Electrical registration

[lb99]

as a rural drainlayer I frequently have to replace pumps/breakers/modify circuits on waste disposal systems.
this usually involves diagnosis and direct replacement of components with the occasional modification when installing timers and alarms and such.
I know I should have some sort of trade certificate, can anyone point me at which one I need to do?

[neels]

If you're not working on any fixed wiring, as in wiring from the switchboard to an outlet or connection point, or inside switchboards then you could probably get away with electrical service technician registration, used to be A up to 230V with a plug or B up to 460 volts and connecting/disconnecting fixed wiring.

If you're installing new circuits from switchboards to pumps then you probably need electrician registration.

All this stuff is changing at the moment, so might pay to check up with EWRB about what you need, I think they are adding a couple of new registration classes for plumbers and heat pump installers.

[lb99]

It usually just involves a 3 pin plug, but some units are hard wired into a control box with breakers, a zelio ect.
I deal with the wiring between (and including) the control box and the tank, anything between the control box and the house (inc 3 phase) then I get an electrician, so is pretty much like appliance repair
It seems a bit stupid to me to travel for 3hours only to say "your pump is crook, i can replace it but i will need to get the sparky here to put the plug on"

[davereid]

It usually just involves a 3 pin plug, but some units are hard wired into a control box with breakers, a zelio ect.
I deal with the wiring between (and including) the control box and the tank, anything between the control box and the house (inc 3 phase) then I get an electrician, so is pretty much like appliance repair
It seems a bit stupid to me to travel for 3hours only to say "your pump is crook, i can replace it but i will need to get the sparky here to put the plug on"

I used to have electrical registration.

One day I got a letter from those cunts at the EWRB telling me that as a registered electrical worker, I now faced much higher fines (potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars) for making a mistake, that I could no longer insure against the fines, that I now needed thousands of dollars worth of extra test equipment, and that that I had to pay some extra fees to stay registered.

I declined to pay the fees, and I got a lovely letter saying I could no longer do prescribed electrical work.
If I did and I made a mistake or got caught, I faced a (maximum) $2000 fine.

I wrote back and said it sounded like a great deal !

I have never bothered with electrical work since then, but you will find the EWRB a bunch of cunts.

[CookMySock]

I used to have electrical registration.

One day I got a letter from those cunts at the EWRB telling me that as a registered electrical worker, I now faced much higher fines (potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars) for making a mistake, that I could no longer insure against the fines, that I now needed thousands of dollars worth of extra test equipment, and that that I had to pay some extra fees to stay registered.

I declined to pay the fees, and I got a lovely letter saying I could no longer do prescribed electrical work.
If I did and I made a mistake or got caught, I faced a (maximum) $2000 fine.

I wrote back and said it sounded like a great deal !

I have never bothered with electrical work since then, but you will find the EWRB a bunch of cunts.Woh that's an interesting story. Everything's going that way - play by our rules while we justify keeping ourselves in business, while we make your life hell.

What they need is some competition.


Steve

[Swoop]

It usually just involves a 3 pin plug, but some units are hard wired into a control box with breakers, a zelio ect.
I deal with the wiring between (and including) the control box and the tank, anything between the control box and the house (inc 3 phase) then I get an electrician, so is pretty much like appliance repair
If you are in paid employment and doing electrical work without the right qualifications, you will be in serious trouble if caught.
It is different if you are the owner of the residence where you are doing electrical work.

Dangerous waters here.

[Ocean1]

Further evidence of the feminisation of the whole regulatory industry.

"We don't care what you do *sniff* but if we don't like it we'll see you in court".

Wonder what all this crap costs... the two anti-crash trucks and control ute scattered over the 500metres before the mower on the roadside etc, etc.

[davereid]

If you are in paid employment and doing electrical work without the right qualifications, you will be in serious trouble if caught.
It is different if you are the owner of the residence where you are doing electrical work.

Dangerous waters here.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/archive/national-news/469888

Looks like the fine is now up $10,000 if you do prescribed work when not registered. ?

I'm not sure fitting a three pin plug is prescribed work though... I think only fixed wiring is.

