Electrical incidents and fatalities

Statisitics and trend information on electrical incidents and fatalities over the past ten years was presented by the Electrical Safety Office’s Dan Murphy at the Electrical and Communications Association (ECA) Annual Conference in August 2008.

Key points highlighted in the presentation included:

• Electrical fatalities have declined significantly – from 1998–99 to 2007–08 there were 59 electrical fatalities (average of 5.9 per year). Between 1988–89 and 1997–98 there were 126 fatalities (average of 12.6 per year).
• The main categories of electrical equipment involved in fatalities were fixed wiring 31 per cent, powerlines 29 per cent and portable appliances 25 per cent. These three categories represent 85 per cent of electrical fatalities in Queensland over the past ten years.
• For the fatalities associated with fixed wiring during the past ten years, the major contributing factor was unsafe electrical work practices by electrical workers, e.g. working live or failing to test.
• Of the 17 fatalities involving powerlines during the past ten years, two involved unsafe electrical work practices and approximately 60 per cent involved unsafe non-electrical work.
• In the past ten years, electrical safety on farms has attracted considerable attention, primarily due to the high number of fatalities and serious injuries involving farming equipment and overhead powerlines. During the past two years there have been five fatalities involving powerlines.
• Queensland has the most comprehensive legislative requirements for the installation and retrofitting of safety switches of any Australian jurisdiction and now has the highest penetration of safety switches in domestic premises of any Australian jurisdiction at more than 63 per cent of homes.
• Safety switches can and do save lives. In the last ten years safety switches would have prevented 33 fatalities (56 per cent).

All electrical fatalities are a tragedy and are preventable. To stay electrically safe everyone, including electrical workers must meet the requirements and follow the practical requirements set out in Queensland’s electrical safety laws.