SUMMER/AUTUMN 2006 ISSUE 3 energyA publication brought to you by Energy Safe Victoria safe Page 3 Page 12 Shining lights The first electrical Man dies after Home Safety Inspection using faulty welder on the Bolte Page 4 Page 16 Injuries sustained Driver electrocuted in electrical accidents after tandem trailer touches powerlines Bridge Page 5 Warning after lineworker Page 8, 10, 14, 25, 27, 30 See Pages 18 & 19 suffers horrific injuries Gas technical articles PP352583/00578 Courtesy of Energy Safe Victoria. Copyright © 2006. ESV•Issue#3.indd 1 28/2/06 11:42:35 AM FROM THE EDITOR CONTENTS First Home Safety Inspection 3 NOT A GOOD START TO 2006 “Skipping Girl” saved 4 We would liked to have welcomed you to issue 2 three of energysafe with some happy and Warning sent to lineworkers 5 positive news on the energy safety scene and yet “Cooking up a storm” at the Games 6 energy more initiatives aimed at maintaining Victoria’s good safety record. Warning on new pin plugs 8 Unfortunately over recent weeks there have been New ESV organisational structure 10 a number of serious incidents and, to accurately safe reflect what’s been happening, we have some Man dies using faulty welding machine 12 grim reading for you in this issue. Driver electrocuted after vehicle 16 At the time of going to press, the list of recent touches powerlines incidents looked something like this: While it is always a slow process before such Shining lights on the Bolte Bridge 18/19 – Death of a man on Christmas Day – five weeks initiatives achieve community wide awareness, after receiving a severe electric shock involving there are encouraging signs that the scheme is Power supplies secured for summer 20 an incident with an old welding machine. catching on. Major changes on Minimum Energy 21 — Death of a driver when his truck touched ESV has made new television commercials about Performance Standards powerlines on a rural property at Bena in South the scheme and has been screening them on Bushfires threaten major powerline 22 Gippsland when delivering a load of lime. metro and regional TV both before Christmas and in February. We remain committed to marketing Prosecutions/infringement notices 22/23 — Serious injuries sustained by a lineworker during the scheme as much as possible with as many an incident in a kiosk substation at Shepparton. initiatives as we can develop. Wind farms help Victoria’s renewable 24 energy contribution — The death of a man believed to be train surfing In this issue of energysafe we continue our series whose body was found on a carriage at about some of what we call Melbourne’s electrical Looking at the work of a Canadian 26 Heathmont on the Belgrave line. icons – this time we have some terrific pictures and electricity safety authority interesting information about the Bolte Bridge. — Serious injuries sustained by a young man ESV uncovers “dodgy” Christmas lights 28 working on an installation at Frankston. As an aside, it is good to know that one of those List of Licensed Electrical Inspectors 31 — Injuries sustained by a man working on icons – the Skipping Girl at Richmond – has now replacing trolley wires on a tram route. been placed on the Victorian Heritage Register and New executive appointments at ESV 32/33 is therefore protected from this moment on. Our Apart from the train surfing death, we have big story and front cover about the Skipping Girl in New Certificates of Electrical Safety 34 reports on all the incidents. While ESV did attend issue 6 of our predecessor, LIVE with electricity, New sale of goods poster for 35 Heathmont Station shortly after the man’s death certainly stirred some reaction. Can we claim some hardware retailers was detected, the investigation of this incident is credit for helping to save it? primarily the concern of other organisations. Gas technical articles 8, 10, 14, 25, 27, 30 The executive management structure of ESV was All the other incidents are the subject of continuing decided recently. We have a report about that and ESV investigations, some of them in conjunction you can meet the executive management team. with such organisations as WorkSafe. DON’T FORGET TO ESV detected quite a large number of “dodgy” Deaths and serious injuries are tragic events for lighting products prior to Christmas and we have UPDATE YOUR DETAILS the victims, their families, friends and in some a report about that. instances their work colleagues, and ESV extends This is a reminder to all RECs, LEIWs and LEIs that its sympathies to everyone affected in a large or Also ESV proposes to shortly supply posters to they must let ESV know of any change of address small way by the incidents outlined above. hardware retailers, which basically warn customers and other relevant details. that unless they are qualified to do so they cannot