Electricity Safety Management Schemes (ESMS) are a non-prescriptive form of regulation that enables industry to improve on the efficiency of its operation without compromising safety standards.

Legislation

The Electricity Safety Act 1998 (The Act) enables voluntary ESMSs to be submitted to Energy Safe Victoria by employers of electrical workers, occupiers of specific premises and owners of complex electrical installations.

The Act also requires that all Major Electricity Companies have an ESMS.

Part 10 of the Act contains provisions relating to ESMS.

Guidelines for employer operators

To assist both ESV and ESMS operators, the ESMS Guidelines and Application document seeks to provide guidance on the type of information ESV considers relevant to assess an Electricity Safety Management Scheme. Ideally, if the correct information is provided initially, ESV should not be required to seek additional information.

These guidelines are intended for employer operators who wish to apply for a voluntary ESMS for their electrical workers, premises or complex electrical installations.

The aim is for the ESMS to demonstrate three things:

• The Scheme Operators have built safety procedures into all aspects of the processes,
• The ESMS is used and enforced within the business, and
• The ESMS produces measurable results.

Reporting guidelines for major electricity companies (MECs) and distribution businesses (DBs)

ESV has produced reporting guidelines to provide guidance to the major electricity companies (MECs) when reporting incidents involving electricity, and monthly incident reporting for distribution businesses (DBs).

Download the Electrical Incident and Safety Performance Reporting Guidelines, here.

More information

Contact ESV about ESMS’s on (03) 9203 9700 or by email esms@energysafe.vic.gov.au.