Doing your own electrical works

Shamus O'Donnell from No Shock Electrical

Homeowner Prosecution - Otaki man fined for unlicensed electrical work

An Unlicensed electrical worker has been fined in the Wellington District Court for undertaking prescribed electrical work (PEW) on his own property.

The unlicensed man has been ordered to pay $1900 plus costs for carrying out the electrical installation of his residential garage while he did not hold a licence from the Electrical Workers Registration Board and was not a registered electrician.

“The work, which included installing electrical equipment and fittings, is considered PEW and must be undertaken by a licensed and registered electrical worker,” says Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Investigation’s Team Leader Simon Thomas.

It also requires a Certificate of Compliance and Electrical Safety Certificate in order to make sure the work is safe and compliant.

“The homeowner made a serious breach in judgement carrying out this work himself which potentially could have resulted in serious harm to the property and people,” says Mr Thomas.

“The homeowner used unsafe cabling which was buried too shallow beneath the surface, there was no cover placed over the garage distribution board protecting the circuit breakers and cables. Also, no residual-current device was installed – which is designed to automatically switch off electrically if there is a fault.”

The electrical work the homeowner carried out is outside an exemption for domestic electrical wiring due to the nature of the work and that it was not carried out in a competent or safe manner.

“It is incredibly important when undertaking any home repairs or upgrades that all prescribed electrical work is carried out by a licensed and registered electrician,” says Mr Thomas.

“Licensed electrical workers are professionals who are trained to do the job safely and correctly. Incorrectly installed electrical work can result in fire and serious harm, which is why it can only be carried out by a licensed electrical worker.

“Where prescribed electrical work isn’t being carried out by a licensed electrical worker, the Electrical Workers Registration Board will investigate, ensuring the safety of New Zealanders and their homes.”

See the WorkSafe website for guidelines on carrying out electrical work in your home

worksafe.govt.nz...