Electrical Safety Policy

Table of Contents

1. Purpose
2. Scope
3. Legislative Framework
4. Definitions
5. Responsibilities
       Buildings and Property Division
       Cost Centre Heads
       Electrical Safety Liaison Person
       Authorised Persons
6. Electrical Installations
7. Management of Electrical Hazards
8. Inspection and testing of electrical equipment
9. Access to switchboards and circuit breakers

    Temporary Power Supplies and Switchboards
10. Use of power boards double adaptors and piggyback plugs, and extension leads
11. Residual Current Devices
12. Reporting of electric shock and electrical incidents

1.        Purpose

The purpose of these procedures is to provide a framework for managing electrical safety in the University and provide protection from the risks associated with electricity.

The technical details which qualified electricians and electronic technicians are expected to know have not been repeated in these procedures.

Additional procedures may be developed from time to time to cover specific areas of concern and are to be read in conjunction with this document.

2.         Scope

These procedures apply to all University premises.

To this end the University will:

•   require that only authorised persons as defined in this Policy carry out or supervise electrical work;

•   implement arrangements to ensure the safety of all electrical installations, appliances and associated equipment in a workplace.

•   ensure that a risk assessment has been carried out prior to the purchase, hire or lease of electrical equipment.

3.              Legislative and Policy Framework

The following South Australian Legislation applies

•   Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act 1986

•   Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Regulations (1995) Division 2.5 Electrical

•   Electricity Act 1996

•   Electricity (General) Regulations 1997

•   Flinders University Occupational Health Safety Welfare Policy

•   Flinders University Hazard Management Policy

•   Flinders University Hazard Management Guidelines

•   Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Electricians Act 1995

•   Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Electricians Regulations 1995

There are also a number of Australian Standards which apply to electrical safety. These are listed in Appendix 1.

Regulations called up under various Acts are mandatory and must be followed by the University where applicable. Approved Codes of Practice referenced statements which may be interpreted with some flexibility and provide an equivalent or better standard of health and safety are recommended.

4.         Definitions

For the purpose of these procedures, the following definitions apply:

5.        Responsibilities

5.1    Buildings and Property Division

The Buildings and Property Division is responsible for:

5.1.1      the electrical installation in all University buildings including provision, maintenance, repair, alteration and additions to the electrical installation;

5.1.2      the safety of such installation and its compliance with appropriate legislation and Australian Standards;

5.1.3      testing and maintaining all fixed RCDs in accordance with AS/NZS 3760

5.1.4      maintaining a list of University staff authorised to carry out or supervise electrical work in the University (Authorised Persons);

5.1.5      reporting any electric shock incident to the OHS Unit immediately, and the Office of the Technical Regulator within the required timeframe; and

5.1.6      ensuring all electrical sub-contractors meet University building standards and relevant requirements of these procedures

5.2     Cost Centre Heads

Cost Centre Heads are responsible for ensuring that these Electrical Safety procedures are implemented in their Cost Centres including

5.2.1    nominating University staff for consideration by Buildings and Property Division as authorised persons;

5.2.2    ensuring that only persons authorised in the appropriate categories, as defined by this Policy, carry out or supervise electrical work in their Cost Centre;

5.2.3    ensuring that procedures for the management of electrical safety in the Cost Centre are established and implemented in consultation with staff and their elected health and safety representative(s). Such procedures must include:

•  Hazard identification, risk assessment, hazard control, visual inspection, tagging and testing of electrical equipment and recording of results;

• Safety of students engaged in activities involving the use of electrical equipment.

Local procedures must be cross-referenced to this Policy and any other relevant procedures.

5.2.4    appointing one or more electrical safety liaison person(s) to co-ordinate electrical safety auditing and administration of the testing and tagging programme and ensuring that the liaison person provides a regular report to the Cost Centre OHS Committee;

5.2.5    ensuring so far as is reasonably practical that where an outside contractor is employed to perform maintenance or repair of any item of electrical equipment the person performing the maintenance or repair is appropriately qualified.

5.3    Electrical Safety Coordinator

The Electrical Safety coordinator(s) in each Cost Centre is responsible for :

5.3.1     coordinating electrical safety auditing in their area and must hold an Electrical Safety Training Parts 1 and 2 certificate;

5.3.2     administration of the electrical testing and tagging programme in accordance with AS/NZ3760; and

5.3.3      providing a regular report to the Cost Centre OHS Committee.

