Working in the electrical trades or running a trade business means you and your team are exposed to a lot of potential risks. Electricians are working with electricity all day, and it can be easy to become complacent. It’s important therefore that every sparky is familiar (and complies) with local electrical health and safety regulations.
We’ve put together a simple one-page Health and Safety Survey you can use in your business. It'll show you if you have any gaps in your health & safety processes.
Here’s how to make sure your electrical business puts the health and safety of your employers and customers first.
Short on time? Skip ahead!
- 1. Understand the key health & safety risks
- 2. Make sure your team is on the same page
- 3. Keep your legal requirements in check
- 4. Keep your team safe and compliant
1. Understand the key electrical health and safety risks
Here are some of the top electrical health and safety risks your team faces and how to avoid them:
Electric shocks and burns
Spending your day with live wires and electrical equipment means that even a small mistake can result in severe injury or even death. To keep the risk of shocks or burns as low as possible, it’s important to use correct, well-maintained electrical tools and equipment.
Ensure that your team members have access to (and actually use) the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) in situations that require it. This may include insulated gloves, safety glasses, and flame-resistant clothing.
Falls
When conducting work on a multi-storeyed construction site, rooftop, or aerial work platform, your risk of falling is, well, heightened. Because of this, it’s essential to give your team proper ladder safety training and ensure they wear harnesses when necessary.
Confined spaces
From roof spaces to tanks and silos, electrical workers often spend much of their time in crawl spaces. These small spaces can come with a lack of oxygen and the flow-on effect of toxic gases, vapours, dust, or fumes. This can lead to immediate problems like suffocation or even explosions and expose you to long-term health problems from toxin inhalation.
Having a good understanding of the chemicals and materials that you’re using and the hazards that they present is key. That way, you can protect against them accordingly, such as with ventilation and PPE.
Stress and fatigue
Physical risks aside, work-related stress and fatigue need to be taken as seriously as electrical health and safety risks. Stressful, high-pressure environments and long hours take their toll and can lead to potentially life-threatening human errors. Self-care practices and checking in with coworkers are two great strategies to make sure no one is coming to work as a risk.
2. Make sure your team is on the same page
While you might think you’ve nailed your electrical health and safety policy, do your employees feel the same way? Getting your team actively involved and letting them have their say is the best way to make sure everyone feels safe.
Don't skip your regular toolbox talks. Ideally, you should hold these short safety briefings weekly or fortnightly, so you can remind your staff what’s expected while giving them a platform to share any thoughts or questions.
3. Keep your legal requirements in check
Are you ticking all the legal boxes regarding electrical health and safety policy, regulations and certificates? While requirements vary by region, here are the main points to be aware of:
Health and safety policy
Depending on your location and the size of your business, you may legally need to have a formal health and safety policy in writing. Even if it’s not a requirement for your size of business, it is best practice. Typically, this covers everything from assessments of the physical work environment to training, monitoring, and emergency response.
- 🇺🇸 USA - Health and safety requirements for US trade businesses.
- 🇬🇧 UK - Health and safety requirements for UK trade businesses.
- 🇦🇺 AU - Health and safety requirements for trade businesses in Australia.
- 🇳🇿 NZ - Health and safety requirements for small trade businesses in New Zealand.
Health and safety obligations
Aside from policy, there will likely be certain obligations that apply to your electrical business to keep your employees and customers safe. These can cover industry-specific regulations, the correct reporting of injuries, working with hazardous substances and much more. They vary by region:
- 🇺🇸 USA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Electrical
- 🇬🇧 UK - Health and Safety Executive, Electrical Safety
- 🇦🇺 AU - Safe Work Australia, Electrical Safety
- 🇳🇿 NZ - Worksafe New Zealand, Electricity
Documentation
From records showing that electrical appliances have been tested, to certificates of compliance and inspection reports, documentation plays a critical role in health and safety and can help protect your business from a legal perspective.
Tradify makes it easy to create, sign and send digital electrical safety certificates from the app, putting an end to delayed paperwork and extra admin.
- 🇬🇧 UK – From Electrical Installation Certificates to Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) Reports, Tradify makes compliance simple with Digital Safety Certificates for UK Electricians.
- 🇦🇺 AU – Input Job Safety Analysis (JSA) information, collect signatures and complete High-Risk Construction Work Safe Work Method Statements (HRCW SWMS) online with ease through Tradify’s Digital Safety Certificates for Australian Electricians.
- 🇳🇿 NZ – Streamline your Certificate of Compliances (COC), Electrical Safety Certificates (ESC), Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) with Digital Safety Certificates for NZ Electricians.
4. Keep your team safe and compliant
Creating a safe environment when working around electricity can be challenging. Ensure you educate your team on the risks and actively involve them in your health and safety policy through regular toolbox talks. Meet all of your legal requirements and don’t lose sight of what’s important — your team's and customer’s safety.
Contact Tracing Report with Tradify
While Tradify already handles timesheets with ease, we also have a Contact Tracing Report. This report lets you see which customers and staff any member of your team has been in contact with. This on-demand report is created through information entered in timesheets or the Scheduler.
With Tradify, it’s simple to stay safe. Keep track of your team, inform them of risks in job notes, and create, sign, and send electrical safety certificates straight from the app.
Join thousands of electricians using Tradify to run their businesses. Cut hours of admin and make your daily operations more efficient. Want to see how? Try it for free, or book a live demo webinar to see it in action.
