Notice board
What the business is telling its staff this month.
Read back every earth with its pole number
Following the near miss on DAY-07 where an earth was reported at the wrong pole, every earth step in a switching program will now be read back with the pole or structure number as well as the switch identification. Controllers will not record an earth step until the operator has repeated both. The switching procedure is being updated; the rule applies from today.
7 September 2026
Fire danger period preparation
The fire danger period is expected to begin in the western region in mid October. All inspection routes in hazardous bushfire risk areas must be complete and priority defects raised by 30 September. Crews will check the fire danger rating on every job risk assessment from 1 October and hot work permits will be required on high fire danger days.
10 September 2026
Authorisation reassessments due in October
Twenty-three authorisations fall due for reassessment in October, including nine high voltage access recipient authorisations and four switching operator authorisations. Team leaders have been sent the list. A worker whose authorisation lapses will not be allocated that work until reassessed, so book your assessment with the training team now.
12 September 2026
Tower and pole top rescue drills, September
Six-monthly rescue drills are scheduled at each depot this month: elevated work platform and pole top rescue at Ballarat on 17 September, tower rescue at Traralgon on 19 September and traction structure rescue at Sunshine on 20 September. Attendance is recorded on the authorised persons register and is a condition of working at height.
14 September 2026
Welcome to our new apprentice intake
Eight new apprentices start on 5 October, five in overhead distribution, two in underground cables and one in substations. They will complete the Gridworks induction, the client network safety rules course and the elevated work platform course before joining crews. Please introduce yourselves and remember they are not yet authorised for any work on apparatus.
21 September 2026