Electrical Safety Board Report 2006-07
The Electrical Safety Act 2002 (PDF, 788 KB) provides a legislative framework to help protect people and property from the risks associated with electricity. The Act establishes a Commissioner for Electrical Safety, an Electrical Safety Board and three committees: the Electrical Safety Education Committee; the Electrical Licensing Committee and the Electrical Equipment Committee. All committees report to the board.
Mr Jack Camp was appointed Queensland’s first Commissioner for Electrical Safety in October 2002 for five years. The Commissioner provides independent electrical safety advice to the Minister and chairs and manages the board and committees.
The primary function of the board is to give advice and make recommendations to the Minister about policies, strategies, and legislative arrangements for electrical safety. Board and committee members represent employer and worker organisations and the community.
During the year, Mr Richard Cox, General Manager, Electrical and Communications Association, retired from the workforce and also resigned from the Electrical Safety Board. Mr Malcolm Richards was appointed to fill the vacancy up to 30 September 2008. Membership of the board and three committees is for a term of three years and will expire on 30 September 2008.
Board membership
Chair
Mr Jack Camp
Chief Executive of the Department of Employment and Industrial
Relations
Mr Peter Henneken
Director-General
Representing employers
Mr Malcolm Richards
Chief Executive Officer
Electrical and Communications
Association, Queensland
Mr Bruce Lancaster
Estimator Business Services – Commercial Risk
United Group Ltd
Representing employees
Mr Dick Williams
State Secretary
Electrical Trades Union of Employees,
Queensland
Ms Michelle Burgoyne
Electrical fitter and mechanic
Representing the community
Ms Cherie Dalley
President,
Queensland Consumers Association
Councillor,
Logan City Council
Mr Greg McNeill
Electrical contractor and safety and training consultant
Member of the Mackay Regional Electricity Council
Board activities
The Electrical Safety Board met six times during the year.
The board’s goals in its Electrical Safety Plan for Queensland 2003–08 included reducing electrical fatalities to below the national average and achieving a sustainable reduction in electrical incidents causing hospitalisation. These goals are being achieved. Fatalities in Queensland continue to be less than the national five year moving average.
Electrical safety award
The board has established an electrical safety award as part of the Work Safe Awards 2007 (a part of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s Work Safe Week). Nominees from the board have been included on the judging panels for these awards. The awards aim to engage, inform, educate and promote workplaces, organisations, people and professionals who have demonstrated best practice in electrical safety achievements and initiatives.
Regulatory review
The board recommended amending the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF, 801 KB) to ensure it continues to meet policy intent. Some of the amendments included:
- introducing an on-the-spot fine relating to the testing of work
- requiring the inspection test date and the name of the company or the tester to be placed on the test tag for equipment used
- clarifying the eligibility requirements for electrical linesperson licences
- clarifying the use of safety observers with regard to work involving testing electrical equipment.
Accreditation and apprenticeships
The board identified a non-accredited course, “Low Voltage Switchboard Rescue”, which was delivered in Queensland by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) where the instructor who delivered the course did not appear to be appropriately knowledgeable regarding a number of important topics. The issue was referred to Department of Employment, Training and the Arts (DETA) who advised that the Australian Quality Training Framework requires trainers/assessors used by RTOs to have trainer/assessor competencies and also the vocational competencies at least to the level being assessed. As a result, DETA has been requested to develop a course for low voltage switchboard rescue and that the course be accredited for teaching by RTOs.
On 3 June 2005 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed that a more responsive and flexible national apprenticeship, vocational education and training, and skills recognition system is vital to meeting both current and future skill needs. To address this issue COAG established priority occupation Action Groups, one of which is the Electricians, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics Action Group which has addressed means to improve mutual recognition of licensing.
On 29 January 2007, the Queensland Government agreed to a ministerial declaration to implement Phase 1 of a COAG decision with respect to the mutual recognition of the licensing of the priority trade areas. The Electrical Safety Board has had input into the process, ensuring that the Queensland position is presented through the Electrical Safety Office’s representative on the group. Phase 2 of the project commenced on 27 February 2007 involving mutual recognition of electrical contractor licensing and harmonisation of restricted electrical licences. The board also has input into this process.
Committees
The Electrical Licensing Committee establishes and safeguards appropriate standards of performance for electrical services providers.
The committee met 11 times during the year and held 13 disciplinary hearings (involving seven electrical workers and six electrical contractors) as a result of non-compliant electrical work. Disciplinary action was implemented in 11 of these cases. The committee also considered 17 applications for review of licensing decisions where the chief executive considered the applications did not meet the eligibility criteria and the applications were refused.
The committee also provided advice on:
- methods to ensure apprentices, upon completion of their training, are appropriately licensed and do not perform unlicensed electrical work
- a proposed TAFE Certificate I prevocational type course for accreditation.
- the need to ensure inform interstate and overseas trained electrical workers of Queensland’s electrical safety legislative requirements
The Electrical Safety Education Committee is responsible for the provision of advice and making recommendations to the board about the promotion of electrical safety in workplaces and in the broader community. The committee met four times during the year.
The committee:
- provided advice to support the development of education and awareness initiatives linked to the Electrical Safety Plan and regulatory changes
- contributed to the planning of electrical safety legislative awareness seminars targeted at electrical industry workers and engineers
- liaised with Energex and Ergon Energy to develop a cooperative approach to promoting electrical safety.
- assisted the Electrical Safety Office with in Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s 2006 Work Safe Week and the Work Safe Awards, following the introduction of an electrical safety award (the committee is represented on the 2007 Work Safe Week and Awards Steering Group).
Electrical Equipment Committee
The Electrical Equipment Committee provides advice and makes recommendations to the board about the safety, energy efficiency and performance of electrical equipment.
The committee met four times during the year and, in accordance with the strategies of the Electrical Safety Plan, focused on identifying design problems associated with electrical equipment or appliances.
This involved:
- Monitoring and addressing problems revealed in field reported incidents relating to the safety of appliances and equipment.
- Monitoring product recalls associated with manufacturers recalling appliances and equipment with design problems.
- Investigating fires of electrical origin and recommending corrective action.
- Recommending appropriate amendments to Australian Standards so that appliances and equipment are manufactured and tested with a view to eliminating electrical safety concerns.
During the year, the committee noted the continuing incidents of fires in ‘3-in-1’ bathroom light/fan/heater assemblies. As a result, the committee decided to work with other regulators to influence a change to the relevant standard to allow only ceramic heat lamp holders to be manufactured. The committee also agreed that awareness education to the public and suppliers regarding the matter be undertaken with advice to use the correct bulbs and to keep the fan operating when the heat lamp is switched on.
Last updated 21 July 2009
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