Electron Issue 123

Presiding Member's update

Kia Ora

Welcome to the December issue of Electron. The Board has had another busy year, with the gazetting of our Stepped licensing system and the appointment of 4 new board members being the highlights. Our new board members are settling in well and have had a busy introduction with disciplinary matters and general Board business since they began.

We are looking forward to another busy year in 2024 working with MBIE and stakeholders around the implementation of stepped licensing and progressing on Works Competencies.

I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Board, to thank MBIE and our board officers for their hard work throughout 2023 and to wish all electrical workers a safe and Merry Christmas.

Russell Keys
Presiding Member

Registrar update

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to the December 2023 Electron newsletter.

I want to acknowledge the work of the team that supports the EW scheme and the Board, this has been another busy year.

This work has included:

• stepped Licensing Gazette Notices being published and the new framework coming into force on 1 September 2024
• 2,238 new Electrical Worker registrations granted
• 107 investigations completed against registered Electrical Workers
• 5 successful prosecutions with persons sentenced for illegal prescribed electrical work
• running an awareness campaign encouraging consumers to check the public Register or licence details of electrical workers prior to engaging. 

Please note, licensing applications will not be processed during the legislative non-working day period of 22 December 2023 through to 15 January 2024. Any online or paper-based applications submitted during this time will be treated as being received on 16 January 2024. We will do our best to process applications and respond to your queries following this period.

Duncan Connor
Registrar of Electrical Workers

Featured standard: AS/NZS 3001:2008

This month’s featured standard specifies the wiring requirements, which are in addition to AS/NZS 3000:2007 for transportable electrical installations (connectable installations). These include caravans, camper vans, motor homes, food and drink vending vans and trailers, relocatable homes, temporary site offices, caravan parks and camping grounds with powered sites that supply connectable installations.

Just as importantly, it also specifies the verification checks, tests and documentation required for issuing warrants of electrical fitness for connectable installations and the periodic assessments for the powered sites in caravan parks and camping grounds.

AS/NZS 3001:2008 and the above requirements are mandated in the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 (ESR) as detailed in regulations:

• 60(1)(e)
• 60(1)(f)(iv)
• 75(1)(a)
• 78(2)

For the purposes of ESR, section 2 of the Electricity Act 1992 defines the meaning of connectable installation.

Connectable installation(external link) — New Zealand Legislation

AS/NZS 3001:2008 and over 90 other electrical Standards are available for all licensed electrical workers to access for free from the Board’s portal.

Board's portal(external link)

Supervision of prescribed electrical work

Prescribed electrical work (PEW) is defined in section 2 of the Act and in Schedule 1 of the Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010 (the Regulations), which provides a comprehensive list of what is and is not prescribed electrical work (PEW). Supervision is also defined in the Act: supervision, in relation to any work, means that the work is undertaken under such control and direction of a person authorised under this Act to do the work or, in the case of section 76, a person authorised to supervise work under that section as is sufficient to ensure:

1. that the work is performed competently
2. that while the work is being undertaken, appropriate safety measures are adopted
3. that the completed work complies with the requirements of any regulations made under section 169.

Put simply, if you are supervising PEW, you are responsible for making sure that the work is done safely and competently and is compliant. Supervisors should also note that the work done under supervision is being done under their authorisation and as such it is the Supervisor who is responsible for and accountable for the PEW. It is the Supervisor who can face disciplinary action before the Board if the work is not completed to an acceptable standard.

Undertaking supervision is an important role, and it should not be undertaken unless you have considered the practical and legal implications of performing this function.

The supervision companion guide is a good document to refer to often.

Access the Supervision Companion Guide here:

Supervision companion guide [PDF, 1 MB]

Disciplinary hearings

In this month’s disciplinary articles, there are several cases where electrical workers failed to apply specific electrical standards that applied to their prescribed electrical work.

Find out more about these hearings

The Board’s 'Tool Box' has an article entitled Which Standards apply and where can I find them? Applying the correct standard is imperative. Failure to apply it is a disciplinary offence, as was the case in some of the matters below. You can read the 'Tool Box' article here:

Which Standards apply and where can I find them?

Prosecutions

EWRB v David McLennan

Read the full notice – EWRB v David McLennan

As an Electrical Worker, you should be on the lookout for illegal prescribed electrical work (work carried out by unauthorised people) so that you can bring it to the Board’s attention. The Board has a policy of prosecuting wherever it can but can only prosecute illegal work that it knows about. Reporting illegal work protects your licence and the safety of the public.