Working live: another electrician dies

Another apprentice has been killed at work, bringing to 117 the reported number of workplace deaths in Australia this year.

The young man, aged in his early 20s, was found dead atop a home in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell. It is believed he was electrocuted while performing electrical work.

Performing electrical work without safely isolating or switching off electrical circuits, known as working live, poses potentially fatal risks to the electrical and associated workers involved. Despite the risks – explosion, burns and electrocution – working live remains far too common a practice.

Pressure from the boss to keep the power on so other trades can keep working, or to avoid inconveniencing a client, can overwhelm the ability of an electrician – especially an apprentice – to say no.

Since the beginning of this year, the union has been running a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of working live. The ETU and Energy Safe Victoria have published guidelines for working on live electrical equipment. Their recommendation? Don’t do it: no ifs, buts or excuses. The union has also taken to court dodgy employers who have pressured their employees to work live.

Every workplace electrocution is preventable. But if we continue to suffer deaths in the industry, what more must be done? There are, without a doubt, many ways to improve this situation. Above all, workers must be confident to refuse unsafe work, without fear of reprisal. The importance of the union in this is clear.

Questions of life and death should never be a matter of luck. When the dice are being rolled only in the name of profits and productivity, every death should be a crime.