Common property areas such as foyers, stairwells, plant rooms, car parks, and rooftops often contain a network of electrical infrastructure. Hazards can arise if these areas are not adequately maintained, exposing residents, workers, and contractors to risks. This can include faulty wiring, outdated infrastructure, or unregulated work that can lead to shocks, burns, fires, injuries, or fatalities.
Therefore, specific work, health and safety (WHS) obligations and duties of care need to be met when managing electrical hazards. Owners corporations or body corporations that do not adequately fulfil these responsibilities could be liable for death or injury, litigation in court, and infringements.
Owners corporations and body corporates may have legal obligations under Australia’s Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws. Part of this duty includes keeping all electrical systems and components safe and adequately maintained on common property.
Under WHS laws, key duty holders must manage and eliminate safety hazards for anyone using, managing, controlling, or installing electrical equipment or systems on common property. This includes:
WHS obligations apply to owners corporations and body corporations that engage with workers such as cleaners, contractors, tradespeople, and building managers, to work on common property. In these cases, they are legally considered either as a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs). or a person with management and control of a workplace (PMCW). Workers and other persons at the workplace also have duties under the WHS Act, such as taking reasonable care of their health and safety.
Any attempts to contractually alter this responsibility would not be valid. However, duty holders can cooperate and coordinate to avoid duplicated efforts and meet all obligations.
For instance, a worker could also be an officer or an independent contractor (a PCBU).
In this case, each person must meet their duty to the required standard, retain responsibility, and consult, coordinate, and cooperate with other duty holders.
It is the duty holder's responsibility to manage risks by eliminating them as far as reasonably possible or, if not feasible, to minimise the risks. The term 'reasonably practicable' refers to doing everything within one's power to ensure safety within the workplace or common property.
State | Legislation |
NSW | |
QLD | |
VIC | Occupational Health And Safety Regulations 2017 (Section 114) |
Further guidance on identifying, assessing, and implementing control measures for electrical safety hazards can be found in the Code of Practice: how to manage work health and safety risks.
Failing to comply with health and safety duties regarding electrical safety can lead to substantial penalties for duty holders.
Fulfilling these obligations is especially important if your owners corporation or body corporate is classified as a person conducting business or undertaking (PCBU). This is typically the case if a worker or contractor is employed to do repair and maintenance work on common areas within mixed-use residential and commercial property.
In this scenario, the property is deemed a ‘workplace’, which requires the owners corporation or body corporate to establish a work health and safety risk management system that aligns with regulatory standards. Failure to meet WHS obligations can result in legal liability, severe financial penalties, and an increased risk of accidents on common property.
The first step in the risk management process is to identify all hazards involved with electrical work. This involves identifying risks and situations that could potentially cause harm to people. Electrical hazards, however, often demand extra vigilance because they’re usually invisible.
Therefore, early consultation and hazard identification can help allow for more time options to eliminate or minimise risks and reduce the associated costs. Below is an overview of common hazards and best practice tips for spotting them.
Professional service providers can provide regular attention to monitor the area and raise any major hazards that need further attention.
Regular monthly inspections to evaluate the property’s general condition can help uncover any hazards or risks to common property.
Enforcing and reviewing regular maintenance can also help uncover any hidden hazards that may risk the health and safety of residents, visitors, and workers on your common property.
Anyone can encounter hazards on common property. Keeping all residents informed and educated on the proper channels for reporting potential risks and issues on common property is essential.
Engaging a licensed electrician to inspect and test systems where issues are suspected is key to identifying hazards early on. This is especially important for equipment powered through an electrical socket outlet or used in a higher-risk environment.
Once electrical hazards are identified, the next step is to evaluate and prioritise the situation based on the severity and likelihood of the risks.
Using the risk assessment matrix in your Community Health & Safety guide will help identify the likelihood of an incident that may cause harm. Then, the possible severity level will be selected based on the consequences that could result from the risk or hazard. The result from this table will generate a risk score, which may assist in showing how soon the hazard needs to be addressed. Please refer to the risk matrix sheet below for more detailed information on prioritising and action incidents.
With a general understanding of the hazard, owners corporations and body corporates should seek licensed electrical service providers for a more detailed risk assessment.
Knowing who might be impacted by electrical hazards and risks is key. This could be residents, tenants, visitors, or maintenance workers. Knowing this helps us plan to prevent more people from being exposed and deal with possible risks.
