Edition 53, January/February 2008

Queensland amends Electrical Safety Act 2002

A number of amendments have been made to Queensland's Electrical Safety Act 2002. The amendments, contained in the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Acts Amendment Act 2007, mean some important changes for licence holders and employers.

The amendments include:

  • making employers and self-employed people responsible for keeping a register of licensed workers and ensuring that workers are appropriately licensed
  • licence holders engaged to perform or supervise electrical work must notify the employer or self-employed person of any changes to the status of their licence
  • an increase in the range of disciplinary actions available to the Electrical Licensing Committee
  • clarifying options for inspectors to seize electrical equipment that causes or has the potential to cause an electrical risk, as well as provisions for the forfeiture and the return of unsafe electrical equipment
  • confidentiality of information acquired, and authority to release information to another electrical safety enforcement agency on request
  • providing authority to regulate for a requirement for signs or other advertising material relating to the hire or sale of electrical equipment.

The amendments were developed following consultation with industry stakeholders and have been designed to improve the application of the Electrical Safety Act 2002.

A majority of the new provisions came into effect on 1 January 2008. The provisions regarding the register of licensed workers and the confidentiality of information will commence on 1 March 2008.

Electrical Safety Outlook newsletter is available from www.deir.qld.gov.au (Select 'Electrical safety' > 'Electrical Safety Outlook newsletter - Summer edition' under 'Alerts and announcements').

For more information visit www.deir.qld.gov.au

This page was generated on 12 January, 2010

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