Electrical licensing disciplinary action
In October 2024, the Electrical Licensing Committee took disciplinary action against seven license holders:
1. An electrical contractor was commissioned to perform electrical work at a business, involving the replacement of an existing office air conditioning unit located on the roof of the property.
The electrical contractor failed to ensure a safe system of work was implemented to identify, isolate, lockout and tag the circuit supplying the air conditioning unit.
It is further understood that the contractor failed to ensure that electrical equipment that had been de-energised to allow electrical work to be carried out on it was not inadvertently re-energised while the work is being carried out, as required under section 16 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013.
As a result of this failure, the A/C circuit has been reenergised while work was being performed. An electrical worker was found unresponsive in the vicinity of an exposed energised conductor that was believed to be in the process of being terminated into an unswitched socket outlet.
The Electrical Licensing Committee decided to include conditions on the electrical contractor licence, effective immediately. All Qualified Technical Persons’ (QTP) must complete mandatory training in competency units within three months and the contractor must complete an approved electrical safety system audit from an independent auditor within six months. The contractor was issued with a reprimand which was to be included on the licensing public register, and to remain on the register for three years. The contractor was issued with a $4,000 penalty.
2 and 3. An electrical contractor and an electrical worker performed electrical work at a residence that included the replacement of three mains connection boxes on the property metering pole.
The electrical contractor failed to conduct the relevant verification testing to ensure that the electrical installation was electrically safe and compliant with the Wiring Rules, under the Electrical Safety Regulations 2013, section 71.
As a result of this failure, the electrical installation was energised with transposed active and neutral conductors at the consumers mains connection box. Persons at this location reported receiving electric shocks.
The Electrical Licensing Committee decided to include conditions on the electrical contractor licence, effective immediately. All QTP’s must complete mandatory training in competency units within three months. The contractor was issued with a caution and a $2,000 penalty. The worker was instructed to complete training in competency units within three months. The worker was issued with a caution and a $1,000 penalty.
4. An electrical contractor performed electrical work at a residence, that included the installation of a new PV solar system and an upgrade to the electrical switchboard.
The electrical contractor failed to ensure that the electrical installation, to the extent it was affected by the electrical work, was tested, and verified to ensure it was electrically safe and compliant with the Wirings Rules under the Electrical Safety Regulations 2013, section 71.
As a result of this failure, five final subcircuits were connected and energised with open circuit earth connections. Energex crews attended this property following reports persons at this location were receiving electric shocks.
The Electrical Licensing Committee decided to include conditions on the electrical contractor licence, effective immediately. All QTP’s must complete mandatory training in competency units within three months and the contractor must complete an approved electrical safety system audit from an independent auditor within six months. The contractor was issued with a caution and a $2,000 penalty. This was in addition to receiving an infringement notice from the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) totaling $400.
5. An electrical worker performed electrical work at a residence that included the installation of a new service line from an existing entity supply pole to a new property pole.
The electrical worker failed to ensure that the electrical installation, to the extent it was affected by the electrical work, was tested, and verified to ensure it was electrically safe and compliant with the Wirings Rules under the Electrical Safety Regulations 2013, section 71.
As a result of this failure, five final subcircuits were connected and energised with open circuit earth connections. Energex crews attended this property following reports persons at this location were receiving electric shocks.
The Electrical Licensing Committee decided to include conditions on the electrical worker licence, effective immediately. The worker was instructed to complete training in competency units within three months. The worker was issued with a caution and a $1,000 penalty.
6. An electrical contractor performed electrical work at a residence that included the temporary electrical supply for construction work and the complete rough-in, fit-off and commissioning of electrical equipment in three industrial sheds on this location.
The electrical contractor’s workers undertaking this task failed to ensure that the electrical installation, to the extent it was affected by the electrical work, was electrically safe and compliant with the Wirings Rules under section 71 of the Electrical Safety Regulations 2013.
As a result of this failure the electrical installation for the construction wiring was energised with multiple non compliances with the Wiring Rules. Persons working at this location were exposed to an electrical risk.
It is also understood the contractor allowed a person employed to perform electrical work without being the holder of an electrical work licence.
The Electrical Licensing Committee decided to cancel the electrical contractor licence. The cancellation was effective immediately. The disciplinary action regarding the cancellation is to be included on the licensing public register and will remain on the register for three years. The contractor was issued with a reprimand which was to be included on the licensing public register, and to remain on the register for three years. The contractor was issued with a $500 penalty. This was in addition to receiving an infringement notice from the ESO totaling $800.
7. An electrical worker performed electrical work included the temporary electrical supply for construction work and the complete rough-in, fit-off and commissioning of electrical equipment in three industrial sheds on this location.
The electrical worker failed to ensure that the electrical installation, to the extent it was affected by the electrical work, was electrically safe and compliant with the Wirings Rules under section 71 of the Electrical Safety Regulations 2013.
As a result of this failure the electrical installation for the construction wiring was energised with multiple non compliances with the Wiring Rules. Persons working at this location were exposed to an electrical risk.
It is also understood that the worker supervised a person to perform electrical work without being the holder of an electrical work licence.
The Electrical Licensing Committee decided to include conditions on the electrical worker licence, effective immediately. The worker was instructed to complete training in competency units.
The worker’s licence was amended to place a condition on the licence that the worker can only work under general supervision until such time that the worker has undertaken a competency assessment to be conducted by a registered training organisation (RTO) against the capstone assessment requirement of: UEEEL0039: - Design install and verify compliance and functionality of general electrical installations (Electrotechnology Training Package).
The electrical worker was disqualified from being a qualified technical person (QTP) for the holder of an electrical contractor licence for a period of ten (10) years.
The worker was issued with a $1,000 penalty and a reprimand, with the recommendation that the disciplinary action regarding the reprimand be included on the licensing public register, and to remain on the register for three years. This was in addition to receiving an infringement notice from the ESO totalling $800.