Amendments to the Electrical Safety Regulation
The Electrical Safety Amendment Regulation (No2) 2009 recently introduced changes to Queensland’s electrical safety legislation.
These amendments to the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 simplify the insurance requirements for applicants for electrical contractor licence and clarify the consultation requirements when licensed electrical work is undertaken in the vicinity of electric lines.
Electrical contractor licence requirements simplified. (Section 43)
Applicants for an electrical contractor licence were required to provide evidence of net realisable assets of $5000 in addition to holding public liability insurance. This provision was introduced prior to the introduction of the present electrical safety regulatory framework. It was intended to provide some surety of the financial capacity of a contractor to complete work projects. The later introduction of the requirement that all electrical contractors hold public liability and consumer protection insurance has rendered the proof of net realisable assets provision redundant and it is removed by this amendment.
A further amendment to this section sees the inclusion of the requirement for electrical contractor license applicants to hold consumer protection insurance. This has been a requirement contained in electrical licensing policy for a number of years but has not previously been part of the Electrical Safety Regulations 2002. The Regulation has therefore been amended in order to clarify the consumer protection element of the insurance eligibility requirements for an electrical contractor licence.
Clarification of consultation requirements (Section 64A)
This provision relates to the situation where work is to be performed near an overhead electric line and a person or plant could come within the electric line exclusion zone. The amendment introduces an exclusion from the requirements of the section for an ‘eligible person’ undertaking low voltage electrical work.
An associated amendment of the Schedule 9 Dictionary includes the definition of an ‘eligible person’ as “a licensed electrical contractor; or a person who holds an electrical mechanic licence and is performing work for a licensed electrical contractor as an employee of the contractor; or a person who holds an electrical mechanic licence and is performing work for the person or a relative of the person at premises owned or occupied by the person or relative”.
Change of name – Schedule 6
A further minor amendment to Schedule 6 of the Regulation which lists original prescribed electricity entities notes a change in company name from Comalco Aluminium Limited to Rio Tinto Aluminium Limited.
These changes which are effective from 1 December 2009 will reduce the regulatory burden for licensed electrical contractors and provide clarity in respect of the insurance requirements for license applicants.