What happens if I can’t finish a job, how can I certify that work?

What you should do if you cannot complete or return to a job.

  • Certification

Overview

All work you carry out must be electrically safe at all times, including:

  • while you’re working on it
  • at the end of the day
  • if you leave it temporarily, or permanently for any reason.

You must not leave any work, at any stage, in a state that could cause harm to people or property.

If you have to leave work partly finished for any reason and cannot return to complete it, you must take the following steps:

  • Stop work if you cannot proceed safely, for whatever reason.
  • Any circuits you worked on or installed that have accessible exposed insulation or terminations must be isolated and labelled. It’s your responsibility to make certain your work is electrically safe and that your work will also not affect the safety of any other part of the installation.
  • Make sure the circuit is disconnected from the supply. Removing a circuit breaker or 'taping off' a switch is not leaving a circuit electrically safe.
  • Visually check and test all your work, even if it’s partially complete. For example, if it were the prewire stage, make a visual check, and complete the insulation resistance test as far as you can.
  • Issue a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for all work that is completed or partially completed and state which parts of the installation (if any) are safe to connect.
  • If you still have any concerns regarding safety of the installation that is not within your control, inform the owner or occupier and WorkSafe as soon as possible.

What is a notifiable event?(external link) — WorkSafe

Managing the risk

To manage the risks associated with partially completed work, document all relevant details and issue a CoC. Clearly state what work you did when, and any work done by others, including:

  • tests carried out
  • photographs
  • drawing and diagrams
  • certified designs (if applicable)
  • Supplier Declarations of Conformity (SDoC) as appropriate
  • noticeably highlight on the CoC what work (if any) is safe to connect. It may be the case that no work is safe to connect.

Issuing certification (CoCs and ESCs)

You must issue a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for all prescribed electrical work. This includes work that is only partly complete.

The CoC must:

  • clearly describe the work you carried out
  • include the dates and test results, and
  • identify any part of the installation that is not safe to connect.

You must only issue an Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC) when work (or part of the work) has been livened and confirmed safe to use. 

Under the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, these documents must be provided to either:

  • the person or company representative who contracted the work or authorised the work to be undertaken
  • the occupier or owner of the place where the installation is located, if the person who contracted for the work is not available.

If you carried out the work on a non-consented small stand-alone dwelling ('granny flat'), you must provide these documents to both of the above.

Granny flats exemption: Guidance and resources(external link) — Building Performance

You must provide the CoC to the relevant parties within 20 days after the work is completed (or the date you are no longer able to complete the work). You must provide the ESC to the relevant parties within 20 working days after it is issued.

Following these steps helps owners keep the right records. It also helps protect you if there are future complaints or debt recovery issues.