RCD (Residual Current Device)
RCDs (safety switches) detect earth-leakage current and trip the circuit. AS/NZS 3000 requires 30 mA RCDs on all final subcircuits in Australian homes.
Ask Chalkline about this →A residual current device (RCD), also called a safety switch, detects current leaking to earth and trips the circuit fast enough to prevent electric shock. AS/NZS 3000:2018 requires fixed-setting 30 mA RCDs on all final subcircuits in Australian domestic installations, with no more than three circuits protected by any single RCD, and a minimum of two RCDs on any switchboard with multiple final subcircuits.
Also known as: safety switch (consumer-facing term), earth leakage circuit breaker (older industry term).
Category: Electrical, AS/NZS 3000.
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Last updated: 2026-05-05. Verified: 2026-05-05.