Electrical Safety Services
Goal, output, Division, alignment
Divisional structure
Context
Description of services
Key outcome measure
Action on strategic priorities
Performance
Looking ahead
Divisional structure
Context
This output develops and implements legislative, compliance and enforcement frameworks to improve electrical safety in Queensland. The office also enforces standards for electrical safety and promotes strategies for improved electrical safety performance across the community.
This is achieved through the Electrical Safety Regulatory Framework comprising of the Electrical Safety Act 2002, the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 and four Codes of Practice, including:
- Works (protective earthing, underground cable systems and maintenance of supporting structures for powerlines)
- Working Near Exposed Live Parts
- Electrical Work
- Electrical Equipment Rural Industry
Description of services
Electrical Safety Services undertakes:
- development of the legislative framework, subordinate legislation and standards for electrical safety
- inspection, advisory and enforcement activities to promote compliance with electrical safety laws and standards
- information, education and training activities to assist industry employees and the community reduce the risk of injury fire and explosion and improve electrical safety
- strategic policy advice to the Minister on electrical safety matters
- advice to statutory bodies including the Electrical Safety Board , the Electrical Safety Education Committee, the Electrical Licensing Committee and the Electrical Equipment Committee
- management of registration, approval and accreditation systems required under the Electrical Safety Act 2002.
Client groups include employers, workers, self-employed people, electricity entities, manufacturers, designers, suppliers and importers of electrical equipment and the Queensland community.
Key outcome measure
Queensland’s five year moving average of electrical fatalities per million population has declined from an average of 3.6 deaths for the five years to June 2001, to 1.01 as at June 2007. This compares to the 2001 national figure of 2.5 deaths for the five years to June 2001 to the preliminary national figure of 1.9 deaths per million population in 2007.
Action on strategic priorities
Continue to implement the strategies in the Electrical Safety Plan for Queensland 2003–2008 and start to develop a new five-year strategic plan.
The Electrical Safety Plan for Queensland 2003-2008 sets out positive strategies and actions aimed to improve electrical safety in Queensland workplaces and homes. The plan supports the purpose of eliminating the human cost to individuals, families and the community of death, injury and destruction that can be caused by electricity. The plan’s goal included reducing electrical fatalities to below the national average and achieving a sustainable reduction in electrical incidents causing hospitalisation.
The Electrical Safety Office (ESO) uses a range of data sources to assist the Board in developing well informed and sound decisions on electrical safety issues. This allows action to be taken during the year to ensure that the expectations of electrically safe homes, workplaces and other environments can be met.
The plan was reviewed by the Board in 2006 and confirmed the plans, priorities and strategies, identified a number of significant outcomes that had been achieved since the plan was released, and noted challenges and priorities for addressing over the remainder of the plan’s timespan. The focus on electrical safety priorities is continuing with a combination of educative compliance and enforcement strategies.
A full review of the safety plan will commence in 2008, with preparation for this review commencing in the latter part of 2007.
Develop and implement an evidence-based electrical safety compliance program. The department will also work to improve data capture and analysis systems to support evidence-based targeting.
The Electrical Safety Office is committed to implementing the strategies outlined in the Electrical Safety Plan for Queensland 2003-2008 and the development of an evidence based electrical safety compliance program. The compliance program included a range of education, monitoring and enforcement activities. These are constantly being reviewed and improved using evidence- based data to ensure the most effective use of resources on activities. The program was developed using data from a range of sources including DEIR information on incidents, injuries and previous compliance activities, information provided by the electricity entities and other community inputs.
The compliance program, with proactive and reactive elements targeted at priority areas, will continue. Network specific audit programs were continued to ensure safety management systems were being implemented by distribution entities.
Respond to industry skill shortages by helping to ensure electrical workers are competent and licensed. ESO will also participate in the Council of Australian Governments’ review on the mutual recognition of electrical licensing.
As a result of a Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) decision in 2006, the Electrical Safety Office participated with representatives of key stakeholders, including the unions, in a review of the Australian arrangements for mutual recognition of electrical worker licences. The Queensland Government and all other Australian states and territories approved a mutual recognition ministerial declaration on 9 February 2007 for all agreed priority occupations, including electrical workers. This declaration is being used to assess equivalence across Australia for a large number of licence-holders.
Stage 2 of the mutual recognition project, covering all other licensed trades areas including the skills aspects of electrical contractor licensing, will continue during 2007. Stage 2 is due to be completed by December 2008.
In 2007, changes will be implemented to the licensing system agreed to by all states and territories via the COAG process to align requirements for electrical workers to obtain licences more readily when moving between states.
Manage the safety of electrical equipment through the equipment approval system.
The approval and registration of electrical equipment is a proactive pre-market program intended to ensure prescribed electrical equipment meets relevant safety standard requirements prior to sale. The equipment approval program helps prevent electrically unsafe items from entering the marketplace and provides measures to take action against designers, manufacturers, importers or suppliers that may introduce unsafe products on the market.
The equipment approval program has been expanded over the years to include products that have became gradually more available to the wider community or where technology changed and resulted in incidents of personal injury by electric shock and/or property damage through fire.
The globalisation of the supply chain for electrical goods has created a new environment for the approval of these goods which are largely manufactured overseas. Australia has seen a recent growth in imported electrical equipment and it is vital that this imported equipment is manufactured to and complies with the relevant Australian safety standards.
The Electrical Safety Office is facilitating a national review of electrical equipment safety systems on behalf of ERAC (Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council) to ensure a consistent and modern approach is taken to approvals to sell electrical equipment across Australia and New Zealand.
A critical aspect of the review will be recommendations on appropriate post market surveillance and compliance regimes to ensure product safety in the market.
Continue to place a strong emphasis on information and education.
The Electrical Safety Office is working to increase awareness of electrical safety to reduce the number of injuries, deaths, and property damage in Queensland through information, education, advertising and industry engagement. This complements and supports the other Electrical Safety Office key roles in compliance programs, equipment approvals, licensing activities and policy development.
A program has been developed for information seminars across Queensland targeting electrical workers and contractors. Employers who have electrical safety responsibilities were also invited to these seminars to learn more about their electrical safety obligations.
Feedback from the attendees at these seminars was consistently positive. Surveys indicated an average 99% satisfaction with the conduct and content of the seminars. Many attendees spoke of the need to keep maintaining an educational presence across the State. For 2007, seminars have been planned for 29 different locations and the theme for this year is 'Don’t work live'.
The ESO recently commissioned a working model which simulates a rural property where equipment and machinery come into contact with ‘live’ overhead power lines, generating an electric arc. This graphically illustrates the dangers of working near overhead lines, and initial feedback has indicated that it is successful in getting the message across.
Respond to Queensland’s electricity distribution networks capital expansion and system upgrades with proactive audits focussed on high risk areas.
The July 2004 Report of the Independent Panel into Electricity Distribution and Service Delivery for the 21st Century, the Somerville Report, made recommendations for the replacement and extension of Queensland’s electricity distribution network.
In response, initiatives were implemented to ensure electrical safety during periods of significantly increased network activity.
Audits were conducted of the entities to ensure their safety management systems were being implemented all the way through the organisation to the worker at the operational level.
Regular and targeted ‘vertical slice’ audits of electricity distribution management systems were conducted to ensure the entities safety management system and procedures were implemented at an operational level. Where necessary following these audits, improvement notices were issued that advised the entities of inconsistencies with the electrical safety legislation. Vertical slice audits have been completed across three electricity entities. Although improvement opportunities were noted during these audits, there was no evidence to substantiate a breach of legislation.
Pre-planned and unannounced audits were conducted on electrical entities in the area of vegetation management to ensure compliance with the legislation.
Senior licensing officers have also conducted six major audits on Supervising Registered Training Organisations to ensure training outcomes align with licensing requirements. Licensing officers ensure people applying for an electrical linesperson licence, which allows them to work on the Queensland electricity network, meet our trade standards.
Performance
Policy and legislation
Review Electrical Safety Act and Regulation
|
05-06 |
06-07 |
|---|---|---|
Policy briefs to the Minister completed within deadlines |
100% |
100% |
Over the last two years a number of amendments have been identified as being necessary to the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (PDF, 788 KB) for both improved electrical safety outcomes and consistency reasons. These amendments are being compiled for a proposed Bill to be enacted during 2007.
Amendments were made to the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 to commence from 1 July 2007. They addressed changes proposed by the Electrical Safety Board and others related to improved electrical safety outcomes and also reviewed the level of the electrical safety contribution paid by electricity entities, on the basis of the formula contained in the Regulation.
Review Electrical Codes of Practice
The Electrical Safety Office is currently undertaking a review of the four electrical codes of practice called up in electrical safety legislation. Since the publication of these codes (mostly in 2002) there have been numerous legislative changes and a number of investigations (e.g. Coroners and Ombudsman), which collectively now raise issues with the consistency, accuracy and currency of the codes. The impact of the introduction of the Workplace Health and Safety Risk Management Code of Practice on the electrical safety codes will also be considered.
The review will specifically address these issues and result in updated codes which will include accurate advice and guidance that reflects current legislative requirements and industry practice. The revised codes will assist ESO inspectors in compliance and enforcement activities. An awareness program will be developed to advise the electrical industry of the updated versions.
