Electrical danger for insulation installers

 ederal Government rebates for installing ceiling insulation are a boost for the industry and the environment, but the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) has warned installers not to underestimate the dangers involved.

Apart from the increased fire risk associated with incorrectly installing insulation around lighting fixtures, installing insulation with metal fasteners such as staples, or working around live cables can result in electric shock injuries or death. If there are any faults in the home’s electrical installation, these can also prove fatal when an installer makes contact with them.

A number of recent incidents including a fatality resulted in the Minister for Industrial Relations approving mandatory requirements for installing insulation, contained in the Electrical Safety (Installation of Insulation) Notice 2009.

From 1 November 2009, the use of metal fasteners in installing insulation has been banned.

Even if a shock doesn’t result in death, it can have a serious impact on your health, including burns and damage to the nervous system, brain, sensory/motor organs, heart and lungs. A shock can also throw you off balance resulting in fall injuries.

The prospect of such injuries occurring in a ceiling space can make rescue difficult and delay treatment.

The ESO has investigated incidents where inspectors have identified metal staples that have penetrated the PVC sheath of a cable. In some instances the staples had pierced the red PVC inner insulation and made contact with the live conductor.

These incidents could result in the foil insulation being energised at 240 volts. In this situation there is a risk of workers or occupiers of the property receiving an electric shock.

Even more concerning is that these are not isolated incidents.

Extra care must be taken to avoid electric shocks by assessing risk and implementing effective risk controls before starting a job.

The ESO has written to all Queensland-based installers of insulation products reminding them of their legal obligations to carry out their business in an electrically safe manner.

These incidents can be avoided if basic safety precautions are followed. The fact sheet Insulation – installing ceiling insulation and your health and safety has been sent out to all known insulation installers in Queensland.