Electron Issue 115

Presiding Member's update

Tēnā koutou

In recent Electron issues, the Board has been highlighting women in the electrical industry. The number of females in the trade has been increasing, but the numbers are still very low. In a time of tight employment markets, we think employers should look at taking on female trainees as this is a largely unused labour resource. As the articles have demonstrated, female workers have a lot to offer the industry and employers.

Over the last couple of years, the Board has been working and consulting on changes to the licensing framework for those electrical workers who engage in prescribed electrical work on installations. A gazette notice reflecting those changes has now been drafted and will soon be sent to the Minister of Building and Construction, the Honourable Dr Megan Woods, for her approval. If approved, the Board and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment will develop a plan to implement the changes, which would come into effect over a transition period.

The next area of focus for the Board will be the review of competency programmes to strengthen them and to ensure that they deliver on the goals of safe, competent, and compliant electrical workers. The Board also wants to take advantage of the new licensing platform's digital capabilities and will look at alternative ways of delivering programmes. Your views will be sought on how the programmes could be improved, and you are encouraged to engage so that the Board can achieve the best outcomes.

The Board has also stated a process to understand how it might go about adopting a culturally appropriate Māori name. To do this, we are engaging with a variety of people and groups who understand the process and can guide us in regard to tikanga. We will tell you more about the process and journey as it develops.

Finally, I thought a recent article about testing electric vehicles to power homes showed just how quickly the industry is changing and how fast paced change can be. Have a read at the link below.

New Zealand vehicle-to-house trial allows EV batteries to power appliances in the home(external link) – Newshub

Mel Orange
Presiding Member

Registrar update

Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to the August 2022 edition and 115th publication of the Electron.

Since our last issue, we as a nation had the special occasion to celebrate Matariki as a public holiday for the first time. Matariki can be a time of remembrance, celebrating the present, and looking into the future with connection to the safety and wellbeing of others.

This theme has significance for me as Registrar when reflecting on the Board’s fundamental purpose. This, as you are aware, is to promote, monitor, and review the ongoing competency and safe working practices of electrical workers with a resolve to protect the safety of the New Zealand public. With this in mind, I would like to bring to your attention some of the featured articles in this Electron.

Before doing so, a reminder that registered non-licenced persons are not permitted to carry out prescribed electrical work (PEW) for others irrespective of whether it is for gain or reward, or not. This historical provision was removed from the Electricity Act 1992 (the Act) as result of amendments prior to 2010 and is in accordance with Section 98 of the Act.

Section 98 of the Electricity Act 1992(external link) – Legislation New Zealand

Featured standards

It is vital that the installation for photovoltaic (PV) systems and any associated grid connections are carried out in a compliant manner and certified to the cited Standards.

This article highlights the use and application of AS/NZS 5033 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays, AS/NZS 4777.1 Grid connection of energy systems via inverters – Part 1: Installation requirements and AS/NZS 4777.2 Grid connection of energy systems via inverters – Part 2: Inverter requirements.

In association with this, WorkSafe New Zealand has provided important direction for the application and use of updated versions of Standards that are not cited in the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010.

Homeowner exemption for electrical work

It is important to understand that this exemption only applies to a “homeowner”, and that any wiring work carried out under this exemption has several strict caveats. These include, not working around any live exposed conductors, not entering switchboards, and the requirement to have all wiring work tested, certified, and connected to the electricity supply by a licenced Electrical Inspector.

Serious incidents resulting from the use of live polarity testing

WorkSafe has posted a high safety alert in relation to 2 separate serious incidents due to electrical workers carrying out live polarity testing.

It appears that electrical workers mistakenly believed they were doing the right thing by carrying out live polarity testing after work on the mains was completed. This report, with images, clearly spells out what they did wrong, the resulting serious consequences, and guidance on the correct procedure for polarity testing. I would strongly recommend all electrical workers who carry out or intend to carry out polarity testing read and take away the lessons of this report.

Please take the time to review our other articles, including one that provides guidance for electrical workers contacting the EWRB service centre seeking assistance with online registration and licence applications.

Finally, take care, work safely, and thank you for taking the time to read Electron.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know by emailing them to Registrations@ewrb.govt.nz.

Ngā mihi nui

Duncan Connor
Registrar of Electrical Workers

Standard of the Month

AS/NZS 5033

AS/NZS 5033: 2012 – Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays

This Standard sets out general installation and safety requirements for electrical installations of photovoltaic (PV) arrays, including direct current (DC) array wiring, electrical protection devices, switching, and earthing provisions.

