Electrical installing work
View the electrical installing work guidance note
View guidance for using using electrical eNotice
The Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 (Regulations) require electrical contractors to certify certain types of electrical installing work carried out in Western Australia. Depending on the type of work one or more of the following may be required:
- Preliminary notice
- Notice of completion
- Electrical safety certificate
Preliminary notices
An electrical contractor intending to carry out any notifiable electrical installing work, or cause any notifiable electrical installing work to be carried out, must submit a preliminary notice to the relevant electricity network operator before the proposed electrical installing work is commenced (Regulation 51).
Some exemptions are provided in the regulation.
If the electrical installation will not be connected to an electricity network operator's system, the notice must be sent to Building and Energy.
Notices of completion
An electrical contractor who carries out any notifiable electrical installing work, or causes any notifiable electrical installing work to be carried out, must submit a notice of completion to the relevant electricity network operator within three (3) days of completion of the work (Regulation 52).
Some exemptions are provided in the regulation.
Regulation 242 of the Electricity Regulations 1947 requires the network operator to have such a notice before connecting the electricity supply.
If the electrical installation will not be connected to an electricity network operator's system, the notice must be sent to Building and Energy.
A notice of completion is a legal document certifying that the installing work:
- has been completed;
- has been checked, tested and complies with all regulatory requirements; and
- is safe to connect to the electricity supply.
The electrical contractor must make a record of each test, inspection and verification that was carried out in accordance with the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules.
A copy of the notice of completion and the associated testing and checking records must be retained by the electrical contractor for a minimum of five (5) years.
Electrical safety certificates
An electrical contractor who carries out any electrical installing work (either notifiable or non-notifiable), or causes any electrical installing work to be carried out, must also submit an electrical safety certificate to the person for whom the work was done within 28 days of completion of the work (Regulation 52B).
Some exemptions are provided in the regulations (for example, an electrical safety certificate is not required for maintenance work).
An electrical safety certificate is a legal document certifying that the installing work:
- has been completed;
- has been checked, tested and complies with all regulatory requirements; and
- is safe to connect to the electricity supply.
A copy of the electrical safety certificate must be retained by the electrical contractor for a minimum of five (5) years.
Lodgement of notices and certificates
Electrical contractors may use Building and Energy's online application 'eNotice' to lodge (electronically) preliminary notices and notices of completion with network operators (or Building and Energy) and to deliver electrical safety certificates to the relevant persons. Use of this online service is free.
The sample inspection system
The sample inspection system recognises that some electrical workers and contractors are capable of getting the job done correctly the first time. It guarantees that the responsibility for ensuring that the work is done correctly rests with the electrical contractor and electrician, and not with the network operator.
The sample inspection system permits inspectors to audit a much wider range of industry work and ensure a safer result overall for the network operator's customers. For example, alterations and additions to domestic premises are a common activity and the electrical work associated with them is considered to offer greater safety problems than those in new dwellings. This system allows the network operator to establish an inspection surveillance in this area of work without increasing its inspection resource.
A notice of completion is received from the electrical contractor, which also provides details of the electrician who checked and tested the work. If the electrician's performance is satisfactory and he or she completes a reasonable volume of work within a defined time span, a sample rate (that is, one in five) is assigned to this electrician. Inspections are then carried out when the sample rate (that is, the fifth job) is reached.
The sample rate for new electrical installations is determined by the network operator and is based on a formula which is part of the network operator's approved inspection system plan. The electrician's sample rate is set automatically and continually adjusts depending on the electrician's performance and volume of work.
Working on or near energised electrical installations
Working on or near energised electrical equipment (live work) is an unsafe practice and too frequently results in burns, shocks, serious accidents and fatalities for electricians and other workers.
Compliance obligations for licensed electrical workers
The Electricity (Licensing) Amendment Regulations (No. 2), published in November 2017, do not permit electrical work to be performed on or near an exposed energised part of an electrical installation that can be de-energised. Work on energised parts of installation may occur in accordance with Regulation 55 of the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991.
This came into effect 14 May 2018.
View the Electricity (Licencing) Amendment Regulations (No.2) 2017
Regulation 55 limits performing work on or near live electrical equipment to circumstances only where:
- it is necessary for the work to be carried out effectively;
- the health and safety of one or more persons would be otherwise put in imminent and significant danger; or
- it is necessary in order to test, measure the performance of, or detect or locate faults or defects in, the part of the installation.
AND
- the risks can be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable; and
- the work can be carried out safely.
Code of Practice for persons working on or near energised electrical installations
Building and Energy developed a Code of Practice for persons working on or near energised electrical installations to assist electrical workers to comply with the new regulations.
Note: This new Code of Practice replaces the document “Code of Practice – Safe Low Voltage Work Practices by Electricians” published by the Director of Energy Safety in 2008.
Electrical arc flash hazard management guideline
The Australian Energy Council has developed an Electrical Arc Flash Hazard Management Guideline recommending minimum industry standards in managing electric arc flash hazard.
RCD requirements for installations
All installations constructed after 1 January 2019 have to comply with AS/NZS 3000:2018, the Wiring Rules. As such, all final sub-circuits including those protecting hard-wired appliances (for example: stoves, air-conditioners, and the like) in residential premises are to be RCD protected.
RCD requirements for domestic dwellings being offered for sale, rent or hire
Under the Electricity Regulations 1947 (the Regulations) all residential premises to be sold, rented, made available as short-term rental accommodation or hired must have at least two RCDs protecting the final sub-circuits to socket outlets and lighting. There must be no more than three final sub-circuits per RCD. The lighting circuits (if there are two or more) must be divided between the RCDs.
The Regulations were amended in November 2018, to remove references to the Wiring Rules. The requirements for RCDs for residences being sold, rented or hired remain unchanged.
The law does NOT require RCDs on final sub-circuits protecting hard-wired appliances.
Owners of existing residences constructed prior to 1 January 2019 may decide to protect all the final sub-circuits, but this is optional and not mandatory.
If an electrical contractor is engaged to verify that RCDs are fitted to a residence intended for sale, rent or hire, they need to ensure that, as a minimum, RCDs are fitted as required by Electricity Regulations 1947 not AS/NZS 3000:2018.
Further details are provided in the Electricity Regulations 1947, Regulation 12 to 18 available from https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au.
Print this page
