WA has highest electrical fatal injury rate in Australia, says Master Electricians

A spike in electrical fatalities has pushed Western Australia to the top of the national statistics, prompting calls from Master Electricians Australia (MEA) for a renewed focus on electrical safety training state-wide.

Master Electricians Australia was recently established in WA to encourage the electrical contracting industry to strive for the highest levels of safety, quality and reliability through targeted training and education.

MEA state manager Tony Mancini said electricity was a frequent cause of workplace injuries and deaths, and could easily be prevented if people were trained and taught to employ safety measures.

“There are electrical hazards in nearly every workplace and a small error can prove to be fatal as electricity does not have to be high voltage to cause electrocution,” Mancini said.

“Approximately 40% of fatalities occurred in a workplace environment, and each year on average one death and 30 lost time injuries occur as a result of electrocution in Western Australia.

“Although there are many different causes of electrocution, they can all be prevented if proper training and education were carried out to highlight the importance of precautionary measures - such as having safety switches installed or not turning a switch on or off with wet hands.”

The WA Department of Commerce reported the state’s FIFR in the past two years was 1.7 per million persons against the national average of 1.1 and the benchmark of 1.0, making WA the state with the highest FIFR, and second only to the Northern Territory.

Mancini said since expanding its national accreditation program to WA, the organisation has been taking steps to raise safety standards and awareness for the state amongst electrical contractors.

“We are working hard to provide the right tools and training to ensure not only electrical contractors, but the WA public, are aware of the risks of not having proper electrical safety measures in place,” Mancini said.

“MEA has so far enjoyed a very successful foray into WA, with many major residential and small commercial contractors coming on board to join the MEA family - and this has reached well over the one hundred mark.

“We have also, on behalf of small businesses, subcontractors and the public in WA, lobbied for their rights in the industry, and will continue to do so.

“We urge homeowners and businesses to consider having a Master Electrician or licensed contractor install power points and safety switches, rather than putting yourself and your colleagues or family in jeopardy of an electrical accident.”