Even the briefest contact with electricity (50v+) can have serious consequences to a person\u2019s health and safety. High voltage shocks can cause more serious injuries including contact burns and damage to internal organs.<\/p>\n
Electric shocks may also lead to other injuries, including falls from ladders, scaffolds or other elevated work platforms. Other injuries or illnesses may include muscle spasms, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, collapse and unconsciousness and in the worst case death.<\/p>\n
Businesses have an obligation to manage risks to health and safety associated with electrical risks at the workplace in accordance with the WHS Regulations. The WHS Regulations also include specific requirements for managing electrical risks, many of which are covered in the SA Code of Practice: Managing electrical risks in the workplace 2020. General risk management methodology includes the following key steps;<\/p>\n
Consult with workers and others to;
\n\u2022 Identify Hazards
\n\u2022 Manage Risk using the hierarchy of controls
\n\u2022 Maintain the control measures
\n\u2022 Review the effectiveness of control measures<\/p>\n
To ensure electrical equipment or circuits remain de-energised while working, the electrical equipment or circuits should be effectively isolated from all relevant sources of electricity supply. This may be done using opening switches, removing fuses or links, opening circuit breakers or removing circuit connections.<\/p>\n
The steps for effective isolation include;
\n\u2022 Isolation of the equipment or apparatus,
\n\u2022 Securing the isolation,
\n\u2022 Tagging,
\n\u2022 Testing, and
\n\u2022 Re-testing as necessary.<\/p>\n
For example, if the person carrying out the work temporarily leaves the immediate area, or is to start work on a different part of the isolation, tests must be carried out on their return or before commencing work to ensure that the electrical equipment being worked on is still not energised to safeguard against inadvertent reconnection by another person.<\/p>\n
Electric shocks are classified as a \u201cDangerous incidents\u201d and must be notified to SafeWork SA and the Office of the Technical Regulator by the PCBU responsible for the workplace.<\/p>\nDOWNLOAD SAFETY BULLETIN<\/a>\n