SG-MP-31-03 Electrical Safety Management Plan

Symmetrical Group

Policies and Procedures

OHS&E\MANAGEMENT PLANS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Objectives of the ESMP

3.0 Scope and Limitations

4.0 Responsibilities

5.0 Legal Requirements

6.0 Safety

7.0 Risk Assessment and Control

8.0 Electrical Work

9.0 Tools, Plant and Equipment

10.0 Training and Assessment

11.0 Supervision

12.0 Employee's Records

1. Introduction

The purpose of this Document is to —

Prevent persons from being killed or injured by electricity; and
Prevent property from being destroyed or damaged by electricity.

Symmetrical Group has a legal obligation as a company in control, as an employer, as an installer of electrical infrastructure and as a repairer of electrical infrastructure. These obligations require Symmetrical Group to ensure any electrical installations or electrical maintenance activities performed by Symmetrical Group employees are electrically safe.

The purpose of this Electrical Safety Management Plan (ESMP) is to address Symmetrical Groups legal obligation to ensure the health and safety of persons/parties at their workplaces under the Electrical (Licensing) Regulations 1991 and the Electrical Regulations 1947. The ESMP is a working document designed to effectively manage and minimise health risks associated with work on electrical equipment and installations on Symmetrical Group sites. The ESMP is to be read in conjunction with relevant Acts, Regulations, Codes of Practice, Australian Standards and other relevant legislation and site specific documentation.

2. Objectives of the ESMP

The overall aim of the ESMP is to ensure the safety of, and minimise the potential harm to, human health and property associated with working on electrical equipment and installations controlled by Symmetrical Group. The ESMP sets the minimum safety standards for electrical work being undertaken by Symmetrical Group employees and Symmetrical Group Contractors on behalf of Symmetrical Group.

3. Scope and Limitations

This document has been developed by Symmetrical Group and applies to any site where electrical installation and maintenance activities are required by Symmetrical Group. This document is only applicable to low voltage work. Low voltage installations or systems include any and all electrically operated circuits, apparatus, components and networks in which the electrical voltage is at or below 1000Volts a.c. or 1500Volts d.c., including extra low voltage.

4. Responsibilities

Person	Responsibility
The Company Symmetrical Group	Symmetrical Group is responsible for all aspects of electrical installation and testing. These include the management of major and minor capital and maintenance projects, the provision of expert advice and onsite services.
Symmetrical Group Directors	Approval of Electrical Safety Management Plan (ESMP)
Symmetrical Group Directors	Ensure Symmetrical Group compliance with ESMP through regular checking of job sites
Symmetrical Group Supervisors	Ensure all Symmetrical Group employees and contractors working for them are aware of and comply with the requirements of the ESMP and supporting Acts, Regulations, Codes of Practice, Australian Standards and other relevant legislation and documents.
Symmetrical Group Directors	Develop and maintain ESMP. Provide training, information and awareness for Symmetrical Group employees. Provide PPE for employees. Allocate funding for management of electrical safety. Approve live work Risk Assessments
Symmetrical Group Supervisor	Ensure compliance with the ESMP of all Symmetrical Group employees Ensure the use of PPE for Symmetrical Group employees Preparation of Risk Assessments for all live work. Assessments approved by MMS
Symmetrical Group employees and contractors.	Strict adherence to the Electrical Safety Management Plan, other relevant standards, and work methods. Use PPE where the equipment is provided and intended for use.
Symmetrical Group Supervisor	o Submit documents required under the Act about performance of electrical work. o Arrange training, conduct electrical audits, and inspections of Symmetrical Group electrical workers and report their compliances/noncompliance’s to the Directors. o Ensure Symmetrical Group electrical workers electrical licences are appropriate and current and maintain records of such. o Maintain records of electrical work they are responsible for.

5. Legal Requirements

5.1. Prescriptive Requirements

The Electricity (licensing) regulations 1991 and the Electricity regulations 1947 which collectively cover the requirements for (among other things) Licensing, regulation and requirement of work practices, documentation of completed work, General safety requirements and penalties. In response to the above legal obligation and in recognition of the obvious hazards, Symmetrical Group provides this management plan to achieve the requirements of the Regulations mentioned.

