From 1 January 2025, all types of Qld workers must isolate the electricity supply before accessing roof spaces. This even includes situations where parts of the body enters the roof space e.g. hands, or moving through a roof space to access a roof. There are two exemptions that apply but these could place Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) exposed to litigation if something was to go wrong.
Western Australia already has similar legal requirements. What about the other Australian states or territories?
Other states have general WHS legislated requirements to control hazards. As such, roof spaces and electricity have proved to be hazardous and the most effective control measures in such situations is isolation. And so, all employers should ensure that isolation of the electricity supply is carried out before their workers enter roof spaces.
Read more about the QLD legilated changes at: https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/laws-and-compliance/electrical-safety-and-other-legislation-amendment-regulation-2024
