RCD testing frequency: push-button and trip-time tests explained

RCD testing frequency depends on two different tests and on where the safety switch is used. The push-button test is a quick check the user does, often every three or six months and as often as daily for portable RCDs in high-risk areas. The operating time (trip-time) test is done by a competent person with an instrument, usually every 12 months, stretching to two years in low-risk areas and tightening on construction sites. In every state, the law says RCDs must be tested regularly. The actual intervals come from AS/NZS 3760 and your regulator's guidance.

This guide explains the two tests, the timeframes regulators publish, how construction sites differ, and what records you need to keep. It's written for test and tag operators who get asked "how often do our safety switches need testing?" and for businesses that manage their own RCDs.

General information only, not legal advice. Check the current editions of AS/NZS 3760 and AS/NZS 3012, and your state or territory regulator, before you set a client's schedule.

Two tests, two jobs

A residual current device (RCD), or safety switch, compares the current going out on the active conductor with the current coming back on the neutral. If some is leaking to earth, it cuts the supply. The two tests check different things.

The push-button test only tells you the switch can trip. It doesn't tell you how fast. An RCD that trips slowly can still pass a push-button test, which is why the instrument test matters.

What the trip-time test measures

The test simulates an earth leakage at the RCD's rated residual current and measures how long it takes to disconnect. The result is compared with the limit for that type of RCD. The model Code of Practice, as published by SafeWork NSW, describes the two types used for personal protection:

• Type I: rated residual current not exceeding 10 mA, tripping within 30 milliseconds. Used where equipment is directly connected to people, such as patients in hospitals or dental practices.
• Type II: rated residual current above 10 mA but not exceeding 30 mA, tripping within 300 milliseconds. The common type for protection against electric shock.

The full test method is in AS/NZS 3760, with approval and test specifications in AS/NZS 3190.

What the law says about RCD testing

States and territories using the model WHS Regulations

Regulation 165 of the model WHS Regulations (clause 165 in NSW) says the person with management or control of a workplace must take all reasonable steps to make sure RCDs used at the workplace are tested regularly by a competent person. The model Code of Practice confirms this covers RCDs in all operating environments, including fixed RCDs at the switchboard (SafeWork NSW code). Two more rules come with it:

• A record of testing, other than daily testing, must be kept until the RCD is next tested or disposed of.
• An RCD that's tested and found faulty must be taken out of service and replaced as soon as possible.

The regulation doesn't set an interval. "Regularly" is filled in by AS/NZS 3760 and regulator guidance. The code also says a new portable RCD should be tested with its trip test button.

Regulation 164 decides where an RCD is needed in the first place, such as plug-in equipment used in a hostile environment or moved around in a way that could damage the cord. Our NSW requirements guide walks through it.

Queensland

Queensland is more specific. Section 139 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 says:

• A safety switch can't be used unless it complies with AS/NZS 3760 when tested.
• A fixed safety switch must be tested by a competent person immediately after it's connected, then at the intervals stated in AS/NZS 3760.
• A portable safety switch must be tested by pushing its test button immediately after it's connected, then at the intervals stated in AS/NZS 3760.
• A safety switch that isn't working properly must immediately be tagged with a durable tag warning people not to use it, and withdrawn from use.

This matters because Queensland lets some office, service and rural workplaces connect equipment to a safety switch instead of testing it on a cycle. If a client relies on that option, their RCD testing is what keeps them compliant. Our Queensland requirements guide explains the choice.

Victoria

Victoria hasn't adopted the model WHS laws, but WorkSafe Victoria publishes RCD timeframes on its electrical safety page and points employers to AS/NZS 3760:2022 for recommended timeframes.

RCD testing timeframes by risk area

WorkSafe Victoria's published timeframes are the clearest regulator table available without buying the standard. They sort workplaces into high, medium and low risk areas, depending on whether the environment and the way equipment is used increase the risk of cable damage.

Source: WorkSafe Victoria, which doesn't apply this page to construction workplaces.

Outside Victoria, use this as a guide to how the risk levels work, then check the intervals in the current AS/NZS 3760 and any guidance from your own regulator. A client's insurer, head contractor or own risk assessment can set shorter intervals. They can't make the legal minimum longer.

Notice that portable RCDs get pushed more often than fixed ones. They're carried around, dropped and plugged in on sites, so they're more likely to be damaged.