5.2. Legislation

The following is a list of some of the references that detail the legal requirements for safely working on electrical equipment and installations in Western Australia.

The electricity (licensing) regulations 1991
The electricity regulations 1947
Western Australian Electrical Requirements
AS 3000 Electrical wiring rules
AS 3001.1 Electrical installations- Selection of cables- Cables for alternating voltages upto and including 0.6/1KV.
AS 3100 Approval and test specifications- General requirements for electrical equipment
AS 3760 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment.

5.3. Accident Reporting and Investigation

All electrical incidents that could result or do result in a person being injured must be immediately reported to the Supervisor. The hazard/incident will be reported and actioned in accordance with Symmetrical Group policy.

6. Safety

6.1. Safety Policy

Symmetrical Group will fulfill their obligations under the Electrical (licensing) regulations 1991 and The electrical requirements 1947 by developing operational requirements and advising employees and contractors of their responsibilities.

Developing operational procedures and providing training to employees to ensure that all work complies with requirements and is electrically safe.
Ensuing that all electrical equipment, tools and safety equipment is tested and tagged every quarter to enable all work to be completed in a safe manner.
Instructing employees in the correct use of PPE and other equipment so that all persons have the knowledge to work safely and ensure a safe work place for others.
Employees and Contractors will fulfill their obligations under the Electrical (licensing) regulations 1991 and The electrical requirements 1947 by:
Complying with employer instructions and ensuring that any electrical work completed is safe.
Using PPE, instruments, tools and safety equipment to complete all work in a safe manner and in compliance with legislative requirements.
Not willfully interfere or misuse anything that may create an unsafe situation for themselves and others.
All workers will adopt a “test before touch” approach and treat all conductors and equipment as live until proven otherwise
Every safety incident or accident will be reported and investigated in accordance with the Incident Reporting and Investigation Policy.
Ensuring site safety plans comply with the ESMP

6.2. Personal Protective Equipment

Employees and Contractors at the worksite will use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) relevant to the work being carried out. It is the responsibility of each employee and Contractor to regularly examine their PPE to ensure it is in a satisfactory condition so that work may be carried out safely. Audits of Symmetrical Group employees by the Supervisors or workmates will be conducted as per work practice observation form shown in Appendix Form A to ensure PPE is being used appropriately and is in a satisfactory condition. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to audit the completed inspections and make the appropriate changes

6.3. Safety Equipment

Employees and Contractors at the worksite will use safety and operating equipment relevant to the work being carried out. It is the responsibility of every Symmetrical Group employee and Contractor to regularly examine all items of safety equipment they are using to ensure the equipment is in-test and is in a satisfactory condition for the work being carried out. Audits of Symmetrical Group employees by the Supervisor or work colleague will be conducted to ensure safety equipment is being used appropriately and is in a satisfactory condition.

6.4. Site Safety

To ensure the safety of electrical workers, isolation points will be locked and tagged in accordance with the Isolation procedure shown in Appendix C or for Contractors, their company procedure that must be of at least equal standard.

6.5. Safety in Installations

If an unsafe situation is discovered in an installation the Supervisor shall be contacted immediately and an incident report lodged ASAP.

6.6. Visual Safety Inspection of Electrical Installations

This may be required in conducting audits of works carried out by Symmetrical Group employees to gauge work standard, and/or when concern has been raised about standard of work.

Before leaving the site a visual inspection will be conducted to ensure that all cables have been correctly terminated, the installation is electrically safe, completed work complies with the relevant standards and is in accordance with the customer’s requirements.

7. Risk Assessment and Control General

The requirement of the electrical safety legislation is that live electrical work is only to be carried out when at least one of the following situations exist:

It is necessary in the interests of safety, whether or not electrical safety, for the work to be performed while the electrical equipment the subject of the electrical work is energised
A supply of electricity is necessary to performing the electrical work.
There is no reasonable alternative to performing the electrical work by live work.

Symmetrical Group will comply with the requirements of the Electricity licensing regulations with regard to live work. To this extent NO live work is to be carried out by Symmetrical Group employees or Contractor employees, with the exception of testing or fault finding, or emergencies, and then ONLY when no other reasonable alternative is possible.

