Overview
Energy Safe Victoria provides an online defects list to assist the electrical industry to correctly record defects as required by the Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019 on Certificates of Inspection or audit reports.
The online COES defects list can be sorted by:
- defect ID number
- instrument and clause
- defect type
- keywords used to search the defect description.
These tables are updated periodically. Latest update: February 2026.
Top 10 Prescribed Inspections General defects
| Defect ID | Instrument | Clause | Description | Category | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 111018 | Electricity Safety Act 1998 | 45A | Certificates of Electrical Safety - Certificate of Compliance errors | Technical |
| 2 | 2112l9 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 2.10.7 | SWITCHBOARDS - Fire-protective measures | Technical |
| 3 | 211963 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 4.1.2 | Electrical equipment - Selection and installation | Technical |
| 4 | 111010 | Electricity Safety Act 1998 | 45(1) | Inspection of electrical installation work - inspection prior to energisation | Technical |
| 5 | 211199 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 2.10.5.2 | SWITCHBOARDS - Relationship of electrical equipment | Technical |
| 6 | 211887 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 8.2.2 | VISUAL INSPECTION - Checklist | Technical |
| 7 | 211198 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 2.10.5.1 | SWITCHBOARDS - Equipment identification - General | Technical |
| 8 | 211201 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 2.10.5.4 | SWITCHBOARDS - Terminals of switchboard equipment | Technical |
| 9 | 211217 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 3.3.2.6 | EXTERNAL INFLUENCES - Mechanical damage | Technical |
| 10 | 211328 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 3.10.3.6 | ENCLOSURE OF CABLES - Installation of wiring enclosures - Terminations | Technical |
Top 11 Prescribed Inspections Renewable Energy defects
| Defect ID | Instrument | Clause | Description | Category | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 641276 | AS/NZS 5033: 2021 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays. | 5.6.1 | Recording of solar system layout - General | Technical |
| 2 | 681205 | AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical installations - Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment | 7.7 | Safety data sheet (SDS) | Technical |
| 3 | 621193 | AS/NZS 4777.1:2023, Grid connection of energy systems via inverters, Part 1: Installation requirements | 6.3 | Signs for the switchboard to which the IES is directly connected | Technical |
| 4 | 641223 | AS/NZS 5033: 2021 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays. | 4.4.3.1 | Wiring systems - Installation of cables - General | Technical |
| 5 | 123212 | Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019 | 245 | Testing of grid-connected inverter energy systems | Testing |
| 6 | 621168 | AS/NZS 4777.1:2023, Grid connection of energy systems via inverters, Part 1: Installation requirements | 5.3.6.4 | Alternative supply IES installations - Alternative supply switchboard - Protection requirements for final subcircuits | Technical |
| 7 | 681043 | AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical installations - Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment | 5.2.4.2 | Barrier to habitable rooms | Technical |
| 8 | 641269 | AS/NZS 5033: 2021 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays. | 5.3.1.1 | Labelling/signs for PV cables and enclosures - Wiring system - General | Technical |
| 9 | 621198 | AS/NZS 4777.1:2023, Grid connection of energy systems via inverters, Part 1: Installation requirements | 6.8 | Signs for multiple mode inverters | Technical |
| 10 | 641270 | AS/NZS 5033: 2021 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays. | 5.3.1.2 | Labelling/signs for PV cables and enclosures - Wiring system - In a ceiling space or accessible floor space | Technical |
| 11 | 681199 | AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical installations - Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment | 7.1 | Labels and safety signage - General | Technical |
COES Audits defect data
| Defect ID | Instrument | Clause | Description | Category | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 211205 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 2.10.7 | SWITCHBOARDS - Fire-protective measures | Technical |
| 2 | 211243 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 3.7.2.2 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS - Preparation for connection | Technical |
| 3 | 211372 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 4.1.3 | Electrical equipment - External influences | Technical |
| 4 | 211199 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 2.10.5.2 | SWITCHBOARDS - Relationship of electrical equipment | Technical |
| 5 | 211404 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2 Electrical Installations | 4.4.2.2 | SOCKET-OUTLETS - Protection of socket-outlets | Technical |
| 6 | 841014 | AS/NZS 3012:2019 +A1 Electrical installations - Construction and demolition sites | 2.3.2.1 | SWITCHBOARDS - Switchboard construction - General requirements | Technical |
| 7 | 211087 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 2.3.3.5 | Main switches - Identification | Technical |
| 8 | 211275 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2+A3 Electrical Installations | 3.9.3.1 | INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS - Support and fixing - General | Technical |
| 9 | 212186 | AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2 Electrical Installations | 2.10.3.1 | SWITCHBOARDS - Construction - Access to live parts | Unsafe |
| 10 | 121184 | Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019 | 219(1) | Route of underground lines - record of underground route | Technical |
Application
Where the electrical installation work being inspected or audited does not comply with the minimum requirements of the relevant section of the Act, Regulation or clause of the Standards, the defect number allocated to that particular section, Regulation or clause must be identified on the Certificate of Inspection or the Audit Form.
Defect review
Where a Licensed Electrical Inspector has added defects to a Certificate of Inspection and the Licensed Electrical Worker or Responsible Person wish to appeal these defects, please contact Energy Safe's Head of COES for consideration, including all evidence to support your appeal.
Energy Safe can delete a defect from a Certificate of Inspection if the certificate has been returned to the LEW for rectification.
Note: Defects cannot be removed from completed COES and Energy Safe does not cancel COES that have defects identified on the Certificate of Inspection.
Electrical installations work defects
The following criteria is used to allocate the selection of ‘Unsafe’ defects in the defect list.
- Immediately unsafe – the ability for a person to make contact with exposed metal that may be live or may become live when energised where only one action is required by a person or animal to come into contact with those live parts
and
- Any requirements of the legislation and or Standards intended to protect persons and livestock from electric shock hazards that may arise from the normal use of an electrical installation.
An electrical installation or electrical installation work deemed unsafe by an Electrical Inspector or Electrical Auditor must be isolated from supply, or the individual circuit disconnected and made safe.
Defect documentation requirements
The item being defected, the location of the item and the description of each defect documented by an LEI during inspection or Auditor during an audit must be accurate, legible and in plain English.
LEIs preparing a valid defect description should always use the text from the relevant clause or section of the Act, Regulation or clause of the Standard they are using to identify the installation as defective.
Examples of defect documentation
| Defect | Example description |
|---|---|
| 211205 – AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2 – 2.10.7 – SWITCHBOARDS – Fire-protective measures – Technical | Wiring systems associated with the Main Switchboard in the meter box not arranged to mitigate the spread of fire. |
| 211929 – AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2 – 4.1.2 – Electrical equipment – Selection and installation – Technical | Electrical equipment [enter item] located [enter location] not installed as required or to the additional requirements of the manufacturer’s instructions |
| 212565 – AS/NZS 3000:2018 +A1+A2 – 5.4.6.1 – EARTHING OF EQUIPMENT – Structural metalwork including conductive building materials – General – Unsafe | Structural metalwork or conductive building materials not earthed as required
|
Data collection
Data collected from defects identified on the Certificate of Inspection and completed audits will be used for future targeted education and training.
Note: Energy Safe no longer provides descriptive content to each defect identified in the COES defect recording system.
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Date: 17/02/2026 2:59
Controlled document
The currency and accuracy of this document cannot be guaranteed once printed or saved to a storage device. If in doubt, please check the ESV website for the current version.
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