Safe System of Work (SWMS)
Safe systems of work are methods for carrying out tasks to take into account all risks with the aim of minimising them.
Safe System of Work (SWMS) must consist of the following:
- Job descriptions
- Risk management
- Licenses, permits, training and skills required.
- Tools and equipment (including testing, insulations).
- Clothing
- Policies and procedures (Work Method Statements)
- Emergency plan
- Inspection and reviews
- Adequate and safe electricity supply. https://worksafetyqld.com/downloads/free-swms-template-for-queensland/
A safe system of work is usually determined by the Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) of the workplace. A SWMS must consist of the following:
Under Section 9(1) of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, an employer must provide and maintain a safe system of work as far as is reasonably practicable.
A safe system of work is one which minimises the risk of employees and others from being injured or harmed by the work activity. To achieve this required level of safety, the employer must:
- Consider contemporary technical standards and approved codes of practice applicable to his/her business;
- Systematically identify all hazards in the workplace;
- Determine which of the identified hazards are significant; and
- Take all practicable steps to eliminate or at least minimise the risk of injury or harm from the hazard through isolation, substitution, administrative or engineering means, or the provision of personal protective equipment
Work Position
To prevent electric shock, you should work from a position where any contact with electricity would require a deliberate movement to touch energised parts or create a current path. Adequate working clearance to allow safe access and way out from the work position, in the case of an emergency, should be maintained.
Examples:
- Choice of body position should be such that if you made an involuntary action such as sneezing, you would not touch exposed live parts e.g. fault finding on a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) whose inputs are next to live exposed parts.
- When working in an awkward position – such as testing components towards the rear of a washing machine via the front panel e.g. in a laundromat – the work system, including body position, should be such that no electric shock path can be created.
- Performing phase sequencing or rotation testing on overhead mains or at an underground pillar, the work system, including body position, should be such that no electric shock path can be created. If a circuit breaker has the facility to be remotely operated, the preferred work position should be communicated to workers. For example, is operating a circuit breaker by standing at the unit acceptable, or, is it preferred to use remote control facilities?
Conductive Materials
Workers can exposed to the hazards of electric shock; arching and explosion without making direct contact with exposed live parts. Other materials can provide current paths for the electric shock, fault current, or both. All materials should be regarded as conductive, unless proved otherwise. Gases and liquids should be regarded as conductive materials. Particular care should be taken when exposed live parts are near earthed situations. The electric shock path to earth can be via conductive materials, such as concrete, timber with a high moisture content or water. Metallic personal items, such as watches and watchbands, should not be worn when working near exposed live parts. Objects of this kind can result in electric shocks. In addition, burns sustained near these items can be worse because the objects retain heat and provide contact points for current to flow. Examples of other metal objects that should not be worn when performing electrical work include:
- Neck chains
- Rings
- Bracelets
- Earrings, body piercing
- Metal spectacle frames
Documentation
The occasions that live work is permitted is restricted by Regulation. The Regulation also has a number of requirements, e.g. a safe system of work must exist before working live.
A safe system of live work should be developed with people who:
- Are representative of the electrical worker; and
- Have skills and knowledge in the area of work.
Control measures chosen for live work should not rely solely on items such as flame retardant or flame resistant clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE). Appropriate control measures can include:
- isolating as many of the sources of electric potential as possible; this may
- involve working live, though surrounding parts need not be live;
- reducing the fault level e.g. performing the work out of hours when the supply can be fed from only one transformer or a generator;
- using a safety switch (residual current device) e.g. testing an appliance; and
- in situations where uninterruptible power supplies, backup generators, auto re-closing, or auto change over systems are installed, these facilities should be disabled.
Emergency Planning
If a person sustains an injury due to electrical risks, prompt and timely action can significantly reduce the injury’s severity. Quick action may even save a life. After an electrical incident, there is still a risk of injury because of the three common electrical risks (refer to Part 2.3). It is crucial the response be appropriate to electrical risk. For example, in a live low voltage situation, rescue may be acceptable. However, should a rescue require either the victim, the rescuer, or both to intrude into exclusion zones for exposed live high voltage, isolation and proving de-energised should be performed. In an effective safe system of work, workers should be competent at reacting to electrical incidents to prevent injury or further injury. Emergency actions should be taken that suit the work being done.
In line with AS/NZS 4836 Safe working on low-voltage electrical installations, section 9.1, the safe system of work required before live work commences should stipulate that any person receiving an electric shock or involved an electrical incident should receive medical attention. A trained medical practitioner is qualified to check for other possible effects of electric shock. Processes and procedures that should be considered include:
Response to high voltage incidents and injuries. This should include:
- forms of isolation and access;
- rescue and escape from an EWP;
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and
- first aid including treatment of burns.
- Response to low voltage incidents and injuries. These should include rescue procedures such as:
- low voltage pole rescue;
- low voltage switchboard rescue;
- confined space rescue e.g. rescue from low voltage cable pits;
- rescue and escape from an EWP;
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and
- first aid including treatment of burns.