Electrical work is extremely dangerous. Risk assessments and Safe Work Method Statements are not just a way of keeping your workers safe, but a legal requirement. 

MEA’s safety experts have answered 12 of the most common questions about risk assessments and SWMS.

How can we make sure employees do not just ‘tick n flick’ risk assessments rather than seriously considering hazards? 

A two-pronged approach of education and audits is best. Education is key to workers understanding that risk assessments are a tool primarily designed to keep them safe. Given it is part of the job, they are being paid to take a few minutes to consider what will keep them alive and uninjured.

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Audits are the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking’s (PCBU) opportunity to monitor what is going on and show management commitment to managing hazards. MEA would suggest desktop and field audits. 

• Desktop audits in the office to sample risk assessment quality – this is where you start to see trends in how workers complete them. If the same worker always ticks the same boxes, it is unlikely they are carrying them out properly. 
• Field audits are where the PCBU visits job sites, unannounced, and checks the risk assessment against the actual site. Manage issues identified as learning opportunities as opposed to discipline -unless it’s repeatedly the same worker with the same issue. 
• Audits and education together will demonstrate the company’s genuine commitment to safety and over time will affect the culture of employees. 

If not too difficult, consider reviewing your electronic risk assessment form layout from time to time. Move the questions or tick boxes around every so often. At a minimum it will highlight if workers are reading them or not and may assist you identify where care and attention isn’t being given. 

Do you have any good digital recommendations of risk assessments?

Obviously we think the MEA risk assessment tool is valuable. We are currently working with a leading job management product to be able to integrate ME Safety with their platform. We are aiming for first stage release by years end. 

Keep an eye on our regular email newsletter towards the end of year for details, as we will promote when we have a working interface. 

Aside from that, MEA doesn’t have specific recommendations to promote. I know companies are using a number of systems, but mainly they are Forms apps that companies put their own risk assessments content/questions in.  

The most successful approach for getting risk assessments completed is when embedded as part of job management process, however that has potential for the issue highlighted in the previous question. 

Can you use the recording only and not any written documents – so at a job we just do a recording only is good enough?

There is no legal impediment to recordings as opposed to a written (or electronic document). The core challenges are how you ensure a recording is available when needed such as when another worker arrives on site, how do they ‘see’ the risk assessment and sign-on or modify? Depending on the job, you might simply record another risk assessment with them.

Video risk assessments have huge potential for ease of use and future reference. Great for incident investigation, auditing, quality, and with the metadata collected during recording (date, time, and location data) will evidence when they were completed. Certainly, would overcome the paper-form practise of completing in the van on the way back to the workshop. 

Can you combine mandatory SWMS to have one big SWMS for a particular task?

Yes, you can. For many tasks, that would be the best approach. Keep a watch on how big it becomes though. If it gets too hefty, workers won’t read or recall everything in which case it would pay to break back down to smaller documents aimed at certain aspects. 

Can a SWMS or risk assessment template for common jobs in the workplace be in place pre-populated and simply have provision for variations to be added as applicable. Or do they have to be written each time? Ultimately when an incident occurs do the authorities want a specific type?

The nature of most contracting businesses means it is rare you can build a SWMS on the day at the work site, thus almost all SWMS are pre-populated ready for final review and use on site. 

Most of Master Electricians buy a template document (i.e. MEA SWMS), then review with workers  at the office during a safety meeting and produce a final approved pre-populated version for workers to use when needed.  

Consultation invariably forms a significant portion of the training as well. Workers still need to complete a final review on site to ensure the particular task on that site with conditions at the time, is still relevant and suitable.  

Workers need the authority to add (or modify) controls as a result of this review. Adding controls is no issue, removing or modifying controls may need approval from the PCBU to ensure nothing important or against company policy/contract requirements etc is removed. 

Does MEA have anyone who will come to our electrical business to audit and fix up all issues and get them to fully comply (not just an audit but help do the work to have things all in place)?

Our national Field Support Advisor team regularly completes workplace audits for Master Electricians on a fee for service basis. For non-members there are a number of auditors around the country. Just check the price they will charge as I’ve seen some horror story figures charged.

MEA’s FSA team are electricians with safety qualifications and experience, so are excellent at identifying issues and suggesting practical options to address.  

If there is no accident do you need to keep your SWMS?

There is no legal requirement to keep them, but it is not a bad practice as it evidences the businesses management of hazards and risk. Even without an accident/incident event I recommend you retain for at least two years as they are a great reference tools for your annual SWMS reviews to see if there is something to be included/removed from the document. Keeping copies also assists if you are audited by regulators.

If you remove steps to the SWMS can you be voiding the legality and in breach of the legislation?

SWMS are your business’s document. You are allowed to make whatever changes are required for your business. The issue becomes if you remove something that was important such as the needs to wear a safety belt and someone gets injured as a result. Most SWMS templates contents are minimum recommended controls for the average business, but they will have some steps that aren’t relevant.

If you remove something, I suggest you note on the original template why you took it out, so your reasons are captured. Example may be, you use a different type of machine, so the template control isn’t relevant. 

If you have serious concerns, talk to someone like our FSAs for their perspective. 

Do you need to send a SWMS to get legal advice/confirmation that is it meeting the correct state requirements, or can we send to MEA for confirmation/review? 

MEA SWMS are maintained to comply with Australian (and NZ) requirements. If sourcing from elsewhere you may have to check with the seller. I’d be careful of overseas SWMS mainly due to terminologies and practices. At the end of the day, if the document has your business details (including contact), identifies any HRCW tasks, covers the hazards and controls, your document should comply. MEA’s FSAs are happy to assist members with questions/concerns about their businesses SWMS or safety documentation and processes. 

Can you use SWMS as a control measure for risks?

Yes, risk assessments and SWMS exist to manage hazards and their associated risks by identifying the controls that are being used. They are an administrative control that assists workers identify what could go wrong and how that can be managed. 

When do you determine if a SWMS is necessary – aside from being told by a client?

Mandatory high-risk construction work tasks required under each state/territory health and safety regulations can be identified from each regulators websites or by contacting MEA.  Outside of the mandated SWMS, it is up to the discretion of the business. 

Clients can request if you have a particular SWMS for a non-mandated task but whether you need it or not will depend on the discussion you have with them about how you currently manage the task and ensure safety. MEA’s FSA can help as part of those discussions.  

When risks are not identified, but cause an incident, is that considered human error? or what are the implications?

It depends on the situation. Legislation applies the ‘reasonable person’ test. If it is something that was reasonable to expect and you missed it, the business is likely to be in trouble. If it was unreasonable to expect, it your liability is lessened.

For example, if an electrical contractor fails to consider live electrical in a switchboard and the electrician gets a shock, the contractor is in trouble.  

If your worker is wiring an outside power point on an external wall of a new high-rise building. An earthquake dislodges material from many floors up and severely injures them. You are unlikely to be liable.  

It comes down to the situation and sometimes, your legal team. Talk to MEA if anything happens and we will guide. 

If you need safety assistance phone the MEA Safety hotline on 1300 889 198. Master Electricians have free, unlimited access to the Safety Advice hotline.