Summary of implementation of recommendations
Report of the Queensland Ombudsman
Implementation of recommendations by the then Department of Industrial Relations
Between 1995 and 1999 there were 12 electrical fatalities in nine separate incidents which led to investigations being undertaken by the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman investigated how the fatalities were investigated by the Electrical Safety Office and the Division of Workplace Health and Safety.
Due to the number of complaints about the conduct of the investigations and their seriousness, the Ombudsman set up the Workplace Electrocution Project.
The Ombudsman started investigating the first incident in May 1999. The last investigation report was finalised in April 2004. A separate report was prepared by the Ombudsman on each case.
Every recommendation of the Ombudsman’s investigations has been completed or is under way, with the vast majority already in place (87 of 92 recommendations).
Three of the remaining recommendations relate to compensation for families for legal and counselling expenses. While discussions have been entered into in all cases, agreements have not been finalised. The Government remains open to finalising these issues whenever the families wish to.
The other recommendations that have not yet been fully implemented relate to two major projects: reviewing codes of practice under the Electrical Safety Act 2002 including crane electrical safety; and a review of use of and training for elevated work platforms. Substantial progress has been made on these matters and the Ombudsman has been provided with progress reports.
The Queensland Government also acted in this matter by establishing independent reviews of the divisions of Workplace Health and Safety and Electrical Safety and implementing their recommendations.
This all resulted in Queensland’s first stand alone electrical safety legislation – the Electrical Safety Act 2002 – and laws requiring safety switches for domestic residences upon sale.
The first ever Commissioner for Electrical Safety and Electrical Safety Board were appointed, and a specialist unit of electrical safety inspectors established. More penalties and offences were regulated and fines increased. Training, recruitment and investigation practices were revamped and safety audits and prosecutions stepped up.
The recommendations have seen a more aggressive approach to enforcing the tougher new laws and a new culture of accountability.
Statistics for electrical fatalities vary from year to year but the trend over the last few years shows Queensland has one of Australia’s lowest fatality rates. This is a significant improvement as Queensland had the worst fatality rate of any state at the time the new legislation was introduced in 2002.
The Ombudsman’s report is an important plank in continuing the Queensland Government’s efforts to improve electrical safety in the home and the workplace.
In this report, the Ombudsman has also suggested legislative amendments to clarify procedures of the Ombudsman’s office in relation to Government Owned Corporations and Local Government Owned Corporations. The Government will urgently examine these proposals.
Last updated July 16, 2009
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