Electrical Work SWMS

Electrical contact remains one of the top five causes of workplace death in Australian construction, with incidents often resulting from work on or near energised installations without adequate isolation. The WHS Regulation 2025 classifies work on or near energised electrical installations as high risk construction work requiring a SWMS. This template covers lock-out tag-out procedures, test-for-dead protocols, arc flash protection, and underground cable identification mapped to the binding Electrical Risks Code of Practice effective 1 July 2026.

Legal Requirements

regulation

WHS Regulation 2025 Part 4.4 — High Risk Construction Work

hrcw category

Work on or near energised electrical installations

code of practice

Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace (binding 1 July 2026 under Section 26A)

section 26a binding

Yes — effective 1 July 2026. Non-compliance is admissible as evidence of breach.

hrwl required

Electrical licence required per state electrical safety legislation

Hazards

Hazard	Consequence	Likelihood
Electrocution from direct contact with live conductors	Death, cardiac arrest, severe burns	Possible
Arc flash from short circuit or switching fault	Fatal burns, blast injuries, blindness	Unlikely
Stored energy discharge from capacitors, batteries, or UPS systems	Electrocution, burns	Possible
Underground or in-wall cable strike during drilling, cutting, or excavation	Electrocution, explosion, fire	Possible
Inadvertent re-energisation during maintenance or modification	Electrocution of isolated worker	Possible

Controls (Hierarchy of Controls)

Eliminate live work by de-energising and isolating circuits before any electrical work commences

Implement lock-out tag-out (LOTO) procedures with personal locks and danger tags for each worker

Test for dead at the point of work using a calibrated voltage tester — test before and after

Conduct arc flash hazard assessment and provide arc-rated PPE where live work cannot be avoided

Obtain DBYD plans and use cable locators before any excavation or penetration work

Verify electrical licence currency for all electrical workers before work commences

Maintain safe approach distances to overhead and underground powerlines per state authority requirements

Recent Prosecutions

TQM Design & Build Pty Ltd$20,000

Worker exposed to fall risk during overhead cable installation. Inadequate planning for work at height during electrical installation, no fall protection provided.

2024 — SafeWork NSW v TQM Design & Build Pty Ltd [2024]

What Your SWMS Must Include

✓LOTO procedure with isolation point identification, lock registry, and re-energisation protocol

✓Test-for-dead procedure including voltage tester calibration and prove-test-prove methodology

✓Electrical licence verification records for all electrical workers

✓Arc flash PPE selection based on incident energy calculations where live work is unavoidable

✓Emergency response procedure for electrical contact including CPR and defibrillator locations

Need a compliant Electrical Work SWMS?

Our WHS consultants develop electrical SWMS with LOTO procedures and arc flash assessments that satisfy regulator expectations and electrical safety legislation.