“Live Work” means electrical work performed in circumstances in which some or all of the electrical equipment the subject of the electrical work is energised.
The location of faults should first be attempted with the supply safely isolated, and by utilising de- energised testing methods.
“Emergency” means when after a written risk assessment has been completed, it is determined the risk of personal injury or loss of life is greater than the risk of de-energising.
Live Work can only occur following a risk assessment and the implementation of suitable control measures. In the following text the practice of identifying hazards and assessing and controlling the risks is outlined in detail.

7.1. Identifying the Hazards

Notwithstanding the fact that Symmetrical Group does not allow any live work, except faultfinding and testing, or emergencies, it is useful to review many of the more common forms of hazards found in the electrical workplace, even though some of them will be eliminated by ensuring that the subject of the work has been de- energised.

The first step is to identify the sources of exposure to electricity and other related hazards. To do this, you could break the workplace or tasks down into areas and then identify the hazards in each area.
'Stock take' your workplace hazards to be sure you identify all the sources of electricity or stored electrical energy, to which people may be exposed. Below are examples of typical sources of hazard that, individually or in combination, could lead to electric shock or severe injury. The list is not in order of priority.
Voltages between phases.
Voltages between phases and earth.
Voltages between live exposed conductors and surrounding metal framework.
Voltages across undischarged capacitors.
Voltages on disconnected conductors - particularly neutrals.
Multiple supply sources (more than one source of supply or live circuit may be available on the premises).
Voltages between live exposed conductors and the surrounding environment (including metalwork, damp situations, other conductive surfaces and persons nearby).
Electrical testing or operating equipment with open enclosures in hazardous areas (as defined by AS/NZS 3000:2000).
Lower voltages - for example ELV (extra low voltage) may be hazardous in a cramped situation with dampness, heat or water on the floor, especially when the worker is lying on the floor. In installations or systems where the MEN (multiple earthed neutral) system is used, the rise in the earth potential in an installation due to a high impedance return path to the distribution neutral.
Damp conditions.
Switched off circuits becoming live. Induced voltages.
Induced voltages

7.2. Examples of work involving common hazards

Hazard	Work activity
Voltage between phases	Working on polyphase installation or systems. Wiring/testing/servicing of switchboards/motors/ heaters/ controllers. Working on exposed busbars/catenary wires
Voltage between phases and earth	Working on single phase & polyphase systems. Wiring/testing/servicing of switchboards/motors/heaters/ controllers.
Voltage across undischarged capacitors	Working busbars/catenary on exposed wires Work with apparently isolated plant with reactive storage components.
Multiple supply sources	Working in large installations or systems with standby power systems, multiple distribution boards, where source of power in a single location or zone is uncertain, such as solar energy sources.
Electrical testing in hazardous locations	Electrical testing in confined area with explosive gas mixture, fumes, vapour or dust which is inadequately ventilated.
Damp working conditions	Working in situations where condensation, spillage, drainage or seepage occurs and results in wet surroundings.

Some other common, non-electrical hazards which may be encountered in electrical work include:

lack of sufficient light to work safely;
lack of ventilation leading to uncomfortable, hot and humid working conditions;
excessive fatigue, due to pressure of deadlines or other factors;
obstacles to getting the equipment switched off;
using a gas flame near exposed electrical conductors (a flame is a conductor);
temperature rise as a result of combustion;
fall from heights;
cramped working conditions;
explosive atmospheres;
static from clothing made from wool, wool blends, nylons and polyvinyl (unless treated with an anti static process);
electric tools and equipment (e.g. hand lamps, drills, saws, torches and test instruments);
personal effects (e.g. rings, jewellery, cigarette lighters, matches, hearing aids, mobile phones and pagers, transistor radios and similar);
general work activities (e.g. welding, cutting, brazing, using hand saws, drilling of all types, hammering and chiselling);
static from the rubbing (friction effects) of plastics;
hot metal surfaces due to drilling, grinding welding, etc;
use of metallic tape measures;
excavation associated with electrical work; and
molten metal from arcs.
confined spaces (where there may be a hazardous atmosphere - see below);
Examples of confined spaces are:

storage tanks, process vessels, boilers, pressure vessels, silos, and other tank like compartments;
open topped spaces such as pits and degreasers; and
pipes, sewers, shafts, ducts, and similar structures.