Electricity is dangerous due to its invisibility and lack of smell or sound. Therefore, it’s essential to examine the electrical system’s condition and locate the source of risk with the assistance of a qualified professional.
Worn-out or deteriorated wiring and equipment can increase the risk of electrical shocks, fires, or potential electrical injuries. Furthermore, faulty wiring or equipment in areas frequented by residents, tenants, visitors, and workers, can increase the likelihood of possible complications.
Many hazards have well-known and accepted control measures that can be immediately actioned. If this cannot be done, the following section can help you determine the methods to manage the risk.
Once risks have been identified and evaluated, the next task is implementing control measures to address the issue. This is important as WHS Regulations require duty holders to demonstrate that adequate action has been taken to manage the risk.
The ideal course of action is always to remove the hazard at its source. Simple issues can sometimes be addressed quickly using existing control measures. However, other hazards may demand more time, effort, and planning.
If removing the risk at the source isn’t feasible, the next step should be prioritising and taking action on safety measures based on their effectiveness and reliability in minimising harm using the hierarchy of controls. This framework helps create a structured, best-practice approach to help duty holders manage hazards based on their effectiveness and reliability in minimising harm. Below is an overview of each stage of the hierarchy of controls from most to least effective.
The most effective way to address any risks is through elimination, which completely removes the source of the hazard. Some measures can include:
When it’s not feasible to eliminate the source of electrical hazards, it is best to minimise the impact by substituting or replacing a hazard with something that gives rise to a lesser risk.
Restricting the spread or exposure of the hazard can also help reduce risks. Some measures can include:
Engineering controls are physical measures that can be used to help minimise risk. These can include:
Administrative controls are strategies for implementing rules and procedures to manage electrical hazards and help minimise the risk to others on the property. Some measures can include:
Alongside other safety measures, giving workers the proper safety equipment or PPE can add an extra layer of protection against electrical hazards. Some measures can include:
Administrative and PPE measures should support, not replace, other control measures.
While they depend on human behaviour and supervision, these methods are less effective in reducing risks when used in isolation. Therefore, these controls should be utilised when other strategies aren’t practical or as stop-gap measures while implementing more efficient control methods.
Carry out regular inspections and annual electrical safety audits by licensed professionals.
Engaging with workers, contractors, and safety officers about electrical safety can help uncover and rectify potential issues.
Frequent testing of electrical equipment and safety measures confirms their effectiveness and readiness.
Assessing past electrical incident reports and safety data helps identify patterns and prevent recurring issues, enhancing future safety actions.
Qualified individuals, typically certified electricians or inspectors, are crucial for performing electrical tests and inspections. They bring the expertise needed to determine the type and frequency required. While higher-risk workspaces usually mandate at least an annual equipment check, it’s not always mandatory for lower-risk environments to undergo regular testing and inspections. However, it is still best practice to conduct regular assessments to maintain a safe environment.
The model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws don’t clearly define the qualifications or training a competent person must possess. For specifics on what qualifications are required, it’s best to contact the WHS or electrical regulator in your state or territory.
For a more in-depth understanding, refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines or Australian Standards, such as:
Further guidance on the risk management process and the hierarchy of control measures is available in the Code of Practice provided by Safe Work Australia.
Electrical safety is a non-negotiable responsibility that requires a layered, proactive approach. By identifying hazards, implementing effective control measures, and regularly reviewing systems, owners corporations, and body corporates can help maintain safety and compliance. Following the risk management process and hierarchy of controls helps demonstrate that electrical risks are reasonably managed following required WHS regulations.
Our Community Health & Safety service is here to help provide schemes with appropriate mechanisms to manage these risks while ensuring the obligations under the regulations are met. Through our resource library, online reporting system, and centralised repository, we are here to help support you in managing your health and safety obligations.
Each state may have specific legislation and regulations concerning health and safety duties in owner corporations and body corporates. To help navigate these regulations, Safe Work Australia, a national policy body, offers a range of resources and tools to help committees manage hazards and risks. For the latest general WHS updates, guidance, and recommendations, please visit the official Safe Work website at safeworkaustralia.gov.au.
This article is edited by Lauren Shaw Regional General Manager and Licensee-in-Charge on July 2025.
