.
• A portable RCD assumed to work but never push-button tested.
• No inspection register, so there’s nothing to show an auditor.

When to call us

If you’d rather not manage temporary-supply compliance yourself, that’s our job. Our temporary power pole hire ships RCD-protected, test-and-tagged, with the Energex EWR handled for you. For sites moving to a permanent connection, we also offer permanent power pole installation. Based in Capalaba, servicing South East Queensland.

Not sure the standard even applies to your site, or what it actually covers? Start with What is AS/NZS 3012?, then run this checklist before your next inspection.