Note: there are specific regulatory provisions for entry into confined spaces, please refer to the confined space entry procedure. Some common ‘electrical hazards’ specific to fault finding and testing are:

Electric shock causing injury or death. The electric shock may be received by direct contact, tracking through or across a medium, or by arcing;
Arcing, explosion or fire causing burns. The injuries are often suffered because arcing or explosion or both occur when high fault currents are present; and
Toxic gasses causing illness or death. Burning and arcing associated with electrical equipment causes a range of gases and contaminants to be present. Compounds ranging from ozone to cyanide and sulphuric acids can be present as well as the hazards such as low oxygen content in the air.
All these hazards may be present individually or combined.

Having identified hazards, the next step is your risk assessment, which will then consider the likelihood and how serious a problem each hazard could create. You could do this area by area, or task by task, in order to make this task more manageable (if you have not done so already at the hazard identification stage).

Risk is a combination of likelihood that something will occur and how serious (severe) the consequences are. Start with severity, by making a list of the identified hazards in the order of severity of potential injury, from fatal through to minor injury. Then, next to each item on this list, write down the number of

times and/or the length of time workers are exposed to each hazard. This will tell you how likely each hazard will occur. The combination of severity and likelihood determines the level of risk. Consider both of these factors to provide a new order of priority. This will be approximate - an exact quantification is not required. A rough estimate will help you to prioritise the risks.

For example, a combination of long or frequent exposure and the possibility of severe injury would mean the hazard should be placed high on the priority list. A combination of short or infrequent exposure and the possibility of slight injury would mean the hazard should be placed low on the priority list.

The purpose of prioritising the risks is to give you an order in which they should be addressed, and the extent of control required however, all risks must be controlled, irrespective of the level of risk. The priority order is not as important as ensuring that all hazards are addressed.

The needs of individual workers also need to be identified.

The following sections examine in more detail the types of things to consider when assessing the risks associated with identified hazards.

Identifying Individuasl Needs

When assessing the risk, any one of the following factors triggers special consideration of individual workers' needs:
Is the person physically fit for a task involving exposure to low voltage electricity (e.g. are they able to climb to heights to work on an overhead conductor)?
Does the worker have a visual deficiency (e.g. do they have a visual colour deficiency)?
Do they suffer from any heart, circulatory or other diseases (e.g. do they have a pacemaker)?
Are they taking any medication which may increase their vulnerability to work in electrical environments (e.g. are they being treated for epilepsy)?
Are employees working excessively long hours?
Are they experienced in, and have they been properly trained for, the working conditions?
Do they suffer from claustrophobia?

7.3. Risk Factors When Modifying Existing Installations or Systems

Examples of common risk factors with existing installations or systems include:

The supply may become live during the work;
Automatic starting of machinery after supply is restored;
A conductor that was thought to be de-energised was found to be live;
More than one source of supply or live circuit may be available on the premises;
Old installations or systems (where several modifications may have been made, circuits have not been identified, or the insulation has deteriorated);
Voltages on disconnected conductors - particularly neutrals;
Installations or systems where the MEN system is used, the rise in the earth potential due to a high impedance return path to the distribution neutral;
Lack of information about isolation, sources of supply, or the location of electrical conductors;
Lack of clear safe access to locate electric cables (other hazards may be present such as exposed conductors);
Damage to conductors in metallic conduits where earthing continuity of the conduit has not been maintained;
Equipment located in hazardous areas, which often includes bolt-on or screw on covers, can be dangerous if opened without obtaining specialist advice;
Working alone on live equipment or installations;
Contact with cables during excavation.

