Electrical safety
The department regulates compliance through:
- developing electrical safety legislation and standards
- inspections, investigations and audits
- managing registration, approval and accreditation systems
- enforcement activities
Developing electrical safety legislation and standards
The Electrical Safety Act 2002 (PDF, 788 KB), Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF, 1 MB) and codes of practice provide the legislative framework and practical advice for electrical safety.
Through understanding the legislation and the obligations that relate to it compliance can be achieved.
Inspections, investigations and audits
Electrical safety inspectors ensure workplaces, domestic premises and other places that are not workplaces (e.g. public places) comply with the legislation. This is done through:
- inspecting workplaces
- investigating reports of unsafe working conditions or dangerous work practices
- compliance audits targeting specific areas of interest e.g. electrical contractors, safety switches, registered training organisations
Read more about electrical safety inspectors.
Managing registration, approval and accreditation systems
The department:
- manages registration of cathodic protection systems
- determines the eligibility requirements and standards for electrical work licence holders
- determines the eligibility requirements and standards for accredited auditors
- manages the register of electrical work licence holders and accredited auditors
- administers (in Queensland) the national uniform approvals scheme for electrical appliances
Enforcement activities
The department enforces compliance with the legislation in a number of ways:
- issuing of notices (improvement notice, electrical safety protection notice, unsafe equipment notice, infringement notice)
- prosecuting alleged offenders through the court system
Read more about electrical safety enforcement activities.
Last updated October 5, 2005
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