PV systems have inherent characteristics and pose further hazards in addition to standard alternating current systems. Direct current and PV arrays can produce fire risks resulting from electrical arcing sustained by the systems normal operating current.

Note: Although this Standard has been updated, AS/NZS 5033: 2012 remains the legally cited Standard within the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. This means compliance with the cited Standard is required for the purposes of certification.

AS/NZS 5033: 2021 – Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays

The scope of the updated standard includes all parts of the PV array up to but not including energy storage devices, power conversion systems, power conversion equipment, or loads. It does include DC safety issues related to any associated conversion equipment.

Note: WorkSafe has provided important direction for the use and application of updated versions of Standards that are not cited in the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. View the article in this edition of the Electron, or through the following link: Using the latest Standards

AS 4777 series

AS 4777.1:2005 – Grid connection of energy systems via inverters – Part 1: Installation requirements

This standard specifies the electrical installation requirements for inverter energy systems and grid protection devices with ratings up to 10KVA for single phase units, or up to 30KVA for three-phase units, for the injection of electric power through an electrical installation to the electricity distribution network.

This Standard must be used in conjunction with the installation requirements and with the approval of the appropriate electrical distributor.

Note: Although this Standard has been updated, AS 4777.1:2005 remains the legally cited Standard within the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. This means compliance with the cited Standard is required for the purposes of certification.

WorkSafe has provided important direction for the use and application of updated versions of standards that are not cited in the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. Guidance is available from the following links:

• Regulatory application of AS/NZS 4777 - Grid connection of energy systems via inverters(external link) – WorkSafe
• Using the latest Standards

AS/NZS 4777.1:2016 – Grid connection of energy systems via inverters – Part 1: Installation requirements

This updated version of the Standard specifies the electrical and general safety installation requirements for inverter energy systems up to or equal to 200kVA for the injection of electric power to an electrical installation connected to the grid at low voltage.

It is important to note this standard must also be used in conjunction with the connection and technical requirements of the appropriate electricity distributor.

AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 – Grid connection of energy systems via inverters – Part 2: Inverter requirements

This updated version of the Standard specifies the minimum performance and safety requirements for the design, construction and operation of inverters intended for use in inverter energy systems for the injection of electric power through an electrical installation into a distribution network.

It is important to note this standard must also be used in conjunction with the connection and technical requirements of the appropriate electricity distributor.

These and over 90 other Standards are available for all licenced electrical workers to access through the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) Online Licensing Portal:

Electrical Workers Registration Board portal(external link)

Certification & Inspection of Photovoltaic Installations

Guidance on the certification and inspection of PV systems is available from the following link to the WorkSafe website.

Certification requirements for photovoltaic (PV) systems(external link) – WorkSafe

Featured Content from Standards New Zealand

Lowering energy consumption with adaptive lighting in non-residential buildings and NZS 20086

Committee chair and lighting expert Bryan King explains the benefits that NZS 20086:2022 – Light and lighting – Energy performance of lighting in buildings will bring.

You can view this content on the Standards NZ website here.

Lowering energy consumption with adaptive lighting in non-residential buildings and NZS 20086(external link) – Standards New Zealand

Leading New Zealand’s voice with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) National Committee President Peter Berry

IEC National Committee President Peter Berry loves a challenge. Global decarbonisation, emerging technologies, and challenging the next generation to step up are on his agenda.

You can view this content on the Standards NZ website here.

Leading New Zealand’s voice with IEC National Committee President Peter Berry(external link) – Standards New Zealand

Using the latest Standards

A decision to use the latest version of AS/NZS 5033 resulted in an installation failing to be issued with a Record of Inspection (RoI) because the PV panels were not aligned as required by the cited version of the Standard.

Although the latest version of AS/NZS 5033 permits the panels to not be aligned if optimiser technology is applied, such an installation is not in compliance with the cited Standard and therefore not in compliance with the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, as was identified by the Inspector.

If compliance with a later version of a Standard is required for any PEW, and this is intended to be certified, compliance with the cited Standard is still required and the cited Standard must be the principal Standard listed on the Certificate of Compliance (CoC). Compliance with another Standard may, for example, be required for contractual purposes.

