In issue 23 of ELECTRON the industry was advised that the
Electrical Workers Licensing Group (EWLG) had produced
a draft Code of Practice for the supervision of trainee
electricians and that the Associate Minister of Energy, the Hon
Harry Duynhoven had approved the release of the document
for comment.
In addition to the advice in ELECTRON letters seeking
comment along with a hard copy of the draft Code of Practice
were sent to those people and organisations whose names
appear on EWLG mailing lists.
All submissions received on the draft Code of Practice have
been considered and a revised draft Code of Practice has
been produced.
The fundamental amendments made to the draft Code of
Practice are summarised as follows:
- A trainee electrician may work under general supervision if
the trainee electrician is assisting with the carrying out of
prescribed electrical work on fi ttings and/or conductors that
are isolated from any source of electricity.
- A trainee electrician, being trained under a competency based
training programme, should work under direct supervision
when the trainee electrician is assisting with the carrying out
of prescribed electrical work on fi ttings and/or conductors
that are not isolated from any source of electricity.
- The direct supervision would change to general supervision
when the trainee electrician was assessed as competent
against a suite of Unit Standards by an Assessor and a
Training Provider.
- The previous eighteen month on job “hands on” training
requirement has been deleted for any trainee electrician being
trained under a competency based training programme.
- A trainee electrician being trained under a “time served”
training programme should work under direct supervision
when the trainee electrician is assisting with the carrying out
of prescribed electrical work on fi ttings and/or conductors
that are not isolated from any source of electricity.
- The direct supervision would change to general supervision
when the trainee electrician has completed eighteen months
on job “hands on” training and passed the three stages of the
Electrical Workers Registration Board (Board’s) electrician’s
practical assessment programme or practical examination.
The objective of the draft Code of Practice has been inserted
into the document as follows:
- “The objective of this Code of Practice is to provide employers,
people who supervise trainee electricians, trainee electricians
and the public with certainty as to what is expected in the
areas of providing and working under supervision in the
electrical industry.”
To address the submissions received relating to some
employers and apprentices having a lack of knowledge and
basic understanding of their respective responsibilities, the
responsibilities of employers for safety of employees and the
safety responsibilities of persons who carry out work provisions
of the Electricity Regulations 1997 have been included.
Also the safety tuition and employers responsibilities for the
competency of electrical worker provisions of the Electricity
Regulations 1997 have been included.
References to the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
have been included.
The Associate Minister of Energy Hon Harry Duynhoven has
approved the release of the revised draft Code of Practice for
the supervision of trainee electricians.
Copies of the revised draft Code of Practice for the supervision
of trainee electricians are available from Janine Anderson,
Executive Assistant, telephone 0800 66 1000 or 04 978 3115
or email janine.anderson@med.govt.nz
Any comment you may wish to make on the revised draft
Code of Practice for the supervision of trainee electricians
would be appreciated and should be forwarded by 16 June
2006. Details on where to forward comments are included in
the revised draft Code of Practice.
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