Earth leakage circuit breaker - Fire

Incident

3 December 2019

On Monday 2 December 2019 an electrician was working on a switch board at Kambah Fire Station to fault find a lighting fault which required the cycling of a mechanical circuit breaker (CB). The electrician observed smoke emanating from the switch board and immediately alerted the fire service, the fire was subsequently extinguished.

WorkSafe ACT has confirmed the work was being undertaken in compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

It was identified that the CB is one of a range of Eaton Quicklag ELQ-TW earth leakage circuit breakers (RCBOs) subject to a 2017 safety product recall by the suppliers due to risk of electrical fire.

WorkSafe ACT issued a safety product recall alert to the community.

Identification

The affected models can be identified by a green test button as shown in this image and are listed in the table. Models without a test button or with a white or an orange test button are not impacted by this recall.

The affected models were supplied nationally from 1 April 2004 to 15 December 2016. The RCBO has a serial number on the side from which the date of manufacture can be determined. Refer to table 1 for a list of affected models.

Table 1 - Affected models

Safety issue: Risk of fire

A non-compliant material has been used in the manufacture of a component. When operating under short circuit conditions the RCBO may put out ionised gases through the exhaust port which can lead to a fire.

Action required

Building owners, managers and electrical contractors are urged to check switchboards or load centres for potentially affected RCBOs.

Media release: Community encouraged to visually check, not touch switchboards following recall of breakers

Electrical Contractors - If you find a recalled RCBO model installed in a customer’s premises, you should notify them about the recall and have them contact the supplier to arrange for a replacement RCBO to be installed. Appropriate signage is to be put in place to alert persons accessing the switchboard of this safety alert.

Building Owners – You should have the switchboards in your building checked, should you identify a recalled RCBO you should contact the supplier to arrange for a replacement RCBO to be installed. If a recalled RCBO has tripped, you should not reset the RCBO and contact an electrician. Appropriate signage is to be put in place to alert persons accessing the switchboard of this safety alert.

Building/Facility Managers - You should have the switchboards in your building checked, should you identify a recalled RCBO you should contact the supplier to arrange for a replacement RCBO to be installed. If a recalled RCBO has tripped, you should not reset the RCBO and contact an electrician. Appropriate signage is to be put in place to alert persons accessing the switchboard of this safety alert.

Supplier details

Eaton Industries Pty Ltd
Phone: 1800 870 851
Website: www.eatoncorp.com.au/elqtw-r

For further information contact WorkSafe ACT on 13 22 81 or email WorkSafe@act.gov.au.

This Alert contains information emerging during an investigation by WorkSafe ACT into the mentioned incident at the date of this report. The information contained in this report does not necessarily reflect the final outcome of WorkSafe’s views or proposed actions with respect to this incident. WorkSafe ACT does not warrant the information in this report is complete or up-to date and does not accept any liability to any person for the information in this report, or its use.