A call to the registrar may help, although I bet you find they offer more barriers than solutions..

[lb99]

If you are in paid employment and doing electrical work without the right qualifications, you will be in serious trouble if caught.
It is different if you are the owner of the residence where you are doing electrical work.

Dangerous waters here.

yep, it is a real worry. boss is keen to get me certified or whatever, specially after I told him about the fine.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/archive/national-news/469888

Looks like the fine is now up $10,000 if you do prescribed work when not registered. ?

I'm not sure fitting a three pin plug is prescribed work though... I think only fixed wiring is.

A call to the registrar may help, although I bet you find they offer more barriers than solutions..

barriers are all i'm getting so far. I cant decipher their website

[BoristheBiter]

as a rural drainlayer I frequently have to replace pumps/breakers/modify circuits on waste disposal systems.
this usually involves diagnosis and direct replacement of components with the occasional modification when installing timers and alarms and such.
I know I should have some sort of trade certificate, can anyone point me at which one I need to do?

If i can remember right you have to do two papers (a&b) plus hours. other than that you can wire a plug up but nothing else.
I will check with the sparkys and get back to you.

[neels]

This might help, the registration classes proposed last year which I think have now become official.

Have a look and see where your work fits.

[Swoop]

...other than that you can wire a plug up but nothing else.
Might be worthwhile to check on that.

As far as I know, if you are in paid employment then you cannot DO anything with electrical connections. Period. Even if the boss tells you to wire up that plug, it is illegal to do so. A "proper" sparky must be used.

[Mom]

Might be worthwhile to check on that.

As far as I know, if you are in paid employment then you cannot DO anything with electrical connections. Period. Even if the boss tells you to wire up that plug, it is illegal to do so. A "proper" sparky must be used.

I was under the impression you can disconnect something, but you are not permitted to reconnect it.

[Swoop]

I was under the impression you can disconnect something, but you are not permitted to reconnect it.
Pretty much the same thing. If a device appears dangerous, it should be shut down and a sparky called to inspect/fix it. Anyone can pull a fuse out or flip the circuit breaker, or pull the plug.

Edit: A belated Happy Birthday chicky!!

[nadroj]

Anyone can work on electric appliances however as soon as you do it for reward (paid or favour) you must have the appropriate electrical ticket for the job. Minimum qualifications & current practising licences are: Unplugable Single phase appliances = Service technician A, hard wired single phase & 3 phase machinery = Service technician B, Fixed wiring = Electrician

[imdying]

I wonder how many people have heat pumps installed in their homes that void their home insurance? :eek:

[lb99]

This might help, the registration classes proposed last year which I think have now become official.

Have a look and see where your work fits.

Looks like Electrical Appliance Serviceperson is the one I want, now to find a course, ffs what a minefied, gobbledegook at every turn, rang the registration outfit, and they honestly said I needed to talk to the Plumbers gasfitters drainlayers board ffs.

probably just easier to hire a sparky and cart him everywhere incase I need him.

[neels]

Looks like Electrical Appliance Serviceperson is the one I want, now to find a course, ffs what a minefied, gobbledegook at every turn, rang the registration outfit, and they honestly said I needed to talk to the Plumbers gasfitters drainlayers board ffs.

probably just easier to hire a sparky and cart him everywhere incase I need him.
If you don't work on anything 3 phase then you're probably OK, otherwise it's 400V between phases so it's over the 250V limit.

[pete376403]

Mitre 10, Bunnings, etc sell electrical fittings, cable, and so on to anyone, as will wholesalers like Mastertrade, etc. So there must be a fair bit of unauthorised work (and not just fitting a three pin plug) going on by people who are unqualified to do it. So you'd expect to see a lot of reports about people frying themselves and burning down houses, because of all the illegal wiring, badly connected fittings, whatever.
At work we get a booklet from (I think) the electrical registration board detailing all the electrical "incidents" - fatal, injury, etc that have occurred over the past few months or thereabouts.
Funny thing is, more than 90% of the book is devoted to events caused by registered electricians. Sure registered guys are doing far, far more work than the unregistered guys, but with all the warnings that the board put out, amateurs should be going down like flies - yet it seems to be the pros making the cock-ups / getting hurt.

