Housing for Health – the guide
  • Safety
    Electrical Safety

    Electrical Safety

    • A1.1 Safety switches
    • A1.2 Electrical earth connection
    • A1.3 Cabling and wiring
    • A1.4 Power points, lights and other fittings
    Gas Safety

    Gas Safety

    • A2.1 Gas Safety
    Fire Safety

    Fire Safety

    • A3.1 Fire prevention
    • A3.2 Fire and smoke detection
    • A3.3 Escape in the event of fire
    Structural Safety

    Structural Safety

    • A4.1 Structural safety
  • Health & Housing
    Washing People

    Washing People

    • B1.1 Wet area design
    • B1.2 Hot water
    • B1.3 Water outlets, valves & taps
    • B1.4 Washing kids ― hand basin, baths, and laundry tubs
    • B1.5 Showers
    • B1.6 Wet area floor drainage (bathroom, shower, toilet and laundry)
    • B1.7 Turning off water to allow plumbing maintenance
    Washing clothes and bedding

    Washing clothes and bedding

    • B2.1 Laundry design
    • B2.2 Drying clothes and bedding
    Removing waste water safely

    Removing waste water safely

    • B3.1 Flush toilets
    • B3.2 House drains
    • B3.3 Septic Systems + on site waste disposal
    • B3.4 Aerated waste water treatment system
    • B3.5 Dry toilets
    Improving nutrition – the ability to store, prepare and cook food

    Improving nutrition – the ability to store, prepare and cook food

    • B4.1 Quality of drinking water
    • B4.2 Food storage
    • B4.3 Preparing food – sinks and benches
    • B4.4 Cooking
    • B4.5 kitchen Design (General)
    Reducing the negative impacts of crowding

    Reducing the negative impacts of crowding

    • B5.1 Performance of health hardware in households with more people
    • B5.2 Developing the edges of the house and the yard
    • B5.3 Storage areas in the house
    Reducing the negative effects of animals, insects and vermin

    Reducing the negative effects of animals, insects and vermin

    • B6.1 Dogs, horses, pigs and other large animals
    • B6.2 Animals: rats, mice, snakes and birds
    • B6.3 Insects: ants and cockroaches
    • B6.4 Insects: mosquitoes and flies
    • B6.5 Insects: Dust mites
    • B6.6 Insects: termites
    Reducing the health impacts of dust

    Reducing the health impacts of dust

    • B7.1 Reducing the health impacts of dust
    Controlling the temperature of the living environment

    Controlling the temperature of the living environment

    • B8.1 Human comfort and climate
    • B8.2 Passive design in tropical zones
    • B8.3 Passive design for houses in arid and temperate climates
    • B8.4 Active cooling of houses
    • B8.5 Active heating of houses
    Reducing hazards that cause minor injury (trauma)

    Reducing hazards that cause minor injury (trauma)

    • B9.1 Hazardous materials
    • B9.2 Personal security
    • B9.3 Preventing slips, trips and falls
    • B9.4 Preventing cuts and abrasions
    • B9.5 Preventing burns
  • Healthy Communities
    Water

    Water

    • C1.1 Water quantity and treatment systems
    • C1.2 Water quantity and demand management
    • C1.3 Rainwater, stormwater and recycled water for landscaping
    Energy

    Energy

    • C2.1 Electricity
    • C2.2 Gas
    Waste Water

    Waste Water

    • C3.1 Waste water
    Household rubbish disposal

    Household rubbish disposal

    • C4.1 Household rubbish removal
    Community planning

    Community planning

    Landscaping

    Landscaping

    • C6.1 Landscaping
    Communications

    Communications

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Home > Safety > Electrical Safety > Safety switches

A1.1 Safety switches

If there is a fault in an electrical appliance or electrical cables are damaged, a safety switch is designed to disconnect the power to prevent injury to residents. Electrical safety switches are also known as RCDs (residual current device) or ELCBs (earth leakage circuit breakers). Safety switches are required in addition to the circuit breakers that are fitted to prevent overloading of the electrical circuits. They are compulsory in all new houses and in renovations that involve electrical works. To minimise the risk of electrocution, electrical safety switches need to be fitted on every circuit in all houses.

