Electrical safety in the community webinar

Donna is the Executive Director of the Electrical Safety Office and oversees the strategic delivery of electrical safety across Queensland. Her role involves developing and enforcing standards for electrical safety and promoting improved safety performance in the wider community.

Donna is a member of the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC), Chair of the Standing Committee of Officials, Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS), and holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management.

Mark is a lead inspector in the compliance team at the Electrical Safety Office.

He is a passionate subject-matter expert when it comes to electrical risk management having worked in domestic, commercial and industrial electrical industry sectors.

Mark began his trade journey in 1999, starting with entry level pre-vocational trade training and progressing through each level of the electrical industry - apprentice, electrical worker, electrical supervisor and now an electrical inspector for the last seven years.

Through his involvement in community sport and taking on leadership roles, Mark’s experience provide a thorough perspective on workplace and team culture, and risk management strategies that can not only help individuals but help businesses achieve greater success.

Brian is the Director of the Electrical Equipment Safety and Licensing team at the Electrical Safety Office.

Starting in the electrical industry as a trainee with the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in the early 1980’s, Brian worked in the appliance testing laboratory. He worked his way up to laboratory manager, and soon gained respect throughout the industry as the authority in Australia for testing household electrical equipment.

In the late 1990’s Brian moved to Queensland, where he was able to apply his years of testing knowledge with the Electrical Safety Office, vetting applications for Certificates of Approval from manufacturers and importers bringing new equipment to market.

Brian has also been a significant presence in Standards Australia committees, writing important Australian Safety Standards used throughout the industry. Now, as Director of Equipment Safety and Licensing, Brian looks after the safety of household electrical appliances, and makes sure electrical workers and contractors are licensed appropriately.

Mark Halverson commenced as a firefighter in 1986 and worked at numerous Brisbane northside fire stations for 26 years before transitioning into functional building fire safety roles at Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES).

This included five years as QFES State Compliance and Prosecution Manager, working to ensure building owners and occupiers fulfilled their fire safety obligations.

Mark has been in his current position as Executive Manager, State Fire Safety Section since June 2020. As part of this role, Mark has been heavily involved in promoting community education about Queensland’s domestic smoke alarm legislation and more recently, promoting community safety messaging due to an increased number of fires attributed to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Alison Price is the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Waste Recycling Industry Association of Queensland (WRIQ). WRIQ represents waste, resource recovery and circular economy businesses providing essential services for the community and the environment.

Alison has a long association with the waste industry, first as a founder and Managing Director of her own innovative recycling business in 2009, and later as a Board Member for WRIQ from 2015 to 2022.

Alison is also a Director of Austmine, EnviroMETS (Qld) Ltd and a former Director of the Infrastructure Sustainability Council.

Carl Porritt is the current Manager Equipment Safety with the Electrical Safety Office (ESO). Carl began his career in the electrical industry in 1986 when he began as a trainee Technical Officer with the State Electrical Commission of Victoria. This provided the solid foundation upon which his career developed. Moving to Queensland in 1995, Carl found a calling to join the Queensland Police Service, reaching the rank of Acting Sergeant. Having served the community directly, Carl found the need to continue serving, joining ESO in 2007, in the Equipment Safety Unit.

Carl has brought his technical experience and a large dose of common sense to the role, and now an integral part of a team committed to protecting the community from the potential harm arising from electrical equipment, particularly household appliances. Today, technology advances introduce new risks requiring Carl’s team to monitor and find new ways to minimise those risks.