Safety Switches
Every home in Australia should have an electrical safety switch. Safety switches are designed to cut a faulty power supply before it can cause serious injury or death from electric shock. In Victoria, a safety switch is mandatory in all homes built since 1991 and homes that are newly renovated.
But as at 2022, Victorian legislation has not mandated safety switches in homes built before 1991, which poses a considerable risk to consumers. Electrical regulatory bodies continue to lobby for legislative change to ensure consumer safety in Victorian homes of all eras.
Master Electricians Australia advise that safety switches are the only device that will cut the power to a circuit in the event of an earth leakage in as little as 30 milliseconds. Therefore, only safety switches can save lives and prevent seriously debilitating injuries from electrical faults in Australian homes.
At S-elect we strongly advocate for hard-wired safety switch installation by our qualified electricians in homes of all ages, regardless of the legal requirements. The job can be done quickly and affordably, giving you peace of mind that if an electrical fault should occur, your family is safe from death or serious injury by electrocution.
What is a safety switch?
Put simply, a safety switch is an electrical device installed in your switchboard that monitors your electricity supply, shutting off the power when there is a problem. But a safety switch is also a peace-of-mind device, sort of like insurance but even better because it prevents a serious problem rather than compensating you after a problem has occurred.
A safety switch will protect you if things go wrong with your electrical supply. Faulty wiring and faulty electrical appliances such as kettles, washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, ovens and hairdryers may cause your safety switch to trip the circuit and cut off your power supply, protecting you from electrocution.
Our licensed electricians install a safety switch on all circuits in the switchboard. A safety switch has a ‘test’ button which you should activate every three months or so to check that it is still working effectively. If the test button doesn’t activate the safety switch, contact a S-elect certified electrician and we’ll be there to assess the problem and replace a safety switch quick smart!
How does a safety switch work?
A safety switch is designed to reduce the risk of death or serious injury from electrocution by cutting the property’s electricity supply within 0.03 seconds when there is an electrical fault or a loss of current through an electrical circuit. A safety switch is different to a circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers and fuses operate differently to safety switches. Circuit breakers are designed to protect appliances and electrical fittings in the home, but they don’t protect people from death or serious injury by electrocution, which is what safety switches are designed to do.
Who can install a safety switch?
By law in Australia, safety switches can only be installed by a licensed electrician. If you have no safety switch in the house, protect your family and home as soon as possible with a safety switch installed by S-elect’s experienced and fully licensed electricians in Melbourne.
You’ll sleep better knowing you don’t need to worry about serious electrical accidents occurring within your home and the potentially catastrophic consequences, such as fire.
Ready to make your home compliant and your family safe from electrical faults? Simply get in touch with S-elect now to make the switch to safer living for your family! The relatively minor cost of installing a safety switch within the switchboard is a small price to pay to protect your loved ones’ lives and your valuable property.