7.4. Risk Factors in Fault Finding and Repair Work

Risks arise because it is sometimes difficult to find faults or malfunctions in electrical equipment when the equipment is not operating. This is particularly so if feedback circuits or sensors are involved. Some common risk factors in fault finding or repair include:

Exposed live terminals;
Terminals or conductors being live under different conditions of operation of the equipment;
Loose or disconnected leads becoming live;
Test equipment conducting the potential closer to the electrical worker;
Test equipment inappropriate for the task (particularly test probes);
Test points inadequate;
Inadvertent attempts to start machinery by other persons;
Incorrect or poorly-maintained testing instruments;
Inadequate knowledge of equipment or causes of faults;
Lack of information about circuits or equipment;
Equipment located in hazardous areas, which often includes bolt-on or screw-on covers, can be
dangerous if opened without obtaining specialist advice;
Working alone on live equipment or installations.

7.5. Recording the Risk Assessment

WARNING — SWITCHBOARD CUBICAL BUSBARS IN PARTICULAR: ARCS MAY CAUSE AN EXPLOSION AND OR MELT METAL AND RELEASE HOT GASES. SEVERE BURNS AND INJURY FROM FLYING DEBRIS MAY RESULT.

OVERCURRENT DEVICES MAY NOT OFFER PROTECTION.

Risk assessment processes and procedures, along with checklists and templates, are set down in the Appendices to this document. All records should indicate the control measures chosen and why: the next section explains this in more detail.

7.6. Controlling Risks

Symmetrical Group and its contractors have legal responsibilities for implementing risk control measures to safeguard employees and other workers against harm arising from low voltage while at work. Having assessed the risks, action must now be taken to ensure that the risks are eliminated or controlled. Both Symmetrical Group and its contractors need to ensure adequate supervision of workers to make sure that control measures are applied. Listed below are steps to consider. Every workplace is different, so select the controls that are the right ones for you.

7.7. Control Measures for all Electrical Work

Electrical safety is primarily dependent upon appropriate job planning and correct testing procedures and techniques.

The first aim always should be to eliminate the hazard. Symmetrical Grouphas adopted the policy of ensuring that, for other than fault finding and testing, the electricity supply is always switched off or isolated however, electrical equipment should not be assumed to be de-energised after isolation. Testing must be done prior to touching. It goes without

saying that workers must be appropriately trained and competent in test procedures and in the use of testing equipment.

You can eliminate the risk of shock or burns by:

Switching off the supply;
Isolating the supply;
Taking precautions to ensure that the supply remains isolated by locking-off and/or tagging, or by disconnecting the load side of the isolator and tying back disconnected conductors;
Proving the supply is de-energised by using an approved testing instrument.

WARNING: EVEN IF IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE SUPPLY HAS BEEN ISOLATED, ITMUST BE ASSUMED THAT ALL CONDUCTORS AND COMPONENTS ARE LIVE UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN PROVEN DE-ENERGISED.

The electrical worker or supervisor should:

Discuss options for de-energising the supply with the person in control of the premises;

consider working at another time when the supply can be isolated;
Investigate whether the section of the installation that needs to be de- energised can be isolated, while leaving the remainder connected.

If hazards other than energised conductors cannot be eliminated then isolate the hazard from the worker by:

Time — do the work when the hazard can be eliminated or isolated: in effect, this is the same as eliminating the hazard.
Marking barriers — e.g. using rigid or tape barriers to mark off the adjacent hazards (this is practised in the electricity supply industry in switch-yards).
Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as:
a safety helmet with face shield (as appropriate);
safety glasses/face shields (anti-flash);
safety boots;
protective clothing;
approved insulating gloves;
approved insulated tools; and
approved insulating sheeting.

Workers must be trained to be competent in the use of PPE and all the above practices must be described in Symmetrical Group’s and contractors’ safe working procedures.

Advice to workers

WORK SAFELY

ISOLATE THE SUPPLY

SECURE LOCKOUT DEVICE AND TAG PROVE IT IS DE-ENERGISED

7.8. Control Measures when Fault-Finding and/or Testing on or Near Live Conductors

Fault-finding and/or testing can require live work. When fault finding, take the following precautions:

The location of faults should first be attempted with the supply safely isolated, and by utilising de-energised testing methods.
If a fault cannot be found with the supply isolated and live testing methods have to be used, put control measures in place that isolate all persons from the hazard. Then, prior to fault finding/testing, the following must be done:
Identify exposed conductive parts that could become live whilst using test instruments;
Use only approved insulated tools, testing probes and isolation barriers should be used to isolate all workers from contact with exposed conductive parts that could become live during testing;
Conduct periodic review of the situation to ensure that no new hazards are created during the process.
Follow ‘Control Measures to be taken before working live’ (below);
When the fault finding work is completed, circuits and equipment must be restored to a safe condition. For example, disconnected conductors should be reconnected and left in a safe state, covers replaced and accessories and equipment properly secured in compliance with AS/NZS 3000 requirements.

