GPO Box 1722 Darwin NT 0801Phone 1800 019 115 Web worksafe.nt.gov.au Email ntworksafe@nt.gov.au

A newsletter from the Electricity Safety Regulator

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Inside Robin’s Ramble – Effective isolation 2

– Reporting of accidents/incidents 2

New AS/NZS 3000:2007 Wiring Rules by Fred Munro 3

Dave’s Dilemma – Certificate of Compliance (Coc) 4

EWCLB Website Upgrade Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Board 4

Safety Alert – Lock out, tag out saves lives 5

Safety Alert – RCD use with portable electrical devices 7

Welcome to the 2009 edition of Conduit, the Electricity Safety Regulator’s newsletter. Over the years this publication has been a valuable resource to both electrical contractors and workers. Whilst our next publication will be in a different e-format, you will still find the usual topical information and safety advice. Laurene Hull, Electricity Safety Regulator

NT WorkSafe Electrical Specialists

Various Positions We are seeking skilled and experienced persons to be part of the team driving improved outcomes in Occupational Health and Safety in the Northern Territory, specifically Electrical Safety. Salaries range from $52,618-$75,643 plus superannuation and 6 weeks annual leave with 17.5% leave loading. The people we seek will have: • Extensive knowledge of the

Electrical Trade as it applies in Australia

• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply Australian Standards.

• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply Northern Territory Legislation, in particular the Electricity Reform Act and Regulations.

• Demonstrated ability in the provision of assistance to industry and government agencies to drive improvements in Electrical Safety.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team, and to ensure the achievement of common goals within a given time frame.

• Possess (or have the ability to obtain) an electrical workers license endorsed as Electrical Mechanic Grade A issued under the NT Electrical Workers and Contractors Act. Current New Zealand license holders are eligible for mutual recognition.

Please lodge an expression of interest to Carolynne Murrell email: ntworksafe@nt.gov.au For further information, contact Robin Smith on (08) 8999 5038. Robin Smith, Acting Principal WorkSafe Officer – Electrical Specialist

Electricity Safety Regulator Annual Report 2007/2008 Page 7 of the Annual Report outlines the activities of the Electrical Safety Regulator for 2007-2008. Below is an extract from the statistical reporting. Part 6 of the Electricity Reform Act provides for specific enforcement powers. Following are statistics regarding the exercise of those powers by the Electricity Safety Regulator and authorised officers.

Regulatory Requirement No Description

Exercise of specific powers under Section 10 of the Electricity Reform Act – Require Information

0

Exercise of specific powers under Section 11 of the Electricity Reform Act – Disclose Information

5 Fire Investigation Reports

Exercise of specific powers under Section 70 of the Electricity Reform Act – Rectification by Direction

30 Owner/operator non compliance

Exercise of specific powers under Section 70 of the Electricity Reform Act – Rectification by Direction

12 Contractor non compliance

Exercise of specific powers under Section 78, 79 and 80 of the Electricity Reform Act – Disconnection

1 Installation Disconnected

The Conduit – January 2009

ROBIN’S RAMBLE

The Conduit – January 2009 Page 2

Reporting of Accidents and

Incidents Electricity Reform

(Safety and Technical) Regulation 37

Reporting of accidents(1) For the purposes of

Section 71 of the Act, if an accident happens that involves electric shock caused by the operation or condition of an electrical installation, a report must be made to the electricity safety regulator of the details of the accident – (a) in the case of a death resulting from the accident – immediately by telephone; (b) in the case of a person requiring medical assistance resulting from the accident – within one day of the accident; or (c) in any other case – within 10 days of the accident.

(2) A person who is required to report an accident in accordance with Section 71 of the Act must provide the electricity safety regulator with the further details of the accident that the electricity safety regulator reasonably requires.

Workplace Health and

Safety Act Sections 64 and 65

Incident notification An electric shock suffered at the workplace is a reportable incident.

Report all accidents and near misses to your employer, your safety officer and NT WorkSafe.

