30/10/2013
Switching on electrical safety.
Inspection and testing for
small business (Session Ref: 3H)
Jim Sinclair – Principal Liaison Officer, SafeWork SA
CS Wong – Chief Advisor – Electrical, SafeWork SA
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Session Content
• WHS Act and Regulations
• Underlying principles of the Act and Regulations
• Reference documents
• Inspection and testing processes
• Competency of people conducting inspection and testing
WHS Act
• Management of risks. (s.17)
• Reasonably practicable (s.18)
• Duty of care (s. 19)
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WHS Regulations
• Chapter 3 – General risk and workplace management
• Duty to;
– Identify hazards
– Manage risks to health and safety (R.35)
– Implement, maintain and review control measures (R.36)
(Regulations 34 to 37)
WHS Electrical Regulations
• Obligation to regularly inspect and test electrical
equipment if the equipment is;
– Supplied through and electrical socket outlet and;
– Used in an environment that is likely to expose the equipment
to damage or reduce the life span of the equipment
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AS/NZS 3760 –Testing table
Sample Only
1 Factories, workshops, places of manufacture, assembly, maintenance or fabrication
2 Environment where the equipment or supply or flexible cord is subject to flexing in normal use OR is open to abuse OR is in a hostile environment 3 Environment where the equipment or supply cord is NOT
subject to flexing in normal use and is NOT open to abuse and is NOT in a hostile environment
4 Residential type areas of: hotels, residential institutions, motels, boarding houses, halls, hostels, accommodation house, and the like.
5 Equipment used for commercial cleaning purposes
6 Months
12 Months
5 Years
2 Years
6 Months
Inspection and testing process
• Competent person
• Australian Standard
• Testing frequency & risk assessments
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Case Studies
• Office environment
• Child care centre
• Aged care facility
• Plumbing Service
• Manufacturing site – 414/240 volt equipment
It makes you wonder?
I would like to get a copy of the Tag colours require per month or quarter for
Electrical Safety Test & tagging within South Australia please.
Kind Regards.
Client Account Manager
XXXXXX Company
“Protect your Equipment”…… see why everyone’s talking about XXXXX co.
”AS/NZS 3760 Standard" ……view the standard testing intervals.
•
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Resource documents
• Code of Practice
– “Managing electrical risk at the workplace”
• Australian Standard
– “AS/NZS 3760:2010 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical
equipment”
Summary
• Testing and Inspection obligations rest with the PCBU
• Competent person can carry out the testing
• Testing frequency may vary based on risk assessment
• Records are to be kept of testing
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WHS Electrical Inspection & Testing
CS Wong – Chief Advisor – Electrical, SafeWork SA
Presentation Outline
•
WHS Regulations relating to Inspection & Testing
- Reg 144: Meaning of Electrical Equipment
- Reg 146: Meaning of Electrical Work
- Reg 149: Unsafe Electrical Equipment
- Reg 150: Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment
- Reg 151: Untested Electrical Equipment
- Reg 159: Unauthorised access to Energised Equipment
- Reg 161: How (live) work is to be carried out
- Reg 163: Construction Electrical Safety – Additional Duties
- Reg 165: Testing of RCD
•
•
Case Study
Questions
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Part 7—General electrical safety in workplaces and energised
electrical work
Regulation 144—Meaning of electrical equipment
(1) In this Part— electrical equipment means any apparatus, appliance, cable,
conductor, fitting, insulator, material, meter or wire that—
(a) is used for controlling, generating, supplying, transforming or transmitting
electricity at a voltage greater than extra-low voltage; or
(b) is operated by electricity at a voltage greater than extra-low voltage; or
(c) is part of an electrical installation located in an area in which the
atmosphere presents a risk to health and safety from fire or explosion; or
(d) is, or is part of, an active impressed current cathodic protection system
within the meaning of AS 2832.1-2004 (Cathodic protection of metals—
Pipes and cables).
Reference to technical reference
standard: AS/NZS3000 Wiring Rules
- Extra low voltage: less than 50 Vac
- Low Voltage: less than 1000Vac
- High Voltage: more than 1000 Vac
Regulation 146—Meaning of electrical work
(1) In this Part— electrical work means—
(a) connecting electricity supply wiring to electrical equipment or disconnecting
electricity supply wiring from electrical equipment; or
(b) installing, removing, adding, testing, replacing, repairing, altering or
maintaining electrical equipment or an electrical installation.
