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Introduction
This report details the main activities undertaken by the Board for the period 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996.
The Board
Mr M R Talbot completed his term during the year. Ross Talbot was appointed to the Board when it was formed in 1993 and his contribution as a member since that time is acknowledged.
The Minister of Energy appointed AJ (Tony) DellaBarca to the Board as a person holding registration under the Electricity Act 1992. Elizabeth Ann Hanan and DJ (Don) Moffatt were reappointed.
Registrar's Review
Purchase of Administrative Services
The 1995/96 year was the first in which the Board has operated under a formal "purchase of services agreement" with the Ministry of Commerce. Under the Memorandum of Understanding the Ministry undertakes the administrative requirements of the Board and provides secretarial type services to the Board and the Registrar.
The Board has agreed to independently analyse all the functions carried out under the Memorandum of Understanding to achieve greater efficiency. It is programmed that this analysis will be completed by December 1996.
Registers
The number of persons holding registration with the Board increased to 30,456 as at 30 June 1996.
A total of 1,327 names were added to the registers during the year, resulting in a net increase of 903 over the corresponding date last year.
Chart A shows the categories in which the registrations were issued.
Chart A - Categories of Registration
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Practising licences
As at 30 June 1996 16,600 practising licences had been issued. This compares with 17,265 for the corresponding date last year.
In excess of 4,000 applications for practising licences were unable to be processed when first received due to applicants not providing adequate information. The main failure in this area being the lack of detail relating to safety training.
These applications are being followed up.
Chart B shows the number of persons registered and the number of practising licences issued as at 30 June 1996.
Chart B - Persons Registered and Practising Licences Issued as at 30 June 1996
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Ensuring the Competence of Registered People
Whilst the Board has endeavoured to progress the previously published proposals that would enable it to audit all registered personnel, it has been unable to achieve the necessary legislative amendment in this area. As such the previous programmes of inspecting electrical work carried out under the certificate of compliance system are continuing. The Board acknowledges the programme's limitations and has accordingly reduced the frequency of inspection.
During the year 59 new contracts were issued for the inspection of electrical work certified under the certificate of compliance system. These contracts were for 6,242 inspections.
The total value of the completed work was $699,068 (exclusive of GST).
The total cost associated with the administration of the audit programme was $287,595 (exclusive of GST).
The Board is continuing the development of cost effective and efficient programmes to ensure the ongoing competence of all registered personnel. This is being done in consultation with industry.
The Board's audit sub-committee has continued to meet on a regular basis throughout the year. Whilst this committee was originally established to control the audit programme its functions have now been expanded to incorporate the development of revised auditing type programmes. Industry representatives are co-opted onto the committee from time to time.
Certificates of Compliance
There is currently a network of 189 resellers of certificates of compliance throughout the country.
Sales of Certificates of Compliance
Chart C shows the number of certificates sold during the 1995/96 financial year.
Chart C - Certificates of Compliance Sold During the 1995/96 Financial Year
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Revenue from Certificates of Compliance
Chart D shows the revenue from the sales of certificates of compliance sold during the 1995/96 financial year.
Chart D - Revenue from Sales of Certificates of Compliance Sold During the 1995/96 Financial Year (exclusive of GST)
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Examinations
The Board has continued to provide registration examinations
"on demand" and during the year, a total of 2,302 candidates attempted these examinations. This is an increase of 299 candidates over the corresponding period last year.
Chart E shows the number of candidates attempting registration examinations during the report period.
Chart E - Candidates Attempting Board
Conducted Examinations during the 1995/1996 financial year.
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Communications
The Board has continued with its policy of enhancing communication with registered people and the industry by:
- holding its monthly meetings at venues around the country,
- putting procedures in place which enable improved accessibility to members and the Registrar,
- encouraging greater use of its 0800 telephone facility,
- making every effort to ensure correspondence is actioned in a timely manner,
- utilising ElectroLink magazine. This magazine is published five times a year and the contractual arrangements between the Board and magazine ensure that each registered person in New Zealand receives each edition free of charge.
Disciplinary Actions
Twenty two (22) disciplinary hearings involving fifteen (15) registered persons were held by the Board with the following results:
- one electrical service technician had his name removed from the register,
- one electrical service technician was fined $250 and ordered to pay costs of $250,
- one electrician was fined $500 and ordered to pay costs of $200,
- one electrician was fined $250 and ordered to pay costs of $250,
- one electrician was fined $700 and ordered to pay costs of $250,
- one electrician was fined $100 and ordered to pay costs of $100,
- one electrician had his registration suspended for three months and fined
$500,
- one electrician had his registration suspended for three months and ordered to pay costs of $250,
- one electrician was censured and ordered to pay costs of $100,
- four electricians and two line mechanics were censured,
- two electricians were found not guilty of disciplinary offences.
Full details of disciplinary action taken by the Board are published from time to time.
Publicity
The Board continued, through television and print media, to encourage property owners to engage a registered electrical worker with a current practising licence to carry out their electrical work.
As in previous advertising campaigns the key objectives were:
- to protect property owners health and safety, by ensuring they ask to see their tradespersons practising licence before engaging them for work,
- to encourage property owners to request a certificate of compliance for fixed wiring work,
- to raise awareness of the need to actively utilise practising licences and certificates of compliance, both in every day work situations and in general promotional activities.
The Board considered the campaign conducted in association with the Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand to have been a success and gratefully acknowledges the generous financial support it received from PDL Industries Limited.
The Board also acknowledges the large number of individuals and companies that actively promoted the objectives of the campaign.
Electrotechnology Industry Training Organisation
Considerable time and effort was expended during the year in the development of an agreement between the Electrotechnology Industry Training Organisation and the Board for incorporating the registration requirements for electricians into Unit Standards of learning.
Excellent progress was made in this area and as a result it is expected that a formal agreement between the two organisations will be signed in the near future.
The Board a the Electrotechnology Industry Training Organisation reached
agreement that bile training of the majority of electrical workers would be the responsibility of the ETITO the Board would continue to ensure that adequate on-the job practical experience is obtained by those seeking registration. The Board will continue to conduct safety examinations as a pre-requisite to registration.
Safety Training
The Board recognises the difficulties experienced by the industry in satisfying the "safety" training that is required to be undertaken. In order to alleviate those difficulties the Board established a committee in conjunction with the Ministry of Commerce to develop a Code of Practice that would satisfy the practising licence issuing and general regulatory requirements.
Work on the Code of Practice is continuing.
Legislation Review
The Board has participated in the development of new and revised legislation and is at the present time carrying out its own review of specific sections of the Electricity Act 1992.
Transitional Provisions of the Act
The Board has continued to process registration type enquiries relating to the transitional provisions of the Act. While most applications for registration received under the transitional provisions have now been finalised considerable personnel time continues to be expended in this area.
Tradespersons
Considerable time and effort was put into the continued development of teaching guidelines for plumbers and gasfitters. The Board acknowledges the ongoing support and assistance it has received from the NZ Society of Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Industry Training Organisation in developing the material and in the formulation of regulatory amendment in this area.
Staff
I would like to personally thank all the operations staff members of the Ministry of Commerce for their continued support of the objectives of the Board. Thanks also go to those members of the industry who gave their time and assistance so willingly.
John Sickels
Registrar
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