The Evolution of Electrical Safety Standards in Australia
Australia’s electrical safety standards have progressed a long way and continue to do so, along with technological advancements and innovations. Since then, countless lives have been saved and protected from the dangers of electricity, not only among homeowners but also among commercial electricians. In today’s article, we’ll highlight the breakthroughs and advancements in the field that helped shape the Australian electrical safety regulations today.
Humble beginnings: the Standards Association of Australia (SAA) founding.
Thanks to the dedicated effort of different bodies and individuals, electrical safety has improved and continues to do so as we speak. Like all things, it began with a basic understanding of electrical systems like wiring and grounding, reducing electrical shock risks, until it progressed further. In 1922, the Standard Association of Australia (SAA) was founded, which gave way to the standardized approach to electrical safety to reduce accidents.
Every Melbourne electrician adheres to the strict guidelines, following the framework to ensure proper operations and everyone’s safety. Residential electricians alike must be duly recognized by the SAA, ensuring they have the right knowledge, skills, and expertise to handle any electrical incidents. Among other things, they can also recommend energy-efficient appliances for your home to not only consume less energy as part of sustainable practice but also reduce electricity expenses.
The SAA founded the guidelines for electrical wiring installation in both homes and businesses and proper grounding techniques to avoid electrical shock. Apart from wiring, they also set safety requirements when it comes to equipment and appliances, making sure that the conduits have adequate insulation to prevent electrical accidents.
Modernization of equipment and appliances: updating the standards and embracing a risk-based approach.
As time progressed, more and more technological innovations were introduced, along with their respective electrical requirements. As a result, the standardized approach was updated to accommodate these needs, incorporating these latest innovations. Some of these innovations include electrical vehicles, energy sources, and smart grids. In addition to this, the SAA also highlighted the importance of assessing and preventing specific hazards instead of simply following the set regulations.
This brings us to the present when the standards are regularly updated and reviewed to reflect the industry’s latest practices and knowledge.
What should homeowners do to ensure electrical compliance?
Electrical safety in Australia is heavily reliant on electricians and other electrical professionals following the latest rules and regulations. Homeowners, on the other hand, also play several crucial roles, which include the following:
Employ the services of licensed electricians. First and foremost, homeowners should only hire qualified electricians to resolve their issues and conduct inspections. Nowadays, there are individuals—some even in groups—who go around masquerading as electricians, practicing without the right credentials. As homeowners, you must verify their identities and if they are duly qualified to practice electrical work.
Avoid overloading their units. When it comes to our homes, sometimes we tend to buy several new appliances and use them along with a few others at the same time. Not only is this unsafe, but it’s also pretty dangerous since overloading circuits can lead to accidents and even a fire in the worst-case scenario. Avoid plugging too many appliances at once since this could overload the power board and cause a short circuit.
Conduct regular inspections. As homeowners, it’s imperative to schedule regular inspections conducted by licensed and professional electricians. Not only can they assess and address your current issues, but your resident electrician can also look out for potential electrical concerns or hazards and ensure that your whole residence’s electrical system complies with the code.
Keep an eye out for the first sign of trouble. Even without the expert eyes of electricians, there are several telling signs that your home is suffering from electrical trouble. Some of these include flickering lights, buzzing sounds, electrical shocks, and even circuit breaker trips, to name a few. These are usually the signs of a loose connection or a problem with wiring. When this happens, it’s important to call a licensed electrician ASAP so they can identify the problem and make speedy repairs.
Have a thorough understanding of safety switches. In case of unlikely events, you must be aware of how safety switches operate. For those who have no idea what these are, safety switches are devices used to cut power off when short circuits or faults happen to avoid electrical accidents.
Stay informed. As homeowners, you are also responsible for staying updated with the latest regulations and practices. You can inquire about these with your local electrician, or you can do your own research and visit websites about this topic in your area or region.
Additional electrical safety tips for homeowners.
As mentioned before, homeowners need to have some knowledge about electrical wiring and operations. By doing so, they have an idea of what to do in case of emergency and while waiting for the electrician to arrive.
Shut down your power board. When electrical accidents arise, it’s important to remain calm and quickly shut down your power board if you cannot turn off the equipment or if the appliance malfunctions. This way, you won’t compromise the other appliances or your electrical system and just wait for the electrician’s arrival.
Avoid DIY-ing electrical work. Speaking of the electrician’s arrival, it’s crucial to wait for them and avoid tinkering with the electrical issue. You may be tempted to do so, given how there are a lot of tutorials and DIYs online, teaching you how to “fix” it, but don’t. Let the professionals do the work since they would first assess the problem and see if there are any other issues related to it.
Install smoke detectors. Since a burning odor is one of the early signs of electrical problems, there’s also a chance that this would soon be followed by a fire, which could happen anytime—even in the dead of night. This is where smoke detectors come in handy since they alarm you of an impending electrical fire.
The evolution of electrical standards and safety has gone a long way since its inception, and even though there have been a lot of changes made through the decades, its primary goal of ensuring safe and reliable guidelines remains the same.