In some cases, a “Part 1 Solution”, i.e., using a Certified Design, may be able to be applied. However, this is not permitted for domestic installations and the use of a “Part 1 Solution” must be permitted by the Regulations.

But is there a way of applying the latest version?

Regulation 109 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 sets out how an exemption might be obtained but does require a technical description of how safety will be achieved. In this case it would be possible to argue that the use of the technology described in the latest version of the Standard meets the requirements for an exemption.

Regulation 109(external link) – Legislation New Zealand

In summary, it is important to remember that all prescribed electrical work (PEW) must be carried out and certified in accordance with the cited Standards.

PEW may additionally be carried out, and certified, in compliance with additional Standards, or different versions of Standards, for contractual purposes. However, compliance with cited Standards is still required unless an exemption or “certified design” is being employed, in which case the certification must reference and include the Certified Design or Exemption.

Certification and Database entries

Electrical workers are reminded that the information contained on a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) or Record of Inspection (RoI) needs to adequately describe the work that they have carried out and how verification of compliance has been achieved. The quality of the certification can be called into consideration when the work is being investigated or audited.

While the Electricity and Gas High-Risk Database is focussed on recording the details of high-risk work and its inspection, the database can also be used for recording periodic inspections and Warrants of Electrical Fitness (WoEFs). Electrical workers (other than Inspectors) who are authorised to carry out those kinds of prescribed electrical work (PEW) can be given access to the database for the entry of information on these other areas of PEW.

Electricity and Gas High-Risk Database(external link) – WorkSafe – Energy Safety

Each month between 200-250 entries of this type of work are entered into the database, recording the PEW that these workers are carrying out as part of their ongoing competency record.

An application for database access can be made through the following link.(external link)

Gas or Electrical Practitioner Application(external link) – WorkSafe – Energy Safety

Homeowner exemption for electrical work

While it is strongly recommended that all electrical work is carried out by a licenced electrical worker, the law does permit an exemption for “homeowners” to carry out a very limited amount of maintenance and installation electrical work subject to strict legislative safety requirements.

These requirements are prescribed in Section 79 of the Electricity Act 1992, Regulation 57 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and ECP 51 - New Zealand Electrical Code of Practice for Homeowner/Occupier's Electrical Wiring Work in Domestic Installations (NZECP 51:2004).

Section 79(external link) – Legislation New Zealand

Regulation 57(external link) – Legislation New Zealand

Please note the guidance below is informative and any work carried out under an exemption must be in full compliance with reference to all legislative requirements listed above.

Who qualifies as a “homeowner”?

It is first important to understand that this exemption only applies to a “homeowner”. Eligibility for “homeowner” status is clearly defined in Section 79 to mean owner or part owner of dwelling that a person lives in. It excludes rental properties, other places that the person may own, or other properties their whanau may reside in.

The homeowner exemption does not generally apply to licensed electrical workers because they are already authorised to carry out prescribed electrical work (PEW) within the terms and conditions of their Practicing Licence.

What work can be carried out by the homeowner

Removal /replacement of certain fittings

A homeowner is permitted to remove and replace some existing fittings subject to the following restrictions and important conditions:

• While that work is being carried out, no part of the work is allowed to be connected to an electricity supply
• They must be thoroughly familiar and competent with the appropriate requirements of ECP51 and have the correct tools including an electrical multi-meter
• All fittings must be correctly isolated from the electricity supply, replaced /reconnected with fit for purpose fittings, and tested for electrical safety.
• Removal /replacement work is not permitted in any of the following areas; switchboards, mains, photovoltaic systems, and electrical vehicle charging units. It is also recommended homeowners do not replace any fittings in damp areas such as: bathrooms, spa pools, saunas, water features or outside areas.
• The kinds of fittings that may be removed or replaced include: Light switches, socket-outlets, permanent connection units, light fittings, batten holders, cord grip lamp holders, ceiling roses.

Installing electrical wiring

A homeowner is permitted to install wiring subject to the following restrictions and important conditions:

• The person does not enter (whether directly, or by holding any material or equipment, or otherwise) any enclosure where live conductors are likely to be present
• The homeowner is not permitted to connect to any wiring that has only been isolated by a switch or fuse or isolator. The wiring must be fully disconnected.
• All work must be tested, certified, and connected to the power supply by an Electrical Inspector.
• ECP51 recommends, before any work is undertaken, the homeowner contacts the Electrical Inspector who will be testing, certifying, and connecting the work.
• Wiring work is not permitted in the following areas: mains, photovoltaic system, electrical vehicle charging, meter-boxes, switchboards; electrical installations of swimming pools, paddling pools, spa pools, saunas, fountains, water features; the use of wiring in conduits (either metal or plastic), neutral screen, or armoured type wiring.

