 Hello and welcome to today's Residential Tendencies Authority webinar recording in collaboration with the Office of Industrial Relations, the Electrical Safety Office and what you need to know about electrical safety in rental properties. My name is Lynne Smith and I'm from the Communication and Education team at the RTA. Today's recording will run for approximately 20 minutes and if any time you can pause and watch the video at your own pace. Today we will look at Queensland Tendency Law and how it relates to electrical safety. Our guest speaker will look at the Electrical Safety Act, safety switches, tingles and shocks, DIY electrical work, checking electrical appliances and reporting issues to the Electrical Safety Office. We'll also advise where to get more helpful information in relation to today's topic. Please know the RTA cannot provide legal advice and you are encouraged to seek your own independent advice to make informed decisions. So the RTA is pleased to be working with the Office of Industrial Relations and the Electrical Safety Office and today's guest speaker is Michael Thompson. Michael has the wealth of knowledge for all things electrical safety and on behalf of the RTA and our rental sector watching today, thank you for joining us. Thank you, Ellen. So before I hand over to Michael to go through today's presentation, I'll just quickly touch on the Tendency Laws and how it relates to electrical safety. Queensland Tendency Laws outline the rights and responsibilities for everyone involved in the Tendency. For property owners, one of their obligations is to ensure the right of property is in good repair, fit to live in and not in breach of any health or safety laws at the start of the Tendency. Also during the Tendency, they must continue to maintain the property by doing repairs and maintenance. This does not only include the property itself, but any inclusions in the Tendency as well. Residential Tendencies and Rumi Accommodation Act outlines what is the emergency repairs. The definition can also be found in the standard terms of the general Tendency agreement. For relevance of today's topic and the importance of electrical safety, the emergency repair definition list does include a dangerous electrical fault or a fault or damage that makes the premises unsafe or insecure. The act allows the manager or the owner to enter to comply with the Electrical Safety Act as well as carry out repairs and maintenance. The tenant must be given at least 20 hours of notice before entering the premises and is issued an entry notice of all nine, but the information on who's entering and when the entry will occur, what day and time that's going to be. The tenant also has rights responsibilities under the legislation and one of their obligations is to not cause damage to the rental property and also allow or allow someone else to cause the damage and importantly to repair report any repairs or maintenance issues to their manager or owner. So I'm now going to hand over to Michael from the Electrical Safety Office. The information Michael will share will help both property owners, managers and tenants. So over to you Michael. Thank you Lynn and thank you for the RTA to give us the opportunity as well to come in and speak and pass on the Electrical Safety message to all involved. So first off, we'll talk about the Electrical Safety Act. So this is the Electrical Safety Latest Slation within Queensland that has a very wide scope. We legislate as a regulator across the board, so community, business and everything. So not just the same as workplace and safety where they just do workplaces. We do the whole gambit, even the generation and distribution of electricity as well. We regulate the whole lot. Now when it comes to landlords and tenants, the Electrical Safety Act does have duties where people have to conform to and meet and this is not only to the property owners or the landlords or the agents themselves, but this is also the tenants. So landlords must ensure that the electrical equipment or the installation within their rental premises is safe. So they must ensure that it's not a risk to the tenants or people or anyone entering that property. And this would include such things as your cables and your walls, your power points, your light switches, hot water systems, socket outlets, ovens, cooktop, air conditioners, all that stuff that's hardwired into the house itself that is applied with the house for use and also any plug in equipment that may be present. So this would include pool pumps. So if your pool pump is plug-in, it does fall within that scope as well where if you supply a plug-in equipment for the tenant to use while in that premise, then it must be safe as well. So how you do that is used through testing or some means, but that's definitely something that needs to be considered. And that's obviously a different approach for everyone. Now tenants also have a responsibility as well to make sure that they look after themselves electrically and also others. So they have a duty as well to ensure their own electrical safety and ensure their acts or emissions do not adversely affect the electrical safety of others. So that can go across the board as well, people entering the premises themselves or friends. So we have fairly big penalties, which we are following up a lot more these days within legislation. So that would include for an individual. So anyone who engages in conduct that regularly exposes someone to danger or risk electrically, you're probably looking at about $300,000 or five years in prison for an individual. For a corporation, it's up to $3 million. And for a director or an officer of a company, $600,000 or five years in prison. So we take it pretty seriously these days with electrical safety. If you expose someone to risk, then be aware that you will face the full prosecution of the law. So safety switches, they are different to circuit breakers which most will see. Some people even have the old fuses in their homes, which we recommend to replace with circuit breakers at the minimum. But they protect people from electric shock. So you have circuit breakers and safety switches. And these days you actually have a combination of both where you can buy a product that actually does both. But circuit breakers protect equipment and cabling and the like. But safety switches protect people. So a safety switch will activate in a minimum time to prevent the person or even