How do I know if I have a safety switch?

What to look for

Check by looking at your switchboard for a test reset button. That tells you that you have a safety switch installed. When you open your switchboard you should see something like this.

Typical switchboard with the main switch, safety switch with test button, and four circuit breakers.

All homes have circuit breakers or fuses. These are designed to protect the wiring and appliances within your home. Only safety switches are designed to protect people.

Which switch is which?

Safety switches are often confused with circuit breakers and surge protectors. Here is a quick guide to help understand the differences.

Surge protectors

Surge protectors safeguard your appliances and wiring from voltage surges like a lightning strike.

Safety switches and surge protectors play entirely different roles. Surge protectors protect electrical appliances, safety switches protect people.

Circuit breakers

Circuit breakers cut the power off when electrical wiring in a building has too much current flowing through it. Too much current flowing through a circuit would heat an electrical appliance's wires or the wiring to unsafe levels. This could cause an electrical fire.

Fuses work in the same way as circuit breakers. Both fuses and circuit breakers do not protect people from electrical shock.

Safety switches

Safety switches monitor the flow of electricity through a circuit. They automatically shut the electricity supply when current is detected leaking from faulty switches, wiring or electrical appliances. This stops the chance of currents flowing to earth, through a person, electrocuting them.

Portable safety switch

A portable safety switch unit is ideal when using plug in electrical equipment indoors or outdoors. They are convenient to use where permanent safety switch protection is not available.

The portability of these devices means they can be damaged and should be inspected regularly.

Safety switches are not the same as circuit breakers or fuses. They are an additional form of protection to be used with circuit breakers and fuses.