The Electrical Licensing Committee disqualified a negligent electrical contractor from holding an electrical work licence for a period of 10 years.

The electrical sole trader was previously directed by the committee to undergo an assessment of his competency under section 64c of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 and was deemed competent in June 2019. After the assessment, the committee received new referrals in July 2019 of electrical work performed in multiple locations that had multiple serious defects, breaches against AS/NZ3000 and exposed live terminals, placing people and property at serious risk from electric shock.

The committee determined there were no safety management systems in place and there was a lack of auditing of employees’ work in the field to ensure procedures, legislation and Australian Standards were being met.

During July and August 2019, the committee held disciplinary hearings against six other licence holders. In four of theses hearings, electrical contractors failed to de-energise a site correctly or follow mandatory lock/tag out procedures, resulting in electric shock. The contractors were fined and required to complete further competency training.

These hearings highlight the importance of managing personal and public health and safety in the workplace. Systems such as ME Safety help electrical contractors to meet their obligations under national workplace health and safety legislation, providing access to essential documentation including lock/tag out procedures, safety meetings, expert advice and field risk assessments.

Read the full ESO guidance note (member login required).

Not a member? Join MEA to read the full article and access other essential updates.