animal from receiving a shock. And that's 30 milliamps. So that's what medical advice was taken on that when they designed the safety switch. And 30 milliamps is about the max before you have serious issues with your heart. So as a minimum, domestic rental properties must have safety switches fitted to the PowerPoint circuits as a minimum. And that is law. That is within electrical safety act or electoral safety legislation that has to be done. So best to check that is there. The RTA also would state that in their requirements as well. So as a landlord or an agent, you should be well aware of that. The penalty is $1,500 or $7,500 for a corporation or on the spot fines are $300. If we come out, we find that there's not one there. It's a high risk. So it's a requirement under law these days. So we at the ESO actually recommend that all safety circuits are protected by safety switches and new wiring rules now so that any new installation or new circuit that is put in actually has to be protected by safety switch. So that's the wiring rules and that's the electricians handbook. So testing, okay. Now you definitely need to be doing testing at regular intervals. This is mostly about how do you as an owner of a premises or a landlord guarantee that your premises is electrically safe? So if it comes to the point where what it's just been knowing I suppose and having that testing in place that to make sure that they are operating and operating correctly, we have found ones in the past that are actually installed but they're not actually operating. So because they may have an internal fault and maybe old. So this is something that needs to be done regularly. We recommend that the push button test which is the little button on the outside that has a test button is done every three months whether by tenant or landlord. That's just to make sure that it actually operates. And then we say an operation and test time to be done by an electrical contractor. So that's when they actually plug in some testing equipment. They run it through a fault scenario. So it actually like it would replicate a fault across that that circuit whether or not it might be a power point or what it may be. And it trips within a certain time limit. So they test it, it's still within its parameters of where it was designed. Now, that's essential to know that it is working. We highly recommend that. And another way to I suppose keep the cost in that down or the actual the inconvenience to everyone is have that with the smoke alarm testing. So have them at the same time do your safety switch test and at the same time they test the smoke alarms. And they can guarantee that you've got safe an installation that is safe and working effectively those safety switches. So Michael, we know a lot of landlords or agents may choose to engage not some particular companies to check their safety switches when they check things like the smoke alarms. But what you're saying is to that either the tenant or the landlord or the agent should be doing the testing but the main thing is it's done on a regular basis. Yes, exactly. Yep, definitely that. The push button is a definite must for those three months to six months periods at the most to make sure it is operating. That can be done by anyone, the push button and the electrical contractor can do the operational time testing. So probably a good idea is that when the routine inspections are occurring with the landlords or the agents when they're inspecting the property to actually make sure this is part of their checklist to check the safety switch as well. Absolutely. So for people who might be renting for the first time or first time property owners or they're from overseas and not sure where to find the safety switch where do you look and more importantly what to expect when the switch is actually tested. Okay, so this can be several things here we refer to them as different things. So you have a meter panel people call it or your switchboard or your fuse panel or it may be it's where all your electrical circuits come into the building or the house or the installation and have your other fuses, circuit breakers or main switches and sometimes meters, sometimes different. So you need to just go in there have a look and now it's not necessarily easy sometimes some safety switches have little hidden push buttons but a safety switch will actually have such as the picture in the slide that it has a test button. So it either have a T or test written on it where a circuit breaker will not the circuit breaker will just have the toggle that goes up and down for on and off. So that's the main indicator of the difference between the two and also so when you activate that and we push that test button that the toggle should switch off so it should shut off power to that circuit always be prepared that when you are doing your testing that it will turn the power off to that circuit no matter what it is. So if you've got anything plugged in that you need to maintain power to to be aware it will turn off for a momentary time period. So the test only takes all of five seconds to be honest to push the button and then we've switched the safety switch on so it's not a massive inconvenience. So when I'm in a house I'm going out to a meter box and I've done the testing and I've done that when I do get back inside it's not uncommon to find that my microwave, my clock radio and all the other things that might actually have a time on that needs to be reset. That's right, that's right. So just be aware of that and if you're going to think it needs to stay on just and just prepare previously. So tingles or shocks from metal fittings. Now this is a very important one for us. Now if you ever feel a tingle from an electrical from a metal fitting such as a tap or a pipe or the like, it can even feel like a pinprick sometimes through the skin in the shower. It's actually a shock from your system. So do not ignore it. This is a very serious situation and it could be fatal. People have actually been killed in the past by this incident or this fault across the system. So you need to contact your electricity entity immediately and stop using that equipment or do not go near it or even turn off the main switch if you can access it safely without touching the switchboard. Because what happens is that can be some stray current or voltage or power going through your metal parts of your house. And then close the switchboard because the switchboard can be often be metal. So if you're not able to touch it just ring your electricity entity. So that's Erdogan, Energex or essential energy. So they have different regions. So Energex is your southeast Queensland. So Sunshine Coast, the Esk and Gatton areas. You got essential energy. He looks after Gunda, Wendy and surrounding areas. And then Erdogan energy looks after the rest of Queensland. So there's a big difference between your retailer and your entity. So your retailer should still direct you in the right direction if you contact them and talk to them about it. Except for Erdogan energy, they actually are a retailer as well. So just be aware of that. But there are on our website those contact numbers available as well. And so the same applies for tingles or shocks from permanent appliances. Not necessarily so much about contacting your entity because it might not be a network problem. But stop using that appliance immediately. And these things are referring to such as permanent or hardwater equipment or non-plugin. So that's air conditioners, ovens, light fittings, hot water systems, et cetera. Stop using it immediately. Tell whoever else is in the house too. So just give them a heads up that it's not okay to be touching it or using it. And contact your landlord or real estate. They'll obviously have a process in place for you to report this. Or they might get you to contact their licensed electrician or electric contract straight away and they'll come out and test the equipment to make sure that it is safe or if there's any issues related to the house or the installation itself. So you need to do that straight away. The model with the tingles and shocks. Are you able to share with our audience some examples or an example where this is actually heard and what actually has happened? Okay, so people might be familiar with one that happened within the last couple of years, I believe it was over in Western Australia, where a young girl received a near fatal shock from an outdoor tap. So what that was is basically the electricity system. The power lines had an issue where the neutral was broken off. So the power goes through the earth. And so as soon as that young girl was standing on a slightly wet ground around the tap, touched the tap, she received a near fatal electric shock. It's very, very sad and unfortunate and this is not the only time that this has happened. People have actually had, we've had fatalities from this sort of thing happening before from pipes and stuff becoming live. And unfortunately that young girl was sustained permanent brain damage from that. So this is, it's a very serious situation and you need to be on your game and report it straight away. And as I said, it's not always recognizable straight away. As I said, those little pinprick feelings in the shower on a tap when your hands are wet, that can be electricity flowing through your earthen system. So people, you know, when it comes to reporting, do you think it's just that people sometimes think, oh, it's just minor and don't do anything about it? Yes, absolutely. A lot of people don't realize what it is. That's why I mentioned the pinpricks because it's a strange feeling. It doesn't, you wouldn't think it's electricity. So you do get that where it's actually dismissed as being nothing. Ah, DIY. So this is something that we take a hard line on. So do yourself, electrical work must be performed by an electrical contractor, a licensed worker who works for a electrical contractor. So do yourself work, it's very dangerous, it's illegal and no doubt if you perform that work and it burned your house down, I'm pretty sure the insurance company would not cover it. So that's probably the last point, but it's very dangerous. So you can leave legacies. They don't always appear straight away. The faults or the dangerous conditions, but they can appear. So you put in a risk, not just yourself performing that work, but anyone who actually visits that house or the installation, including other workers, usually, well, we've had a few of that where other workers or trades have come into the premises and they've come into contact with live wise or whether it may be a faulty system from poor workmanship or do yourself and they've been killed. So, and then that's a real serious issue. So that potential criminal matter. So yeah, so always there's heavy fines of prosecutions if we are found that you perform the legal electrical work, but we have a facility on our website where you can go in there and check your contractor's license numbers. So you best do that at all times, go in there and make sure that they are licensed. That way they've got their insurances as well covered. So in case anything goes wrong and so they're competent to do the work. We're not necessarily competent, but they're licensed to do the work. So, and also I just wanted to touch on roof spaces within that as well because they have very dangerous areas. People don't consider that too much, but always turn the power off before anyone enters that roof space, including yourself and any workers. There's a lot of hidden danger there. Exposed cables, old cables, you know, rodents can chew things. It can become a very dangerous area. And don't forget that a main switch and your hot water switch need to be turned off because they are usually separate tariffs. So they have separate feeds. So if you turn the main switch off, your hot water circuit may not be isolated. And also incoming mains, when your power lines come into your house, if they come down through the roof, they are always live. You cannot turn them off with your main switch. So just be aware of those as well. I think it's very important for landlords and agents to know you do need a licensed electrician to do that electrical work. So it's no DIY handyman or a landlord come in and say, look, I'll just do this myself. No, not at all. A main clarification is hardwired and anything that's actually wired is the installation. Plug-in equipment is different. But if I said, if you're a landlord and you disapply that, it doesn't need to be tested and tagged. So. It's just two electrical appliances. That's right. So electrical appliances. So always make sure that your appliances you purchase have that regulatory compliance mark. So that's the RCM mark and there's a tick in the triangle. That will tell you that it's actually compliant with Australian standards. So why we always say, be wary of