Electrical Wiring & Cabling SWMS

Electrical wiring and cabling covers the installation, alteration, extension, testing and connection of low-voltage (up to 1000 V AC / 1500 V DC) fixed wiring, sub-mains, final sub-circuits, data and communications cabling within domestic, commercial and industrial premises. The work involves cable pulling through conduits and ceiling spaces, terminating conductors at switchboards, GPOs and light fittings, drilling and cutting building fabric, working from ladders and elevating work platforms, and proving isolation before recommencing energisation. Even where a circuit is presumed dead, induced voltages, shared neutrals, back-feed from UPS or PV systems, and adjacent live parts can deliver fatal shock or arc-flash injuries.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), section 291 defines high risk construction work and paragraph (k) captures work on or near energised electrical installations or services. Section 299 therefore requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before the work commences, kept available for inspection, and complied with on site. Controls follow the hierarchy — isolate and prove dead wherever reasonably practicable, then engineer, administer and finally rely on PPE.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Eliminate live work — de-energise, lock out, tag out and prove dead at the point of work using a two-pole voltage tester proven on a known source before and after testing, in accordance with AS/NZS 4836 safe working on low-voltage installations.
2. 2Where isolation is not reasonably practicable, treat as live work under a documented risk assessment, restricted to competent licensed electrical workers with a second person trained in low-voltage rescue and CPR present.
3. 3Identify and isolate all sources of supply including PV arrays (DC isolators at panels and inverter), UPS, generators and interconnected neutrals; verify with single-line diagrams before commencing.
4. 4Use cable and service locators, and reference as-built drawings, before drilling or cutting any wall, floor or ceiling; scan for concealed conductors, hydraulic and gas services.
5. 5Install RCD protection (max 30 mA) on all portable tools and temporary supplies in accordance with AS/NZS 3012 for construction and demolition sites, and AS/NZS 3000 (Wiring Rules) for permanent installations.
6. 6Where switchboard work cannot be avoided while adjacent parts remain live, use insulated matting, insulated tools rated to the working voltage, arc-rated clothing and face shield selected against the calculated incident energy.
7. 7For pre-1990 buildings, review the asbestos register and engage a licensed asbestos assessor/removalist before disturbing meter panels, backing boards or ceiling penetrations; comply with Regulation 2025 Part 8.
8. 8Control silica dust from masonry chasing and coring by on-tool water suppression or H-class HEPA extraction, and provide P2 respiratory protection selected under AS/NZS 1715/1716.
9. 9Select working-at-height controls per AS/NZS 1892 for ladders and AS/NZS 1418.10 / operator ticket for EWPs; use crawl boards in roof spaces and prohibit standing on ceiling battens.
10. 10Test and tag all portable electrical equipment to AS/NZS 3760; commissioning of the installed work must comply with AS/NZS 3000 and be verified by a licensed electrician issuing a Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work (CCEW).
11. 11PPE minimum: insulated safety footwear, arc-rated long sleeves for switchboard work, safety glasses to AS/NZS 1337, cut-resistant gloves for cable handling, and voltage-rated gloves to AS/NZS 2225 when live work is authorised.
12. 12All workers hold White Card (CPCCWHS1001) and a current NSW electrical licence or supervised apprentice arrangement; the SWMS is developed in consultation with workers under section 47 of the WHS Act and reviewed under section 302 of the Regulation whenever controls, circuitry or personnel change or an incident occurs.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A two-person electrical crew is contracted to upgrade the switchboard and rewire the ground-floor lighting circuits of a 1960s commercial premises in Parramatta. Before starting, the licensed electrician confirms the site's asbestos register flags the original meter backing board as ACM, so a licensed removalist is engaged to remove it. The SWMS is walked through with both workers, signed, and displayed at the board. Supply is isolated at the main switch, locked out with a personal danger tag, and proven dead with a two-pole tester verified against a known live source. A concealed shared neutral from the tenancy above is identified during testing and separately isolated at the distribution board. Cable routes are scanned with a service locator before drilling into the masonry wall; on-tool water suppression is used on the rotary hammer to control silica dust. The installation is verified to AS/NZS 3000, a CCEW is issued, and the SWMS is retained for the project duration.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
• Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004 (NSW)
• Electricity (Consumer Safety) Regulation 2015 (NSW)
• Home Building Act 1989 (NSW)
• Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017 (NSW)

Frequently asked questions