Serious incidents resulting from the use of live polarity testing

WorkSafe and Energy Safety have posted a high-level safety alert and report into 2 separate but closely related serious incidents. Both resulted from the use of live polarity tests after work on the mains had been carried out. One incident resulted in significant fire damage to a residential building and the other caused an electrification of an iron fence adjacent to a school.

You can read more about how both incidents occurred and obtain guidance on correct procedures for carrying out polarity tests from the following links:

Safety alert: serious incidents resulting from use of live polarity testing - July-2022 (WKS-9)(external link) – WorkSafe

Future Members Programme

For the last couple of years, the Board has been running a Future Members Programme. The programme offers an opportunity for selected electrical workers who aspire to join the Board sometime in the future to gain an understanding of what the Board does and what it is like to be a Board Member. The programme involves an induction and governance training prior to Future Members joining the Board for a selected number of meetings and hearings. Future Members are also assigned a mentor to assist in their development. Appointments run for 1 year.

The Board welcomed 2 new members to the programme at the July 2022 Board Meeting in Wellington.

Andrew Massie

Andrew has 28 years of experience in the electrical industry and is a registered Electrical Inspector. Andrew has worked across industrial, domestic, and supply sectors. Andrew has also worked in the tertiary education sector and was a Volunteer Ambulance Officer with St John for 5 years. Andrew’s current role includes providing the EWRB Competency Programme through his employer. Andrew is based in Christchurch.

Photo courtesy of Mike Clare of Click Media

Ben Hessell

Ben is an all-rounder in the electrical industry. Starting in the oil and gas sector as an instrument technician and electrician he later moved into renewable energy and has helped grow a solar energy business. At the same time, he completed an Electrical Engineering degree and now works within an electrical distribution business where he investigates new commercial opportunities from both a financial and technical perspective to present to the company board. Ben serves as chair of the company’s innovation committee. Ben is based in Blenheim.

Photo courtesy of Mike Clare of Click Media

Become a Registered Engineering Associate (REA)

Registered Engineering Associates (REAs) are experienced senior engineering technicians, technologists or engineering science professionals who have met the bar for a statutory credential.  The REA credential confirms engineering competency to a demanding standard.

REAs are technical engineers who have:

• been independently assessed for their technical engineering competency
• a high level of technical engineering achievement
• a high level of proficiency and competence
• a high reputation among the engineering workforces
• engineering supervisory experience
• followed a career path that includes technical engineer education, experience, and supervisory skills.

REAs have:

• accreditation under the Engineering Associates Act (1961) (EA Act)
• a recognised academic qualification at Level 6 or above under the NZ Qualifications Framework (including NZ Diploma in Engineering (NZDE), BEngTech, or NZ Certificate in Engineering (NZCE))
• a track record of applied engineering competency and supervisory experience
• shown they use sound engineering principles and judgement.

Becoming an REA can encourage career development and continual professional development while providing a nationally recognised and transferrable engineering quality mark to expand your career opportunities. Awarded under the Engineering Associates Act 1961, the statutory REA credential is a respected technical engineering qualification that has achieved national and international recognition.

Being an REA confirms an essential level of management ability where there is significant risk of possible serious harm to life or property.  These risks are ever present in works involving infra-structure services, transport and roading, civil and structural construction integrity, buildings environmental systems, supply of energy, communications and control, health sector engineering services, marine, and aviation engineering.

The Engineering Associates Registration Board (EARB) also encourages REAs to join a voluntary competency assessed practitioner (REAcap) scheme. This requires REAs to sign a Code of Ethics and provide evidence that they are continuing to maintain technical currency and competency. This validation is repeated every four years, and the REAcap-validated engineers are recorded on the website.