buying stuff online from overseas because it may not comply. It may fail dangerously and you may have no warranty or recourse of action for that as well. So if you purchase something that doesn't apply to Australian standards and you injure someone or have a fire at home, then you may have no recourse for that equipment. So always make sure that you buy it and check that that's the case that it can comply with Australian standards. As I said before, landlords, you have an obligation to maintain the equipment or appliances that you supply. So it has to be maintained, kept in good working order and electrically safe. So we always recommend have a maintenance schedule or process for electrical repairs. So a guideline for tenants reporting faults. So it's streamlined. It's easy. Everyone knows how it works and there's no delays. And also always use your license electrical contractor. And my point from your experience, what are the factors that contribute to a circuit breaker or safety switch tripping that just doesn't work or something's gone wrong in your house? So with circuit breakers, it's usually an overload function or a serious fault within the actual hardwine of equipment or the plug-in equipment itself. So it might be a short across the active and neutral something on those lines or overloading can be also be a topic as well. So when you've got multiple double adapters or powerboards plugged into one point, that is going to cause issues. We recommend that if you're going to use anything, use powerboards with overload protection, buy one of those and it will actually turn off before it takes out the actual circuit breaker. Once you start tripping circuit breakers, it can cause other issues. In RCDs, they usually, what they are, is there an imbalance? So there's a fault with an piece of equipment or cable somewhere that is actually leaking to earth or leaking to somewhere else which makes it a dangerous situation. So if you start getting those repeatedly happening, then you need to get an electrical contractor out to have a look. Now information brochures. So we have all this information in these wonderful brochures that we're available on our website. They are great. Everything we've talked about today and a bit more. And they are excellent references and we would suggest that the tenants guide actually goes into maybe a pack with the new tenants from the tenancy packs so they understand how it works as well as your reporting guidelines on how to report electrical issues and the processes around that. So in speaking of reporting, so unsafe and dangerous work. So it's actually part of legislation electrical safety legislation where you must report these incidents to the electrical safety office. So unsafe and dangerous wiring equipment. So that's where you find, come across something that's not safe or you feel safe, give the electrical safety office call, we'll come out, we'll have a look to make sure that no one's gonna be seriously injured or killed by that wiring and maybe do an investigation about who have done that work. Illegal unlicensed works, similar lines. You must report that. It's illegal and there will be prosecutions or actions taken to get those people that do that work and shocks or dangerous electrical events, we call them. So we call them serious electrical incidents and dangerous electrical events and they're in a legislation and there's certain parameters around those but shocks could also be reported to your entity as well if you're a business, so electrical entity but definitely because it's not really asked about, I suppose, prosecuting someone but it's more about tracking the fault, identifying the situation and ensuring it doesn't happen again and kill someone. So that's what we're all about, it's electrical safety and some more information on our website. So we've got a lovely website. So go on there, have a look, we've got a raft of information and these relevant booklets and brochures are on there as well as heaps of other stuff or information about every other item you can think of including tree pruning, you name it. It's on there in your premises and they're looking at for overheads, overpower lines and everything. So get on there, have a look, follow us on Facebook. We release a lot of good stuff on Facebook as well, information, competitions as well. So follow us on there, get on there and yeah, update yourself. Right, Michael, thank you again. I mean, this is really important information for everyone in the rental sector. So the RTA highly recommends you download the owner and the tenant's guides and I totally agree with Michael saying put the tenant guide in your tenant pack for ages to land or as when the tenant first moves in. They're an easy to read resource and a lot of information relevant to you. So just in finalizing today's presentation, know your rights and responsibilities under the Queensland Tenancy Law and remember health and safety is always a priority and this includes the safety switches and that regular testing in the rental property or your own home. So don't ignore tingles and shocks that may come from a tap and appliance or a fixture in the property and check your electrical appliances to make sure they are compliant. Remember only use licensed electricians to do your electrical work. Download that safety brochure at electricalsafety.qld.gov.au and keep this as a valuable education and resource tool. Again, a huge thank you to our guest speaker, Michael Thompson for your time today and recording in today's recording, you are the subject matter expert and sharing your knowledge with us today has been great. And so it's been a pleasure. So the RTA is here to help you and everyone involved in the tenancy. So you can keep connected with the RTA by subscribing to the RTA News and you can also link in with us at the RTA through LinkedIn. The RTA's website has a lot of information and resources available for you and we encourage you to be informed and view this at RTA.qld.gov.au. The RTA web services for all matters bond including your lodgements and refunds is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You need further assistance, you can contact us on 1300 366 311 and speak to one of our friendly contact center staff members Monday to Friday 8.30 to 5.00 p.m. Thank you to the team at the Office of Industrial Relations and Electrical Safety Office for their collaboration in this recording and thank you for your time today.