Victoria REC Electrical Incident Reporting: Call ASAP, Report Within 20 Business Days

Energy Safe Victoria’s Registered Electrical Contractors guidance, updated 17 December 2025, says a Victorian REC must call 1800 000 922 as soon as practical when it becomes aware of a serious electrical incident related to work carried out by its business or workers, while the written Electrical Incident Report is due within 20 business days of the incident; any electric shock related to the work or at the work’s location also requires the form within 20 business days. A serious electrical incident causes, or has the potential to cause, death or injury, significant property damage, or a serious risk to public safety. Figures checked 1 October 2026.

What counts as a serious electrical incident?

The phone-notification duty applies when the incident is related to work carried out by the REC’s business or workers. Energy Safe Victoria’s definition covers:

• the death of, or injury to, a person;
• significant damage to property; or
• a serious risk to public safety.

Importantly, the definition includes incidents with the potential to cause these consequences. The assessment is therefore not limited to an incident that has already caused death, injury or significant property damage.

How do the immediate call and written report differ?

The phone call and written form are separate requirements.

The written-report period is calculated from the incident, not from the date the REC first becomes aware of it. The electric-shock instruction is separate from the serious-incident phone test: the form requirement applies to an electric shock connected with the work or work location, while the phone duty depends on whether the event meets the serious electrical incident definition.

Making the phone call does not replace submitting the written form, unless the confirmed notification exception explained below applies.

What incident details must the report contain?

Energy Safe Victoria lists both Word and PDF versions of the Electrical Incident Report form. The versions displayed on the regulator page are listed as updated 24 May 2023.

The accompanying guidance does not reproduce the form’s individual fields, so it does not provide a reliable field-by-field checklist. Use the current form itself to identify the required incident details and check the regulator page for a replacement before submitting it.

The reporting scope established by the guidance is:

Where can the written report be sent?

Energy Safe Victoria lists two channels for the written report:

• By post:
  Electrical Incidents
  Energy Safe Victoria
  PO Box 262
  Collins Street West VIC 8007

• By email:
  info@energysafe.vic.gov.au

These addresses are for the written Electrical Incident Report, not the initial phone notification.

What if someone else has already notified Energy Safe?

There is an exception where the REC has confirmed that one of these parties has notified Energy Safe Victoria:

• an employee;
• a manager or controller of the incident workplace; or
• the relevant MEC.

In that situation, the REC need not notify Energy Safe or provide the written report. The word “confirmed” matters: the guidance does not say that merely assuming someone else has reported the incident is sufficient.

The source guidance uses the term “MEC” without defining it. An REC unsure whether the exception applies should confirm the position with Energy Safe Victoria rather than assume it does.

What should an REC check before relying on this summary?

Energy Safe Victoria describes its REC information as general material rather than a definitive guide to the law. On that page, “must” identifies a legal requirement, while “should” identifies a recommended course of action.

Before filing, check:

1. the current Energy Safe Victoria REC guidance;
2. the current Electrical Incident Report form;
3. the Electricity Safety Act and relevant regulations; and
4. your policy’s Product Disclosure Statement for any separate notification requirements stated by the insurer.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. The regulator’s current page, legislation and prescribed form should guide the notification decision.

Sources

• Registered Electrical Contractors | Energy Safe Victoria

FAQ

Does the phone call replace the written Electrical Incident Report?

No. The phone notification and written report are separate steps. Call 1800 000 922 as soon as practical when the serious-incident notification duty applies, and submit the form within 20 business days of the incident, unless the confirmed notification exception applies.

When does the 20-business-day reporting period start?

It starts from the incident. Energy Safe Victoria’s guidance does not calculate the period from the date the REC becomes aware of the incident.

Does every electric shock require a report?

An Electrical Incident Report must be submitted for an electric shock related to the work or occurring at the work’s location. The form is due within 20 business days. Whether the separate phone-notification duty applies depends on the serious-incident test.

What details should be included in the report?

The regulator’s guidance does not list the form’s individual fields. Open the current Word or PDF Electrical Incident Report and complete the incident details it requests; the listed forms on the checked regulator page are shown as updated 24 May 2023.

Can an employee or another responsible person report instead?

Energy Safe Victoria’s guidance provides an exception where the REC has confirmed that its employee, a manager or controller of the incident workplace, or the relevant MEC has already notified Energy Safe. In that confirmed situation, the REC need not notify Energy Safe or provide the written report.