POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Electrical Safety Procedure
Last Modified: 30/01/2025
Review Date: 30/01/2027
Business Owner: Chief Operating Officer
Approval Authority: Vice-Chancellor
1. INTRODUCTION
This document outlines the procedures to ensure electrical work is undertaken safely.
2. BACKGROUND
The following statements relate to all electrical equipment and appliances with a supply voltage
exceeding 50 Volts AC or 120 Volts ripple-free DC. This includes electrical leads, portable hand
held tools and scientific equipment.
The statements do not apply to electrical equipment used for demonstration or experimental
purposes, which is incapable of being connected to supply voltages exceeding 50 Volts AC or
120 Volts ripple-free DC.
Safe and healthy working procedures are detailed in the current Australian/New Zealand Wiring
Rules, AS/NZS 3000 ,Electrical Safety Regulations and Codes of Practices. These should be
referenced if there is any specific item requiring clarification.
3. PROCEDURE
3.1. People Authorised to Carry Out Electrical Work
The only people who may carry out “prescribed electrical work” unsupervised (refer
Appendix 1) are those working within the level of competency as defined by their current
registration certificate, and who also hold a current practicing license.
The competency of these people is a decision made by the Electrical Workers Registration
Board. The degree to which a person is judged competent will depend upon their
qualification, experience and whether the Board has previously issued a registration
certificate and practicing license.
Persons with current practicing licenses are the only people authorised to reset or repair
circuit breakers or fuses in switchboards or switch panels.
On arrival any contractor undertaking electrical work must sign into Property Services
reception and be inducted prior to commencing work on site.
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No electrical work shall be undertaken without the express permission of the Energy and
Electrical Services Coordinator
The Energy and Electrical Services Coordinator is required to issue a permit where any
service is interrupted.
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3.2. Electrical Testing and Tagging
All portable electrical equipment with power voltages above that specified must be regularly
inspected and electrically tested by a competent person as defined in AS/NZS 3760:2022.
This equipment will then be marked with an approved tag.
Property Services is responsible for ensuring this scheduled testing takes place, and that
appropriate records are kept which lists the equipment checked and the date of inspection
and testing. Refer to Appendix 2 (test and tag schedule).
Any portable electrical equipment found without the approved tag must not be used until
tested and tagged. The Manager, Property Services is responsible for ensuring that any such
equipment is either disabled or made inaccessible for use until this inspection and testing
has occurred.
Any portable electrical equipment that has been serviced or repaired must be retested.
(Definition of “portable” as defined in AS/NZS 3760:2022).
3.3. Purchase of Electrical Equipment from Overseas
Any person who purchases or obtains any electrical equipment from overseas that requires
a supply voltage exceeding 50 Volts AC or 120 Volts ripple-free DC must ensure this
equipment meets New Zealand electrical safety standards. These standards can be found
in AS/NZS 3820:2020 or in the relevant standard listed in Schedule 4 of the Electricity
(Safety) Regulations 2010.
Any electrical equipment not complying with the standards listed will need a Certificate of
Compliance (please refer to Sections 80 and 81 of the Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010.
3.4. Electrical Heaters
Only heaters approved by Property Services may be used on campus.
Only fixed electrical heaters shall be used in public areas such as corridors, lecture theatres
or laboratories. Free standing heaters with a timer, tilt and automatic thermal cut-out
switches can only be used in areas such as private offices. The Manager, Property Service
is responsible for ensuring that any such heaters not complying with these legal
requirements be either disabled or made inaccessible for use.
3.5. Privately Owned Electrical Equipment
Privately owned electrical appliances or equipment can only be used on the University site
or on university activities once they have been inspected, tested and tagged by a competent
person as defined by AS/NZS 3760:2022. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure the
appliance / equipment is tagged accordingly.
3.6. Authority to Disable Electrical Equipment
Property Services Electricians, Systems Technicians, a n d ITS Technicians may either
remove the plug or fix a notice to any faulty electrical equipment to ensure it is not
inadvertently used.
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3.7. Faulty Equipment
It is the responsibility of the person using any equipment to check for visual damage to
electrical parts or cords. If a fault is found the appliance is to be tagged “Out of Order – Do
Not Use”, and fault reported to Property Services for repair.
3.8. Safe Working
a) Ensure any incomplete installation is tagged out of any certificate of compliance and
the site electricians are made aware of this in writing.
b) Appropriate safety lock devices and tags are to be attached to the switchboard or
circuit. If this is not possible then the circuit is to be removed from the fuse or circuit
breaker and labelled.
Note: If the circuit is on a RCD then the neutral conductor is also to be isolated.
All cables are to be terminated in a connector or a suitable safe way to prevent any harm, if they are
connected to a power source with any possibility of livening, even if the above safety devices are fitted.
4. RESPONSIBILITY
The responsibilities are laid out in section 3 of this procedure.
5. REVIEW
This procedure will be reviewed by the Manager, Property Services with the Energy
Management and Electrical Services Coordinator every two years and reported to the Vice-
Chancelor for approval.
