New electrical test standard designed to save lives

Standards Australia
http://www.standards.org.au
By Branko Miletic, Journalist
Sunday, 13 June, 2004


Faulty electrical cables present the greatest risk of electrocution of any equipment in a business and the risk of shock can result from nothing more than normal wear and tear due to daily usage. Cable safety and correct maintenance impacts on each and every type of workplace. From the humble jug in the office kitchen through to the computer on the office desk and all types of handheld workshop and manufacturing machinery, electrical power is supplied by a flexible supply cord of some form.

But what about the integrity of the testing equipment used to test these cables? According to Anthony Doran from Appliance Tagging Services, "Damaged or faulty supply cables account for the overwhelming majority of all faults detected as a result of electrical safety testing which could cause electrocution if undetected as failure of basic earthing protection is the single largest cause of electrical shock. The safety testing protocols for electrical cables and equipment which all workplaces are expected to follow safeguard against failure or fault, and are the single largest measure of protection against risk of electrocution for every person at work."

Doran says, in what would appear to be a concerted effort to nationalise and standardise electrical safety legislation for 'plug-in' equipment and bring Australian minimum requirements for equipment testing closer to levels which the rest of the world has been insisting on for some years, "Various legislative and government authorities in each state have increased the levels of scrutiny and enforcement of appliance safety testing and tagging."

According to Standards Australia (SA), following industry concerns around the safety of multimeters, clamp meters and voltage testers, a new Australian standard has been released to help improve the level of safety for electricians and others who use electrical test equipment.

The new standard, known as AS 61010.1, Safety of Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control and Laboratory use (for voltages up to 1000V) specifies minimum design safety and testing criteria for equipment connected to a circuit being measured and control.

Warren Miller, general manager of electrical standards at SA said, "It is vital that all those using electrical test equipment can make an informed decision as to the safety of the device they propose to purchase."

Others in the electrical test and measurement industries go further. According to Henk Van Velze from Fluke Australia and a member of the EL-049 (SA) committee safety committee that helped usher in AS61010.1, "The reason for the standard being introduced is pure Occupational Health and Safety, which is in general receiving more and more attention in the Australian industry. The standard allows companies and individuals to comply with a minimal standard, hence fulfilling their obligation as to their 'duty of care'.

Van Velze adds to the debate by saying that, "There have been significant accidents (with major injuries) in industry that could have been avoided with AS61010 compliant instruments."

Miller stresses that, "The electrical industry needs to be aware of the changes and electricians need to remember that when purchasing electrical test equipment, price is not always the best guide."

Van Velze is even more forthcoming. "There are most definitely products brought into the country that do not comply with the AS61010 standard even though they may claim to meet or comply or be 'designed to' the IEC1010 (and hence with AS61010)."

He says that, "To be sure a piece of test equipment complies the buyer should look for the logo of an independent testing lab on the instruments such as UL, TUV, CSA and the like. These testing labs have tested and confirmed the instrument meets the category and voltage rating under IEC1010/AS61010. The buyer also needs to make sure they buy an instrument with the appropriate category and voltage rating for their application to ensure the instrument is safe enough for their type of work/environment."

Putting it another way, he says, "Where safety is a concern, choosing a multimeter is like choosing a motorcycle helmet - if you have a 'ten dollar head', you choose a 'ten dollar helmet', but if you value your head, get a safe helmet."

But it is not just a price or an availability issue according to Nuri Chorvat, an engineer with Orica Explosives and also a member of the EL-049 committee.

In terms of multimeter safety he notes, "Awareness among the general public in Australia is effectively zero, due primarily to a total lack of publicity by the electrical safety regulators. Awareness within the electrical industry is low for small to medium companies but higher for major manufacturing sites and coal mines."

And this has caused problems in the past. As Chorvat points out, "There have been many incidents over the years where poor quality test equipment (mainly multimeters) has exploded in the hands of consumers due to poor design and materials."

As Megger's Graham Heritage points out, "There is a world of difference in measuring a high voltage in the back of a television set and measuring the same voltage in a factory distribution board."

However, all agree that this will now change with the new standard as ignorance is no longer a viable defence when it comes to safety-based litigation. ATS's Doran points out, "It is apparent through our dealings with WorkSafe that claiming ignorance or wrong interpretation of requirements will not be tolerated. Field officers are issuing penalty notices specific to electrical safety breaches which can be very disruptive to business, not to mention costly."

And it can become costly not just to the company. As Doran says, "No business can afford to overlook this area as an important aspect of workplace safety which impacts on every worker from the tea lady to the managing director."

Related Articles

Collaborative robots: the smarter way forward

Robots that can work side by side with humans are changing the way manufacturing is done.

AOG bringing the best of the best to Perth in 2015

With more than 620 companies queuing up to participate in this year's annual Australasian Oil...

Understanding data storage technologies

With the growing amounts of data being stored by industrial organisations today, understanding...


  • All content Copyright © 2024 Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd