Findings Report: Electrical Safety in Construction 2020-21

A findings report into the Electrical Safety in Construction Compliance project which ran from November 2020 to January 2021.

Project timeframe: 09/11/2020 - 31/12/21

Background

Contact with live electrical equipment is a major cause of serious injuries and fatalities in the building and construction industry. In the three years to 2019/20, there were 350 construction industry workers compensation claims categorised as contact with electricity, including three fatalities. Electricians, labourers, electronics and telecommunications trades and plumbers were the most at-risk occupations. Most claims involved control devices, systems or equipment, such as switchboards and fuse boxes, lighting equipment portable electric cables and fixed wiring low tension distribution lines.1

The project

SafeWork NSW construction inspectors targeted electrical safety through a state-wide compliance campaign between 9 November 2020 and 31 January 2021. The site visits aimed to address on-site electricity safety risks including overhead/underground powerlines, temporary site power, temporary lighting, leads and power tools, transportable buildings, lift shafts, and testing and tagging.

Types of construction sites

Inspectors visited 404 sites:

  • house construction - 222
  • commerical - 77
  • other* - 38
  • mid-high rise 35
  • infrastructure - 16
  • demolition - 12

Inspectors visited 404 sites and completed 400 safety checklists. 56% of the sites visited were house construction, followed by commercial (19%), “other” (10%), such as roof refurbishment, solar installations, unit and home renovations/maintenance, and aged cared facilitates, mid-high rise (9%), infrastructure (4%) and demolition (3%).

Notices and fines

  • Notices - 439
  • Fines - $56,160

The notices fell into the following categories

Highest 10% of notices:

  • electrical improvement - 88
  • falls construction - 35
  • electrical improvement (inspection/testing) - 34
  • falls improvement - 32
  • electrical (inspection/testing) - 25
  • electrical construction - 20
  • falls construction prohibition - 20

Safety checklist question findings

SafeWork NSW inspectors completed a safety checklist to measure compliance on the sites visited. The checklists and inspections throughout this project highlighted the main risk areas when it comes to electricity on construction sites.

The percentage observations listed for compliance levels refer to sites where the safety question was observed and completed by the inspector, and not necessarily all 400 sites.

Work near overhead/underground powerlines

Work near powerlines can be dangerous, sometimes fatal. The discharge of electrical energy from contact with powerlines can also cause serious burns, fires and explosions that can immobilise the equipment involved. You can, however, take precautions to minimise the risks of electrocution.

Site inspections focussed on ensuring workers remain safe and maintain appropriate distances from powerlines, whilst implementing the required safety controls in accordance with the energy provider and NSW regulations.

SafeWork inspectors observed non-compliance on around a third of sites where powerlines were a risk. These related to tiger tails, insulation for adjacent scaffold and asset owner notification.

Tiger tails and insulation

Inspectors found that tiger tails were not in place for overheads powerlines on 35% of the sites where these were required. Where insulating materials were required for scaffold adjacent (inside 4 meters) to power lines, there was a 37% non-compliance rate.

Training

29% of sites had plant operators and spotters that had not undertaken the accredited training ‘Working safely near live electrical apparatus as a non-electrical worker’.

Administration

  • 37% of sites did not have asset owner notification of working near live power.
  • 11% of sites did not have Dial Before You Dig plans available, where required.
  • 18% of sites had not developed a SWMS for work near live power, where required.

Temporary site power

Temporary wiring, such as distribution boards (DB), cables and switchboards must comply with the appropriate Australian Standards. Inspectors observed a mix of high and low levels of compliance when it came to temporary site power.

  • 5% of sites had distribution cabling that was not in accordance with AS/NZS 3012.
  • 12% of sites had energised (live) parts in the DB that were not effectively protected against contact by workers e.g., no pole fillers.
  • 30% of sites DB’s did not have a bushed cut-out in the bottom plate to allow safe entry of electrical leads with door closed, and/or did not have a label fixed to the switchboard stating, ‘KEEP CLOSED – RUN ALL LEADS THROUGH BOTTOM’.
  • 14% of sites DBs were not located so that extension leads didn’t run between floors.
  • 28% of sites insulated or covered tie bars were not provided with an anchorage of flexible cords (extension leads) to prevent strain on the plugs and socket outlets.
  • 2% of sites had final sub-circuits wiring that was not protected at the switchboard, where the sub-circuits originated, by a residual current device (RCD) with a maximum rated residual current of 30mA.
  • 4% of DB’s were not mounted on a pole, post, wall, floor or other structure of stable and free-standing design that took into account any external forces that may be exerted on the switchboard.