Note that for work in hazardous areas, the special techniques required by AS/NZS 3000 are not covered in this manual.

7.9. Control Measures to be Taken Before Working Live

Working live procedures can be implemented in emergencies where the risks of de-energising are greater, OR fault finding and testing only:

Before live work is commenced the following factors must be applied:
A written ‘risk assessment’ for the performance of the live work has been completed. A comprehensive written risk assessment and a ‘Checklist for the performance of the live work’ as per Appendix B must be completed prior to work commencing.
Identified Control Measures have been implemented.
Testing equipment appropriate to the performance of the live work, is available for use by the person performing the electrical work, has been properly maintained, and the person performing the electrical work makes proper use of the testing equipment;
Clothing and PPE appropriate to the performance of the live work is being used/worn by the person performing the electrical work and the person performing the electrical work makes proper use of the clothing and equipment.
The isolation point of the electricity supply for the electrical equipment the subject of the electrical work has been clearly identified and, except for electric line work, is able to be reached quickly without the need to climb over or shift obstructions;
The area where the electrical work is performed is clear of obstructions to the extent necessary for easy access to and from the area;
Unauthorised persons must be prevented from entering the work area by signage and/or a barrier.
There is a safety observer observing the performance of the electrical work, unless the work involves testing electrical equipment.
When fault-finding or testing electrical equipment use a safety observer where risk requires.
First-aid facilities must be provided at the site and they must be readily accessible. Emergency Services contact numbers should be made available at the site.
Evacuation lighting should be provided and should be operating correctly.
Fire-fighting equipment that is suitable for electrical fires should be accessible.
Key people must be informed that the electrical worker is about to work live, such as the owner or the person in control, and the supervisor.
Live conductors should be insulated where necessary to prevent inadvertent contact or flashovers.
The employer authorises the performance of the live work after consultation with the person in control of the electrical equipment the subject of the electrical work;
A “safety observer”, in relation to the observing of the performance of electrical work, means a person—
who is competent to help with the electrical work; and
who is competent to rescue the person performing the electrical work and to provide resuscitation; and
whose competence in rescue and resuscitation has been assessed in the last 6 months

Advice for workers in live situations:

BEFORE WORKING LIVE — STOP!

IS ITAN EMERGENCY SITUATION?

IS IT TESTING THAT CAN BE DONE DE-ENERGISED?

HAVE YOU DONE A RISK ASSESSMENT?

HAVE YOU BEEN AUTHORISED BY YOUR EMPLOYER?

7.10. Control Measures to be Taken When Leaving Infinished Work

Risk control measures do not end when you finish the immediate task. Ensure that the work does not present a hazard to others at the workplace. This means leaving the work site in a safe state for access by others, including:

terminating exposed conductors;
physically securing cables;
tagging, taping-off;
informing relevant parties that the work is not complete;
taking any necessary precautions to ensure that cables cannot become live;
ensuring that switchboards are clearly labeled in relation to circuits.

8. Electrical Work

All electrical work must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of AS/NZS 3000, any other relevant standard and must comply with the Electrical (licensing) Regulations and the Electrical Requirements 1947. Electrical installations or electrical equipment must not be connected to supply with any known defect.

8.1. Testing of Electrical Work

All electrical work must be tested to ensure it complies with legislative requirements and is electrically safe. Electrical testing must be in accordance with Section 6 of AS/NZS 3000. Test results must be recorded on the Work Order or a separate test record depending on the type and size of the work activity. The person who carried out testing must be recorded on the applicable Electrical Test Sheets. Only electrical workers who have been assessed as competent to perform electrical testing are permitted to carry out that activity.