•
To be performed by a registered electrical worker or licensed electrical contractor or electrician under Part 3 of the Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Electricians Act 1995 , (registration & licensing by OCBA)
•
Electrical safety regulator is the Office of Technical Regulator (OTR) Electrical testing can fall into two categories:
1) Testing the functionality of electrical installations and wiring which may involve live work. An electrical license is generally required
2) Testing of electrical equipment and appliances connected via socket outlet generally does not require to be licensed. Applicable to white goods & consumer electrical ‐ electronics servicing industry. In this scenario, competency will suffice.
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Regulation 146—Meaning of electrical work (continue)
(2) In this Part— electrical work does not include the following:
(a) work that involves connecting electrical equipment to an electricity supply
by means of a flexible cord plug and socket outlet;
(b) work on a non-electrical component of electrical equipment, if the person
carrying out the work is not exposed to an electrical risk;
Example— Painting electrical equipment covers and repairing hydraulic
components of an electrical motor.
(c) replacing electrical equipment or a component of electrical equipment if that
task can be safely performed by a person who does not have expertise in
carrying out electrical work;
Repairing/replacement of power cord plug Example— Replacing a fuse or a light bulb.
requires the person to be competent.
(d) assembling, making, modifying or repairing electrical equipment as part of a
manufacturing process;
Question: What needs to be done after repairing the plug?
Regulation 146—Meaning of electrical work (continue)
(e) building or repairing ducts, conduits or troughs, where electrical wiring is or will
be installed if—
(i) the ducts, conduits or troughs are not intended to be earthed; and
(ii) the wiring is not energised; and
(iii) the work is supervised by a registered electrical worker;
(f) locating or mounting electrical equipment, or fixing electrical equipment in place,
if this task is not performed in relation to the connection of electrical equipment
to an electricity supply;
(g) assisting a registered electrical worker to carry out electrical work if—
(i) the assistant is directly supervised by the registered electrical worker; and
(ii) the assistance does not involve physical contact with any energised
electrical equipment;
(h) carrying out electrical work, other than work on energised electrical equipment, in order to meet eligibility requirements in relation to becoming a registered electrical worker;
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Regulation 149—Unsafe Electrical Equipment
(1) A PCBU must ensure that any unsafe electrical equipment at the workplace—
(a) is disconnected (or isolated) from its electricity supply; and
(b) once disconnected (or isolated)—
(i) is not reconnected until it is repaired or tested and found to be safe; or
(ii) is replaced or permanently removed from use
(2) For the purposes of this regulation, electrical equipment or a component of
electrical equipment is unsafe if there are reasonable grounds for believing it to
be unsafe
What is considered electrically unsafe?
•
Exposed to hazardous touch voltage or live electricity above Extra Low Voltage (50 Vac or 120Vdc ) [AS/NZS3000 s1.5.5.3 (b)]
•
Part of an electrical equipment, tool, appliance, or installation with exposed live conductor or damaged insulation which when in contact with, will give rise to an electric shock, or inadvertently shorting to earth or other phases resulting in electrical arc hazard
•
Unprotected or non‐intrinsically safe electrical equipment operating in a hazardous environment ‐
WHS Regulation 150
‐
Refer to COP Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace, section 3.3 & 3.4, and
AS/NZS3760 Table 4 as a guide
150—Inspection and testing of electrical equipment
(1) A person conducting a business or undertaking at a workplace must
ensure that electrical equipment is regularly inspected and tested by a
competent person if the electrical equipment is—
(a) supplied with electricity through an electrical socket outlet; and
(b) used in an environment in which the normal use of electrical equipment
exposes the equipment to operating conditions that are likely to result in
damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span,
including conditions that involve exposure to moisture, heat, vibration,
mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals or dust.
‐ PCBU should / ought to know
[hostile operating environment]
‐ Consult with workers, test & tag service provider
(Downside: commercial interest)
‐ Refer to COP Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace, section 3.3 & 3.4, and
‐ Refer to AS/NZS3760 Table 4 as a guide
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WHS Regulation 150 (continue)
150 (2)—In the case of electrical equipment that is new and unused at the
workplace, the PCBU—
(a) is not required to comply with subregulation (1); and
(b) must ensure that the equipment is inspected for obvious damage before
being used.
150 (3)—The person must ensure that a record of any testing carried out
under subregulation (1) is kept until the electrical equipment is—
(a) next tested; or
(b) permanently removed from the workplace or disposed of.
150 (4)—The record of testing—
(a) Must specify: name of person who carried out the testing; date of testing;
outcome of testing; next due date for testing
(b) may be in the form of a tag attached to the electrical equipment tested
Must be non‐metallic
WHS Regulation 151: Untested Electrical Equipment not to be used
151—Untested electrical equipment not to be used
A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that electrical
equipment is not used if the equipment—
(a) is required to be tested under regulation 150; and
(b) has not been tested.