Transportable buildings

Transportable buildings Electrical installations of transportable structures (e.g., site or amenities sheds) must comply with AS/NZS 3001. Inspectors generally observed a high level of compliance on sites where there was a transportable building.

Mostly compliant

  • 95% of sites that had transportable buildings were supplied from a sub-main or final sub-circuit originating at a circuit breaker on a switchboard and installed as construction wiring.
  • 96% of sites had socket outlets (inside/outside) RCD protected and only used for equipment and lighting within the transportable structure or immediately adjacent the exterior.

Leads, power boards and power tools

Inspections generally observed a mix of low and high levels of compliance when it came to leads, power boards and tools.

  • 4% of extension leads and power boards were not rated for commercial use (e.g., minimum of 1mm square conductors in leads, no domestic type power boards, piggyback or double adaptors) as per AS/NZS 3012.
  • 13% of sites had extension leads that were not in good working order, and had visible damage to cables, or plug and socket ends.
  • 29% of extension leads were not protected from mechanical damage e.g., by the use of lead hooks and/or lead stands.
  • 4% power tools were not in good order, with visible damage to lead, casing of tool or plug.

Temporary lighting

Sufficient lighting must be provided on construction sites, including in stairways, passageways and next to switchboards to allow safe access and exit. Temporary lighting was observed by inspectors to be highly compliant generally.

Mostly compliant

  • 98% of incoming supply were correctly installed and protected from mechanical damage.
  • 98% of lamps in luminaires were protected against mechanical damage.

All sites observed were compliant for:

  • If lighting circuits were distributed between RCDs, portable luminaries (e.g., flood light tripods) had a minimum degree of protection from dust and moisture, a mechanical guard on the lamp, and adequate stability.
  • If more than one lighting circuit was installed, the lighting circuit was distributed between RCDs.

Spotlight on testing and tagging

The compliance levels of the project and anecdotal conversations inspectors had on site suggests that there is some confusion in the industry regarding testing and tagging requirements for various tools and electrical equipment.

All construction wiring (both on construction and demolition sites), switchboards, and transportable structures must be inspected and tested in accordance with AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules (safety and compliance test) by a licenced electrical worker (electrician) prior to energisation and re-inspected (visual inspection) in a period not exceeding six months.

Electrical equipment including power tools, flexible cords, cord extension sets (extension leads), portable socket outlet assemblies, and portable RCDs must be tested and inspected according to the methods in AS/NZS 3760 and in a period not exceeding three months.

Inspection and testing can be carried out by a competent person (trained in use of RCD testers and Portable Appliance Testers PAT) or a licensed electrician.

Unfortunately, this was another area where inspectors found a low compliance rate.

  • 20% of sites had construction wiring, switchboards and transportable structures that were not inspected and tested by a licensed electrician following the initial installation and, in a period, not exceeding six months.
  • 35% of all other electrical equipment i.e., power tools, extension leads, portable socket outlet assemblies, portable RCDs were not tested and inspected by a competent person in a period not exceeding 3 months.

Conclusion and recommendations

Electrocution is the second leading cause of traumatic fatalities in the NSW construction industry.

The messaging to industry for this project aimed to address on-site electricity safety risks and target the most at-risk occupations. This was because of the serious injuries and fatalities reported to SafeWork NSW, and previous observations of high non-compliance.

Inspector observations during the 2020-21 project, along with the latest workers compensation data, indicates a continued focus is required when working with live electrical equipment, adhering to the safety regulations for: work near powerlines (both overhead and underground), testing and tagging, temporary wiring, switchboards, leads, and power tools. Areas of concern also include not completing accredited training, and administration issues such as asset owner notification and having a SWMS for working near powerlines. Electrical installations of transportable structures and temporary lights were generally observed as a high level of compliance on sites where there was a transportable building.

SafeWork will continue to work with major industry stakeholders through its state-wide dedicated construction teams to increase awareness, education and improve overall safety standards and commitment to on-site electricity safety risks.

Where to get help

1 Workers compensation claims from 1 July 2017 - 30 Jun 2020 filtered by Construction industry and contact with electricity, (extracted Oct 2020).

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