Robin Smith, Acting Principal WorkSafe Officer – Electrical Specialist

Effective IsolationIf an electrical worker isolates the electrical supply to an appliance

by turning off the isolator and places a danger tag or out of

service tag on the isolator before beginning work on the appliance and someone comes along and turns on the isolator and nearly

kills the electrical worker – who’s responsible?

Simply switching off a circuit breaker or isolator and attaching a danger tag does not constitute an effective isolation technique and exposes the worker to the risk of severe electric shock or death.

Electricity Reform (Safety and Technical) Regulations. Regulation 8. Basic safety principle states:

A person engaging or preparing to engage in work on or near electricity infrastructure or an electrical installation must treat exposed conductors as live until they are –

(a) isolated from all sources of electricity supply and proved to be de-energised; and

(b) if they are high voltage conductors – earthed.

Isolated from all sources of electricity supply means quite literally isolating a circuit in such a manner that no person can by

simply switching on a circuit breaker or an isolator accidentally or deliberately re-energise a circuit. Therefore unless the isolation device is under the direct control of the electrical worker carrying out repairs or maintenance then to effectively isolate the circuit from supply the electrical worker must lock out the circuit breaker and/or isolator or if this is not possible, physically disconnect the circuit to prevent accidental or deliberate re-energisation. This is especially true where untrained civilians have access to the job. An electrical worker should never assume that such a person understands how electric power systems work or the risks involved in working on electrical equipment – many people are impatient when faced with loss of power and may seek to re-energise the supply themselves. The use of out of service or danger tags constitutes an administrative control and offers no real protection against malicious, careless or ignorant individuals. It is the responsibility of the electrical contractor / employer and electrical workers in their employ to carry out a risk assessment prior to commencement of work, and put into effect a safety management plan to control all risks identified.

Lock out, tag-out saves lives Please see Health and Safety Alert SA200802 on Page 5

Incident Notification – 1800 019 115NOTE: In addition to the requirement for electric shocks to be reported under both the Electricity Reform Act and the Workplace Health and Safety Act, there are a number of other types of incidents that must be notified under Section 64 of the NT Workplace Health and Safety Act. How to notify In addition to immediate (as soon as is practicable) notification, the 2-page notification form FM137 must be provided to NT WorkSafe within 48 hours of the incident. When you initially notify NT WorkSafe, you will be given an incident notification number to include on Form 137. For more information please see NT WorkSafe information bulletin 09.01.04 Notification of incidents. Fax 08 8999 5141. Email: ntworksafe@nt.gov.au

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Fred Munro, Senior WorkSafe Officer – Electrical Specialist

NEW AS/NZS 3000:2007 WIRING RULES

disconnection that reads Warning: ‘Main Electrical Earthing Conductor– Do Not Disconnect’.

The other is that in showers and bathrooms any conductive reinforcing within a concrete floor or wall forming part of a shower or bathroom shall be bonded to the earthing system of the electrical installation to avoid any potential differences that may occur between conductive piping (including taps, drain, etc.) connected to, or in contact with, the electrical installation earthing system and the concrete floor or wall as per Clause 5.6.2.5 of AS/NZS 3000:2007.

These are just some of the changes to be found in the new Wiring Rules AS/NZS 3000:2007. As any good electrician or electrical contractor knows the wiring rules are the Bible of the electrical industry and a source of information you can’t be without to the point it is considered a mandatory standard to have. Though it may not be the most interesting document you will ever read it will help you in your business to have a good understanding of it and to use it as a reference tool. Remember compliance with the requirements of AS/NZS 3000:2007 will ensure safer electrical installations and keep the Electricity Safety Regulator on side.

After eight years of having to refer to AS/NZS 3000:2000 as the Australian Standard for Wiring Rules, May of 2008 saw the introduction of AS/NZS 3000:2007 as the new standard for Wiring Rules.

Like its predecessor it has stayed with a less prescriptive format based on outcomes that gives flexibility in achieving safe, compliant, electrical installations.

There have been some changes to the layout of the standard with testing and verification being found in Section Eight of the new wiring rules book and damp situations having a section of their own in Section Six and special electrical installations including hazardous areas being found in Section Seven.

