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• Prescribed Electrical Work

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Only registered and licensed electrical workers may undertake prescribed electrical work (PEW). This aims to increase the safety of the public by ensuring non-competent workers do not attempt to undertake such work. As such, prescribed electrical work is explicitly linked to the electrical worker licence classes defined and administered by the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB).

The Electricity Act provides for the detailed definition of prescribed electrical work to be set out in the regulations. The Act sets out the scope or boundaries for this definition. In 2006, amendments to the Electricity Act extended the scope so that the Act now provides that prescribed electrical work covers:

• Design, construction and maintenance of electrical installations;
• Design, construction and maintenance of works;
• Maintenance of electrical appliances;
• Connection/disconnection of works, electrical installations, and electrical appliances to or from a power supply, other than by means of:
  • a plug; or
  • an appliance inlet; or
  • a pin –
  that is inserted into a socket outlet; and
• Testing, certification, inspection or supervision of the work described above.

Words in bold are those matters added to the scope by the 2006 amendments.

The existing Regulation 17 sets out in detail what is prescribed electrical work. It is proposed to carry forward these regulatory requirements as below but with a number of amendments and additions in order to more adequately define prescribed electrical work.

It is proposed to carry forward Regulation 17(1) (a) – (c) which outlines what is considered to be prescribed electrical work. In relation to works and installations, this includes the installation of conductors, fittings that are connected or intended to be connected to conductors, and the maintenance of appliances. In relation to works, installations, and appliances, prescribed electrical work is the connection, disconnection of conductors to or from a power supply other than by means of a plug, an appliance inlet or a pin that is inserted into a socket outlet.

It is also proposed to add to these requirements the design for low voltage installations. Complementing this provision will be an exclusion for when a low voltage installation complies with Part 2 of AS/NZS 3000:2007. This addition addresses the safety risks that such installations potentially create from not following accepted industry best practice.

It is also proposed to add to the prescribed electrical work requirements; testing, certification, inspection or supervision of matters prescribed under the regulations related to works, installations and the maintenance of appliances (covered by (a) – (c)). The intention of this addition is to ensure that testing, certification, inspection and supervision are conducted by registered and licensed electrical workers. This addresses work that has increased safety risks or involves non-standard practices. Testing, certification and inspection increase accountabilities for the worker and provide greater assurances of safety for the public.

Exclusions

Current Regulation 17(2) gives a list of exclusions from the definition of prescribed electrical work. It is proposed to carry forward this list of exclusions with amendments as explained.

• Regulation 17(2) (a): Work on electrical installations and electrical appliances that operate at extra low voltage (ELV). This regulation is proposed to be carried forward. However, there are specialist circumstances, such as extra low voltage electro-medical devices and hazardous areas, where the worker should be required to be competent and the work certified. Additionally, some ELV installations and appliances can amplify the voltage. In these cases, it is proposed that such specialist ELV work is prescribed electrical work and therefore should not be excluded from the definition.
• Regulation 17(2) (b): Repairs or adjustments to works, electrical installations, fittings, or electrical appliances or the replacement of extra-low voltage or mechanical fittings in electrical installations or electrical appliances, provided (in each case) that the work can be undertaken without removing any screens, covers, or the like designed to prevent inadvertent contact with fittings intended to be supplied at voltages above extra-low. This regulation is proposed to be carried forward although it is proposed to be streamlined to read along the lines work where the safety of the works, installation, fitting or appliance is not affected. This type of wording is considered to better capture the intent of the regulation.
• Regulation 17(2)(c): The operation of works, electrical installations or electrical appliances is proposed not to be carried forward, as such operation is already not considered to be prescribed electrical work under the Act and Regulation 17(1).
• Regulation 17(2)(d): Operation or switching of works, installations, appliances, including the manual connection or disconnection of temporary earthing or bonding fittings, for the purpose of isolating and earthing those works, installations, or appliances. This regulation is proposed to be carried forward.
• Regulation 17(2) (e) and (f): The construction of overhead (and for Regulation (f) underground lines) as part of any works when they are not connected to a power supply, the work is done by a competent person and the works have been designed to ensure safety during construction. These regulations are proposed to be carried forward. It is also proposed to remove "as part of any works" as these matters also apply to installations.
• Regulation 17(2) (g): The permanent removal, dismantling or demolition of any works or any electrical installation that has been permanently disconnected from a power supply. This regulation is proposed to be carried forward.
• Regulation 17(2) (h): The installation, adjustment, alteration, repair, or removal of conductors, supports, or insulators of any electric fence, and their connection to or disconnection from, an electric fence controller. This regulation is proposed to be carried forward.
• Regulation 17(2)(i): The connection and disconnection of a temporary bonding conductor to or from any metal pipe or tube that forms, whether by design or not, part of the earthing system, where the temporary bonding conductor is for the purpose of maintaining a continuous path to earth during work on the pipe or tube. This regulation is proposed to be carried forward.
• Regulation 17(2) (j): The rewinding of coils and armatures, but not including the reassembly, testing, and connection of any electrical appliance. This regulation is proposed to be carried forward.
• Regulation 17(2) (k): Experimental work on radio transmitters, receivers, and electronic apparatus, provided the work is not carried out for payment or reward. This regulation is proposed to be carried forward.
• Regulation 17(2)(l): Work done on or in connection with any electrical installation, fittings, or electrical appliance, used for telecommunications purposes, where:
  • the electrical installation, fittings, or electrical appliance operates at telecommunications network voltage; or
  • shock currents and their duration cannot exceed the IEC shock current standard, -
    
