For many not-for-profits, schools, clubs and community groups, electrical safety is one of those important responsibilities that can be easy to underestimate until the costs and logistics start adding up.
Where it makes sense, having someone trained internally can help organisations better understand their obligations, manage regular equipment checks and reduce reliance on outsourcing for every test and tag requirement.
That's exactly what volunteer-run 88.3 Southern FM has recently done with support from Appliance Testing Supplies and Test & Tag Training.
88.3 Southern FM is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run community radio station based at Moorleigh Community Village in Bentleigh East. The station operates from a shared community facility and uses a wide range of electrical equipment as part of its day-to-day broadcasting and volunteer operations.
As with many community organisations, maintaining electrical safety across the station is an ongoing responsibility. Southern FM is required to regularly test and tag appliances and leads across the station, which can become a costly and time-consuming process when managed externally.
To help the station take a more hands-on approach, Appliance Testing Supplies donated a Metrel DeltaPAT 3309 BT portable appliance tester, giving Southern FM access to professional test and tag equipment on site.
As part of the support, a Southern FM volunteer also completed training at Test & Tag Training’s Rowville location. The training provided practical, hands-on instruction in how to inspect, test and tag electrical equipment correctly, while also building broader knowledge around electrical safety.
Bjorn Steguweit, Technology Manager at 88.3 Southern FM, said the training and equipment would make a genuine difference to the station.
“As a volunteer-run community radio station based at Moorleigh Community Village, we have a lot of equipment that needs to be tested and tagged regularly. Rather than continuing to outsource the work, we wanted to upskill one of our own volunteers.“The training at Test & Tag Training’s Rowville location was a great experience. Our volunteer came away with much more than just knowing how to put a tag on a cable — they gained broader electrical safety knowledge that will continue to benefit the station.“The donated DeltaPAT 3309 BT has already made a genuine difference to Southern FM, and we’re looking forward to extending that benefit to the other community groups we share Moorleigh Community Village with.“We’re really grateful to EXELNetwork for their support and generosity.”
For EXELNetwork, the partnership was a practical way to support a local volunteer organisation while helping improve electrical safety in a real community environment.
EXELNetwork CEO Scott Beel said the organisation was pleased to support Southern FM and the wider Moorleigh Community Village.
“We were really happy to help the station with the equipment, which will make the station and Moorleigh Community Village a safer workplace,” he said.
Southern FM now has both the equipment and trained people needed to manage more of its test and tag work internally, with the potential to extend that benefit to other community groups operating from Moorleigh Community Village.
