Lincoln University Policies and Procedures
HHES
ELECTRICAL SAFETY PROCEDURE
1.
INTRODUCTION
2.
BACKGROUND
3.
PROCEDURE
4.
RESPONSIBILITY
5.
REVIEW
APPENDIX 1 – ELECTRICAL SAFETY LEGISLATION
APPENDIX 2 – SAFETY INSPECTION AND TESTING OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
1.
INTRODUCTION
This entry lays out the procedures to ensure electrical work is undertaken safely.
2.
BACKGROUND
The following statements relate to all electrical equipment and appliances with a supply voltage
exceeding 50 Volts AC or 120 Volts ripple-free DC. This includes electrical leads, portable hand
held tools and scientific equipment.
The statements do not apply to electrical equipment used for demonstration or experimental
purposes, which is incapable of being connected to supply voltages exceeding 50 Volts AC or 120
Volts ripple-free DC.
Safe and healthy working procedures are detailed in the current Australian/New Zealand Wiring
Rules, Electrical Safety Regulations and Codes of Practices. These should be referenced if there is
any specific item requiring clarification.
3.
PROCEDURE
3.1.
People Authorised to Carry Out Electrical Work
The only people who may carry out “prescribed electrical work” unsupervised (refer
Appendix 1) are those working within the level of competency as defined by their current
registration certificate, and who also hold a current practising licence.
The competency of these people is a decision made by the Electrical Workers Registration
Board. The degree to which a person is judged competent will depend upon their
qualification, experience and whether the Board has previously issued a registration
certificate and practising licence.
Persons with current practising licences are the only people authorised to reset or repair
circuit breakers or fuses in switchboards or switch panels.
On arrival any contractor undertaking electrical work must sign into Lincworks reception
and be inducted prior to commencing work on site.
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3.2.
HHES
Electrical Testing and Tagging
All portable electrical equipment with power voltages above that specified must be
regularly inspected and electrically tested by a competent person as defined in AS/NZS
3760:2010. This equipment will then be marked with an approved tag.
Lincworks Property Services is responsible for ensuring this scheduled testing takes place,
and that appropriate records are kept which lists the equipment checked and the date of
inspection and testing.
Any portable electrical equipment found without the approved tag must not be used until
tested and tagged. The Health and Safety Manager is responsible for ensuring that any
such equipment is either disabled or made inaccessible for use until this inspection and
testing has occurred.
Any portable electrical equipment that has been serviced or repaired must be retested.
(Definition of “portable” as defined in AS/NZS 3760:2010).
3.3.
Purchase of Electrical Equipment from Overseas
Any person who purchases or obtains any electrical equipment from overseas that
requires a supply voltage exceeding 50 Volts AC or 120 Volts ripple-free DC must ensure
this equipment meets New Zealand electrical safety standards. These standards can be
found in AS/NZS 3820:2009 or in the relevant standard listed in Schedule 4 of the
Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010.
Any electrical equipment not complying with the standards listed will need a Certificate of
Compliance (please refer to Sections 80 and 81 of the Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010.
3.4.
Electrical Heaters
Only heaters supplied by Lincworks Property Services may be used on campus.
Only fixed electrical heaters shall be used in public areas such as corridors, lecture
theatres or laboratories. Free standing heaters with a timer, tilt and automatic thermal
cut-out switches can only be used in areas such as private offices. The Health and Safety
Manager is responsible for ensuring that any such heaters not complying with these legal
requirements be either disabled or made inaccessible for use.
3.5.
Privately Owned Electrical Equipment
Privately owned electrical appliances or equipment can only be used on the University site
or on university activities once they have been inspected, tested and tagged by a
competent person as defined by AS/NZS 3760:2010. It is the responsibility of the owner to
ensure the appliance / equipment is tagged accordingly.
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3.6.
HHES
Authority to Disable Electrical Equipment
Lincworks Property Services Electricians, Systems Technicians, ITS Technicians may either
remove the plug or fix a notice to any faulty electrical equipment to ensure it is not
inadvertently used.
3.7.
Faulty Equipment
It is the responsibility of the person using any equipment to check for visual damage to
electrical parts or cords. If a fault is found the appliance is to be tagged “Out of Order –
Do Not Use”, and fault reported to Lincworks Property Services for repair.
3.8.
Safe Working
a)
Ensure any incomplete installation is tagged out of any certificate of compliance
and the site electricians are made aware of this in writing.
b)
Appropriate safety lock devices and tags are to be attached to the switchboard or
circuit. If this is not possible then the circuit is to be removed from the fuse or
circuit breaker and labelled.
Note: If the circuit is on a RCD then the neutral conductor is also to be isolated.
c)
4.
All cables are to be terminated in a connector or a suitable safe way to prevent any
harm, if they are connected to a power source with any possibility of livening, even
if the above safety devices are fitted.
RESPONSIBILITY
The responsibilities are laid out in section 3 of this procedure.
5.
REVIEW
This procedure will be reviewed by the Health & Safety Manager or Human Resources Director
every two years, and reported to ELT for approval.
