The switchboard in your home should have safety switches installed to protect you from serious electric shock. This is different from a circuit breaker.
The safety switch will turn off the electricity in your home within milliseconds of a fault occurring. It works by cutting off power to the circuit it’s protecting. But it will only protect you if it’s working properly.
So, it’s important to check your safety switches regularly, every year, to ensure that they continue to function properly, and protect you from electric shock. This applies to you, whether you’re a tenant or home owner.
Safety switches look slightly different on each switchboard, but they are usually labelled ‘safety switch’. There will be a button on each safety switch with either a 'T' or the word Test on it – you’ll need to look carefully, as there might be more than one, and they may be different shapes and sizes.
Testing safety switches will cut the power to your home, so before you carry out the test make sure that everyone in your home knows what you’re about to do.
Testing your safety switches is a very straight forward process. To test, simply press the test button on each safety switch. This will automatically cut the power and trip the switch into the off position. You may hear a clunking sound. Test each switch separately.
Check inside your home – there should be no power to lights, appliances and power switches on the circuit you are testing. This indicates that the safety switch is working correctly.
Once you’re confident that the power is off reset your safety switches by lifting or twisting the switch into the on position.
If lights or appliances don’t lose power then your safety switch may have failed. You should call a licensed electrician immediately to investigate.
Having a safety switch installed is now compulsory on new residential installations and a great step to electrical safety in your home, if you are unsure if a safety switch is installed at your property, contact a registered electrical contractor.
For more information about electrical safety in the home visit energysafe.vic.gov.au
Reviewed