5.4    Authorised Persons

5.4.1     Authorised persons are those approved by the Director, Buildings and Property to

5.4.1.1        Install, repair and modify electrical supply circuits, switchboards, fixed lighting, hard wired plant/equipment and electrical devices. A Certificate of Compliance will be required for the majority of work at this level:

Minimum qualifications - Electrical Workers Registration (formerly A Class)

5.4.1.2        disconnect/re-connect hard wired plant/equipment for repair and maintenance purposes. A Certificate of Compliance will be required for the majority of work at this level:

Minimum qualifications - Electrical Workers Registration (formerly A class or B Class)

5.4.1.3        build, modify and repair specialist/experimental apparatus capable of connection to the electrical supply installation. Staff authorised under this category will be technical staff engaged in the development of equipment and appliances required for specific use in teaching and research, for which commercially produced equipment is not readily available

Minimum qualifications - Flinders University Electrical Safety Training, Parts I & II Certificate

5.4.1.4        undertake repair and maintenance on appliances capable of connection to the electrical supply installation. Staff authorised under this category will be technical staff engaged in the repair and maintenance of equipment e.g. computers and peripherals, audio visual equipment, laboratory equipment and other appliances utilized in teaching and research

Minimum qualifications - Flinders University Electrical Safety Training, Parts I & II Certificate

5.4.2         Authorised persons as defined in 5.4.1.1 and 5.4.1.2 are bound by requirements of the Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Electricians Act 1995.

5.4.3        Authorised persons are responsible for:

5.4.2.1        ensuring that all electrical work they undertake complies with relevant mandatory requirements set down by legislation and the safety standards outlined in this Policy;

5.4.2.2         undertaking ongoing training in electrical safety, the details of which will be determined by the person's supervisor.

5.4.2.3        advising the Cost Centre Head of any change to their status as an authorised person.

6.              Electrical Installations

No University or external personnel other than those authorised under 5.4.1.1 or 5.4.1.2 are permitted to undertake work on the electrical installation, up to and including the supply outlet, irrespective of a licence or registration they may hold, without the prior written permission from Director, Buildings and Property. Such permission will only be given on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to overall supervision by an appropriately qualified member of Buildings and Property staff.

7.              Management of Electrical Hazards<

The general principles and process of risk management (identification, assessment, control and review) must be applied to electrical hazards.

8.              Inspection and testing of electrical equipment

All electrical equipment must be electrically tested and tagged in accordance with the procedure and at intervals specified in AS/NZS 3760 unless the testing interval has been varied by the completion of a risk assessment.

The safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment must be carried out by a competent person.

9.              Access to switchboards and circuit breakers

Access to University switchboards is restricted to Buildings and Property Division authorised staff and those approved by the Buildings and Property Division ONLY.

Resetting of circuit breakers located in University switchboards is to be carried out by authorised Buildings and Property Division staff and those approved by the Buildings and Property Division ONLY.

Reports of tripped circuits and requests for resetting tripped circuits must be directed to Maintenance Section.

9.             Temporary Power Supplies and Switchboards

Requests for installation of temporary switchboards and/or power supplies should be directed to the Director, Buildings and Property Division.

10.             Use of power boards double adaptors and piggyback plugs, and extension leads

10.1    Power boards

Power boards used at the University must comply with AS/NZS 3105:2007 Approval and Test Specification for Electrical Portable Outlet Devices. Power boards must have the following minimum features:

•  must be marked with an appropriate Australian Testing Authority Type Approval;

•  must be fitted with a resettable overcurrent protection device;

•  must be tested and tagged by a competent person; and,

•   the user must ensure that the tag is current prior to use.

Power boards with long leads (ie over 1.8m) must have individual switches on the power board. Power boards must be located in an area which does not cause damage to the board or create a tripping hazard.

In hazardous or wet areas power boards must be secured in a safe position.

Power boards must not be overloaded when in use ie do not piggy back one board onto another.

Power boards which are not compliant with these provisions must be removed from service.

Power boards must be inspected and tested as per clause 8.

10.2        Double adaptors and piggy back plugs

Double adaptors are prone to the plugs working loose with potential for overheating or contact with live terminals. The use of double adaptors is not permitted under any circumstances in the University.

Piggyback plugs can be prone to similar situations as double adaptors, i.e. overloading, working loose with a potential for overheating or contact with live terminals. The use of piggyback plugs are not permitted except where circumstances require the use of piggyback plugs as part of normal operation. These include areas such as Matthew Flinders Theatre and special functions where audio and lighting equipment is required. Under these circumstances, piggyback plugs will be permitted provided persons requiring the use of piggyback type plugs have written approval from Director, Buildings and Property.

If written approval has been granted for use of Piggy back plugs they are to be used in accordance with established practice and procedure and shall be a moulded type plug fitted to one end of the power lead only, i.e. only the end that plugs into the power point.