For further information see the EARB website here:

www.engineering-associates.org.nz(external link) – Registered Engineering Associate

You can also contact the EARB Registrar by calling (04) 472 3324, or by emailing registrar@engineering-associates.org.nz

Interview with Shirley Shadbolt, Acacia Compliance Test and Tag, Wigram

Background

Shirley Shadbolt is Canterbury born and bred. She lived in Upper Riccarton for 38 years, where she and husband Bruce brought up their family. The couple have since lived in Wigram for 5 years, where she continues to run her test and tag business which she set up around 18 years ago. She has spent her entire working life in the male-dominated electrical industry and has interesting insights and views on what women in the sector can bring to it.

What encouraged you to join the electricity industry?

I worked on the factory floor of a company that made streetlights. Because I was under 18, I seemed to get all the horrible jobs to start with. When I asked why that was, they said it was because I was cheap labour. One of the men in the office asked me if I wanted to be a factory worker all my life and said I was limiting myself as he thought I had potential to go further. He proposed I get into an electrical trade, and I jumped at the opportunity, but wasn’t too sure what it involved. He wrote to the EWRB and was told that the work I was doing was too limited and that I was required to do 12 months appliance servicing training to get a registration. He approached the local power boards but was told by one that they didn’t train females as they get pregnant and leave, so they weren’t interested in taking me on. I was eventually offered a job at the Municipal Electricity Department (MED) which was inundated with work, and I was there for eight years in the appliance repair department during which time I got married and started a family.

What are some of your insights of the industry in relation to women working in it?

When I had my first child in 1986, my boss at the MED said there was no parental leave provision in my contract as I was the first electrician who had given birth, so he gave me a year off (back then maternity leave was only around 6 months). When the time came to return, the department had sadly been closed, so sadly there was no longer a job for me to go back to.

The MED had equal pay but out of the jobs I have had since, I was not paid equally. In one job, probably in the late 1990s, I saw a male colleague’s pay slip and I asked why I couldn’t be paid the same. I was told I didn’t work hard enough, so I left. The company replaced me with a male full-timer and a male apprentice. I was contracted to work only 6 hours a day part-time and yet was able to keep up with the work.

After that, I chose to start my own business. Early on, I had a network of elderly customers, doing small repairs, replacing lamps, and keeping their old trusty heaters running. Sadly, most have moved into aged care or passed on. They were lovely clients and enjoyed having a female to call on as they often felt uncomfortable with a male in the house.

I enjoy running my own business and 95 percent of my clients are return jobs, so it is going well. I still sometimes come across people who question how good I am because I am a woman, and this will probably never change. Though thankfully there is support for women in the industry – I got my first break thanks to somebody seeing my potential. I was also asked to provide feedback on some of the exams we had to do, specifically that there was more math than there needed to be. You don’t need to do a full-page equation to replace a part in a toaster, just the knowledge to know that the part is the correct wattage, and this was taken on board.

Is there anything women specifically bring to the industry that benefits it?

When you could get small appliances fixed, having smaller fingers, and being more patient and fastidious, meant that women were good at repairs.  Also, back then, women tended to use appliances around the house more, such as the iron and washing machine, so when there were problems, we had an understanding about how it worked and were able to explain to the customer the correct use of the appliance.

There’s also something to be said for a woman's touch. In my business, I have had contracts at aged care facilities and women’s clothing shops, to test and tag appliances, and have received positive feedback about being in-tune with the customers when I went about my work.

What’s next for you?

I am now 65 and beginning to slow down. Our daughter works with me part-time so she will hopefully carry on the business when I’m ready.

Important information for Electrical Workers

Electrical workers have been contacting the MBIE Service Centre recently seeking assistance with online applications and technical queries. Outlined below is critical information needed to create applications, log into the new online portal, and who to contact for technical enquiries.

Practitioner ID

Before you create an application, you will need to know your Practitioner ID, also known as your EW number, for example: EW012345.

You can find your ID number on the front page of your online portal or by searching the public register here

Advanced Search | Kete(external link)

To search the public register using your registration number please input the letters representing your license class, followed by a space and your registration number. For example:

If your name does not appear on the right-hand side of the page after clicking enter, please tick the following box:

For further assistance in accessing your online portal or for information regarding your Practitioner ID please refer to the article, ‘Accessing the new Electrical Worker Portal’, in Electron Issue 112. If you require urgent help, please Contact us.

Accessing the new Electrical Worker Portal

Submitting paper applications

There are 2 ways that you can submit an application with the EWRB. Completing an application through your online portal is the easiest and fastest option. However, you can also print out a paper form and email it to us at info@ewrb.govt.nz, these can be found on our website here.

