Navigating Electrical Safety: Your Role in Hazardous Areas

Creating an improvement plan for electrical installations in a new hazardous area is essential, especially when recent assessments in certain Queensland industries have identified hazardous areas in existing plants that were previously unclassified. This raises concerns about the suitability of electrical equipment initially installed in these areas. To address this, a comprehensive review of existing electrical equipment is necessary to ensure compliance with any new hazardous area classification and adherence to Section 7.7 of AS/NZS 3000 (the Wiring Rules).

Effectively managing electrical safety risks is crucial, as non-compliant electrical equipment within an explosive atmosphere can lead to ignition sources and an increased risk of explosions. According to the Electrical Safety Act 2002, those in control of a site with an explosive atmosphere must take steps to determine affected areas, assess existing electrical equipment within those areas, and ensure compliance with applicable standards to control health and safety risks.

For the development of an improvement plan in a newly classified hazardous area, the following steps are recommended:

Step 1: Assess the area for the presence of electrical equipment, including lights, socket outlets, switches, sensors, electrical wiring, conduits, appliances, switchboards, control panels, and motors.

Step 2: Evaluate electrical equipment against relevant equipment/installation standards, considering the area's new hazardous classification.

Step 3: Determine the level of risk posed by existing electrical equipment based on proximity to the potentially explosive atmosphere and the likelihood of ignition.

Step 4: Develop an improvement plan, identifying all electrical equipment in the hazardous area, assessing the risk level, proposing actions to eliminate the risk, establishing timeframes for remedial action, and implementing interim control measures if needed.

It's crucial to ensure that interim control measures do not introduce additional hazards. The assessment and improvement plan can be conducted by in-house staff or external consultants with experience in selecting and installing electrical equipment in hazardous areas, such as licensed electrical mechanics, ESO accredited hazardous area auditors, or suitably qualified electrical engineers.

Any electrical work carried out as part of the improvement plan must be performed by appropriately licensed electrical workers, with additional training and competence required for hazardous area installation work. Organizations like Master Electricians Australia (MEA) or National Electrical Communications Australia (NECA) can provide guidance on finding workers with specialized knowledge and skills in hazardous area installation work.

Furthermore, Section 221 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 (Qld) emphasizes that connecting or reconnecting an electrical installation in a hazardous area after electrical work requires inspection by an accredited auditor, confirming the installation's safety before connection.


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