Model WHS Regulations
In September 2011, the updated model National WHS Regulations were released. The WHS Regulations have been created to provide detailed requirements about the elimination or minimisation of risks, along with detail on licensing and registration. At nearly 700 pages, the WHS Regulations are a massive document, one that many people are going to struggle to wade through, and it is excellent to see that specific Codes of Practice have, and continue to be, developed to assist with implementation.
The new National WHS regulations state that all equipment used in an environment in which the normal use of electrical equipment exposes the equipment to operating conditions that are likely to result in damge to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span must be tested and tagged. This environment includes conditions that involve exposure to moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical, damage, corrosive chemicals or dust, and is more commonly called a hostile environment. All items in a hostile environment must therefore be tested and tagged in accordance with AS/NZS 3760:2010 or in an Construction environment in accordance with AS/NZS 3012:2010.
In orfer to ensure electrical safety across a broad range of workplaces, the Electrical Code of Practice states that all items located in a non-hostile environment should be tested and tagged at least once every 12 months. ATS recommends testing and tagging in accordance with AS/NZS 3760:2010 in these environments.
It is important to note the principal Electrical Safety legislation in QLD will continue to be the QLD Electrical Safety Act and Regulations. Changes to the Electrical Safety Regulations are currently being drafted (as at October 2011) and will include changes to the test and tag legislation. For further information please refer to the QLD Department of Employment and Industrial Relations web site FAQ's or this information from the QLD government on the Model legislation.
When the draft regulations were initially released, they included the need for all businesses to ensure that all circuits in a workplace must be protected by RCD. This requirement has been relaxed, however all businesses operating in a hostile environment (which has the same definition as the one above), in an enviroment where equipment is moved between locations, where equipment is frequently moved within the location, where damage to equipment is likely, or in connection with an amusement device must have RCD's protecting all circuits.
Click here to download your draft copy of the Electrical Safety Code of Practice released on 26th September 2011.
To download a copy of the model WHS Act and Regulations please visit Safe Work Australia
