Electrical safety guidance for building construction

A new safety guide for electrical assets on building sites has been published by Building and Energy in WA.

According to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, the risks and potential consequences of an electrical incident involving building encroachments too close to network operator assets are significant — especially for high voltage.

The Department said that this danger justifies stringent safety design criteria for buildings to prevent injury to persons and major damage to electrical installations and buildings.

Building and Energy has now published ‘Guidelines for the safety of buildings near network operator electrical assets’.

These guidelines have been produced to assist property owners, surveyors, planners, architects, builders and local governments to give due consideration to safe clearances from network operator overhead and underground electricity infrastructure when designing and planning buildings, signs and other structures.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Sergey Nivens