How To Get Certified | AS/NZS 3551 Medical Test & Tag Training

Intro

• What is AS/NZS 3551?

  AS/NZS 3551:2012 is the joint Australian/New Zealand standard for technical management programs for medical devices. It covers the full lifecycle of medical equipment — from procurement and acceptance testing through to routine inspection, fault management, and disposal.

  It’s a separate and more demanding standard than AS/NZS 3760, which covers general in-service electrical appliances. AS/NZS 3760 is adequate for fridges, kettles, and power tools — but it is not appropriate for medical equipment used in patient environments. Testing to the wrong standard puts patients at risk and leaves your organisation exposed to liability.

• Who needs to comply with AS/NZS 3551?

  The standard applies to any person or organisation that uses or maintains medical devices. In practice, this includes:

  • Medical equipment hire and rental companies — bedframes, infusion pumps, oxygen concentrators rented to patients or care facilities must be tested to AS/NZS 3551
  • Hospitals and clinical facilities — all electrical medical equipment on the ward, whether hospital-owned, privately owned, on loan, or on trial
  • Aged care and home care providers — any organisation placing medical equipment in a patient environment
  • GP practices, dental surgeries, and specialist clinics — electrical equipment used in patient treatment or monitoring
  • Biomedical and field service technicians — anyone performing in-field testing and maintenance of medical devices

  New Zealand’s Electrical (Safety) Regulations reference AS/NZS 3551 directly — owners of electrical medical devices are legally required to ensure periodic assessment and record-keeping in accordance with the standard.

• What does AS/NZS 3551 testing involve?

  Unlike a standard test-and-tag inspection, AS/NZS 3551 compliance requires a more structured approach:

  • Performance verification — equipment must be tested against manufacturer’s specifications to confirm it functions correctly, not just that it’s electrically safe
  • Physical inspection — checking the condition of the device for wear, damage, or deterioration
  • Electrical safety testing — covering applied parts, leakage currents, and earth continuity to patient-environment standards
  • Detailed record keeping — all tests must be fully documented with numerical results, retained by the owner, and available for audit

  Testing frequency is typically at least annual, though it may be more frequent depending on device type and manufacturer’s instructions.