Transferring to a new endorsed class - Grandparenting

A new registration framework for Electrical Workers will take effect on 1 September 2024. All Electrical Workers need to be aware of the changes and how it impacts them.

Registered Electrical Workers (EWs) who currently hold an active license will move into the new registration framework and will have the opportunity to gain the new endorsed classes of registration – this is the ‘Grandparenting process’.

The grandparenting process will happen in two phases:

Automatic process

1. Automatic grandparenting will be done for Registered Electrical Workers who currently hold an active license and meet the below points. We will contact these EWs directly to let them know what class(es) of registration we intend to grant You can expect to start hearing from us at the start of July.

EWs will be contacted directly if:

  • they have submitted (or are the responsible Electrical Worker for) at least 3 entries in the WorkSafe Electricity and Gas High-risk Database in the last 6 years (between 1 Jan 2018 and now) and,
  • the entries are in the following areas:
    • Hazardous areas
    • Medical Cardiac Protected Areas
    • Mains Parallel Generation Systems
    • Mining Operations

Electricity and Gas High-risk Database(external link)

Supervision agreements currently on file will be used to identify those who are eligible for the supervision endorsement class.

Example: If you are currently a registered Electrician, hold an active license and have been listed in the Worksafe High Risk Database in the last 6 years as the responsible Electrical Worker for 4 entries in hazardous areas and 2 entries in mining operations. We will contact you and let you know that you are eligible to be automatically granted the Electrician (endorsed hazardous area) registration class. If you require the Mining Operations endorsed registration class you would need to submit a manual application through phase 2.

2. Electrical workers who are identified through the above process will receive an email directly, to inform them which endorsement registration class(es) we believe they are eligible for.

3. Electrical Workers will be given 20 working days to respond to this email if they don’t agree with the intended allocation of class(es).

4. If the Electrical Worker agrees with the allocation or does not provide a response in the 20 working days limit, then we will manually allocate these registration classes. The transfer of class/es has no cost. The Electrical Worker will be issued with a new licence to reflect their new registration class(es).

Ensuring work is entered in the Electricity and Gas High-risk Database

Please note only Electrical Inspectors are able to input the work into the Electricity and Gas High-risk Database. They are required to include the EW/s responsible for the work as part of their entry. EWs can search the database to confirm their Inspector has inputted their work.

Find the WorkSafe Electricity and Gas High-risk Database here:
Electricity and Gas High-risk Database(external link)

For further information on what the Electricity and Gas High-risk Database is please visit:
What is the electricity and gas high-risk database?

If the work has not been entered on the database EWs can:

  1. Follow-up with the Inspector and ask them to make the entry.
  2. Provide a copy of the Record of Inspection (RoI) that was completed for the inspection. This can be used as evidence through a manual application.

Electrical Inspectors have until 30 June 2024 to input work into the WorkSafe Database for the automatic class transfer process.

Manual class transfer

Registered and Licensed Electrical Workers who are not granted endorsed registration class(es) automatically through phase 1, can apply manually to be grand parented into the new endorsed registration classes.

EWs must apply for manual transfer between 1 September 2024 and 1 August 2025, if their renewal falls within this time frame they may choose to apply at the time of renewal. They can also apply using the manual process if phase one did not capture ALL the endorsed registration classes they require.

For a manual application, EWs are required to:

  • Have obtained registration before 1 September 2024 and hold a current practising licence; AND
  • Supply a reference letter from their employer confirming they have the appropriate knowledge, skills, training and experience to be granted the endorsed registration class OR
  • Complete a statutory declaration that includes details of the prescribed electrical work carried out for the relevant registration class which they are seeking with a certificate of employment that includes the period through which the EW was employed to carry out this work. For EWs who are self-employed, evidence of being self-employed can be supplied in place of a certificate of employment. Any statutory declarations submitted will need to be certified by a Justice of the Peace.

Applications will be submitted in the EWRB (Electrical Workers Registration Board) portal. There is no cost for a manual application received before 1 August 2025. An email will be sent to the email address we have on file with information on when EWs are able to submit a grandparenting application.

If an application is approved, the endorsed registration class(es) will be applied at no additional cost to the licensed electrical worker and they will receive a new license. All applications will need to be received by 31 July 2025.