Specific questions regarding rural electrical safety
Does a farm owner/manager need to send all farm staff to a training course?
The owner/manager would need to decide how many persons would need to be trained so that the work could be safely and effectively carried out. That is, how many people it takes to carry out the operation and whether persons need to become authorised to perform the work.
Some machinery is greater than 5 metres in height. Even with an authorised person operating the picker the exclusion zone cant be complied with or are there other options?
Exclusion zones must be maintained even if lines are lower than the required height. If a line is low, then it is the responsibility of the person in control of the line to have it rectified. However, if the power is turned off, exclusion zone requirements do not apply.
Section 64 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF, 1 MB) requires that if you want to work within an exclusion zone, the line is to be turned off and tested to ensure isolation. Where the line is high voltage it must be earthed.
If you cannot stay the safe distance away or turn the power off other options include using different machinery and having the electric lines moved or raised.
Does an authorised person have to be present with an instructed person who may be operating plant or vehicles near electric lines?
An instructed person acts under the supervision of an authorised person. The level of supervision will be dependant upon a number of factors, such as the competence and experience of the instructed person, the work being carried out and the safe system of work in use. In most cases the authorised person will be present, but sometimes, direct supervision is not necessary.
The property I operate my cane harvester on has low electric lines across the cane paddock to be harvested. Do I have to have an observer present near those electric lines every time my harvester passes under them?
Even if the electric lines are low you must maintain your exclusion zone. If the electric lines are below regulation height, it is suggested that you contact the owner of the line.
The need for a safety observer depends on:
- whether the harvester is operating plan" or a vehicle;
- how close you need to go to the electric lines; and
- if the harvester is operating plant, and is within the safety observer zone.
If the harvester height remains constant and cannot affect the distance between the harvester and any electric line, it is classed as a vehicle and a safety observer is not obligatory. The exclusion zone applicable to a vehicle will apply.
However if the profile of the vehicle changes during operation near a powerline in such a way as to affect the exclusion zone distance, the vehicle becomes operating plant. For example, if the discharge elevator of the harvester is moved up or down, or alters its discharge direction, it is operating plant. Different exclusion zones apply for vehicles and operating plant, these are given in Schedule 2 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF, 1 MB).
A safety observer may be required for operating plant or for work in a safety observer zone. An alternative to a safety observer is an equally safe system of work, that is, engineering controls.
What factors need to be taken into consideration when operating plant is near electric lines?
The operating plant will need to maintain a certain exclusion zone depending on several factors set down by the electrical safety legislation. These factors include:
- whether the person operating the harvester is authorised or instructed and has a safety observer present or other safe system or alternately is an untrained person;
- whether the line is insulated or exposed; and
- the voltage of the electric lines.
How close a person or plant can go depends on the control measures used. Schedule 2 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF, 1 MB) lists the dimensions for the minimum exclusion zone around electrical parts.
The principle is that the more safety controls you have in place, the closer you can go to the electrical part. That is, as the system of work becomes safer, the exclusion zone becomes smaller.
A safety observer would be required for operating plant where:
- An authorised person/instructed person operates the harvester up to their exclusion zone; and/or
- is working in the safety observer zone.
An alternative to the use of a safety observer is an another safe system of work, such as engineering controls that provide a level equivalent to or safer than a safety observer.
If I use a harvesting contractor, who has to be authorised, what are the options?
If the work needs to be carried out within the authorised/instructed person zone an authorised person would be required. That authorised person could be the farmer or the harvesting contractor, if it was the farmer, the farmer would have to supervise the harvesting contractors' work.
Does a harvesting contractor need to keep a written record of the risk assessment for each farm?
A risk assessment may assist to identify hazards, assess risks, implement and monitor control measures.
Where a hazard involving an electric line has been identified the contractor would have to decide whether a generic risk assessment or one for each farm was needed. This should take into consideration the particular circumstances for each farm.
The general safety requirement is that a valid risk assessment be in place for the job. Whether this is general, specific to a farm or specific to a paddock does not matter. The method used is a matter of choice.
The key is being able to prove that measures are in place to ensure hazards and risks are managed so that the work is safe.
What documentation do I need to demonstrate a safe system of work?
A properly documented risk assessment should be part of a safe system of work. The risk assessment would need to identify the hazards associated with the work, the risks involved and the control measures put in place to eliminate the hazards or control the risks associated with those hazards.
This process would need to demonstrate the principals of risk management:
- Hazard identification
- Risk assessment
- Decide control measures
- Implement control measures
- Monitor and review
In addition to risk assessment the following could also form part of a safe system of work:
- Job safety analysis
- Worker briefings
- High risk paddocks to be worked during daylight hours
- Obtain information about the heights of lines and machines
- The use of signs, overhead line and stay wire markers
Note: A safe system of work one area of the farm may not adequately address the risks for another area of the farm.
What do I need to comply with the requirements of a safe system of work?
Refer to the previous question.
How do I determine whether a line is insulated?
If you are the owner of the line, you will need to get a qualified person such as an electrical contractor to advise you whether it is an insulated line and whether the insulation is in safe condition.
If you do not own the line you will need to contact the person in control of the line. In most cases, this will be an electricity entity. If you contact an entity under section 64A of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF, 1 MB), the entity must give you safety advice about working near the line. This advice would normally include insulation details.
What is meant by low voltage?
A.c. (alternating current) voltages in excess of 50 volts and up to 1000 volts are regarded as "low voltage". Low voltage is the voltage that is available at power points etc.
D.c. (direct current) voltages over 125 volts and less than 1 500 volts are also low voltage.
Both low voltage and high voltage power lines run across paddocks. All electricity distribution system voltages are dangerous.
Last updated July 16, 2005
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