Current at: 08 May 2006
HIA has had a significant win for common sense as the NSW Government has decided to wind back the restrictive regulations governing testing and tagging of worksite electrical equipment.
This change, effective from 28 April 2006, will bring NSW into line with the rest of Australia, apart from Western Australia.
The OH&S Regulation 2001 establishes electrical equipment must be tested and tagged every month on commercial sites and every three months on sites for single unit dwellings, regardless of whether there is a risk of damage or not.
The code of practice, Electrical Practices for Construction, referenced in the regulation required that only a qualified electrician could undertake basic testing and tagging work.
Due to the new amendments to the OH&S Regulation 2001 a competent person, who has completed the relevant training, is now able to undertake this work. Now members have the option of using a qualified electrician or a competent person who has completed the appropriate testing and tagging training course.
The old requirements were a thorn in the side of the industry and a gold mine for some electricians who did nothing else but travel from site to site placing coloured tags on electrical leads and equipment.
While this is a significant step in the right direction for the construction industry, more is needed.
Construction businesses in NSW spend three times the amount of money testing and tagging equipment than their state counterparts, despite the lack of evidence to support this regime.
HIA will seek that the one-month and three-month time periods for testing and tagging be extended to three months for commercial construction and six months for single-unit dwellings. This is the case in every other jurisdiction as is referenced in the Australian Standards.
Further information call your workplace adviser on 1300 650 620.