Electrical Licensing Committee disciplinary outcomes

During March and April 2019, the Electrical Licensing Committee held disciplinary hearings against four licence holders:

1. An electrical worker performed non-compliant electrical work without holding a contractor’s licence and left exposed live parts. The worker’s electrical work licence was immediately suspended until completion of a competency assessment. His external licence recognition provisions were suspended and he was disqualified from being a qualified technical person for an electrical contractor licence for two years and fined $4000.

2. An electrical worker attended a worksite outside of a planned shutdown of the main switchboard. While working on the energised switchboard his pliers slipped, resulting in an arc flash. He received serious burns to both hands and required skin graft surgery. His licence was suspended, deferred for six months to enable completion of competency training and to provide verification of competency in electrical risk assessment, electrical isolation, lockout/tagout and testing for dead and reenergisation following a safe system of work. He was fined $500.

3. An electrical contractor whose QTP installed a significant number of solar PV systems with serious defects, was directed to fix the defects at her own expense and fined $4000. The electrical work was so unsafe it required immediate disconnection until it could be rectified. The electrical contractor will need to engage an independent electrical contractor to inspect and verify the remedied work.

  • The electrical contractor’s licence was disqualified, with the disqualification deferred for 12 months, subject to remedying all identified defects and complying with the following conditions: 
    To be audited by a third-party auditor within a three, six and 12-month period to ensure adequate electrical safety systems and procedures are in place for the contractor licence.
  • The QBP must undertake and complete units of competency for the business aspects of performing electrical works for the contractor licence.
  • All QTP’s must undertake and complete units of competency for the technical aspects of performing electrical work for the electrical contractor licence.
  • All new work performed for a period of six months, must be audited by an independent electrical contractor to ensure the work is electrically safe.

The QTP who performed the unsafe electrical work had his electrical work licence cancelled and was fined $4000. He was further disqualified from holding an electrical work licence and suspended from external licence recognition provisions for 10 years.

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

Article By Electrical Safety Office – Queensland Government – Source Link