Construction and demolition sites

Construction sites follow AS/NZS 3012, and the cycle is much shorter. WorkSafe Tasmania's summary of the standard says:

• Portable RCDs (such as an RCD-protected power board or "RCD box") should be push-button tested after connecting to a socket and before connecting equipment, or at least once every day. An operating time test must be done every 3 months.
• Fixed RCDs at a switchboard or socket outlet should be push-button tested every month, with an operating time test every 12 months.
• Equipment with fixed RCDs, such as construction switchboards, must be retested and inspected if it's relocated.
• Records of tests and inspections must be kept and available for review.

WorkSafe Victoria's older construction industry standard, published in 2011, sets a monthly trip-time test for site RCDs, with up to three months allowed in some conditions. The detail is in our Victorian requirements guide. Because state guidance differs and some of it predates the current standards, check the current AS/NZS 3012, your regulator and the head contractor's site rules before you quote a construction job.

RCD test records: what to keep

For an RCD, a good test record shows:

• which RCD it is: its location (switchboard and circuit, or socket outlet), or for a portable unit its ID or serial number
• whether it's fixed or portable, and its type or rated residual current
• the test done: push-button, operating time, or both
• the trip time measured, if an instrument test was done
• the result, pass or fail, and what happened to a failed unit
• the tester's name and the date
• when the next test is due

Under the model WHS Regulations, daily push-button tests don't need a formal record. Everything else must be kept until the next test or disposal, though many businesses keep the full history. In Queensland, a failed safety switch must get a durable warning tag straight away. See our guide to test and tag records for the general rules and how long to keep them.

On construction sites, keeping the monthly push-button tests in a simple log next to the switchboard makes the next audit far easier.

A practical RCD testing checklist

1. List every RCD on the client's site: switchboard RCDs, RCD socket outlets, portable RCDs and RCD-protected power boards.
2. Decide the risk area for each one with the client, and write down why.
3. Set two intervals for each RCD: one for the push-button test and one for the operating time test.
4. Agree who does the push-button tests. It's usually the client's staff. Leave them a simple log sheet or show them how to record it.
5. Do the operating time tests with a calibrated instrument, and record the trip time, not just "pass".
6. Tag out and report any RCD that fails. A failed fixed RCD needs a licensed electrician to replace it.
7. Book the next visit before you leave, so the due dates don't slip.

Keeping track of the due dates

RCDs are where schedules get messy. One client can have fixed RCDs on a six-month push-button cycle and a yearly trip-time test, plus portable units on a three-month cycle, all on top of the appliance retests.

Whatever you use, it should work out the next due date from each test and show what's coming up across every client. The test and tag interval calculator does this for single items. A register does it for the whole round. In Koalaris, every test you log in the field app sets the item's next due date, and clients can check their status in their own free portal. The Free plan has no card, no time limit and no record limit, so you can set up a client's register before the first visit.

Frequently asked questions

How often should RCDs be tested in the workplace?

It depends on the risk area and the type of RCD. As a guide, WorkSafe Victoria lists push-button tests every 3 to 6 months (daily for portable RCDs in high-risk areas), and operating time tests every 12 months, or every 2 years in low-risk areas. Construction sites are much shorter. Check the current AS/NZS 3760 and your regulator.

Is pressing the test button enough?

No. The push-button test shows the RCD can trip, but not how quickly. Regulators and AS/NZS 3760 also call for a periodic operating time test with an instrument, done by a competent person.

Who can test RCDs?

The push-button test is usually done by the user. The operating time test must be done by a competent person, which in practice means someone trained in in-service testing with the right instrument. Replacing a faulty fixed RCD is electrical work for a licensed electrician.

Do RCDs need a test tag?

Portable RCDs are usually tagged like other portable equipment. On construction sites, WorkSafe Tasmania says portable equipment should get a durable, non-reusable, non-metallic tag showing who tested it and the test date. In Queensland, a safety switch that isn't working must get a durable warning tag and be withdrawn from use.

Do RCD test records have to be kept?

Yes. Under the model WHS Regulations, records of RCD testing, other than daily push-button tests, must be kept until the RCD is next tested or disposed of. Construction sites usually need more, and many businesses keep the full history.

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Related: How often does equipment need testing and tagging?