We do, however, have to make the following install the electrical equipment, such as switches, Similarly gasfitters must notify the Plumbing Industry observation. If some of ESV’s safety messages light fittings etc, which can be purchased in the Commission (PIC) of changes. such as “Look Up And Live”, “Install A Safety stores. You can see the poster in this issue. It is amazing the “not known at this address” returns Switch Today”, “Never Work Live” and “Always And, as has been the case over the last couple we receive after mail outs using what we believe is Employ A Qualified Tradesperson” had been the very latest information on our databases. followed, then perhaps all of these incidents could of issues of the magazine, we have a wealth of have been avoided. technical information and advice for gas fitters and Please use the address sheet insert delivered with others involved in that industry. the magazine to update your details and notify of any We do of course have much more to report in this changes of address. issue, and much of it is very positive. I say this everytime – but I am sure there is something for everyone in this first issue for 2006. You can use the sheet to change your mailing For instance, the ESV voluntary electrical Home Our next issue is due out in May and hopefully address – or to order more copies of the magazine. Safety Inspection scheme is up and running with there will be no major incidents to report. an increasing number of Home Safety Inspection All readers – including gasfitters – are asked to companies and inspectors joining the project. David Guthrie-Jones return forms with updated information to ESV. Any [email protected] change in gasfitter details will be passed to the PIC. FRONT COVER: For this issue we continue our series of Melbourne’s electrical “icons” – this time examining the lights of the Bolte Bridge. Our cover shot – and two others in the centre page – are the work of Blain Crellin Photography – TO ADVERTISE IN energysafe www.phtographer.com – pictures courtesy and copyright Transurban Limited. For advertising information and bookings The energysafe team Advertising, Subscriptions, Accounts Melinda Djirkallis contact Melinda Djirkallis at Energy Safe Editor David Guthrie-Jones Design Aer Design Victoria (ESV) (03) 9293 9700 or by email Writers Charlotte Roseby, Carmel Pino, Dania Margerison, Printing Energi Print at [email protected]. Bookings are Norm Jackson, Allen Peacock, Michael Grubert Editorial panel Management and staff of Energy now being taken for the next and subsequent Photography Mike Long, Tony Mott, Mike Baker, Blain Crellin Safe Victoria. issues of energysafe. Authorised by: Energy Safe Victoria Our attractive advertising rates are as follows: Building 2, 4 Riverside Quay, Southbank, Victoria 3006 Ph: 03 9203 9700 Full page $5000 Printed by: Energi Print, 2-4 Emily Street, Murrumbeena, Victoria 3163 Half page $2500 Copyright. All material appearing in energysafe is copyright. 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ESV•Issue#3.indd 2 28/2/06 11:42:59 AM SOME SERIOUS ISSUES DETECTED First Home Safety Inspection 3 “Skipping Girl” saved 4 IN THE FIRST ESV HOME SAFETY INSPECTION Warning sent to lineworkers 5 The Wallinger family of Wantirna are by 3 “Cooking up a storm” at the Games 6 all accounts the first to have their home inspected by an ESV authorised Home Safety summer Warning on new pin plugs 8 Inspector under the new ESV voluntary electrical Home Safety Inspection scheme New ESV organisational structure 10 introduced at the end of last year. Man dies using faulty welding machine 12 autumn And it’s a good job they were quick off the mark Driver electrocuted after vehicle 16 to arrange an inspection by Terry Theobold of touches powerlines Today Electrical in Bayswater. Shining lights on the Bolte Bridge 18/19 Terry detected a number of problems during Power supplies secured for summer 20 his inspection which were listed in detail on the Certificate of Home Safety Inspection Report – Major changes on Minimum Energy 21 some requiring remedial work, while one power Performance Standards circuit in the garage of the home was deemed Bushfires threaten major powerline 22 unsafe requiring the power to be disconnected at the switchboard until work was carried out. Prosecutions/infringement notices 22/23 Listing the defects clearly on the report made Wind farms help Victoria’s renewable 24 the task of repairing the faults much easier for energy contribution local REC, Ales Hubschmann of Vermont South, Looking at the work of a Canadian 26 who was able to go straight to the defective electricity safety authority areas of the installation concerned and carry out ABOVE: Home Safety Inspector, Terry Theobold (right), discusses his report with John and Leanne Wallinger.