Fatalities - a sad reminder to stay safe

Two recent electrical fatalities highlight the need for vigilance around electricity.

While still under investigation, these incidents reinforce the importance of fundamental electrical safety principles at work or anywhere else.

The first involved a young electrical worker who recently completed his apprenticeship working on a switchboard.

The risks associated with undertaking electrical work near exposed live parts are the same as those associated with working live.

Evaluating the risks and developing controls help develop safer work practices. It is vital for employers to provide adequate information to workers so they can identify existing hazards, assess any consequential electrical risk in the course of their work, and apply a safe system of work.

The second fatality involved contact with powerlines. Just before Christmas, a person was killed on a rural Queensland property adjacent to a high voltage transformer.

A kite at the incident site was found to be tangled on a 19,000 volt powerline. The circumstances of any attempted retrieval are being investigated.

Electrical fatalities in Queensland’s rural industry commonly involve workers contacting overhead powerlines through the use of machinery or moving irrigation pipes.

This recent fatality was unusual and tragic in that it involved flying a kite, but still serves as an important reminder.

There remains a strong need to stay electrically safe when working, or during any activity at home or anywhere else. Observe safe practices whenever you are near powerlines or doing anything that may bring you into contact with powerlines or any live part.