Testing safety switches

'A properly installed and maintained safety switch can cut the power...to save a life...'

Knowing the difference between a safety switch and a circuit breaker could save a life—possibly yours, your co-worker's or a loved one's.

A May-July advertising campaign from the Queensland Government's electrical safety regulator, the Electrical Safety Office, was designed to save lives by raising awareness of safety switches.

It was shown on free-to-air television throughout Queensland, and appeared as ads in local and regional newspapers and as posters in bus stops in Brisbane.

The campaign was conducted in response to research carried out by the Electrical Safety Office, which showed that many people were confused about the functions of safety switches and circuit breakers.

To address that confusion, the campaign illustrated the difference between a safety switch and a circuit breaker. It also helped people understand why it is important to test the switches regularly.

The safety switch message is an important one. Safety switches can make Queensland businesses and homes safer by potentially reducing the number of injuries and deaths involving electricity.

A properly installed and maintained safety switch can cut the power in enough time to save a life if a person makes contact with an electrical current.

It isn't enough just to have a safety switch installed. They must be tested regularly to make sure that they will work when needed. An easy way to remember is to test when your quarterly power bill arrives.

Testing is easy to do—every safety switch has a prominent test button. Pressing it will cut the power instantly, verifying that the switch is working.

The safety switch campaign is part of the Queensland Government's commitment to reducing deaths and injuries resulting from contact with electricity. It follows on from the past five years of successful safety switch campaigns.

More about safety switches