New electrical safety laws aim to protect our workers and the community

The Electrical Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2024 (ESOLA Regulation) gives effect to further recommendations from the Review of Queensland’s Electrical Safety Act 2002.

Commencing next year, a series of new regulations will strengthen protections for workers and community.

From 1 January 2025, PCBUs and workers will be required to de-energise relevant electrical installations or otherwise comply with additional safety measures, in order to carry out work in or when entering the roof space of a domestic building.

The new requirements apply to PCBUs and workers across all industries – such as gas fitting, plumbing, pest control, insulation activities, roof and ceiling repair, and electrical work (including air-conditioning installation).

The requirements will apply to domestic buildings including houses, apartments, town houses, sheds, guest houses, small hostels and boarding houses.

These new requirements embed existing safe practices of turning the power off before entering a roof space.

Also from 1 January 2025, requirements for performing electrical work ‘on’ energised electrical equipment will be extended to electrical work ‘near’ (being within three meters of an exposed energised part of) energised electrical equipment. These changes respond the risk of arc flash from working near energised electrical equipment.

Finally, from 1 April 2025, water equipment will be captured under legislation as prescribed electrical equipment. Using newly introduced powers from the Electrical Safety Act 2002, prescription of water equipment recognises that extra low voltage equipment in water can cause a current in the water which may lead to paralysis and drowning.

New laws from 1 April 2025 help Queenslander’s stay safe by requiring PCBUs (such as designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers) to comply with supply chain duties ensuring that the water equipment used in homes and workplaces is electrically safe.

The new laws also maintain that electrical work on water equipment can only be done by a licensed electrical worker.

The ESOLA Regulation embeds good safety practices, protecting Queenslanders from electrical risks in our homes and workplaces.

Further information

For more information about the recent changes to the Electrical Safety Framework, please visit Electrical Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 and Electrical Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2024 (Electrical Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2024 - Queensland Legislation - Queensland Government).