Queensland Consolidated Regulations

COAL MINING SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATION 2017 - REG 21

21 Access to exposed electrical conductors

(1) A coal mine must have a standard operating procedure for safely accessing exposed electrical conductors at the mine.

(2) The procedure must provide for minimising the risk of energising exposed electrical conductors on which work is to be carried out, including, for example, by using—

(a) personal locks; or

(b) danger tags; or

(c) personal locks and danger tags.

(3) The procedure must also provide that before work is carried out on an exposed electrical conductor at above extra low voltage the conductor must be—

(a) positively isolated from the electricity source; and

(b) tested for zero potential; and

(c) if the conductor is a high voltage conductor, earthed.

(4) Subsection (5) applies only to a surface mine and only if—

(a) it is not practicable to positively isolate the conductor from the electricity source; and

(b) access to the conductor is required or work in close proximity to the conductor is required to be carried out.

(5) The procedure must also provide that—

(a) a risk assessment, including consideration of high fault currents, must be carried out before the work is carried out; and

(b) if the risk assessment shows an unacceptable level of risk in carrying out the work with the conductor energised, before the work is carried out, the conductor must be—

(i) positively isolated from the electricity source; and

(ii) tested for zero potential; and

(iii) if the conductor is a high voltage conductor, earthed.

(6) In this section—

"close proximity" , to a conductor, means—

(a) for a person—

(i) for a high voltage conductor—within the exclusion zone for the person for the conductor under the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 ; or

(ii) for a low voltage conductor—within reach of the conductor; or

(b) for plant being used for work near an overhead power line—within the minimum clearances required under AS/NZS 3007;2013.