Contractor self-audit project
The Electrical Safety Office is currently developing a self-audit package for electrical contractors to help them identify their compliance with electrical safety legislation. The draft package consists of a self-administered bank of questions about key electrical safety obligations for electrical contractors that requires referencing the Electrical Safety Act 2002 , the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002, and the Code of Practice for Electrical Work .
The draft is intended as a self-assessment audit for use by electrical contactors, and will be sent out for trialling later in 2007.
The Wiring Rules AS/NZS 3000:2000 has been under review during 2006 / 2007 by Standards Australia. The Wiring Rules are mandated by the Electrical Safety Act 2002 for all electrical installation work in Queensland. Following the receipt of public submissions last year on the document, a Standards Development Committee, including ESO and union representatives, has been preparing a revised Standard.
Important new provisions in the draft Standard expand and clarify requirements for recessed downlights and introduce new provisions for safety switch protection in workplaces that align with the regulatory provisions already in place in Queensland. A revision is expected to be complete and published later in 2007.
Information and advice
Infoline is a Department of Employment and Industrial Relations contact centre located at Lutwyche. It sits within Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, and provides workplace health and safety, electrical safety and licensing information services.
|
06-07 |
|---|---|
telephone enquiries |
38,174 |
emails; |
1,733 |
website visits |
226,063 |
counter visits |
2,138 |
Total |
268,108 |
Since early 2006, the ESO has developed and conducted a program of information seminars across Queensland which targets electrical workers and contractors. Employers who have electrical safety responsibilities are also invited to these seminars to learn more about their electrical safety obligations.
Feedback from the attendees at these seminars was consistently positive. Surveys have indicated an average 99% satisfaction with the conduct and content of the seminars.
|
05-06 |
06-07 |
|---|---|---|
Client accessing information and advisory services |
265,000 |
268,108 |
Client satisfaction with Electrical Safety Seminars |
Target 70% |
99% |
In July 2006, the ESO ran the ‘Don’t do it yourself – get a licensed electrical contractor’ campaign to educate the public about the dangers of doing your own electrical work. The campaign included television, outdoor, radio and print advertising throughout Queensland and due to its success was repeated in March of this year.
The ESO regularly provides staffed information displays at events such as Farmfest to promote electrical safety messages. Its community engagement program specifically conducts seminars for rural workers during Work Safe Week.
To maximise awareness among electrical workers and contractors, the ESO regularly publish articles in trade magazines, such as the Electrical and Communications Association’s Contact and is planning to publish a regular electrical safety newsletter during 2007-08.
During education and advertising campaign development, input is invited from energy utilities, employers, unions and others through the Electrical Safety Board and the Electrical Safety Education Committee. In addition to the public awareness campaigns, the Electrical Safety Office also works with the electrical industry and the Electrical Trades Union to promote awareness of safety obligations and electrical safety issues, particularly through the information seminar program.
Compliance
The ESO is committed to continuing with implementing the strategies outlined in the Electrical Safety Plan for Queensland 2003-2008 and the development of an evidence based electrical safety compliance program.
One of the many strategies included in the electrical safety plan is the performance of auditing activities across each of the priority industries. The development and implementation of these audits has required the establishment of an audit program including an audit management system framework.
|
05-06 |
06-07 |
|---|---|---|
Statewide Compliance Campaign |
100% |
100% |
The compliance program included a range of education, monitoring and enforcement activities. There were 867 audits completed, with 424 notices and verbal directions issued.
ESO has been working closely with the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and the Queensland Police Service to improve electrical safety in Queensland homes.
To increase effectiveness in fire investigations, the Electrical Safety Office has been actively training the electrical safety inspectorate as specialist fire investigators. This training will complement and support their normal investigative skills training and provide a state-wide response to fires. The Office has undertaken 92 investigations into fires where electricity is a suspected cause.
On behalf of these agencies the ESO also examined electrical equipment suspected as being a source of ignition. The office has also provided reports to the Qld Police Service and coroner to eliminate electricity as the cause.
|
05-06 |
06-07 |
|---|---|---|
Investigations into fires |
66 |
92 |
The total number of electrical appliance approvals varies with market supply and demand, and has fluctuated from 380 in 1996-97 to 878 in 2006/07
|
05-06 |
06-07 |
|---|---|---|
Equipment Approvals |
1,900 |
878 |
Prosecutions
The ESO has been vigorously enforcing the Electrical Safety Act 2002 to ensure that Queenslanders are protected to the full extent of the law when it comes to electrical safety. To this end, a number of investigations and prosecutions to ensure safe and secure communities have been undertaken.
|
05-06 |
06-07 |
|---|---|---|
Prosecutions |
31 |
23 |
Investigations |
2,800 |
1,5661 |
Notices |
1,655 |
1,458 |
Investigations completed within time frames |
85% |
89% |
- The 2005/06 figure includes all dangerous electrical events assessed by the Electrical Safety Office. The methodology for the measurement of electrical investigations conducted in 2007/08 has been altered to more accurately measure investigative work.
