Product Overview

Summary: This Electrical Permit to Work Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, defensible framework for controlling electrical work on your sites. It ensures only authorised, competent personnel work on or near electrical installations under a formal permit system, supporting strong WHS compliance and reducing the risk of electric shock, arc flash and unplanned energisation.

Electrical work, particularly on live or potentially live systems, is one of the highest-risk activities in any workplace. This Electrical Permit to Work Safe Operating Procedure establishes a robust, step-by-step permit system to control who can work on electrical equipment, under what conditions, and with what safeguards in place. It covers the full lifecycle of the permit process – from planning and isolation, through verification and authorisation, to completion, testing and hand-back – so you can demonstrate clear due diligence under Australian WHS legislation.

Designed for Australian workplaces across construction, manufacturing, utilities, facilities management and mining, this SOP helps you integrate electrical permits into your existing safe systems of work, including lock out/tag out, isolation registers and SWMS. It provides practical guidance on roles and responsibilities (such as Permit Issuer, Permit Holder and Person in Control of the Workplace), documentation requirements, communication protocols, and escalation for high-risk or complex tasks. By implementing this procedure, businesses can significantly reduce the likelihood of electric shock, arc flash, equipment damage and service disruptions, while creating a consistent, auditable process that stands up to regulatory scrutiny and client expectations.

Key Benefits

• Ensure electrical work is only carried out under a controlled, documented permit system that aligns with WHS obligations.
• Reduce the risk of electric shock, arc flash and unplanned energisation by enforcing rigorous isolation and verification steps.
• Standardise how electrical permits are requested, issued, displayed and closed out across all sites and projects.
• Demonstrate compliance with relevant Australian Standards and electrical safety regulations during audits, tenders and client reviews.
• Improve communication between electrical workers, supervisors and other trades to prevent conflicting activities and unplanned outages.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Electrical Supervisors
• Authorised Electrical Persons
• Site Managers
• Project Managers
• Facilities Managers
• Maintenance Coordinators
• High Voltage (HV) Operators
• Construction Managers
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)

Hazards Addressed

• Electric shock from contact with live parts
• Arc flash and arc blast during switching or fault conditions
• Unplanned energisation of isolated circuits or equipment
• Inadequate or incorrect isolation and lock out/tag out practices
• Working on or near energised electrical installations
• Exposure to hazardous energy during testing and fault-finding
• Fire resulting from electrical faults or incorrect reinstatement
• Conflicting work activities affecting electrical safety (e.g. wet work near live equipment)

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Terms (Permit Issuer, Permit Holder, Isolation, LV, HV, etc.)
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 When an Electrical Permit to Work is Required
• 5.0 Pre-Work Planning and Risk Assessment Requirements
• 6.0 Isolation, Lock Out/Tag Out and Verification Procedures
• 7.0 Electrical Permit to Work – Issue Process
• 8.0 Requirements for Working Under an Electrical Permit
• 9.0 Coordination with Other Permits and Work Activities
• 10.0 Testing, Re-energisation and Permit Closure
• 11.0 Documentation, Recordkeeping and Permit Retention
• 12.0 Training, Competency and Authorisation of Personnel
• 13.0 Emergency Response and Incident Management for Electrical Events
• 14.0 Audit, Review and Continuous Improvement of the Permit System
• 15.0 References, Related Documents and Forms (including sample Electrical Permit to Work form)

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and matching state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) – Electrical safety and high risk work provisions
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing electrical risks in the workplace
• AS/NZS 3000:2018 Electrical installations (Wiring Rules)
• AS/NZS 4836:2011 Safe working on or near low-voltage electrical installations and equipment
• AS 2067:2016 Substations and high voltage installations exceeding 1 kV a.c.
• AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems
• Relevant state and territory electrical safety legislation and regulations (e.g. Electrical Safety Act and Regulations in QLD)