Audit update

The Electrical Safety Office (ESO) has issued an increased number of improvement notices as part of its strategy to improve compliance with safe systems of work around electrical parts and supervision of trainees and apprentices.

The ESO is holding forums around the state to highlight the issues of working on or near exposed live parts and is developing information packages to assist Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to deliver electrical safety training which reinforces the need to work both safely and in compliance with the Electrical Safety Act 2002.

Since June 2007 the ESO has audited more than 300 electrical contractors, electrical workers with a Building Services Authority (BSA) licence and business operators not requiring an electrical contractors’ licence but who employ electrical workers.

The aim of the audit was to ascertain whether systems and measures were in place to ensure work is conducted in a manner which keeps electrical workers safe and free from electrical risk.

Some of the key audit criteria were:

• live work requirements
• understanding of safe systems of work around electricity
• isolation and access, and
• supervisory requirements.

Working safely on or near exposed live parts It is vital to have systems in place to address working near exposed live parts and having appropriate supervision processes in place.

Reviewing and improving your processes, and having mechanisms in place that ensure processes are being applied at all levels can turn these results around.

Employers have an obligation to ensure people are electrically safe when the work, whether electrical or not, involves working near exposed live parts.

Ensure the level of supervision is appropriate If you supervise someone who is in training, you must be aware of the requirements you have as a supervisor.

As the employer of a person in training, who has not finished six months of their apprenticeship or training program, you must ensure they do not work:

• in the immediate vicinity of a live high voltage exposed part, or
• where there is a risk they could come into contact with a live low voltage exposed part.

An employer must also ensure that a person in training or apprentice who performs electrical work is supervised at all times by an electrical worker licensed to perform the work.

The level of supervision must be appropriate with regard to the:

• type of electrical work performed
• adequacy of the apprentice’s or trainee’s training, and
• competency of the person in training.

Supervision means overseeing the person in training to ensure risks to people and property are eliminated or at least minimised.

This includes ensuring the person in training only carries out work they are deemed competent to perform considering the stage of their ‘on and off-the-job’ training and their ability. This will be reflected in the level of supervision.

To achieve this, the employer should have a system that sets the appropriate tasks for the person in training along with mechanisms that evaluate, monitor and review the person’s ability.

Documented procedures and records, although not specific requirements of the legislation in this case, are a good way to demonstrate compliance.

During audits, inspectors reinforce the importance of working safely around electrical parts with reference to the Code of Practice—Working Near Exposed Live Parts which is available on the ESO website and the Risk Management Code of Practice which is available on the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website.

Running through the ESO’s electrical contractor self-assessment audit package could be beneficial before an inspector visits your business.