As a result of these investigations and inspections, electrical safety inspectors issued a total of 1,458 notices. These notices include 1,005 improvement notices, 250 electrical safety protection notices, 7 unsafe equipment notices and 196 infringement notices.
There have been 1,566 new electrical safety investigations commenced by inspectors for the period. Several investigations concerning false or misleading documents were also conducted.
During the year, the ESO continued to investigate and charge a number of persons for performing unlicensed electrical work and unlicensed electrical contracting. Prosecutions were also undertaken for failing to ensure that the conduct of a business was electrically safe.
The ESO laid 33 charges against 23 persons for breaches of electrical safety legislation in 2006-07. Investigations conducted during the year saw charges brought against two people for unlicensed work who had both previously faced the courts for similar charges.
Licensing
The Electrical Safety Act 2002 provides the legislative basis for electrical licensing in Queensland. Under this system, the Electrical Safety Office processes electrical licence and licence renewal applications and also administers more than 40,000 electrical licences.
In 2006-07, the Electrical Licensing Committee conducted 13 disciplinary hearings involving seven electrical workers and six electrical contractors as a result of non-compliant work practices.
Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC)
Queensland is currently acting as the coordinating chair and secretariat of the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) which is the national representative body of these authorities in Australia and New Zealand. The areas of regulation covered by ERAC members include electrical installation and inspection work, electrical equipment safety and energy efficiency, electricity transmission and distribution, and electrical licensing.
Sensible cooperation with ERAC has resulted in improved alignment of regulation, consistency with national electrician training, co-ordinated influence on Australian electrical standards, creation of operational links between regulators for investigations and rulings and national analysis of electrical equipment failures.
Performance Measurement
The ESO is responsible for establishing measures that collectively enable management to determine if the services are delivered efficiently and effectively.
The ESO has developed a new performance management system to enhance accountability and demonstrate non-financial information about output services and products delivered to the community.
Safety Switches
In September 2002, Queensland was the first state to introduce legislation mandating the installation of safety switches at the time of sale of a domestic residence. Purchasers of a domestic residence must install a safety switch on the power circuits within 3 months of legal possession. The Electrical Safety Office has a regular inspection program relating to safety switch installation.
Currently it is estimated that there is around 92% compliance with these requirements.
To further increase the electrical safety of Queenslanders, safety switch requirements have been expanded to improve electrical safety in homes and in industry.
- Manufacturing workplaces are now required to have fixed safety switches, instead of portable ones.
- The owners of leased domestic residences are now required to have a safety switch installed for power circuits either within six months of a new residential tenancy agreement, or in any case, by 29 February 2008.
- Safety switch requirements and ‘inspect and test’ procedures have been introduced for amusement rides, and for sideshows at shows, fairs and carnivals.
- In the rural industry, businesses may choose to manage risk by installing a safety switch or by implementing a maintenance regime in combination with a visual examination and testing and tagging.
Looking Ahead
- ESO will continue its established focus on policy/legislation and service delivery to improve the regulatory framework by amending the Electrical Safety Act 2002 to improve clarity and effectiveness, and reviewing codes of practice.
- Service delivery activities will focus on information and education (including promotion of safety switches, general awareness about electrical safety and industry-and trade-specific information) and compliance and enforcement.
- ESO will finalise the strategies in the Electrical Safety Plan for Queensland 2003-2008 and develop a new five-year strategic plan.
- Queensland’s electricity distribution network is undergoing extensive capital expansion and maintenance. In response to the increased electrical safety risks ESO will undertake proactive audits focused on high risk areas.
- ESO will respond to industry skill shortages by helping to ensure electrical workers are competent and licensed. The Electrical Safety Office will continue to implement the Council of Australian Governments’ recommendations on mutual recognition of electrical licensing.
- ESO will improve data capture and expand the evidence-based electrical safety compliance program to improve electrical safety. The proactive program will focus on electrical safety risks in the community and workplaces with particular emphasis on the electrical industry, electricity supply industry, retail sectors engaged in the sale of electrical equipment, registered training organisations and safety switches. The reactive program will focus on serious electrical incidents, dangerous electrical events and electrical risks identified in distribution entity reports.
- ESO will continue to place a strong emphasis on information and education to improve electrical safety at home and in the workplaces. The focus will include safety switches unlicensed work and high risk industries such as rural areas and non electrical workers.
Last updated 21 July 2009
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