Electrical Safety

Please refer to the Environment Health and Safety Manual for University policies on Electrical Safety http://www.unimelb.edu.au/ehsm/5.html#5.6 .

Tagging out of Electrical Equipment

Electrical equipment must be Tagged out if;

1. The cord is frayed or damaged in any way.

2. It no longer performs its intended function

3. It fails an Electrical safety test (performed annually on portable appliances)

4. The plug is damaged.

5. The cover or casing is damaged is missing or damaged as to expose electrical components.

Equipment - Maintenance and Repairs

If a piece of electrical equipment ceases to operate or becomes faulty it needs to be tagged out of use with a Danger/Out of Service tag, these should be located in all work areas or if required see Chris Bramich. Once an item is tagged out it can no longer be used until it is repaired by a qualified electronic technician or Electrician. Under NO circumstance are staff or students permitted to undertake electrical repairs themselves even if requested to do so by a service agent. This also includes the removal of a safety gaurd or casing to perform mechanical repairs or maintenance if it exposes electrical components. There is also the likliehood of voiding warranties.

Incidents

If an incident or near miss occurs that involves an item of electrical equipment it must be reported immediately to the Department Safety Officer and the Department Manager, and Incident report form must also be filled in immediatley. All electrical shock incidents are notifiable to WorkCover and must be reported immediatley.