Belated electric shock report leads to $12K fine

An electrical contractor in Mandurah, WA, has been fined $12,000 after taking six weeks to inform authorities about an apprentice’s electric shock.

Ballantyne Commercial Property Services had been contracted to carry out electrical work at a premises in Beckenham on 21 February 2022. One of the three employees who attended the site was a third-year electrical apprentice, who received an electric shock after touching live wires while disconnecting cables in the ceiling space.

The electric shock was reported to Building and Energy on 1 April 2022 by a Ballantyne employee who contacted the safety regulator because the company’s managers had not reported the incident as required by law. A Ballantyne director later informed the network operator, Western Power, on 11 April 2022.

At Armadale Magistrates Court on 9 February 2024, the company pleaded guilty to not immediately reporting an electrical accident to the network operator as required by WA’s electrical licensing regulations.

While noting the apprentice was not seriously injured, Magistrate Clare Cullen said that this was a matter of good luck rather than good management. She added that the company directors would be aware of their reporting obligations and it was a “brave act” by the employee who first reported the incident.

Cullen acknowledged Ballantyne’s guilty plea, remorse and prior good character, as well as the low risk to the public, but added that the six-week reporting delay had an impact on inquiries and safety actions related to the incident.

WA’s Director of Energy Safety, Saj Abdoolakhan, said that electrical incidents must be reported immediately to ensure the area is made safe and an investigation can commence as soon as possible to address any underlying issues.

“It is incredibly fortunate that the apprentice was not seriously injured and no one else received an electric shock while this incident was unreported. Above all else, safety must be the primary consideration for everyone involved in the electrical industry,” he said.

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