As a licensed and registered electrician, you have regulatory responsibilities.
This guideline is aimed at providing an overview of responsibilities that are now incumbent upon you under the Electricity Safety Act (the Act) and pursuant regulations.
As an A Grade electrician, you must:
- upon receipt, sign your Electrician licence card
- notify Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) within 10 days of any change of name and/or address details
- when carrying out electrical installation work and at the request of ESV, produce your Electrician licence card, or details of your licence
- ensure all electrical circuits are correctly isolated from supply or adequate precautions are taken to prevent shock or injury. Note: guidance for safe work on low voltage is detailed in AS/NZS 4836.
- ensure your electrical installation work complies with the Act, Electricity Safety (Installations) and relevant standards
- complete all mandatory tests on your electrical installation work in accordance with the Act and Electricity Safety (General) Regulations before it is connected to an electricity supply
- complete the appropriate Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) within the required times for the work undertaken
- notify ESV on 1800 000 922 as soon as reasonably practicable of any serious electrical incidents relating to your work which causes, or has the potential to cause:
- the death of or injury to a person
- significant damage to property
- a serious risk to public safety.
Additionally, and within 20 business days after the incident, submit an Electrical Incident Report Form:
Send the form to:
Energy Safe Victoria
Attn: Electrical Incidents
PO Box 262
COLLINS STREET WEST VIC 8007
Email: info@energysafe.vic.gov.au
- For any electric shock relating to your work or at the location you are working at, submit an Electrical Incident Report Form within 20 business days after becoming aware of the incident. The written report must be sent to the above address[1].
As an A grade electrician, you must not:
- carry out, or offer to carry out electrical installation work for profit, gain or reward, unless you hold a current Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) licence
- carry out electrical installation work, unless your Electrician’s licence is current – it is your responsibility to know your licence expiry date
- install any electrical equipment which will be unsafe if connected to an electricity supply
- carry out any electrical equipment work that will make either the equipment or the building unsafe if connected to an electricity supply.
As an A grade electrician, you should:
- know the expiry date of your licence
- maintain knowledge of the following documents (as amended from time to time):
- Electricity Safety Act
- Electricity Safety (General) Regulations
- Electricity Safety (Registration and Licensing) Regulations
- AS/NZS 3000: Wiring Rules and all other standards applicable to your work including referenced sections of the Building Code of Australia (BCA)
- the Victorian Electricity Distributors Service and Installation Rules
- ensure you have current copies of legislation, Australian Standards and Codes of Practice pertaining to electrical installation work
- understand your OH&S responsibilities
- wear appropriate protective clothing and equipment (PPE).
As an A grade electrician, you should understand:
- ESV may direct a person responsible for non-compliant electrical work to rectify that work at no cost to the customer
- ESV may take disciplinary action if you fail to comply with the ESA or relevant regulations including suspension and/or cancellation of your licence, infringement notices and prosecution.
The information presented in this guideline is intended for general use only. It should not be viewed as a definitive guide to the law, and should be read in conjunction with the Act and relevant regulations.
The word ‘must’ indicates that legal requirements exist, which must be complied with. The word ‘should’ indicates a recommended course of action, while ‘may’ indicates an optional course of action.
[1] An electrical worker is not required to notify / provide written reports to ESV if they have reported the incident to, and it is confirmed that the employer / person in control of the workplace or the relevant REC has notified ESV / provided the written reports to ESV, as required.
Date: 30/03/2023 22:42
Controlled document
The currency and accuracy of this document cannot be guaranteed once printed or saved to a storage device. If in doubt, please check the ESV website for the current version.
Reviewed 31 January 2023