Multiple electrical workers and contractors have faced disciplinary action after failing to implement a safe system of work or carry out mandatory checks.

Working with electricity is deadly. Safe practices at work should be at the forefront of every electrical worker and contractor’s mind.

In July 2022, the Queensland Electrical Licensing Committee took disciplinary action against six licence holders. These actions on top of Electrical Safety Office fines and notices.

1. An electrical worker failed to adequately supervise a worker on-site and isolate, lock out and tag out. This resulted in work being carried out on incorrectly de-energised equipment and the worker received an electric shock. The electrical worker’s licence was suspended for three months, and they must complete competency units prior to the suspension being lifted. They were issued with a caution and a $200 fine.
2. An electrical worker failed to complete all mandatory testing and a missing MEN was not identified, resulting in a person receiving an electric shock. The worker advised the Committee that due to the time taken to complete the task and the climate conditions, they suffered from heat stress. They acknowledged that if they followed correct procedure the incident would not have occurred. The worker’s licence was suspended for three months, and they must complete competency units prior to the suspension being lifted. They were issued with a caution and a $400 fine.
3. An electrical worker failed to complete all mandatory testing and an open neutral was not identified, causing a person to receive an electric shock. Ergon Energy were called to the site and found that the entity service neutral connection was not effective due to the service conductor not being captured by the shear off connection. The worker’s licence was suspended for three months, and they must complete competency units prior to the suspension being lifted. They were issued with a caution and a $500 fine.
4. An electrical contractor failed to implement safe systems of work and procedures. There was a lack of auditing employees work in the field to ensure procedures, legislation and Australian Standards were being met. As a result, an open neutral was not identified and the resident received an electric shock. The contractor’s licence was suspended for six months. They must complete an approved electrical safety system audit from an independent auditor and their QTPs must complete competency units prior to the suspension being lifted. They were issued with a caution and a $1,000 fine.
5. An electrical worker failed to identify an additional source of electricity supply and implement a safe system of work. Consequently, an off-peak hot water system on a separate tariff was not correctly de-energised and they received an electric shock due to the failure to adequately isolate and lock out and tag out. The worker’s licence was suspended for three months, and they must complete competency units prior to the suspension being lifted. They were issued with a caution and a $300 fine.
6. An electrical contractor failed to implement safe systems of work and procedures and take precautions to prevent de-energised equipment from being inadvertently re-energised. As a result, a worker received an electric shock while performing a switchboard update to enable the connection of the new PV solar system. The contractor’s licence was suspended for six months, and they must complete two approved electrical safety system audits from an independent auditor. They received a reprimand in addition to a $3,600 fine issued by the Electrical Safety Office.

If you need help with safety on the job, Master Electricians have unlimited access to the MEA Safety Hotline. Speak direct to the experts, phone 1300 889 198.

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