SafeWork NSW has released a safety alert on the Dangers of working on or near energised (live) electrical equipment.

This safety alert reminds electrical workers of the hazards associated with working on or near energised (live) electrical equipment. These hazards include electric shock, arc flash explosion and fire.

This alert, and others, can also be viewed on the SafeWork NSW website - Safety Alerts.

If you need further information, please visit email www.safework.nsw.gov.au or call 13 10 50.

Essential Energy values and enjoys strong business relationships with its many suppliers. These relationships are founded on a shared commitment to conduct business according to the highest ethical standards and complying with all relevant laws and regulations.

Our employees are governed under the Essential Energy Code of Conduct and our relationship with ASPs, contractors and suppliers are governed under the Statement of Business Ethics.

To help provide clarity in upholding these ethical standards, Essential Energy operates a ‘no gifts’ policy across the business. This means that our employees cannot receive a gift from a third party under any circumstances.

This policy can be challenging for suppliers and employees alike, as the gifts are usually intended as a token of genuine appreciation.

Put simply, saying thanks is enough. We really appreciate your support and feedback and ask that you refrain from offering any gifts that might jeopardise either your own or our employees’ integrity.

Additional information on Essential Energy's Code of Conduct and our ‘no gifts’ policy is available on our website.

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

To minimise the risk of bushfires initiated by privately-owned electricity network assets, and in compliance with its legislative obligations, Essential Energy is reinforcing its private asset defect rectification policy across its electricity distribution area.

Accredited Service Providers (ASPs) may see an increase in requests for private defect rectification.

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

What is happening?

Essential Energy is currently negotiating a Facilities Access Agreement (FAA) with various Communications Companies to allow installation of their small ‘microcell’ transmitters and associated aerials onto suitable Essential Energy poles.

A small number of these microcells have already been installed in the Tathra area ahead of the formal FAA.

This Safety Brief provides interim information and safety precautions to be followed for working ‘on or near’ the poles where these microcell installations are installed. Discussions are continuing with the Communications Companies – and the other electricity network operators – for consistent precautions to ensure worker safety.

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

Essential Energy’s Electrical Safety Office (ESO) has completed a full review and update of CEOP8030 - Electrical Safety Rules (ESR’s) to incorporate recent Safety Briefs, Incident Investigation recommendations, audit findings and industry developments.

There are no major policy or procedural changes in this update. All changes are summarised in the Revisions section at the end of the document.

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

To minimise the disruption to customers during the Christmas / New Year period, no planned interruptions with a customer impact will be scheduled from 22 December 2018 to 6 January 2019.

Also Contestable Works will be closed during the same period with business resuming as normal from 7th January 2019.

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

As part of our commitment to improve our relationship and communications with ASPs Essential Energy are looking at holding forums in regional areas in October. The purpose of these forums is for ASPs to come along and hear about the latest news in the ASP space and to ask questions or raise issues with representatives from various Essential Energy teams, including the safety team, design and certification and training amongst other teams in our business.

Forums will commence from 6pm at the above locations, with light refreshments available. To determine venue sizes we would appreciate any ASPs who wish to attend complete a survey or email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au with company name, numbers attending, which forum you will be attending and anything you would like to see at our forums.

Part 1 - 90 mins

Part 2 – 60 mins

Thank you to those that have already expressed interest in attending our forums.

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

This Policy has now been amended to correct minor formatting and to provide:

A requirement for the correct submission of easement documentation to Essential Energy is the completion of Operational Form CEOF9091 Easements: Advice for Suitability of Easement Documentation (CEOF9091).

This document must be filled in and submitted by the customer’s chosen Level 3 Accredited Service Provider (ASP) together with any easement documentation requested to be executed/signed by Essential Energy.

To avoid unnecessary delays and assist with Essential Energy efficiently processing easement documentation, CEOF9091 should be provided with the easement documentation.

CEOF9091 should only be provided by the ASP responsible for producing the design for a contestable works project. In circumstances where a Level 3 ASP is not producing a design drawing, it may be acceptable for a Registered Surveyor to complete the document (at the discretion of Essential Energy).

For further advice, please refer to the ASP Broadcast previously issued in October 2017 and Essential Energy’s Easement Requirements policy CEOP8046.

Following registration of the easement, Essential Energy requires Operational Form CEOF9090 Creation of Easement: Solicitor/Licensed Conveyancer’s Advice to be provided including supporting documents, being a copy of:

CEOF9090 has been amended and updated to allow the form to be completed by any person rather than being limited to a Solicitor or Licenced Conveyancer.

Minor amendments to this Operational Form have been made to reflect the change of name from Land and Property Information NSW to Land Registry Services.

In addition to minor formatting changes, Annexure C, Confirmation of Instructions has been amended to allow for the electronic or manual lodgement of caveats.

Where applicable, an example letter requesting a bank guarantee and detailing Essential Energy’s requirements is now an annexure to the Deeds. The relevant clause detailing the requirement for a bank guarantee now also includes the information required on the bank guarantee.

Additional approvals are required to release easements in favour of Essential Energy or its predecessors.

To avoid delays, it is recommended requests for releases are identified early and submitted as soon as possible. Essential Energy will accept release requests prior to receiving formal release documents such as Section 88B Instruments or LRS form 20ECE Cancellation or Extinguishment of an Easement.

A request for release of easement form should be completed and submitted to conveyancingteam@essentialenergy.com.au

Please be aware that easement release requests will require additional documentation to be presented including but not limited to the title search of the affected lot; the registered easement dealing together with the registered plan. The application form and an Information Sheet are now available on Essential Energy’s Document Library under the category of Easements.

Essential Energy will continue to accept the current versions of the above forms up to and including 31 December 2018. The new forms will be available from September 2018.

As part of our commitment to improve our relationship and communications with ASPs Essential Energy are looking at holding forums in regional areas in October. The purpose of these forums is for ASPs to come along and hear about the latest news in the ASP space and to ask questions or raise issues with representatives from various Essential Energy teams, including the safety team, design and certification and training amongst other teams in our business.

Forums will commence from 6pm at the above locations, with light refreshments available. To determine venue sizes we would appreciate any ASPs who wish to attend complete a survey or email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au with company name, numbers attending, which forum you will be attending and anything you would like to see at our forums, further information on the content of the forums will be provided closer to the events.

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

Ring-fencing regulations were introduced on 1 January 2018 to support the creation of a level playing field for providers of contestable services in new and existing NSW markets.

Essential Energy is only able to provide contestable services in limited circumstances: