Electrical Safety on Site Toolbox Talk
Electricity gives no warning. You cannot see it, hear it or smell it, and one contact can stop your heart. Most electrical injuries on site come from damaged leads, wet conditions and people doing electrical work they are not qualified for.
Takes about 7 minutes, plus a 5-question quiz.
What happened: a real incident
In April 2023, a WorkSafe inspector at a townhouse site in Elwood, Victoria, found metal scaffolding within 10 centimetres of a live power cable and ordered two workers off straight away. The cable had been live since August 2022. The builder never applied for the permit needed to work within 4.6 metres of a live line and did not follow its own SWMS. In 2025 it was convicted and fined $65,000.
Source: WorkSafe Victoria
Key points to read out
- Only licensed electricians do electrical work. Do not wire, rewire or open up anything yourself.
- Every tool and lead must be plugged into an RCD protected supply, and tested and tagged. Push-button test portable RCDs before each use.
- Leads and tools on construction sites are tested and tagged at least every 3 months under AS/NZS 3012. An out of date tag means do not use.
- Treat every wire and circuit as live until it has been isolated and proved dead by a qualified person.
- Check leads and tools before use. Cut, crushed or taped cables get tagged out, not repaired with tape.
- Keep electrical gear out of water and away from wet ground. Do not handle plugs with wet hands.
- Run leads overhead or along walls on hooks, not through water, doorways or vehicle routes where they get crushed.
- Use non-conductive ladders near anything electrical. Metal ladders and live wires do not mix.
- Before cutting or drilling into walls, floors or ceilings, check for hidden cables with a detector and drawings.
- Look up before you set up. Scaffolds, ladders, long materials and plant must stay out of the No Go Zone around overhead lines, including the service line to the building.
- Never use a damaged power board, double adaptor or household lead on site.
- Know where the switchboard is so power can be cut fast in an emergency.
- If someone gets a shock: do not touch them, switch off the power, call 000 and start CPR if needed.
Questions to ask the crew
- Where is the main switchboard for this site?
- What do you do with a damaged lead?
- What would you do if you saw someone stuck to a live tool?
- How do we check for cables before cutting into a wall?
- Are there any overhead or service lines near our scaffold, ladders or plant today?
Reference: WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.7 (General electrical safety)
How to run this talk
- Hold the talk next to the site switchboard or panel so everyone knows where to cut the power.
- Bring one good lead and one damaged lead (tagged out) and ask the crew to find the faults.
- Test an RCD or GFCI in front of the crew using its test button.
- Walk the site and look up for overhead and service lines near scaffold, ladders and plant.
- Finish by asking who has a tool or lead that is out of date, then record the talk on the sign-in sheet.
Electrical Safety on Site quiz
Ask these after the talk. Answers are underneath each question.
Before plugging a power tool in on site, what protection must the supply have?
- None if the tool is new
- An RCD (safety switch) protected supply, and the tool must be tested and tagged
- A double adaptor with a fuse
Answer: B. Earth leakage protection cuts the power fast enough to stop a shock killing you.
You find a lead with a cut in the outer sheath. What do you do?
- Wrap it in electrical tape
- Tag it out and take it out of use
- Use it only in dry areas
Answer: B. Tape hides damage and does not restore the insulation, so damaged leads come out of service until repaired or replaced.
Someone is stuck to a live tool and cannot let go. What do you do first?
- Grab them and pull them off
- Switch off the power at the source without touching them
- Throw water on them
- Pull the lead out by the cable while holding them
Answer: B. Touching them puts the current through you too, so cut the power first, then call 000 and start CPR if needed.
What should you assume about a wire or circuit you have not had isolated and proved dead?
- It is dead if the light switch is off
- It is live
- It is dead if it is painted over
Answer: B. Only a qualified person can isolate and prove a circuit dead, so until then you treat it as live.
Which ladder should you use near electrical work?
- Aluminium, because it is lighter
- Non-conductive fibreglass
- Any ladder if you wear gloves
Answer: B. Metal ladders conduct electricity, so a fibreglass ladder removes one path to earth through your body.
Questions about electrical safety on site
How often do you need to test and tag on a construction site?
At least every 3 months on construction and demolition sites under AS/NZS 3012, which the WHS Regulations call up for construction. RCDs are tested on a set schedule too, and anything with an out of date tag must not be used.
What is an RCD and why do you need one on site?
A residual current device (safety switch) cuts power in a fraction of a second when it detects current leaking to earth, such as through a person. Construction sites are wet, dusty and hard on leads, so this protection is expected on every portable tool supply.
What should you do if someone gets an electric shock?
Do not touch them while they could still be in contact with the power. Switch the power off at the source, call 000, and start CPR if they are not breathing normally; use a defibrillator if there is one.
Who is allowed to do electrical work on a building site?
Only licensed electricians may do electrical work in Australia. Other workers can use tools and leads, but must not wire, repair or open up electrical equipment.
What the law says in Australia
Where reasonably practicable, RCDs (safety switches) must protect workers using plug-in electrical equipment in hostile environments such as construction sites. That equipment must be regularly inspected and tested by a competent person, usually at least every three months on construction sites under AS/NZS 3012. Unsafe equipment must be disconnected and kept out of use until it is repaired or tested and found safe.
Source: SafeWork SA
Sign-in sheet
Print this page or download the sign-in sheet. Or run it in the app and the crew signs on the phone.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
Get it signed
Run this talk in the app. The crew signs on your phone and you get a dated attendance record as a PDF.