Power boards will not be permitted to be plugged into the piggyback plug.

Wherever possible arrangements should be made to install sufficient socket outlets for all of the equipment in the workplace. Note: The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations, 1995 require that portable RCDs must be used where electricity is supplied to movable electrical equipment (see clause 11).

10.3        Extension leads

Extensions leads must be compliant with AS/NZS 3199:2007 - Approval and Test Specification for Cord Extension Sets. When in use, extension leads must be fully extended, not covered by mats, and not placed where they could be a tripping hazard (eg across aisles, corridors or other areas where people walk).

Extension leads must be inspected and tested as per clause 8.

11.       Residual Current Devices

11.1    The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations require that if a supply of electricity is provided to a socket outlet at a workplace, any risk associated with the supply of electricity should be controlled, so far as is reasonably practicable, by the installation of a non-portable RCD that complies with AS 3190 - Approval and Test Specification for Current Operated (Core Balance) Earth Leakage Devices.

11.2    Therefore

•  all new and modified installations must be protected by a non-portable RCD; and

•  existing installations will, wherever practicable, be fitted with a non-portable RCD where there is a significant risk of injury arising from the use of electrical appliances drawing electricity from the circuit.

11.3     Where electricity is supplied to movable electrical equipment through a socket outlet, the output side of the socket must be directly connected to a portable RCD.

In this context movable electrical equipment is:

•  any electrical equipment that is moved around a workplace while it is being operated. This is equipment that a person would normally be holding or controlling while it is operating e.g. portable power tools, industrial floor polishers, vacuum cleaners, etc; or

•  equipment which is normally stationary while in operation but because it is frequently relocated, the supply cord could be damaged e.g. portable welding equipment, audio-visual equipment, computers on wheeled trolleys, etc.

This may include all extension leads and power boards, if used in connection with movable electrical equipment.

11.4     All portable RCDs must be kept in a safe operating condition and tested on a regular basis in accordance with AS 3760, by a competent person at the intervals specified in the Standard.

12.       Reporting of electric shock and electrical incidents

The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations, 1995 and, the Electrical (General) Regulations 1997 require the University to notify SafeWork SA and the Office of the Technical Regulator of any accident or incident that involves an electric shock as well as any incident involving electricity that might have caused injury.

Notification must be within 24 hours.

Hence, any injury or incident involving electricity in the University must be reported to the Occupational Health and Safety Unit as soon as possible after the event. In addition, as soon as practicable, an Accident/Incident Report must be completed and forwarded to the Occupational Health and Safety Unit.

On receipt of a report the Occupational Health and Safety Unit will investigate immediately and, if appropriate, contact SafeWork SA which may decide to undertake further investigation.

Appendix A: Australian Standards relevant to electrical safety

AS/NZS 60204.1:2005 - Safety of Machinery -Electrical Equipment of Machines - General Requirements

AS/NZS 1674.1:1997- Safety in Welding and Allied Processes, Part 1: Fire Precautions

AS/NZS 2243.7:1991 - Safety in Laboratories - Part 7: Electrical Aspects

AS/NZS 2430.3. Series - Classification of Hazardous Areas

AS/NZS 2865 Set:2005 - Safe Working in a Confined Space Set

AS/NZS 3000:2007- Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules)

AS/NZS 3001:2001 - Electrical Installations - Relocatable Premises (including caravans and tents) and their Site Installations

AS/NZS 3002:2002 - Electrical Installations - Shows and Carnivals

AS/NZS 3004:2002 - Electrical Installations - Marinas and Pleasure Craft at Low Voltage

AS/NZS 3007 Set:2007 - Electrical Installations for Surface Mines Set

AS/NZS 3008.1.1:1998 - Electrical Installations - Selection of Cables - Cables for altering voltages up to and including 0.6/1kV - Typical Australian installation conditions

AS/NZS 3012:2003- Electrical Installations - Construction and Demolition Sites

AS/NZS 3100:2002 - Approval and test specification - General requirements for electrical equipment

AS/NZS 3105: 2007 - Approval and Test Specification - Electrical portable outlet devices

AS/NZS 3190:2002 - Approval and test specification - Residual current devices (current - operated earth - leakage devices)

AS/NZS 3199: 2007 - Approval and test specification - Cord extension sets

AS/NZS 3200.1.0:1998 - Medical Electrical Equipment- General requirements for safety - Parent standard

AS/NZS 3551:2004 - Technical Management Programs for Medical Devices

AS 3760:2003 - In-Service Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment