Working near electrical hazards in buildings
Safety alert – school electrical danger
Hazard identification
Risk assessment
Control measures
This information caters for those who work in buildings and near electrical installations or underground cables where there is a risk of contact with exposed live parts.
Examples include:
- a builder removing a sheet of plasterboard from a stud wall where there is a possibility of contact with a socket outlet
- a plumber cutting a water pipe in a building where there could be an electric cable next to the pipe
- a fencing contractor digging holes where an electric cable could be buried
Safety alert – school electrical danger
For more information see the safety alert on school electrical danger.
Hazard identification
You should follow a basic risk management process:
- Look at the site and identify any potential hazards.
- Assess the risk of injuring yourself and other workers.
- Use appropriate control measures.
Possible hazardous situations include:
- work that exposes electric lines or apparatus in building cavities;
- work that could damage electric lines or cables;
- digging or driving implements into the ground where there might be live cables; and
- conductive material that could be brought into contact with live parts.
Risk assessment
Where a hazard has been identified, a risk assessment must be conducted. Some factors to be considered include:
- the possibility of tools damaging cables or apparatus;
- cables or apparatus that might be concealed.
Section 11.4 of the Code of Practice - Working Near Exposed Live Parts examines the different types of electric lines and cables and provides notes on how to identify them.
For a more information on hazard factors, read Section 11.3 of the Code of Practice - Working Near Exposed Live Parts.
Control measures
Use the preferred hierarchy of control measures when determining safe work practices:
- Eliminate the hazard – this could involve:
- having the electricity supply to the circuit isolated. It may be necessary to have a qualified person do the isolation work
- Substitute with a less hazardous process or equipment:
- for example, instead of welding a bracket to a column, which may result in excessive heat and damage to adjacent electrical cable, it may be safer to bolt the bracket to the column
- Isolate the hazard – this could involve:
- erecting a physical barrier to prevent accidental contact between a hand-held tool (eg, a grinder) and the exposed live parts in the wall
- Redesign the equipment or work process – this could involve using a less intrusive method of carrying out the activity:
- for example, when cutting a hole for a door through an existing stud and plaster wall, scoring and breaking the plaster rather than sawing it through will reduce the risk of damage to any cables, which may be in the wall
- Introduce administrative controls – this includes:
- an authorisation and training regime to identify the hazards and perform the work safely
- Use appropriate personal protective equipment – this may mean the use of:
- effectively electrically tested insulating gloves
- fire-retardant clothing
More information on working near electrical hazards in buildings and near underground electrical cables is available in section 11 of the Code of Practice - Working Near Exposed Live Parts.
Last updated July 16, 2005
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