Approval Authority: Vice-Chancellor
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APPENDIX 1 – ELECTRICAL SAFETY LEGISLATION
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The relevant legislation for electrical work is the Electricity Act (1992) and the
Electricity (Safety) Regulations (2010) and amendments. This legislation has
prescribed standards for training and certification of people who carry out different
levels of electrical work.
1.2 This legislation highlights the importance of ensuring that people working with
electricity are competent in the work to minimise risk from unsafe work methods and
practices. This competency involves a balance between qualifications, experience
and ongoing training.
2. LEVELS OF COMPETENCY
2.1 The Electrical Workers Registration Board decides whether a person is competent to
carry out electrical work and to what level. Once a person is qualified they must
apply to this Board for registration in one of the legally defined levels of competency.
This person then needs to apply for an annual practicing license to be able to carry
out the electrical work specified on their registration.
3. WORKS THAT MAY BE CARRIED OUT BY UNREGISTERED PEOPLE
3.1 Some electrical work may be carried out by unregistered people without a current
practicing license; this is limited to very low risk work. This includes work on equipment
or appliances powered by extra low voltages or work on equipment with covers,
screens or the like where there is no risk of contact with voltages above extra low
levels. (Extra low voltages mean any voltage normally not exceeding 50 Volts
alternating current or 115 ripple-free Volts direct current). Low risk work would
also include replacing light bulbs, provided access to areas with live parts is not
required.
3.2 An unlicensed and unregistered employee cannot fix a plug or adaptor to any
electrical extension cord, appliance or fitting belonging to Lincoln University, unless
under the direct supervision of the Energy and Electrical Services Co-ordinator.
4. OTHER ELECTRICAL WORK ONLY ABLE TO BE CARRIED OUT BY COMPETENT
PEOPLE
Work that only competent people (trained, qualified, registered people with a current
practicing license) can carry out is termed as “prescribed electrical work”. This includes
the:
(1) Installation of fixed wiring, including any fittings that are to be connected to that wiring;
(2) Maintenance of fixed wiring, including any fittings that are to be connected to that
wiring;
(3) Maintenance of electrical appliances;
(4) Connection or disconnection of electrical wiring, electrical installations, or electrical
appliances to or from a power supply, other than by means of:
(a) A plug; or
(b) An appliance inlet; or
(c) A pin that is inserted into a socket outlet;
(5) Construction of works; and
(6) Maintenance of works.
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HHES
APPENDIX 2 – SAFETY INSPECTION AND TESTING OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
1. INTRODUCTION
The Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010 require that all portable electrical equipment and
appliances with a supply voltage exceeding 50 Volts AC or 115 ripple-free Volts DC shall be
inspected and electrically tested by a competent person and that there be a record kept of
these actions. The required testing frequency is based on Section 2 of the AS/NZ3760-2022,
"In-service Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment".
2. FREQUENCY OF INSPECTION AND TESTS
Equipment shall be inspected and tested:
(1) Prior to initial introduction to service.
(2) Before return to service after repair.
(3) At intervals not exceeding those specified below:
FREQUENCY OF TESTING FOR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Interval between inspections and tests
Equipment Residual Current Devices (RCDs)
Type of environment including Class I
and/or equipment, Push-button test – by Operating time and
equipment Class II user push-button tests
equipment, cord
sets, cord
extension sets
and EPODs
Portable Fixed Portable Fixed
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)
Daily, or
1 Factories, workshops, before
places of manufacture, 6 months every use, 6 months 12 12
assembly, maintenance months months
whichever
or fabrication is longer
2 Environment where
the equipment or
supply flexible cord is
12 months 3 months 6 months 12 12
subject to flexing in
months months
normal use OR is open
to abuse OR is in a
hostile environment
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HHES
Interval between inspections and tests
Equipment Residual Current Devices (RCDs)
Type of environment including
and/or Class I Push-button test – by Operating time and
equipment equipment, user push-button tests
Class II
equipment,
cord sets,
cord
extension
sets and Portable Fixed Portable Fixed
(a) (b)
EPODs (c) (d) (e) (f)
3 Environment where
the equipment or
supply cord is NOT
5 years 3 months 6 months 2 years 2 years
subject to flexing in
normal use and is NOT
open to abuse and is
NOT in a hostile
environment
4 Residential type areas
of : hotels, residential
institutions, motels,
2 years 6 months 6 months 2 years 2 years
boarding houses, halls,
hostels, accommodation
houses and the like
Daily, or
5 Equipment used before
6 months N/A 6 months N/A
for commercial every use,
cleaning whichever
is longer
6 Hire Including push-button test
Prior to hire N/A N/A
by
equipment: hirer prior to hire
Inspection
3 months N/A 3 months 12 months
Test and tag
7 Repaired, service
After repair or service which could affect electrical safety, or on re-
and second-hand
introduction to service, refer to AS/NZS 5762:2011
equipment
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©This document is the property of Lincoln University. Once printed this document is an uncontrolled version. For
the official, current version refer to the Lincoln University Policy Library.