Norton Consultants is a long established engineering consultancy initially founded to provide an electrical engineering consultancy service to industrial clients. The practice has since expanded to include safety management, process control and mechanical engineering to complement the electrical engineering service. Our experience and expertise in safety have been acknowledged in a number of industries, particularly in respect to installations for defined hazardous areas. Hazardous area Electrical Audits are carried out by experienced personnel with knowledge of safety systems, hazardous area requirements, wiring regulations, and work practices in conjunction with the respective site supervisor.

These audits can often include a review of operational procedures, routine testing, maintenance procedures, scheduling and recording system or development of such procedures together with the development of database and schedules for on-going audits.

Hazardous area dossiers

Our experience includes re-writing of electrical Installation Basic Practices for both Shell and BP and a complete revision of Static Earthing Basic Practice for BP Australia. We have also prepared Hazardous Area Dossiers in full compliance with Australian standards, including audit pro-formas for routine testing and inspection of electrical equipment in hazardous areas.

Hazardous Area Dossiers prepared by Norton Consultants include as a minimum:

  • Hazardous Area Delineation Drawings in accordance with AS2430
  • Electrical Equipment List for all items of equipment installed within the delineated area
  • A list of items requiring remedial maintenance and/or repair in priority order
  • Proformas and information sheets to assist in the on-going maintenance of the Dossier once our task is finished

Recent experience

Norton Consultants has been engaged over many years on long-term contracts to provide electrical engineering services to both Shell Company of Australia and BP Australia, regularly performing safety audits at various bulk fuel handling depots throughout Australia in addition to design, documentation, construction supervision and commissioning for new installations or plant upgrades as required.

Hazardous Area Audit works culminating in the production of Hazardous Area Dossiers have been carried out for:

  • Marstel Terminals Pty Ltd – Altona Terminal
  • Terminals Pty Ltd – Coode Island Terminal, VIC
  • Geelong Terminal, VIC
  • Osbourne Terminals, SA
  • Mobil Oil Australia – Yarraville Terminal, VIC
  • Caltex Australia Petroleum – Hobart Terminal, TAS
  • Shell Aviation – Regional Aviation refuelling depots Australia-wide, including Brisbane and Sydney airports (37 sites in total)
  • Royal Australian Air Force – RAAF East Sale refuelling facility
  • RAAF Edinburgh – T56 Engine Test Stand
  • RAAF Richmond – T56 Engine Test Stand
  • Manildra Group – Shoalhaven Starches, Bomaderry, NSW
  • Sedgeman Pty Ltd – Coppabella Minesite, Mackay, QLD
  • Theiss Sedgeman JV – Hail Creek Mine Sites, QLD
  • Western Mining – Olympic Dam solvent extraction plant, SA

Our director Mr C.F. Dorrough is a Class ‘H’ licenced hazardous area inspector in Victoria.