Substation explosion (9 December 2019)
Date of incident: 9 December 2019
Two workers suffered serious burns when a ring main unit (RMU) exploded while they were working on an electrical power distribution system in Port Macquarie.
The investigation
- SafeWork NSW inspectors responded to the incident.
- SafeWork NSW commenced an investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of the incident.
Safety information
Consider ‘reasonably practicable’ control measures to manage the risks when working with electricity. Make sure:
- work within an electricity substation and on high-voltage equipment is only performed by trained and authorised staff trained under a safety management system defined by the asset owner/operator
- the electricity network operator (ENO) has a safety management system that meets the requirements of the Electricity Supply (safety and network management) Regulation 2014
- the owner/operator of other high-voltage installations complies with the NSW service and installation rules and requirements of the ENO supplying the installation.