Forms

If you choose to email or post your application form you will still need to ensure you have included all the necessary supporting documentation.

As a part of your paper application you will be asked to fill out a Fit and Proper Person Declaration, as detailed in the ‘Registrar Update’ for Electron Issue 114. Please note, to fill out the declaration to a satisfactory standard we require applicants to either answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ for each box provided to ensure your answers are clear to the Board.

Fit and Proper Person Declaration – Registrar Update

Licence ID cards

Supplying appropriate supporting documents is crucial to ensuring your application is processed smoothly. Regardless of how you submit your application you are required to submit an up-to-date photograph. This is the picture that will be displayed on your physical Practising Licence Card.

To ensure that every ID card is produced to a high standard, images submitted with your application must be:

• a face, head and shoulders shot, looking directly at the camera and less than 6 months old
• no sunglasses, or glasses with tinted lenses that obscure your eyes
• 3:4 – width to height ratio, in full colour
• between 50KB and 5MB in size (or printed image for paper applications)
• With a blank background with no pattern or stripes or detail.

The Board will refuse photographs that do not meet these standards and may also refuse photographs which are not of adequate quality or are composed in a way that is unsuitable for use on an ID card.

Before you apply

If you are applying for Electrical Registration, a Registration Assessment [for overseas applicants], a Trainee Limited Certificate, or making an application under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 (TTMRA) [for Australian applicants], you will also need to submit a certified copy of proof of identity, such as your driver’s licence or the personal identity page of your passport.

Certification must be completed by a Justice of the Peace, Public Notary, solicitor, or NZ Court Registrar. Please do not ask the NZ police to certify your copies. Justices of the Peace undertake this service for free and you can locate one in your area using the following online tool

Find a Justice of the Peace(external link) – Royal Federation of NZ Justices' Association

When applying for Electrical Registration through the Competency (Qualified) based pathway you will also need to supply certified copies of your certificates and/or qualifications. Please do not submit original documents to the EWRB. For TTMRA applicants you are required to supply a certified copy of both sides of your Australian licence(s).

When applying for an Overseas Registration Assessment, you must supply certified copies of your certificates/qualifications. Please note, the witness must be a person authorised to witness a statutory declaration, as per the following:(external link)

Declarations made outside New Zealand(external link) – Legislation New Zealand

Where do I find authoritative answers to my questions?

Electrical worker’s questions often fit into three categories: technical questions relating to interpreting standards; regulatory questions on the Electricity Act; and application and website assistance.

Before seeking advice from a third party, it is important to ensure you have reviewed the information available to you on the EWRB website and within the Toolbox.

Toolbox

You can seek assistance for technical queries through the following resources:

• Standards New Zealand (external link)
• Local Electrical Inspector
• Manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and fittings, or Electrical wholesalers
• Your local electrical distribution and retail company
• Electrical Engineers and consultants

You can seek assistance in finding answers or interpretations to rules and regulations from the following resources:

• Energy Safety
• EWRB
• Local Electrical Inspector
• Approved Training Providers

For information and answers to questions regarding your application, training requirements, our website or anything else not covered here please contact our call centre so we can assist you.

Freephone (New Zealand): 0800 661 000
From overseas: +64 3 943 4254
Email: info@ewrb.govt.nz

Disciplinary hearings

The Board heard 5 disciplinary matters in May, 4 of which are detailed below. One of those resulted in the Board cancelling the registration and licence of an electrical worker.

Find out more about these hearings

Prosecutions

EWRB v Kumaran

On 19 July 2022, Naveen Kumaran was sentenced by Judge Lovell-Smith on 2 charges of performing unauthorised prescribed electrical work.

Read the full notice – EWRB v Kumaran

EWRB v Harris

On 23 May 2022 Anthony Harris was convicted and sentenced on 2 charges of doing un-authorised prescribed electrical work in the District Court at Christchurch by Judge Couch.

Read the full notice – EWRB v Harris

EWRB v Connolly

On 30 March 2022 Stephen Connolly was sentenced in the District Court at Wellington by Judge Mill after pleading guilty to 1 charge of holding himself out as registered or licensed in respect of prescribed electrical work.

Read the full notice – EWRB v Connolly

EWRB v Lal

On 7 April 2022 Ravin Lal was sentenced on a charge of carrying out unauthorised prescribed electrical work.

Read the full notice – EWRB v Lal