All electrical installation work shall be tested before electrical work can be connected to supply. A copy of Symmetrical Groups Electrical testing and commissioning procedure can be seen in appendix E.

8.2. Test Certificates& Documentation

all applicable standards, regulations, specifications or other applicable documents.

Where required by the contract or installation a full complement of documentation will be supplied including

Test documentation,
maintenance schedules,
Instrument and protection device calibration documentation,
equipment manuals,
Schematic and single line diagrams and
a list of critical spares

All of this information can be complied upon requirement of contract.

9. Tools, Plant and Equipment

9.1. Electrical Safety Equipment and Test Equipment

All electrical testing equipment must be tested and the results recorded, in accordance the requirements set out under the Act to ensure the item is in proper working order. Records are maintained for five years. Electrical Safety Equipment must be examined/tested every six months. The next test date must be marked on each item and records must be maintained for five years. Contractor owned and privately owned electrical equipment used for testing electrical work performed by the Contractor must be included on an equipment test schedule held by the contractor.

9.2. Test and Tag

The test and tag requirements for ‘specified electrical equipment’, including extension leads, portable outlet devices and electrical equipment will depend upon the class of work for which the item is being used and is to comply with the Regulation.

10. Training and Assessment Induction

All Symmetrical Group electrical workers must participate in an induction in which electrical policies, safety requirements, operating procedures and obligations will be advised. Participants will be required to sign a document acknowledging their attendance at the induction session and that they understand, agree with and will comply with all Symmetrical Group policies. Induction must occur before new employee’s members commence work. Any signed document that relates to induction must be included in the employees personnel file. Before any new Symmetrical Group employee is permitted to work alone they must be accompanied by an experienced employee on a number of jobs to determine whether they are capable and competent to carry out the required duties. The number of jobs must be determined by the Supervisor and must cover the different type of activities the worker is expected to complete. A record of this original competency assessment must be maintained in the employees personnel file. This process also applies to casual and labour-hire employees. Contractors are to ensure their electrical workers participate in an induction in which electrical policies, safety requirements, operating procedures and obligations in accordance with the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations and Electricity Regulations 1947 are advised. Participants are required to sign a document acknowledging their attendance at the induction session and that they understand, agree with and must comply with all Symmetrical Group policies.

10.1 Procedure and Competency

Audits of Symmetrical Group Employees and activities must be conducted on regular basis to ensure that the work being completed is being conducted in accordance with all requirements. Audits must be conducted in accordance with an audit schedule. Completed audit forms must be retained in the employees personnel file for a period of at least two years. The Directors will appoint an auditor to conduct audits on electrical work performed by Symmetrical Group employees. In the majority of cases audits will be conducted by Symmetrical Group Supervisors. Contractors are to appoint auditors to meet these requirements and maintain records. The auditor must be a person who is electrically qualified, competent to assess the accuracy and relevance of company procedures and is familiar with electrical safety requirements. The auditor must understand the responsibilities of electrical contractors in accordance with electrical safety legislation. Audits on new Symmetrical Group employees must be conducted once a month for the first three months. Existing employees must be audited at least every three months. More frequent audits must be conducted if the performance of a particular electrical worker is considered unsatisfactory. All non- conformances must be forwarded to the Directors or Supervisors for immediate discussion with the relevant person.

Audits must include permanent and casual employees, and persons with their own electrical
contractors licence working under the control of the Symmetrical Group contractor’s licence.

11. Supervision

Electrical workers must only be supervised by persons who have at least the same level of electrical licence.

11.1. Apprentice Supervision

Symmetrical Group and contractors must comply with all legislative requirements for the training of apprentices. Whenever an apprentice is on the work site a tradesperson must be nominated to be responsible for the activities of the apprentice. The name of both the apprentice and the tradesperson must be listed on the job sheet.

The level of supervision necessary for a particular apprentice must be related to the competency level of the particular person. This may vary between jobs depending on the complexity of the work activities. The Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 places particular requirements upon employers in regards to exclusion zones for apprentices from electrical parts.

12. Employees Records

The Directors must maintain a file on each employee’s member. The file must contain: