Electrical Equipment -

What are the laws/guidelines?

Extract from OH&S Reps at Work web site

www.ohsrep.org.au

Under the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004), the employer has a legal obligation to ensure that the workplace and the plant at the workplace is safe and without risks to health (Section 21). This means identifying whether there are any hazards associated with electrical equipment, assessing the associated risks and taking measures to eliminate or control those risks.

In the CDROM Managing Health and Safety in Your Workplace designed for small to medium businesses, WorkSafe Victoria advises that electrical safety testing and tagging for all plug-in equipment falls under the general obligations of Section 21(2)(a)of the Act. The employer is advised to introduce a safety testing protocol. (A booklet accompanies the CDROM, and both are free from WorkSafe. Contact them on 03 9641 1333 or email on publications@workcover.vic.gov.au)

In some workplaces (for example all government departments) it is now mandatory that all electrical equipment be checked and "tagged" regularly.

The Australian New Zealand Standard AS/NZS3760 In-Service Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment is nationally accepted as the minimum safety protocol for the workplace, and applies to plug-in or non-fixed equipment. The VTHC has been advised that WorkSafe Victoria is now "actively enforcing the standard and inspecting all types of premises to confirm introduction of minimum safety testing programs consistent with AS/NZS 3760." The standard applies to all types of electrical equipment in offices, factories and so on (ie tools, machines, computers, even jugs and cooling fans).

How often should equipment be ‘tested and tagged’?

The frequency of inspections that are outlined in Section 2 of the Standard, AS/NZS 3760:2006 are recommended but can be varied subject to a risk assessment that has been carried out in accordance with an appropriate risk assessment. The Australian standard includes a table that sets out testing and inspection intervals for various types of equipment from 3 months (for equipment that is high use, high risk, or hire equipment) to up to 5 years (for equipment that is not open to abuse, flexing of cords, etc). In addition to the regular testing and inspection, the standard specified that electrical equipment SHALL be inspected and tested:

Before return to service after a repair or servicing, which could have affected the electrical safety of the equipment, and

Before return to service from a second-hand sale, to ensure equipment is safe.

The checking and tagging of equipment as per AS/NZS 3760 can be done either by a qualified electrician or by someone who has successfully completed an approved course at a TAFE college. There are also a number of electrical contractors who specialise in the checking and tagging equipment - check the Yellow Pages.

In addition, EnergySafe Victoria, the newly established safety regulator responsible for electrical and gas safety in Victoria, Australia, has issued revised Equipment Safety - General Guidelines. The guidelines on the safety of electrical equipment provide advice on the regulation of electrical equipment generally, Australian standards, compliance and approval of equipment and more. Also now available are the Guidelines for Plug-in Electrical Equipment and recently released safety advice on the need to regularly check electrical equipment. This advice follows a number of reports of incidents where workers have suffered electrical shocks or burns while using electrical tools and equipment that had current test tags

ESV can be contacted on (03) 9203 9700 (electricity section).

Advice to health and safety reps

Tagging and checking of all electrical equipment in accordance with AS3760 should now be the norm in all workplaces. If this is not the case in your workplace, as an OHS rep, you should approach your employer and request that this be done as soon as possible. If it is not done, then the employer is breaching his/her duty under Section 21.