Electrical licensing disciplinary action

In February 2023, the Electrical Licensing Committee took disciplinary action against 11 licence holders:

• An electrical worker failed to implement safe systems of work and demonstrated a lack of understanding of lock out and tag out and testing procedures while installing new wiring in a residential property. The power was inadvertently restored and an apprentice received a shock from an exposed cable in the main bedroom. The owners and their children were also exposed to the risk of an electric shock.

  The worker's licence was suspended for three months and competency units must be completed before the suspension is lifted. The licence holder was issued with a caution and a $500 penalty. This was in addition to a $500 infringement notice from the ESO.

• An electrical contractor failed to adequately supervise an electrical apprentice and training permit holder on-site. The workers were tasked to rough in several power points, downlights and switches to a number of rooms within a residential property. The power was restored and the apprentice received a shock from an exposed live wire. The committee established safe systems of work and procedures were not implemented and there was the potential for a more serious incident as well as the shock.

  The contractor’s licence was suspended for six months. An approved electrical safety system audit from an independent auditor must be completed and their QTPs must complete competency units before the suspension is lifted. The contractor was issued with a caution and a $1000 penalty.

• An electrical worker failed to adequately isolate, lock out and tag out while removing and replacing electrical equipment at a property that flooded in early 2022. When an apprentice removed a defective light switch downstairs, tingles were felt from one of the conductors. Work stopped and it was found that the light circuit was fed from a circuit upstairs and had not been identified as live during the isolation process.

  The worker's licence was suspended for three months and competency units must be completed before the suspension is lifted. The licence holder was issued with a caution and a $500 penalty.

• An electrical contractor failed to implement safe systems of work and procedures at a flood-affected property and an apprentice received an electric shock. The worker failed to ensure all circuits were isolated prior to work being carried out and an apprentice received a shock, with the potential for a more serious incident.

  The contractor’s licence was suspended for six months. An approved electrical safety system audit from an independent auditor must be completed and their QTPs must complete competency units before the suspension is lifted. The contractor was issued with a caution and a $500 penalty.

• An electrical worker failed to isolate, lock out and tag out while servicing a cooler, which resulted in cables short circuiting.

  The committee determined there was a lack of understanding of lock out, tag out and testing procedures as the worker failed to identify there were two sources of power. This would not have been the case if the worker had performed all mandatory tests to prove the circuit was de-engergised. An arc flash occurred when the worker was removing the control equipment from the mounting rail after disconnecting the conductors. The worker received burns, with the potential for a more serious incident.

  The worker's licence was suspended for three months and competency units must be completed before the suspension is lifted. The licence holder was issued with a caution and a $400 penalty.

• An electrical contractor failed to implement safe systems of work and procedures and keep up to date with current legislation and codes of practice. The contractor assigned a worker to service a cooler in a hospital without ensuring they were competent to complete the task. The worker failed to correctly perform all tests and isolate, and an arc flash occurred, burning the worker.

  The contractor was disqualified from holding an electrical contractor licence. An approved electrical safety system audit from an independent auditor must be completed before the disqualification is lifted. The contractor was issued with a caution and a $1,000 penalty. This was in addition to a $3600 infringement notice from the ESO.

• An electrical contractor failed to demonstrate an understanding of lock out, tag out and testing procedures which led to two incidents on the same day.

  The work involved installing and commissioning four new mains powered smoke alarms, a weather protected socket outlet and a three-phase surge protection device. The worker failed to ensure adequate isolation of the smoke alarm circuits before directing an apprentice to disconnect the old smoke alarms and install the new ones. The apprentice receiving an electric shock.

  The apprentice did not leave the site immediately to seek medical attention following the shock and continued working. The apprentice was instructed to install surge diverters inside the main switchboard for a three-phase supply. The worker turned off the main switch inside the switchboard and instructed the apprentice how to install the surge diverters. The worker left to retrieve an item from the work vehicle, however, did not instruct the apprentice to stop work until they returned. The apprentice continued with the installation and used a metal screwdriver which inadvertently made contact with a metal part of the switchboard causing an arc flash.

  The contractor's licence was suspended for six months. An approved electrical safety system audit from an independent auditor must be completed, and their QTPs must complete competency units before the suspension is lifted. The contractor was issued with a caution and a $1,500 penalty.

• An electrical contractor failed to implement safe systems of work and procedures and lacked an understanding of testing and inspection procedures. The contractor had been awarded the tender to perform several upgrades at a public pool over several months and the work had been broken into stages.

  During commissioning of the new switchboard and cutover from the old switchboard, a submain neutral conductor was left unterminated. Power was re-instated to the distribution board resulting in significant property damage. The polarity test failed to identify the unterminated neutral, as it was performed at the old main switchboard instead of the distribution board.

  The contractor’s licence was suspended for six months and their QTPs must complete competency units before the suspension is lifted. The contractor was issued with a caution and a $1,300 penalty.

• An electrical worker failed to complete all mandatory tests and the reverse polarity was not identified while working on a street traffic pole. The worker disconnected the supply, marking cables with tape for future identification, and reconnected the cables into the exiting terminals in a configuration believed to be the same. The worker then re-energised and tested the supply for voltage but did not test with respect to an independent earth as is required when altering an incoming supply. This left exposed conductive parts, being the pole and cross call button, at a LV potential with respect to the earth.

  Two people received electric shocks while attempting to push a street call button. Energex was notified and disconnected the power.

  The electrical worker sought training after the incident and the licence holder was issued with a caution and a $800 penalty. This was in addition to receiving a $200 infringement notice from the ESO.

• An electrical contractor failed to provide sufficient on-going training of testing procedures and were not auditing to ensure correct test and isolation procedures were being followed. The lack of auditing to ensure, procedures, legislation and Australian Standards were being met led to members of the public and workers being exposed to the risk of electric shock.

  The ESO was notified when a different contractor attended a TAFE shortly after work was carried out. The contractor who performed the non-compliant work was instructed to rectify it, but this did not happen in a timely manner.

  The contractor's licence was cancelled and they must correct electrical work defects and non-compliance at their own expense. The contractor was issued with a severe reprimand and a $4,000 penalty.

• An electrical worker failed to identify electrical hazards and risks and implement a safe system of work while supervising an apprentice while maintaining an air conditioning unit. The worker partially entered the ceiling space and noticed the terminal covers had been left removed from the unit.

  The worker left the ceiling space and the apprentice went up with a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the circuit board in place. The apprentice received an electric shock and was taken to hospital.

  The worker's licence was suspended for three months, and competency units must be completed before the suspension is lifted. The licence holder was issued with a caution and a $500 penalty.

Commissioner for Electrical Safety and Chair of the Electrical Licensing Committee, Keith McKenzie said that in 2022 the Committee presided over 64 Disciplinary hearings. 31 were electrical contractors and 33 were electrical workers. The majority of the hearings were referrals from the ESO asking the committee to consider the following grounds for disciplinary action:

• Electrical contractor licence holders - the way the electrical work was performed is not electrically safe.
• Electrical Work licence holders - the holder performs or supervises electrical work, and the way the electrical work is performed is not electrically safe.

Electrical workers - as a QTP, foreperson, leading hand, or supervising an apprentice - must ensure they supervise electrical work - or disciplinary action can be taken.

Ensure you refer to the new version of AS/NZS 3017:2022 Electrical installations – Verification by inspection and testing.

Work safely to protect your licence - but more importantly work safely to protect the community.