Approval Date:
Approval Body:
Next Review Date:
8 October, 2014
28 August 2014
ELT
28 August 2016
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HHES
APPENDIX 1 – ELECTRICAL SAFETY LEGISLATION
1.
2.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
The relevant legislation for electrical work is the Electricity Act (1992) and the Electricity
(Safety) Regulations (2010) and amendments. This legislation has prescribed standards
for training and certification of people who carry out different levels of electrical work.
1.2
This legislation highlights the importance of ensuring that people working with electricity
are competent in the work to minimise risk from unsafe work methods and practices.
This competency involves a balance between qualifications, experience and ongoing
training.
LEVELS OF COMPETENCY
2.1
3.
4.
The Electrical Workers Registration Board decides whether a person is competent to carry
out electrical work and to what level. Once a person is qualified they must apply to this
Board for registration in one of the legally defined levels of competency. This person then
needs to apply for an annual practising licence to be able to carry out the electrical work
specified on their registration.
WORKS THAT MAY BE CARRIED OUT BY UNREGISTERED PEOPLE
3.1
Some electrical work may be carried out by unregistered people without a current
practising licence; this is limited to very low risk work. This includes work on equipment
or appliances powered by extra low voltages or work on equipment with covers, screens
or the like where there is no risk of contact with voltages above extra low levels. (Extra
low voltages mean any voltage normally not exceeding 50 Volts alternating current or 115
ripple-free Volts direct current). Low risk work would also include replacing light bulbs,
provided access to areas with live parts is not required.
3.2
An unlicensed and unregistered employee cannot fix a plug or adaptor to any electrical
extension cord, appliance or fitting belonging to Lincoln University, unless under the
direct supervision of the Energy and Electrical Services Co-ordinator.
OTHER ELECTRICAL WORK ONLY ABLE TO BE CARRIED OUT BY COMPETENT PEOPLE
Work that only competent people (trained, qualified, registered people with a current practising
licence) can carry out is termed as “prescribed electrical work”. This includes the:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
8 October, 2014
Installation of fixed wiring, including any fittings that are to be connected to that wiring;
Maintenance of fixed wiring, including any fittings that are to be connected to that wiring;
Maintenance of electrical appliances;
Connection or disconnection of electrical wiring, electrical installations, or electrical
appliances to or from a power supply, other than by means of:
(a) A plug; or
(b) An appliance inlet; or
(c)
A pin that is inserted into a socket outlet;
Construction of works; and
Maintenance of works.
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HHES
APPENDIX 2 – SAFETY INSPECTION AND TESTING OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
1.
INTRODUCTION
The Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010 require that all portable electrical equipment and
appliances with a supply voltage exceeding 50 Volts AC or 115 ripple-free Volts DC shall be
inspected and electrically tested by a competent person and that there be a record kept of these
actions. The required testing frequency is based on Section 2 of the AS/NZ3760-2010, "In-service
Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment".
2.
FREQUENCY OF INSPECTION AND TESTS
Equipment shall be inspected and tested:
(1)
(2)
(3)
Prior to initial introduction to service.
Before return to service after repair.
At intervals not exceeding those specified below:
FREQUENCY OF TESTING FOR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Interval between inspections and tests
Type of environment and/or
equipment
Equipment including
Class I equipment, Class
II equipment, cord sets,
cord extension sets and
EPODs
(a)
(b)
Residual Current Devices (RCDs)
Push-button test – by user
Operating time and push-button
tests
Portable
(c)
Fixed
(d)
Portable
(e)
Fixed
(f)
6 months
12 months
12 months
1 Factories, workshops, places
of manufacture, assembly,
maintenance or fabrication
6 months
Daily, or before
every use,
whichever is
longer
2 Environment where the
equipment or supply flexible
cord is subject to flexing in
normal use OR is open to
abuse OR is in a hostile
environment
12 months
3 months
6 months
12 months
12 months
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
5 years
3 months
6 months
2 years
2 years
4 Residential type areas of :
hotels, residential institutions,
motels, boarding houses, halls,
hostels, accommodation
houses and the like
2 years
6 months
6 months
2 years
2 years
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Interval between inspections and tests
Type of environment and/or
equipment
Equipment including
Class I equipment, Class
II equipment, cord sets,
cord extension sets and
EPODs
(a)
(b)
5 Equipment used for
commercial cleaning
6 Hire equipment:
6 months
7 Repaired, service and
second-hand equipment
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Push-button test – by user
Operating time and push-button
tests
Portable
(c)
Fixed
(d)
Portable
(e)
Fixed
(f)
Daily, or before
every use,
whichever is
longer
N/A
6 months
N/A
Prior to hire
Including push-button test by
hirer prior to hire
N/A
N/A
3 months
N/A
3 months
12 months
Inspection
Test and tag
Residual Current Devices (RCDs)
After repair or service which could affect electrical safety, or on re-introduction to service, refer
to AS/NZS 5762
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