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During September 2019, the Electrical Licensing Committee held disciplinary hearings against five licence holders:

1. An electrical contractor failed to implement safe systems of work and procedures. The electrical contractor did not effectively audit an employee’s work to ensure procedures, legislation and Australian standards were being met. This resulted in an apprentice receiving an electric shock and members of the public and workers being exposed to the risk of electric shock. The contractor’s licence was suspended for six months, deferred for two independent audits to be conducted by an independent auditor to ensure the contractor has adequate electrical safety systems and procedures in place, the completion of competency units by all qualified technical persons without recognition of prior learning, and to provide verification of competency in electrical risk assessment, electrical isolation, lockout/tagout, testing for dead and reenergisation following a safe system of work. The contractor received a severe reprimand and was fined $3500.
2. An electrical contractor failed to adequately determine an electrical worker’s competency before sending him to the job. The electrical contractor did not effectively audit the employee’s work in the field to ensure procedures, legislation and Australian Standards were being met. This resulted in non-compliant electrical work being conducted and members of the public and workers being exposed to the risk of electric shock. The worker received arc flash burns working near energised equipment. The contractor’s licence was suspended for six months, deferred to enable completion of two audits to be conducted by an independent auditor to ensure the contractor has adequate electrical safety systems and procedures in place. The contractor was fined $3000.
3. The qualified technical person (QTP) for an electrical contractor failed to adequately supervise an electrical worker and implement safe systems of work. The QTP failed to conduct compliant testing to ensure the work completed by the employee was electrically safe and compliant with AS/NZ3000. Subsequently non-compliant electrical work requiring immediate disconnection was identified. The QTP’s electrical work licence and QTP status was suspended for three months, deferred to enable completion of competency training without recognition of prior learning and to provide verification of competency in electrical risk assessment, electrical isolation, lockout/tagout, testing for dead and reenergisation following a safe system of work. He was fined $1000.
4. An electrical worker failed to identify electrical hazards/risk and implement safe systems of work when altering a single-phase circuit breaker within the main switchboard. The worker received arc flash burns. Later, Ergon Energy were performing metering alternations when they identified non-compliant electrical work requiring immediate disconnection. The worker’s licence was suspended for three months, deferred to enable completion of competency training without recognition of prior learning. He was fined $800.
5. An electrical worker failed to identify electrical risk and implement and follow safe systems of work resulting in a live wire not being terminated, causing an electrical apprentice to receive an electric shock. The electrical worker did not adequately supervise the electrical apprentice to ensure procedures, legislation and Australian standards were met. The electrical worker’s licence was suspended for three months, deferred to enable completion of competency training without recognition of prior learning. He received a severe reprimand and was fined $400.

The committee’s actions were in addition to fines and notices already issued by the Electrical Safety Office.