    Provided that the work may be undertaken without removing any screens, covers, or the like designed to prevent inadvertent contact with fittings operating at supply voltage in excess of extra-low voltage or telecommunications network voltage, as the case may be.
  
  It is proposed to carry forward this regulation but amended to make it clear that all work on "normal" telecommunications networks is not considered to be prescribed electrical work. Currently, the regulation, by mentioning the removal of screens etc, is a practical impediment to work on telecommunication networks where the risk of harm at normal telecommunications voltage is low.
• Regulation 17(2) (m): Work done on or in connection with any telecommunications line or any telecommunications network equipment (other than that to which paragraph (l) applies) which is associated with telecommunications lines, provided that the work may be undertaken without removing any screens, covers, or the like designed to prevent inadvertent contact with fittings operating at supply voltage in excess of extra-low voltage or telecommunications network voltage, as the case may be. It is proposed to carry forward this regulation.
• Regulation 17(2)(n): Work done on low voltage fittings, where –
  • the work consists of –
    • the replacement of a fuse link with a fuse link or a miniature circuit breaker of an appropriate rating; or
    • Affixing a fitting (being a plug, an adaptor, a cord extension socket, or an appliance connector) of an appropriate rating to a flexible cord that is designed to have such a fitting affixed to it; and
  • there is in force in respect of the work a standard set by the Chief Executive for the purpose; and
  • the work is done in a competent manner, without payment or reward, and in accordance with that standard.

It is proposed to not carry forward (2) (n) as homeowner work is prescribed electrical work by definition. Additional controls for homeowner work to ensure the safety of the person doing the work and of the work done can be found under the homeowner exemptions proposed for the new regulations.

• Regulation 17(2) (o): The assembly and repair of radio apparatus, fire control equipment, or searchlights, where the apparatus, equipment, or searchlights are used solely for defence purposes under the control of the New Zealand Defence Force, and an officer or a non-commissioned officer having control of the apparatus, equipment, or a searchlight has directed the conditions of security that must be observed in the assembly or repair. It is proposed to carry forward this regulation.
• Regulation 17(2)(p): The installation of any temporary conductors between fittings, or between electrical appliances, or between fittings and electrical appliances are used for experimental testing, demonstration, teaching, or research purposes in any electrical engineering workshop, electrical test room, laboratory, hospital, research project, or teaching institution. It is proposed to carry forward this regulation.

It is also proposed to add to the exclusions an exclusion for when a low voltage installation complies with Part 2 of AS/NZS 3000:2007 (complementing the proposed inclusion of design related to low voltage installations as prescribed electrical work).

Who Can Undertake Prescribed Electrical Work

The 2006 amendments to the Electricity Act established a new registration/licensing scheme for workers. The Electrical Workers Registration Board is responsible for the classes of registration and licensing. They will specify the prescribed electrical work that each of the classes are authorised to do.

Anyone who undertakes an aspect of prescribed electrical work that their class doesn't include (and which their licence/registration doesn't specify) will be in breach of the legislation.

The Board can impose limitations on the classes of registration and can exempt a person or class of person from being authorised to undertake prescribed electrical work. Accordingly, existing Regulations 18-22 that outline restrictions on prescribed electrical work will not be carried forward, as the Board will set the classes of registration and specify what prescribed electrical work each class can undertake.