Most businesses only think about their electrical system when something stops working. By then, the cost is usually more than the repair itself: lost trading, spoiled stock, staff standing around, or equipment damaged by a fault that could have been found earlier. A preventative maintenance plan puts the checks on a schedule, so faults are found and fixed before they cause disruption.
What preventative maintenance means
Preventative maintenance is planned inspection, testing and servicing carried out on a regular schedule, rather than waiting for a failure. For electrical systems, that includes testing safety devices, inspecting switchboards, checking emergency lighting, and fixing the minor faults found along the way.
A good plan does three things. It keeps you compliant with the standards and laws that apply to your building. It reduces the chance of unplanned failures. And it gives you records that show the work has been done.
Start with an asset list
You can’t maintain what you don’t know about. The first step is a list of the electrical assets on site: switchboards, distribution boards, emergency and exit lights, RCDs, portable equipment, lighting, motors, pumps, EV chargers and any critical equipment. Where possible, each item should be labelled and located on a floor plan.
Many buildings don’t have an accurate list, especially if they’ve been extended or refitted several times. Building one is often the first job we do on a new maintenance contract.
What to include in the plan
The right items depend on the building, but a typical commercial plan includes:
- Emergency and exit lighting: six-monthly testing to AS/NZS 2293.2 with a logbook
- RCD testing: push-button and timed tests at regular intervals
- Test and tag: portable equipment tested to AS/NZS 3760 at intervals suited to the environment
- Thermal imaging: switchboards scanned under load, often annually
- Switchboard inspections: checks for damage, corrosion, labelling and signs of overheating
- Lighting: replacing failed lamps and checking sensors and timers
- Critical equipment: checks on pumps, motors, UPS systems, EV chargers and anything the business can’t run without
Setting the frequency
Some intervals are set or guided by standards, like emergency lighting and test and tag. Others depend on risk. A busy commercial kitchen, a coastal building exposed to salt air, or an industrial site with heavy motor loads may need more frequent checks than a quiet office.
We set frequencies based on the standards, the manufacturer’s recommendations, the environment and the consequences of failure. The plan should be reviewed each year so it reflects changes in the building and the results of previous visits. Our guides on test and tag intervals and thermal imaging cover two of the key items.
Record keeping
Records are what turn maintenance into evidence. For each visit, the plan should record what was checked, the result, any faults found and what was done about them. Keep emergency lighting logbooks on site, test and tag registers up to date, and thermal imaging reports on file.
Good records help with insurance, audits, due diligence when selling or leasing the building, and handovers when facility managers change. They also let you see trends, such as a switchboard that gets a little hotter each year or a type of fitting that fails more often than others.
Dealing with defects
A preventative plan will find problems. The question is how they’re handled. We classify defects by priority: urgent safety issues are fixed straight away or made safe, while minor issues are reported with a recommendation and a quote. That gives you control over spending without leaving hazards in place.
Where defects keep coming back in the same area, it’s often a sign of a larger issue, such as an overloaded board or ageing equipment. At that point, planning a switchboard upgrade or replacement may be more cost-effective than continuing to repair.
What it costs to skip maintenance
We can’t put a number on it, because every site is different, but the pattern is familiar. A loose connection in a main switchboard left unchecked can end in a failed breaker or a burnt busbar, and the repair often has to happen at short notice with the business shut. An emergency light with a flat battery might go unnoticed until an audit or, worse, an actual power failure. Planned maintenance swaps those surprises for scheduled visits you can budget for.
Working around your business
Maintenance should fit around how the site operates. Emergency lighting tests may need to happen after hours in some buildings. Thermal scans need to happen when the site is under normal load. Shutdowns for switchboard work need planning and notice. We schedule visits to suit, give notice before any shutdown, and confirm everything is back on before we leave.
Benefits of one contractor
Many businesses have one company for test and tag, another for emergency lighting and a third for repairs. That can work, but it means more coordination and more chance of something falling through the gaps. A single contractor under a maintenance contract knows the site, keeps the records in one place and can spot connections between issues.
For strata buildings, the same principle applies to common property. Our strata maintenance guide covers the details.
Getting started
If you don’t have a plan, the first step is a site inspection and asset list. From there, we’ll suggest a schedule, give you an upfront written quote and set up the first round of visits. We look after offices, retail, hospitality, medical, education, strata and industrial and warehousing sites across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Northern NSW.
Safety note: electrical work in Queensland and NSW must be done by a licensed electrician. This article is general information, not advice for your specific property. If something looks or smells wrong, switch off at the main switch if it’s safe to do so and call an electrician.