An Electrical Safety Switch is often confused with a circuit breaker or fuses, but they perform different tasks. An Electrical Safety switch monitors the flow of electricity through a circuit and turns off the power in a fraction of a second if a leakage of current is detected. An Electrical Safety switch provides personal protection against electric shock. And one Electrical Safety Switch may not be enough. Opto Electrical can help you check if you’ll need an additional Electrical Safety Switch.

Circuit breakers protect an electrical circuit by quickly cutting power when there is a high current fault or overload that may cause a hazard.

Even if your home has a safety switch installed, one may not be enough to protect you from electric shock. A safety switch only protects you if it’s on that circuit. You should consider having safety switches installed on all circuits in your home, including power points, lights, air conditioning, oven, hot water, and pool equipment circuits, even if they are on a separate tariff.

How do you know if you are protected by a safety switch on your electrical switchboard?

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland made a short video to explain how you can check it yourself. CLICK HERE to view it, together with other videos for your information.

Testing for Electrical Safety is important for the protection of your family

Testing your electrical safety switch every three months.

Follow these simple steps:

• Let everyone know you are about to test your safety switches, especially if they’re using a computer or recording something on TV—the testing process will cut power to those circuits connected to the safety switch.
• At the switchboard, press the T’ or ‘Test’ button located on the safety switch. If it flicks off and cuts the power, it is working. Check to see which lights or appliances are now off—these are protected by the safety switch. If it has not cut the power to the connected circuit then you are no longer protected and you should talk to your licensed electrician as soon as you can.
• After testing, turn the safety switch back on. Depending on the safety switch type, push it back upwards or twist it into the ‘on’ position. For circuits with a refrigerator or air conditioner, wait for two to three minutes before resetting to avoid possible appliance damage.

Opto Electrical can check the Electrical Safety in your home

The most important thing is to prevent Electric Shocks in Australian Homes.

We have found these shocking facts on the website of Master Electricians.

Every year, 15 people are killed in Australian homes due to an electric shock that could have been prevented if an electrical safety switch was fitted on the electrical circuit.

 As many as 20 times that number of people are hospitalised with serious electrical injuries and burns. The causes of these deaths may include a child inserting an object into a toaster, a handyman drilling into a live cable inside a wall, or stormwater ingress into lights and appliances. 

Around 93 percent of the people killed in electrical accidents are male, and the majority of them are aged between 25 and 64. Those aged 15 to 24 are the next most likely to be killed, followed by the over 65 groups, then children.

Wouldn’t you agree that this may be a reason enough to make sure that your Electrical Safety Switch is working properly?

Contact Opto Electrical today to have your safety switches checked.