Electrical safety switches protect you and your family from electrocution. If an electrical fault occurs in a power or lighting circuit, or within an appliance, a safety switch will turn the power supply off in a fraction of a second preventing electrocution.
All new homes must have an electrical safety switch installed on all power and light circuits.
Older homes are required to have an electrical safety switch installed when any modification is made to the existing electrical layout. It is though, strongly recommended that you have a safety switch installed prior to this requirement.
A switchboard mounted electrical safety switch will protect your whole home. A power outlet electrical safety switch provides protection to a limited area in your home, usually a single circuit. These must be installed by a qualified electrician.