Changes to certification of electrical/gas installation work

Changes to certification of electrical and gas installation work

Changes to the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010 come into effect on 1 July 2013.

Energy Safety; the Electrical Workers Registration Board; the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board; and Standards New Zealand have developed a series of online presentations to assist electricians, gasfitters, and other practitioners in transitioning to the new regulatory regime.

Changes to the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010 come into effect on 1 July 2013. The changes introduce a risk-based approach for the certification of electrical and gas installation work, which emphasises safety and accountability.
Energy Safety; the Electrical Workers Registration Board; the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board; and Standards New Zealand have developed a series of online presentations to assist electricians, gasfitters, and other practitioners in transitioning to the new regulatory regime.

To learn about the changes to the regulations visit the Energy Safety website

Electrical installation work

Key changes to the electrical installation certification regime include:

• extending certification to cover all electrical installation work
• dividing electrical work into three categories based on risk, namely: low risk, general, and high risk – these replace the previous categories: 'work exempted from certification', 'work subject to inspection', and 'all other work'
• clarifying the roles and responsibilities associated with manufacturers' instructions, suppliers' declarations of conformity, and certified designs
• allowing industry organisations and individuals to produce their own certificates that have the required information on them and are identified by the authentication mark, in addition, certificates may now be electronically stored and transmitted
• introducing the requirement for an electrical safety certificate to be issued after connection, in most cases the electrical safety certificate can be incorporated in the certificate of compliance.

Energy Safety, the Electrical Workers Registration Board, and Standards New Zealand have developed an online presentation to assist electrical workers and other practitioners in preparing for these changes. The presentation also includes information on new requirements for registering through the Electrical Workers Registration Board, along with recent changes to AS/NZS 3000:2007 Electrical installations (known as the Australia/New Zealand Wiring Rules).

View the presentation 'Certification of PEW 2013' and other resources at http://www.standards.co.nz/news/Regulations+and+Standards/Electrical+and+gas+industries.htm

Gas installation work

Key changes to the gasfitting certification regime include:

• extending the requirements for certification to include all gasfitting
• dividing gasfitting into three categories based on risk: low risk, general, and high risk
• clarifying the roles and responsibilities associated with manufacturers' instructions and designs provided by others – certified designs
• extending certification so that it attests to the safety and compliance of the finished product through gas safety certification, as well as the work itself through certification of compliance
• introducing flexibility to allow industry organisations and individuals to produce their own certificates that have the required information on them, and are identified by the authentication mark (like the certificates produced in the current system, these certificates can be electronically stored and transmitted)
• the introduction of a gas safety certificate to be issued after connection (in many cases, the gas safety certificate can be incorporated into the certificate of compliance).

Energy Safety; the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board; and Standards New Zealand have developed a short online presentation to provide an overview of changes to certification regime.

View the presentation 'Gasfitting certification 2013 video' and other resources at http://www.standards.co.nz/news/Regulations+and+Standards/Electrical+and+gas+industries.htm

Useful links to learn more
• Energy Safety website
• Electrical Workers Registration Board website
• Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board

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