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Under the current OH&S Regulations and enforcements by WorkCover,
as an employer you are required
to Risk Assess, inspect, and pending assessment test all electrical
equipment of the "plug in" type in the workplace
and all data is to be documented and maintained.
A case handed down on the 17th
of April 2003 saw an employer fined $180,000
plus costs after being found guilty of
negligence which resulted in the death of an employee from electrocution.
With over
2,700 work related deaths and 650,000 injury's in Australia each year,
safety in the Workplace is mandatory.
Low
Risk Environments
(equipment used in a non-hostile environment):
Equipment in low risk environments require visual
inspection only.
The following examples provide an overview of the type of equipment that
must be regularly inspected and all records
must be kept and maintained by employers:
• computer workstations in an office, telecentre, class room, etc;
• fixed electrical equipment; and
• stationary equipment (Mass exceeding 18kg with no carry handles)
High Risk
Environments
(or Hostile environment):
All electrical appliances and equipment if used in a "hostile
environment" should be inspected and tested and all records kept and
maintained.
This includes:
• kettles, toasters, and commercial or hand-held kitchen appliance;
• electric saws, extension leads, heaters, fans, vacuum cleaners, power
boards, power tools
and any type of portable equipment.
For example, if you have a computer in a hostile environment, this
requires testing under the WorkCover risk assessment code.
Visual inspections can
be complete only when state regulations allow. Otherwise
Table 4 of the Australian
Standard AS3760:2003 should be
implemented. |
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