From the Commissioner for Electrical Safety, Keith McKenzie

In all the disciplinary actions undertaken by the Electrical Licensing Committee, a worker received an electric shock, and in most cases, it was an apprentice.

Do these names sound familiar? Tim Martin. Dale Kennedy. Jason Garrels.

Tim and Dale were apprentices.

Jason was 20-year-old young worker, only nine days into a construction career.

What do these young men have in common?

The first electric shock they received, would be their last.

It is one thing to have your licence suspended or cancelled due to someone receiving an electric shock under your supervision, but to live with a fatality, is much worse.

When you are responsible for an apprentice, please ensure you have safe systems in place, correct isolation with lock out and tag out procedures implemented, determine the competency of the apprentice, and ensure they too come home at the end of the day.

Ask your employer what is expected of you when supervising an apprentice. Ask yourself too, what is expected of you.

Learn more about supervision of apprentices and watch the stories of Tim, Dale and Jason.