Survey data show that most houses had electricity available (98%) but only 76% of houses had at least one working safety switch. This may relate to the age of houses surveyed, with the majority of houses over 10-years old (80%).

Real world examples of problems

  • A1.1 005 Incorrect installation of switch board, the white switchboard on the right should have been mounted horizontally
  • A1.1 006 Switchboard in need of upgrading. There is no cover and there are missing protective blanking plates.

Design and Specification

Ensure

  • A1.1.1.

    electrical safety switches are retro-fitted to older houses

  • A1.1.2.

    electrical safety switches are fitted to new houses

  • A1.1.3.

    each circuit, including power, lights, air conditioning, refrigerator and, where appropriate or compulsory the hot water system and stove are protected by separate electrical safety switches

  • A1.1.4.

    people can easily reach the electrical safety switch to reset it or to isolate an electrical fault

  • A1.1.5.

    the meter box or switchboard is robust enough for regular access.

Consider

  • locating the safety switches inside the house in a consumer switchboard
  • checking the location and height of safety switches, so they can be reached by people with disabilities, but out of children’s reach
  • specifying a switchboard with the capacity for future expansion; such as a modular enclosure with at least two extra blank circuits
  • providing a number of circuits for lights and power in large houses
  • separating the power circuits for the kitchen and wet areas, so that these areas can be isolated for safer cleaning.
  • switchboard should be able to accommodate an expansion of 25%

Real world examples of Solutions

  • A1.1 001 Residents shown how to check safety switches
  • A1.1 002 Switchboard fitted with dust cover
  • A1.1 003 Switchboard is installed for easy reach
  • A1.1 004 Safety switches on an electrical demonstration board designed to train community maintenance staff
  • A1.1 007 Electrician testing safety switches

Quality control

  • the consumer switchboard is installed in the house at a height that is easy to reach by people with disabilities but not by young children
    info-icon
    COMPLETED DESIGN & SPECIFICATION
    AT HANDOVER
  • the consumer switchboard is installed in the house at a height that is easy to reach by people with disabilities but not by young children
    info-icon
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION
  • all safety switches and circuit breakers can be turned on and off, and that the test buttons on the safety switches work
    info-icon
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION
    TRADE TEST
  • each circuit is labelled using a permanent marker, and that labels are easy to read and understand; for example, write ‘hot water system’ instead of ‘HWS’
    info-icon
    COMPLETED DESIGN & SPECIFICATION
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION
    TRADE TEST
  • a qualified electrician has provided a ‘certificate of compliance’ for the electrical installation.
    info-icon
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION
    TRADE TEST
  • electrical safety switches and circuit breakers.
    info-icon
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION
    TRADE TEST

Maintenance

As part of cyclical maintenance:

  • show residents and community housing staff how to check that electrical safety switches are working properly and encourage regular checks; for example, check every three months as part of a community maintenance program
    info-icon
    Local Maintenance Team, Housing Management
    3 Months
  • trade test electrical safety switches and have a licensed electrician fix or replace faulty switches. Ensure electricians lodge a ‘notice of work’ when upgrading electrical safety switches.
    info-icon
    Electrician
    24 Months

Standard And References

AS/NZS 3000:2018 - Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules)

AS 1428.1:2021 - Design for access and mobility

AS 4299–1995 - Adaptable housing

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  • Electrical Safety
    • A1.1 Safety switches
    • A1.2 Electrical earth connection
    • A1.3 Cabling and wiring
    • A1.4 Power points, lights and other fittings
of houses had at least one working safety switch
Click here for more data on Safety switches

Real world story

The importance of living conditions to health

Dr. Lilon Bandler – Sydney Medical School Speaking on the importance of living conditions to health video: from Simon J Forbes on Vimeo. https://www.housingforhealth.com…

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