[BoristheBiter]

We are in the same boat here at work, mainly fitting work but need a saprky to wire up contactors, motors etc. we used to employ sparkys but found that they were a complete waste of time (I know there are some very good electricians out there and have worked with a few of them, but i have worked with some that know f all.) as a fitter can do electrics but god forbid a sparky would even think of doing somthing like remove a motor to get repaired.
We here do all our own basic electrical work (thats what it is) and if i need something signed off or work with mains wiring i get a contractor in.

[davereid]

So you'd expect to see a lot of reports about people frying themselves and burning down houses, because of all the illegal wiring, badly connected fittings, whatever.... Funny thing is, more than 90% of the book is devoted to events caused by registered electricians. Sure registered guys are doing far, far more work than the unregistered guys, but with all the warnings that the board put out, amateurs should be going down like flies - yet it seems to be the pros making the cock-ups / getting hurt.

I have just read and binned the latest one of these reports. There were (as usual) No accidents caused by unregistered workers. Several fires in switchboards (who knows who may have done the wiring.)

The multi-board featured twice causing fires..

I quote it verbatim.. but I binned it !

[Swoop]

Mitre 10, Bunnings, etc sell electrical fittings, cable, and so on to anyone, as will wholesalers like Mastertrade, etc. So there must be a fair bit of unauthorised work (and not just fitting a three pin plug) going on by people who are unqualified to do it.
A homeowner is permitted to perform limited work on their residence. So long as they are not going anywhere near the main circuitboard...
Replacing outlets and light fittings type of stuff.
The crucial area is that they are working on their own property. If they cock up, it's their injury/insurance claim/funeral...

[nadroj]

A homeowner is permitted to perform limited work on their residence. So long as they are not going anywhere near the main circuitboard...
Replacing outlets and light fittings type of stuff.
The crucial area is that they are working on their own ..PRIVATE.. property. If they cock up, it's their injury/insurance claim/funeral...

...........

[neels]

A lot of words, from the Electricity Regulations 2010, about what you can and can't do. You need to be registered to do prescribed electrical work, and licenced to do it for reward.

Prescribed electrical work
1 The following electrical work is prescribed electrical work,
unless it is work described in clause 2:
(a) the installation or maintenance of conductors used in
works or installations:
(b) the installation or maintenance of fittings connected, or
intended to be connected, to conductors used in works
or installations:
(c) the connection or disconnection of fittings to or from a
power supply, other than by means of a plug or pin inserted
into a socket, or an appliance connector inserted
into an appliance inlet:
(d) the maintenance of appliances:
(e) the testing of work described in paragraphs (a) to (d)
that is not work described in clause 2:
(f) the certification of work described in paragraphs (a) to
(d) that is not work described in clause 2:
(g) the inspection of work described in paragraphs (a) to (d)
that is not work described in clause 2:
(h) the supervision of any work described in paragraphs (a)
to (d) that is not work described in clause 2.

2 The following work is not prescribed electrical work:
Low voltage fittings
(a) work done on low voltage fittings, but only if the work is
done in accordance with ECP 51, and without payment
or reward, and the work consists of—
(i) replacing a fuse link with a fuse link or plug-in
miniature circuit breaker of an appropriate rating;
or
(ii) affixing a plug, adaptor, cord extension socket, or
appliance connector of an appropriate rating to a
flexible cord designed for that purpose:
Extra-low voltage supply
(b) work done on installations, fittings, or appliances that—
(i) are intended solely for connection to, or are associated
solely with, electricity supplies not exceeding
extra-low voltage; and
(ii) are not in a hazardous area:
(c) work done on installations or fittings that—
(i) are intended solely for connection to, or are associated
solely with, electricity supplies not exceeding
extra-low voltage; and
(ii) are not in a medical location:
(d) repairing or adjusting fittings, or replacing fittings with
the same or comparable fittings, in installations or appliances,
but only if the work can be done without exposure
to live parts intended to operate at voltages exceeding
extra-low voltage: