The further recommendations from the Review of Queensland’s Electrical Safety Act 2002 have gained legislative effect, administered by the Electrical Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2024 (ESOLA Regulation). Set to commence next year, these amendments will reinforce safeguards for our workers and the general public by introducing an array of new mandates.
Starting on 1 January 2025, a mandate requiring persons conducting business or undertaking (PCBUs) and their workers to de-energise relevant electrical setups, or adhere to additional safety precautions, will be enforced. This is crucial when carrying out tasks within or upon entering the roof space of a residential building. Implementing a reliable work health safety management system like Bluesafe WHS Management System can ensure that these new regulations are seamlessly integrated into your safety culture.
These safety-enhancing requirements, applying to PCBUs and workers across diverse sectors including gas installation, plumbing, pest control, insulation works, ceiling repairs, and electrical jobs (including air-conditioning installation), underscores the versatility and applicability of robust Work Health and Safety (WHS) systems such as Bluesafe SWMS.
Applicable to domestic structures ranging from houses, apartments, townhouses, sheds, guest houses, to even small hostels and boarding houses, these new obligations solidify pre-existing safe practices, such as disengaging power before accessing a roof cavity.
Moreover, from the onset of 2025, protocols for executing electrical functions ‘on’ live electrical equipment will be broadened to include tasks performed ‘near’ (within three metres of an exposed live part of) said equipment. This modulation responds to the hazard posed by arc flashes when operating near energised electrical devices.
Lastly, taking effect from 1 April 2025, water equipment will fall recognisably under legislation as stipulated electrical apparatus. The fresh authority conferred by the Electrical Safety Act 2002 extends to the prescription of water equipment, acknowledging that extremely low voltage devices in water can induce a current potentially instigating paralysis or drowning.
The new laws, establishing effect from 1 April 2025, assist Queensland community’s safety endeavours by obliging PCBUs (such as designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers) to conform to supply chain responsibilities, guaranteeing that water equipment utilised in domestic and workplace settings are electrically safe. Additionally, they uphold that tasks performed on water equipment must strictly be carried out by licensed electrical workers.
For media enquiries, contact: 0478 33 22 00 or oirmedia@oir.qld.gov.au
Original article link: https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/news-and-events/news/2024/new-electrical-safety-laws-protecting-workers-and-the-community