Work Health & Safety WHS

New work health and safety laws commenced in New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory on 1 January 2012.

In July 2008, the Council of Australia Governments formally committed to the harmonisation of work health and safety laws by signing an Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety (IGA).

The model work health and safety legislation consists of an integrated package of a model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act, supported by model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, model Codes of Practice and a National Compliance and Enforcement Policy.

Safe Work Australia is the national policy body responsible for the development and evaluation of the model Work Health and Safety laws. The Commonwealth, states and territories are responsible for regulating and enforcing work health and safety laws in their jurisdictions.

MANAGING ELECTRICAL RISKS IN THE WORKPLACE is the Code of Practice that relates to the risk assessment and testing of electrical equipment

SCOPE AND APPLICATION

This Code provides practical guidance for persons conducting a business or undertaking on managing electrical risks in the workplace. It applies to all workplaces where a person is conducting a business or undertaking or a PCBU:

• has management or control of electrical equipment, including electrical installations
• carries out electrical work on or near energised electrical equipment, including electrical installations.

This Code also applies to construction and demolition sites, except if a requirement of the Code is dealt with in AS/NZS 3012:2010 Electrical installations—Construction and demolition sites. In that case you must comply with AS/NZS 3012:2010.

Further information about construction work can be found in the Code of Practice:

Managing Risks with Construction Work.

Regulatory Contacts

New South Wales

WorkCover NSW

92-100 Donnison Street , Gosford.

Postal Address: Locked Bag 2906, Lisarow NSW 2252

WorkCover assistance service, Phone: 13 10 50

Website: www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

Victoria

Victorian WorkCover Authority

Level 24, 222 Exhibition St

Melbourne 3000

WorkCover Advisory Service

Ph (03) 9641 1555

Fax (03) 9641 1222

Website: www.workcover.vic.gov.au

Queensland

Electrical Safety Office

Department of Industrial Relations

Level 6, Neville Bonner Building

75 William Street

Brisbane Qld 4000

Postal Address: GPO Box 69

Brisbane Qld 4001

Telephone: (07) 3237 0220

Facsimile: (07) 3237 0229

Website: www.eso.qld.gov.au.

Australian Capital Territory

ACTPLA

Central Office, Ground Floor, North,

Dame Pattie Menzies House,

16 Challis Street Dickson

Telephone: (02) 6207 1926

Fax: (02) 6207 1925

Website: www.actpla.act.gov.au

ACT Workcover

Level 4 Eclipse House

197 London Circuit

Canberra City ACT 2601

Postal Address: PO Box 224

Civic Square ACT 2608

Telephone: (02) 6205 0200

Facsimile: (02) 6205 0336

Website: www.workcover.act.gov.au

Commonwealth OH&S regulator, Comcare

Level 1, 14 Moore St

Canberra ACT 2600

Postal Address: GPO Box 9905

Canberra ACT 2601

Telephone: 1300 366 979

Facsimile: (02) 6257 5634

Website: www.comcare.gov.au

Tasmania

Workplace Standards Tasmania

30 Gordons Hill Rd ,

Rosny Park 7018

Postal Address: PO Box 56

Rosny Park TAS 7018

Telephone: 1300 366 322

Website: www.wsa.tas.gov.au

Northern Territory

Electrical Safety Office

Minerals House

66 The Esplanade

Darwin NT 0800

Postal Address: GPO Box 4821

Darwin NT 0801

Telephone: (08) 8999 5010

Facsimile: (08) 8999 6260

Website: www.deet.nt.gov.au/wha/pages/electrical

South Australia

Office of the Technical Regulator (SA)

Level 19 Wakefield House

30 Wakefield Street

Adelaide SA 5000

Telephone: (08) 8226 5500

Facsimile: (08) 8226 5523

Website: www.technicalregulator.sa.gov.au

Western Australia

Energy Safety Directorate

West Leederville Office (Head Office)

20 Southport Street

WEST LEEDERVILLE, Western Australia 6007

Phone: (08) 9422 5200

Facsimile: (08) 9422 5244

Website: www.energysafety.wa.gov.au

Work Safe Western Australia

5th Floor, 1260 Hay Street

WEST PERTH WA 6005

Postal Address: PO Box 294

WEST PERTH WA 6872

Telephone: (08) 9327 8777

Facsimile: (08) 9321 8973

Website: www.safetyline.wa.gov.au

New Zealand

Energy Safety Service

33 Bowen Street

Wellington, New Zealand

Postal Address: PO Box 1473

Wellington , New Zealand.

Telephone: + 64 4 472 0030

Facsimile: + 64 4 460 1365

Website: www.ess.govt.nz