Electrician working for Mandurah company fined after unsupervised apprentice suffers electric shock

An electrician has been fined $3000 after an apprentice he was meant to be supervising received an electric shock.

Michael Georgiou was prosecuted by Building and Energy in the Armadale Magistrates Court earlier this month.

The court heard Mr Georgiou, who was working for Mandurah-based contractor Ballantyne Commercial Property Services, was the leading hand at a job in Beckenham alongside another electrical worker and an apprentice in February 2022.

Mr Georgiou was nearby but not directly supervising the apprentice when he touched live wires while disconnecting cables in the ceiling space, receiving an electric shock.

Under the regulations, supervising electricians are required to ensure apprentices do not work on or near live electrical installations. 

The court heard Mr Georgiou had previously de-energised the electrical circuits in the work area, but on the day of the incident he did not verify that the electricity supply to the circuits remained isolated. 

Earlier this year, Ballantyne Commercial Property Services was fined $12,000 after taking six weeks to inform authorities about the electric shock, which must be reported immediately.

WA’s Director of Energy Safety Saj Abdoolakhan said the apprentice was incredibly fortunate to have avoided a serious or even fatal injury.

“The regulations explicitly state that effective supervision of electrical work is required to prevent danger to life and property,” Mr Abdoolakhan said.

“This case should remind industry to always check the electrical installation is de-energised and safe to be worked on prior to starting work and to ensure that electrical work, particularly by apprentices, is effectively supervised.”