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Electrical safety
Last updated February 2025
This chapter explains your legal obligations in relation to electrical safety and how to manage electrical risks in your workplace.
Electrical safety legal obligations
Health and safety legislation in all jurisdictions requires you to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of people at your workplace. Ensuring electrical safety is part of this overriding general obligation.
Important: Businesses operating under the Work Health and Safety Act (WHS Act) have additional obligations in regards to electrical safety. These are set out in Chapter 4, Part 4.7 and onwards of the Work Health and Safety Regulations.
Each state and territory also has separate laws that deal specifically with electricity regulation, including:
- a system for licensing electrical workers and contractors; and
- a platform to provide consumer protection against electrical work that has not been adequately conducted or completed.
The following table shows the electrical safety legislation for each state and territory. Subsidiary regulations have been made under each of the following Acts of Parliament.
| Jurisdiction | Legislation |
|---|---|
| ACT | Electricity Safety Act 1971 |
| NSW | Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004 |
| NT | Electricity Reform Act |
| Qld | Electrical Safety Act 2002* |
| SA | Electricity Act 1996 |
| Tas | Electricity Safety Act 2022 |
| Vic | Electricity Safety Act 1998 Energy Safe Victoria Act 2005 |
| WA | Electricity Act 1945 |