Temporary Power on Construction Sites Safe Work Procedure

Suits builders, civil and trade contractors, principal contractors and site supervisors who rely on a site power pole, builders’ board, leads and generators. It separates licensed electrical work from plugging in, sets daily checks, and points to the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 rules for construction work.

What Is Included In Our Temporary Power on Construction Sites Safe Work Procedure?

• Safe work procedure with an approval sign-off
• What is and is not electrical work (Electrical Safety Act 2002 ss 18 and 55)
• What Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 s 140 says for construction work, and what it does not
• Planning, setting up and protecting leads, boards and power boards
• Test tags: what the Regulation allows on a tag
• Daily checks and taking damaged or wet equipment out of use
• Overhead lines and underground cable by reference to the Regulation
• Electric shock response and who to notify
• Taking the supply down
• Records, training, review and legislation references

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): ss 11 and 12 (serious electrical incident and dangerous electrical event), s 14 (meaning of electrical equipment), s 18 (meaning of electrical work), s 55 (requirement for an electrical work licence)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): ss 10 to 15 (overhead and underground electric lines), s 140 (construction work, naming AS/NZS 3012 and the rules for test tags), ss 193 to 204 (energised electrical work, by reference only), s 292 (notification), s 296 (preserving the site). Other types of work have their own rules in the same Part and are not covered here
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld): s 28 (duties of workers), s 46 (other duty holders), ss 47 to 49 (consultation), ss 35 to 39 (notifiable incidents, including s 37(e))
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 32 to 38 (risk management), s 39 (information, training and instruction), s 289 (meaning of construction work). Queensland does not use the model electrical safety rules in Part 4.7 of the WHS Regulation: the electrical rules are in the Electrical Safety Act and Regulation
• Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld): s 133 (employer’s report of an injury)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2021 – Managing electrical risks in the workplace (Qld): sections 3.1 to 3.3 and 6.3. It is made under Electrical Safety Act 2002 s 44. It says construction and demolition sites must comply with AS/NZS 3012. Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Working near overhead and underground electric lines (Qld) was written for the earlier Regulation, so rely on the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 sections above for the law
• AS/NZS 3012 Electrical installations – Construction and demolition sites is named in Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 s 140 and is not reproduced here. We give no test interval, tag colour or safety switch rule from it
• This document is general information for Queensland workplaces and is not legal advice

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (7 pages), A4 portrait
• Business details and document control typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• Purpose, scope and a policy statement with an approval sign-off
• Definitions, and responsibilities for each role
• A step-by-step procedure that says who does what
• Records, training, monitoring and review, related documents and a revision history

Review it and adjust it to suit your business, your sites and the way your team works, and talk it through with your workers. If you have any trouble downloading this template, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading.