AUTUmN/WiNTER 2010 ISSUE 20 (PDF) - Energy Safe Victoria

Project to refresh theESV websiteESV is about to refresh its website.The website improvement project started inlate 2009 with the aim of reviewing the websitedesign, functionality and content. The projectaims to enhance the site’s performance,usability and communications.Focus groups were held in February 2010 whereinput and feedback was sought from usersof the website. The two stakeholder surveysconducted in March included specific questionsabout the site.The new website will not only look better, it willmake finding what users are looking for mucheasier. The feedback from the focus groups andstakeholder surveys have been taken onboardand the changes reflect it.While the content will largely stay thesame (as well as the logins for any onlineservices) how users access the informationwill become a lot easier and morestraightforward.ESV aims to provide a dynamic website thatprovides information that is relevant andup-to-date and the ability to service users’needs in the most efficient manner possible.Here is a sneak peek at the possible look ofthe new homepage.The project is scheduled for completion inJuly once testing has been completed.ESVprosecutespilot of acrop dusteraircraftwhich hitpowerlinesESV has successfully prosecuted thepilot of a crop duster aircraft whichhit and brought down powerlines.The pilot was charged with flying within45 metres of a network asset.The defendant gave an undertaking to the courtto be of good behaviour for six months and wasordered to pay costs of $1800.The court was told that ESV received areport from an electricity supplier that an aircrafthad hit a single wire earth return powerline(SWER) near Stacey Road, Tungamah, on14 October 2008.The defendant was the pilot of a Turbine ThrushS2R – G6 aircraft and was carrying out aerialspraying on a paddock when it struck andbrought down eight bays of electric line.9The automatic protection devices operated andshut off the electricity in the line. Repair crewsattended the following day and carried outrepairs to the line.The Electricity Safety (Network Assets)Regulations 1999, regulation 32 provides thatthe pilot of an aircraft must not fly with 45metres of an above ground network asset.Network asset is defined in the regulations.The pilot told ESV in an interview that hesimply forgot that the conductor was thereeven though he had previously checked thearea before flying.Autumn/Winter 2010 ISSUE 20How ESV’s new website might look when work is completeElectricity SafetyManagementSchemes –guidelinesfor employeroperatorsThe Electricity Safety ManagementScheme (ESMS) is based on the ElectricitySafety Act 1998, the Electricity SafetyAmendment Act 2007 and the ElectricitySafety (Management) Regulations 2009.In the interests of certainty for both ESVand the operators of ESMSs, documentshave been prepared to provide guidanceon the type of information ESV needs whenconsidering an ESMS.The basic philosophy of the scheme is that theElectricity Safety Management Scheme willdemonstrate three things:> > The scheme operators have built safetyprocedures into all aspects of the processes;> > The ESMS is used and enforced within thebusiness; and,> > The ESMS produces measurable results.Note: Although the guidelines are intendedfor employer operators it should be notedthat in the Electricity Safety AmendmentAct 2007, a major electricity company(MEC) must now submit an Electricity SafetyManagement Scheme to ESV in accordancewith Division 2 of the Amendment Act.A MEC is generally deemed to be an ElectricityDistributor or Transmission Company.The following documents are provided onthe ESV website www.esv.vic.gov.au:> > Application form for employer operatedESMSs> > Guidelines> > Questions and answersTo contact ESV on ESMS issues pleaseemail esms@esv.vic.gov.au