What frames my obligations?
How can I meet my obligations?
To understand your obligations for electrical safety, you need to know:
- the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (PDF, 788 KB) which imposes obligations for electrical safety.
You also need to be familiar with:
- the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF, 1 MB) which provides a framework for managing electrical safety. It prescribes ways for a person to discharge their electrical safety obligation.
- any ministerial notices. These are released when the Minister identifies circumstances of electrical risk for persons or property and considers that urgent action should be taken to deal with the electrical risk.
Codes of practice also help you meet your obligations for working safely with electricity. Specifically:
- Code of Practice - Electrical Work
- Code of Practice - Works (Protective Earthing, Underground Cable Systems and Maintenance of Supporting Structures for Powerlines)
- Code of Practice - Working Near Exposed Live Parts
How can I meet my obligations?
Under the Electrical Safety Act 2002 there are three ways you can meet your electrical safety obligations, either through:
- regulations
- ministerial notices
- codes of practice
If the Regulation prescribes a way of discharging your electrical safety obligation, you will fail to meet your obligation if you contravene the regulation.
If a ministerial notice prescribes a way of meeting an electrical safety obligation in relation to an electrical risk, you will fail to meet that obligation if you contravene the ministerial notice.
If a code of practice states a way of meeting your electrical safety obligation, you will fail to meet that obligation if you:
- contravene the code or act in a way that is inconsistent with the code
- do not follow a way that is equally effective to, or more effective than the code of practice
You can meet your electrical safety obligations by complying with any regulations, ministerial notices and codes of practice.
Codes of practice provide guidance on ways you may discharge your obligations for electrical safety.
If you fail to meet your electrical safety obligations, you may be penalised.
It is not enough to work in a way that is electrically safe. You must also remember your broader workplace health and safety obligations.
You need to manage your risks by identifying potential hazards and risks that could impact on people and property, and establishing a safe system of work that reduces these risks.
Last updated October 5, 2005
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