What needs to be recorded in an electrical log book?

Recording electrical work

The electrical log book is provided for in-house electrical installing work licence holders, mine managers and electrical contractors to record details of electrical work at the site where:

• the Director of EnergySafety (or delegate) has granted an exemption in writing from the requirement to submit a notice for electrical installing work under regulations 51 and 52 of the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 (licensing regulations)
• the installation is at a mine site and details of particular electrical work and other information, as prescribed in the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 must be recorded.

Standing exemption from requirement for notices for mine site work

EnergySafety continues to receive requests for exemptions from the submission of preliminary notices and notices of completion from electrical contractors and in-house licence holders carrying out notifiable work at mine sites.

On 17 May 2011, the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 were amended so that, in the majority of cases, an exemption is no longer required and provides standing exemptions from the requirement to submit a preliminary notice or notice of completion to the network operator for specific types of work.

An exemption from the submission of “notices” for mine site work will not be required as long as the work does not involve:

• an initial connection to distribution works or a private generating plant
• an alteration to a main switchboard
• an alteration to service apparatus or distribution works
• the installation or removal of a private generating plant
• the alteration of the capacity of a private generating plant.

Form of the log book

The electrical log book must be in the form approved by the Director of EnergySafety, and log books are produced by EnergySafety in the approved form.

The electrical log book is divided into two sections:

• section 1 – Record of electrical installing work
• section 2 – Record of other electrical work/incidents.

Electrical log books are provided solely for the recording of information outlined in sections 1 and 2 and are not to be used for any other purpose.

The electrical log book must be available to a mines inspector on request.

The log book must be kept in good order and safely retained for the life of the installation and, in the case of a mine site, for a period of six years following mining operations being abandoned suspended or liquidated.

All entries made in the electrical log book must be recorded in ink.

Further information: The electrical log book should be maintained for the duration of the mining operation and 6 years after its suspension or abandonment, as described in section 89 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994. If the principal employer appears likely to go into liquidation, steps must be taken to ensure such books are securely kept for the required period.

Information included in section 1

All electrical installing work must be recorded in section 1 of the log book.

Each entry relating to electrical installing work must contain:

• date the work was completed
• description of the work
• name and licence number of the electrical worker(s) who carried out the work
• certification from the electrical contractor or in-house licence holder’s nominee that the electrical installing work has been checked and tested and the work meets the requirements of the licensing regulations (certification of an entry should be no more than one shift rotation after installation or 10 days).

Information included in section 2

Section 2 of the log book is for recording other information.

For installations at a mine site, entries relating to specified electrical work and incidents should include the following information:

• name and occupation of person(s) involved
• date of incident
• where the accident occurred
• brief description of accident
• name of person who made the entry
• date the entry was made.

High voltage (HV) installations, alterations and additions

Where any client-owned high voltage (HV) installations are newly installed or alterations or additions are carried out on a mining operation, a formal HV submission is sent to the relative network operator and the department prior to the work commencing.

Preliminary and final notices must also be sent to the relevant network operator or EnergySafety, as required by the licensing regulations.

Details of the work must be entered into section 1 of the electrical log book.

Low voltage main switchboard or associated earthing systems alterations or additions

Where any alterations or additions are carried out on a low voltage main switchboard or its associated earthing system, or a private generating plant is initially installed, removed or added to, preliminary and final notices must be sent to the relevant network operator or, if there is no network operator, EnergySafety, as required by the licensing regulations.

Details of the work must be entered into section 1 of the electrical log book.

Low voltage sub-switchboard alterations or additions

Where any alterations or additions are carried out on a low voltage sub-switchboard (supplied from a low voltage main switchboard or its associated earthing system), preliminary and final notices do not need to be sent to the relevant network operator or EnergySafety, as required by the licensing regulations.

Details of the work must be entered into section 1 of the electrical log book.

Low voltage final sub-circuit alterations or additions

Where alterations or additions are made to final sub-circuits from a low voltage main switchboard or sub-switchboard, or both, the works carried out must be entered into section 1 of the electrical log book.

Where an electrical contractor carries out any electrical work on mine sites (where an electrical log book is used by the in-house nominee), a letter of exemption for the electrical contractor is not required.

Instead, the electrical contractor may submit preliminary and final notices for notifiable work and use the electrical log book to record final sub-circuit alterations. Also, an electrical safety certificate is not required if the electrical contractor has submitted the required preliminary and final notices, and made a declaration (e.g. accompanied by test sheets) in section 1 of the electrical log book.

Details of all electrical accidents, including shocks, are to be reported immediately to the Director of EnergySafety and the relevant electricity supply authority, if applicable. For a mine site, the district inspector for the region must also be notified.

Details must be entered into section 2 of the electrical log book.

Record details of:

• date of incident
• location of fire
• origin of fire
• brief description on the cause of the fire
• name of person who made the entry
• date the entry was made.

Details must be entered into section 2 of the electrical log book.

Record details of:

• date of occurrence
• brief description of the incident
• name of person who made the entry
• date the entry was made.

Details must be entered into section 2 of the electrical log book

Record details of:

• examinations and tests carried out
• date the work was carried out
• name of person(s) who carried out the work
• results of examination and tests (e.g. AS/NZS 3000 Section 8.3; AS/NZS 3019).

Details must be entered into section 2 of the electrical log book.

The manager or delegate (i.e. alternate manager) of the mine or site must sign and date each page of entries in sections 1 and 2, acknowledging the electrical work carried out of incidents recorded. This should be completed monthly.

Contact

For enquiries about the use of the electrical log book, please contact a mines inspector (electrical) through Mines Safety Administration

Phone: (08) 9358 8079
Email: MinesSafety@dmirs.wa.gov.au or your regional inspectorate office.