Electricity suppliers and distributors

• Prescribed electrical entities
• Electrical entity's works
• Safety management guidelines
• Vegetation management under powerlines

Prescribed electrical entities

The Electrical Safety Act 2002 refers to prescribed electrical entities. The Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF File, 1.02 MB) lists the following electricity distribution and transmission entities in this definition:

• Comalco Aluminium (non-Queensland Government link)
• Country Energy (non-Queensland Government link)
• Energex (non-Queensland Government link)
• Ergon Energy (non-Queensland Government link)
• Powerlink (non-Queensland Government link)
• Queensland Rail (non-Queensland Government link)

Electrical entity's works

The electrical equipment and electric lines associated with equipment controlled or operated by the entity to generate, transform, transmit or supply electricity.

What does the law say - Legal requirements for the electrical industry, including the Act, Regulation and codes of practice

Incident notification for electricity entities - Serious electrical incident or dangerous electrical event, what to report and when

Network safety - Protective earthing, underground cables, supporting structures, performance requirements

Safety management guidelines

Under Part 5 of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 prescribed electrical entities must adopt a safety management system to improve safety performance.

Safety management systems benefit everyone affected by an entity’s works including the entity itself, its employees, their families, contractors, businesses, and the community.

Linking identified hazards and risks to business performance criteria is a key to improving safety outcomes.

The Electrical Safety office has produced a revised Guide to Safety Management Systems for Prescribed Electrical Entities in collaboration with the entities, relevant unions, Electrical Safety Board, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and other interested parties.

Vegetation management under powerlines

Section 75 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 requires that the person in control of an overhead electric line must ensure that trees and other vegetation are trimmed, and other measures taken, to prevent contact with the line that is likely to cause injury from electric shock to any person or damage to property.

Under their broad range of legislative and governance responsibilities, local Councils must consider issues relating to vegetation management and electrical safety.

The Electrical Safety office has produced a guideline for use in developing an agreement on vegetation management under powerlines between a distribution entity and a local government (PDF File, 357.5 KB) to assist electricity entities and local Councils develop a cooperative working arrangement aimed at improving the reliability and safety of the electricity system.