If electricians and electrical contractors are not already aware, earth fault loop impedance and verification of operation of residual current devices tests are now mandatory under the new wiring rules. A couple of changes in the earthing section (Section Five) of the new wiring rules that may catch a few people out are that the main earthing conductor shall have a permanent label attached at the connection to the earth electrode with a legible warning against

Please see NT WorkSafe information bulletin ES 02.01.01 at www.worksafe.nt.gov.au

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David Mallett, WorkSafe Officer – Electrical Specialist

Dave’s Dilemma

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE (CoC)

As the newest member of the electrical safety team I have been asked to write an introduction on myself and a brief article about my findings on the job since I started twelve months ago. So without further ado let’s begin. I have been a Darwin resident for the last 40 years and involved in the electrical industry for 33 years and have worked in many areas including the installation of H.V equipment right through to repairing exit lights including a stint at Stokes Hill Power Station in the late 70’s early 80’s. Joining the electrical safety team and viewing the contracting industry from the ”other side” has been a real eye-opener, especially all the different ways contractors install equipment but all seem to arrive at the same end result with some doing it better than others in regard to workmanship and compliancy. Prior to joining electrical safety I was under the impression that its main function was compliance inspections but as I have found out this only forms part of the job with the full job profile involving investigations into accidents, unlicensed work, complaints from the public and liaison with electrical contractors, all of which are good additions to the bag of experience. In the last twelve months the one item which has jumped out at me is the Certificate of Compliance which on the whole is filled out okay but there is plenty of room for improvement so now might be a good time to revisit the requirements of this document.

When is the Certificate of Compliance Required? If we drag out the Electricity Reform (Safety and Technical) Regulations, blow the dust off it and open it to page 7 you will find Part 3 sub section 4, 5, which says that after work on an electrical installation has been completed the electrical installation shall be checked for compliance with AS 3000 and any other relevant standard including Power Water Installation and Service rules. The licensed electrical worker personally carrying out the examinations and tests when satisfied the electrical installation is compliant and before the electrical installation is made available for energisation complete and sign a Certificate of Compliance. A copy is then issued to the owner or occupier of the installation and the network operator i.e. Power Water if required. Over the last few months I have come across a number of contractors issuing Certificate of Compliances for installations which are not compliant i.e. no M.E.N (Multiple Earth Neutral) connection or the connection done incorrectly, earth connections not sweated, I have even had a contractor admit to me he signed off the CoC with out checking the job first! On the flip side to the above I have also come across a number of owners or occupiers of properties who did not receive a CoC from the electrical contractor after installation work had been carried out.

When is a Certificate of Compliance not required?

• Direct replacement of faulty or damaged electrical apparatus with the same type; and

• Motor rewinds (disconnects and reconnects) where the same motor is reinstalled.

However if the owner/operator requests a Certificate of Compliance you must supply a copy. Please refer electrical safety bulletin ES 03.01.08. Who gets the copies? The original blue copy is given to the owner or operator within 30 days after the electrical installation was made available for energisation. The duplicate yellow copy goes to the distribution network operator i.e. Power Water when you require a power connection or a reconnection. The triplicate copy pink is kept by the electrical contractor for a period of 5 years. Remember the Certificate of Compliance is a legal document and protects you and your client so make sure the CoC is filled out correctly and clearly with respect to what was done and where it was done. Remember to be sure the work covered by the Certificate of Compliance is compliant and everyone who should get a copy gets one. And finally when you’re on the job stay safe and don’t forget to TEST BEFORE YOU TOUCH!

Website Upgrade Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Board The recent review of the EWCLB website, publications and electrical licensing application forms focussed on improving customer service and accessibility features as well as addressing the legislative, legal, and Board policy requirements of these documents.

The administrative functions of the Board are provided by NT WorkSafe, which was a division of Department Employment Education and Training, and is now a division of the Department of Justice. The changes to ministerial responsibilities and contact details which have occurred because of the move from DEET to DoJ have been reflected in the website upgrade. www.electricallicensing.nt.gov.au

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