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In most cases, do-it-yourself methods are applicable, if not encouraged. Testing and tagging for electrical safety, however, is not one of them.

The Internet, particularly the social media site YouTube and Google search engines, not only bombards each person with an extraordinary amount of information on any just about any topic under the sun but also provide a venue where they can self-study. Want to learn to cook? What to learn how to play guitar? How to create an origami bird, or culture bees or flowers? YouTube is full of videos where you can learn to do it on your own.

But would you really trust yourself to handle electrical equipment even if some expert on the Internet will tell you how?

What the law says

First off, there is that tiny problem of breaking the law when you do the testing and tagging for electrical safety yourself. The Occupational Health and Safety standards require the employer to be extra careful in ensuring that the workplace is safe for the employees or client. The government has the authority to slap penalties if you break the provisions. The law covers all states in Australia, although Queensland also has its own stringent requirements when it comes to electrical safety. The fines can be as low as $200 although it can quickly increase to thousands of dollars and even imprisonment if your negligence has caused somebody’s life.

Not expense, but savings

All businesses are always looking at the bottom line. Of course, that kind of thinking could not be faulted as employers will consider a venture by how much capital it will cost and how much potential profit they could gain from it. When faced with the prospect of outsourcing the testing and tagging for electrical safety, it’s very difficult to visualise the probable earnings from such undertaking. That’s why this process is always viewed as an expense. But hiring professionals instead of assuming the responsibility yourself will prevent future expenses like fires or causing harm to employees. After all, not all investments should yield pennies and quarters.

You can’t place value on a peace of mind

With the laws becoming for stringent for employers and even house owners, hiring uncertified electrical contractors should not be an option. Indeed, they could be cheaper as they claimed—although this claim is not certifiable since unscrupulous electricians are not bounded by price standards and therefore ask for sky-high service fees—everything still boils down to your peace of mind when you hire certified contractors for your testing and tagging for electrical safety.

First off, there is that tiny problem of breaking the law when you do the testing and tagging for electrical safety yourself. The Occupational Health and Safety standards require the employer to be extra careful in ensuring that the workplace is safe for the employees or client. The government has the authority to slap penalties if you break the provisions. The law covers all states in Australia, although Queensland also has its own stringent requirements when it comes to electrical safety. The fines can be as low as $200 although it can quickly increase to thousands of dollars and even imprisonment if your negligence has caused somebody’s life.