Issuing certificates of compliance

• Requirements of section 15 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002
• Requirements of section 159 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002
• ESO example certificate

After working on electrical equipment or connecting electrical installations, sections 15 and 159 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF File, 1.02 MB) (the Regulation) usually require a certificate of testing and safety or a certificate of testing and compliance. The certificate is issued by the licensed electrical contractor, under whose licence number the work or connection was performed.

The Electrical Safety Office (ESO) has an example certificate that may be used to help meet the requirements under sections 15 and 159 of the Regulation. Please see the example certificate section below.

Licensed electrical contractors' may want to use a commercially available certificate or design their own document. These documents need to meet the requirements of sections 15 or 159 of the Regulation.

Requirements of section 15 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002

Certificate of testing and safety

For electrical equipment

After electrical work that required testing under Part 2, Division 4 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002, the licensed electrical contractor needs to:

• As soon as possible after testing, give the person for whom the work was performed a certificate that states the following:
  • the name and address of the person for whom the work was performed
  • the details of the electrical equipment tested
  • the day the electrical equipment was tested
  • the electrical contractor licence number under which the electrical equipment was tested
  • a statement on the certificate that certifies the electrical equipment (to the extent it is affected by the electrical work) has been tested to ensure it is electrically safe.
• Keep a copy of the certificate for at least five years after the certificate was given to the person the work was performed for.

Requirements of section 159 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002

Certificate of testing and compliance

For electrical installations

A certificate is required after working on an electrical installation and connecting it to a source of electricity by the person for whom the work was done.

• The electrical contractor must provide the certificate with the following information as soon as possible after the connection:
  • the name and address of the person for whom the work was performed
  • the details of the electrical installation tested
  • the day the electrical installation was tested
  • the electrical contractor licence number under which the electrical installation was tested
  • a statement on the certificate that certifies the electrical installation (to the extent it is affected by the electrical work) has been tested to ensure it is electrically safe and is in accordance with the requirements of the wiring rules and any other standard applying under the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 to the electrical installation.
• The electrical contractor keeps a copy of the certificate for at least 5 years after the certificate is given to the person the work was performed for.

ESO example certificate

This certificate can be used as either a certificate of testing and safety or a certificate of testing and compliance. This could make it easier for contractors in situations like issuing certificates in the field as the one certificate can be used for both purposes.

Example certificates are supplied in both PDF and Word format:

• Example certificate (PDF File, 23.1 KB)
• Example certificate (MS Word Document, 78.5 KB).

The certificate has two pages, the first is the actual certificate and the second is frequently asked questions.

Benefits of the ESO example certificate

• This certificate can be used as either a certificate of testing and safety or a certificate of testing and compliance.
• All you need to do is put a mark in the relevant check-box near the top of the certificate then fill out the other details in the spaces provided. Give the original to the person the work was performed for and keep a copy for at least five years.
• Printed certificates can be filled in by hand and issued in the field.
• Certificates can be personalised by adding your company’s details to the box in the top left corner of the certificate with a stamp or sticker.
• Save a copy of the Word example certificate (MS Word Document, 78.5 KB) to your computer for additional benefits:
  • You can personalise the certificate by adding your company details to the box in the top left corner of the certificate.
  • You can fill in the certificate on your computer, print a copy for the person the work was performed for and save an electronic copy for your records. Remember to keep a copy for at least five years.
  • The Word version is a locked document. You can only enter information into the fields which appear grey with small circles inside. Click on the area and then enter required information.

For more information on certificates of testing and safety or certificates of testing and compliance see the frequently asked questions on page two of the example certificate.