What is Low Voltage Rescue (LVR) and who needs it?
Low Voltage Rescue (LVR) is training in how to safely free a person who is in contact with a live low voltage panel or switchboard, and then start CPR. The nationally recognised unit is UETDRMP018 - Perform rescue from a live low voltage panel, and it’s almost always done together with CPR (HLTAID009).
In Queensland, LVR & CPR is how electricians, apprentices and safety observers show they’re competent in rescue and resuscitation, and most employers ask for it every 12 months.
Why LVR matters
When a person contacts a live conductor, the current can make their muscles contract so they can’t let go, and it can stop their heart. Anyone who grabs them can be electrocuted as well. LVR teaches you how to break the contact without becoming the second casualty, and then keep the person alive until the ambulance arrives.
What does an LVR course cover?
An LVR course is practical. You learn and are assessed on a rescue from a live low voltage panel, followed by CPR:
- Assess the scene. Identify the hazards, confirm the voltage and keep a safe approach distance.
- Isolate the supply. Identify the isolation point and, if it’s safe to do so, switch off the power.
- Rescue the casualty. Inspect the rescue equipment and put on rescue PPE. If the supply can’t be isolated, use insulated rescue gloves and an insulated rescue hook to release the person from the live equipment and move them to a safe place.
- Call for help and start CPR. Call Triple Zero (000), check for a response and breathing, start CPR and use a defibrillator (AED) if one is available.
- Report the incident. Communicate what happened, make the area safe and review the incident.
The rescue has to be assessed in a real workplace situation or realistic simulated conditions, using the same equipment and PPE used in industry. That’s why LVR can’t be done online. Read more in Can you do LVR online?
You can view the full requirements of UETDRMP018 on training.gov.au.
What’s in a low voltage rescue kit?
An LV rescue kit is kept near switchboards and wherever live work is done. Contents vary between suppliers, but most kits include:
| Item | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| Insulated gloves | Rated for low voltage and kept for rescue use only, not everyday work |
| Insulated rescue hook (crook) | To pull or push the casualty clear without touching them |
| Torch | Switchboards are often in dark spaces, and the lights may go out when the power is isolated |
| Fire blanket | To smother a fire on the casualty or the equipment |
| Isolation sign or tag | To mark the isolation point so the power isn’t switched back on |
| Burns dressings | For electrical burns once the casualty is clear |
On the course, you’ll practise with a rescue kit, so you know exactly how to use it when it counts.
Who needs LVR?
Queensland’s Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 requires businesses to make sure workers who perform, or help perform, electrical work are competent in rescue and resuscitation. An LVR & CPR course is how most workers meet that requirement. It’s usually needed by:
- Licensed electricians and other electrical work licence holders
- Apprentices and trade assistants who perform or help with electrical work
- Safety observers for work on or near energised equipment, who must have been assessed in the last 12 months. Read what a safety observer does.
- Related trades that work near low voltage switchboards, such as solar and battery installers, air conditioning technicians and data technicians, when their employer or site requires it
Line workers also need pole top or tower rescue, which is a separate unit to LVR.
Why is CPR included?
A rescue doesn’t end when the person is clear of the panel. A person who has had an electric shock may stop breathing, so CPR is the second half of the rescue. Employers and the Electrical Safety Office expect electrical workers to hold both, and both are refreshed every 12 months, so our course covers UETDRMP018 and HLTAID009 - Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation in one session.
LVR unit codes
The LVR unit has been updated several times. If your employer or site asks for an older code, the current version is UETDRMP018:
| Unit code | Status |
|---|---|
| UETDRMP018 | Current, released August 2025 |
| UETDRMP007 | Superseded by UETDRMP018 |
| UETDRRF004 | Superseded by UETDRMP007 |
| UETTDRRF06 | Superseded by UETDRRF004 |
Older Statements of Attainment don’t stop being valid, but because LVR is refreshed every 12 months, your next course will be UETDRMP018.
How often do you need to renew LVR?
Every 12 months. Safety observers must have been assessed as competent in rescue and resuscitation within the previous 12 months, and most employers and principal contractors ask for LVR & CPR that’s less than a year old. Read more about LVR & CPR renewal in Queensland.
LVR & CPR at Tradie Training
Our Low Voltage Rescue & CPR course takes 2.5 hours and costs $119 for both units. Everything is done face-to-face, with no online study beforehand, and your Statement of Attainment is emailed to you straight after the course. We run it at Aspley and Rocklea in Brisbane and Ashmore on the Gold Coast, and we’ll remind you before your next refresher is due.