Test of ‘Reasonably Practicable’ :
‐ Colour code out of sync with quarterly changeover in construction environment
‐ Could be contestable if operating environment fits regulation 150 in the first place
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Division 4—Working on energised equipment
159—Unauthorised access to equipment being worked on
A PCBU must ensure that only persons authorised by the person conducting the
business or undertaking enter the immediate area in which electrical work on
energised electrical equipment is being carried out.
For Competent Person performing Electrical Inspection & Testing:
•
Common examples: switchboards, robotic work cells; labs; installations under commissioning‐testing stage •
Other areas classified by the company as restricted access, however reasonable authorised access should be provided to allow the in‐situ electrical inspection & testing to occur
WHS Regulation 161: How the work is to be carried out
161—How the work is to be carried out
(1) A PCBU must ensure that electrical work on energised electrical equipment is
carried out—
(a) by a competent person who has tools, testing equipment and personal
protective equipment that—
Insulated and rated for the (i) are suitable for the work; and
proper working voltage
(ii) have been properly tested; and
(iii) are maintained in good working order; and
And calibrated (b) in accordance with a safe work method statement prepared for the work; and
(c) subject to subregulation (5), with a safety observer present who has the
competence and qualifications specified in subregulation (4).
(2) The PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the person who
carries out the electrical work uses the tools, testing equipment and personal
protective equipment properly.
Compliance considerations?
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WHS Regulation 11: How the work is to be carried out (continue)
161—How the work is to be carried out
(4) For the purposes of subregulation (1)(c) —
Ensure no conflict of primary duties;
only when work has stopped
(a) the safety observer must be competent—
(i) to implement control measures in an emergency; and
(ii) to rescue and resuscitate the worker who is carrying out the work, if
necessary; and
(b) the safety observer must have been assessed in the previous 12 months as
competent to rescue and resuscitate a person.
Eg: Testing for the presence of energised condition; in‐
(5) A safety observer is not required if —
service electrical inspection & testing
(a) the work consists only of testing; and
(b) the person conducting the business or undertaking has conducted a risk
assessment under regulation 158(1)(a) that shows that there is no serious risk
associated with the proposed work.
Div 5: Construction work - additional duties
163—Duty of PCBU
(1) …the carrying out of construction work must comply with AS/NZS 3012:2010
(Electrical installations— Construction and demolition sites)
(2) For the purposes of subregulation (1), AS/NZS 3012:2010 applies as if any term
that is defined in that Standard and that is also defined in the Act or these
regulations has the same meaning
(3) If any requirement in AS/NZS 3012:2010 deals with the same matter as a
requirement under this Part, it is sufficient that the PCBU complies with the
requirement in AS/NZS 3012:2010 as modified by subregulation (2)
What are the specific requirements for electrical inspection and testing in the construction and demolition work environment?
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Div 6—Residual current devices (RCD)
165—Testing of residual current devices
(1) A person with management or control of a workplace must (…) ensure that RCDs
used at the workplace are tested regularly by a competent person to ensure that
the devices are operating effectively
(2) The person must keep a record of all testing of a RCD (other than any testing
conducted daily) until the earlier of the following occurs:
(a) the device is next tested;
(b) the device is permanently removed from use.
•
Evidence of compliance: ‐ push button test, and ‐ trip time test •
AS/NZS3760 [now being a technical standard] is not referenced in regulations but mentioned in the COP
Testing RCDs: Options
At switchboard level At final sub‐circuit (socket outlet)
For details: refer to AS/NZS3760
1)
2)
What are the pros and cons?
Case Study Discussion: Equipment Hire
Case Background:
An industrial type oven was hired for an event and it was to be used in the
catering pavilion. Oven was tagged and tested. Plug was incorrectly wired.
When turned on, the current passed between one employee who was
touching another, and both received an electrical shock.
What went wrong?
Discussion Point:
PCBU’s responsibility and obligation:
- What could be done to prevent recurrence?
- Test of two ‘reasonably practicable’ elements:
a) What can be done; and
b) To do all that is possible
- Who did this inspection and testing? Evidence/Records
- Did they check for correct polarity? Evidence/Records
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Resources
[1] Work Health and Safety Laws
‐ South Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2012
‐ South Australian WHS Regulations 2012
http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/show_page.jsp?id=112104
[2] Managing electrical risks in the workplace ‐ COP
http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/ma
naging‐electrical‐risks‐in‐the‐workplace[3] Guide: Reasonably Practicable
[3] Guide: Reasonably Practicable
http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/about/Publications/Docume
nts/774/Guide‐Reasonably‐Practicable.pdf
[4] Technical Standard: AS/NZS 3760:2010/Amendment 2012 (Guide)
?
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