Overview
There are two types of electrical installation work – prescribed and non-prescribed for which a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) is required.
Prescribed electrical installation work requiring inspection
Read our guidelines for prescribed electrical work under regulation 249 of the Electrical Safety (General) Regulation 2019.
For the purposes of section 45 of the Act, prescribed electrical installation work means work on all or part of any of the following electrical installations if they are ordinarily operated at low voltage or a voltage exceeding low voltage:
Note: Numbers and titles below relate to the COES system electrical installation work types.
- Consumer mains
- Consumer's mains, main earthing systems, consumer's terminals, connection devices for consumer's mains, any supports for overhead service lines (including any poles), overcurrent protective devices installed at the origin of a private aerial line and those parts of main switchboards that are related to the control of electrical installations or the protection against the spread of fire.
- If a main switchboard or a replacement main switchboard is connected for the first time, any circuit protective devices, switchgear, controlgear, circuit breakers and wiring systems of that main switchboard that are in place at the time that the items set out in the paragraph are inspected.
- Tenancy mains
- Submains, earthing systems and any distribution boards related to the control of individual occupiers' portions of a multiple occupancy.
- If a distribution board related to the control of an individual occupier's portion of a multiple occupancy, or a replacement distribution board related to the control of an individual occupier's portion of a multiple occupancy, is connected for the first time, any circuit protective devices, switchgear, controlgear, circuit breakers and wiring systems of that distribution board that are in place at the time the items set out in paragraph (a) are inspected.
- Hazardous area
Electrical equipment installed in a hazardous area and electrical equipment associated with the protection of a hazardous area but not installed within the hazardous area.
- High Voltage installations
High voltage installations except high voltage wiring and equipment that is:- associated with an electric discharge lighting system, or
- associated with X-ray equipment, or
- associated with high frequency equipment, or
- within self-contained equipment supplied at low voltage.
Generation (standby or co-gen)
Electricity generation systems including any wiring systems, switchgear, controlgear or accessories installed to provide control or protection to those generation systems (excluding stand-alone power systems with a power rating that is less than 500 volt-amperes).
For the purposes of section 45 of the Act, prescribed electrical installation work means electrical installation work on all or part of any battery system including work on associated wiring systems, switchgear, controlgear and accessories (BESS).
Generation work sub-type:
5a – Motor Generator 5B – Battery Energy Storage System 5c – Solar PV array 5D – Wind generation system 5E – Water generation system - Security fences
Electric fences used for security purposes - but not including electric fences intended primarily for the control or containment of animals.
- Remote area power supplies
Electrical installations comprising remote area power supplies with a power rating exceeding 500 volt amperes not connected to a supply authority distribution system.
- Medical patient areas
For the purposes of section 45 of the Act, prescribed electrical installation work means work on all or part of any electrical installation operated at any voltage in a patient area (other than communication equipment operated at extra low voltage).
- Safety Services
Circuit protective devices, switchgear, control gear, wiring systems and accessories (other than fire detection and alarm systems) installed to provide control or protection to –- fire pumps (excluding pumps for fire hose reels where those hose reels are not the sole means of fire protection)
- air handling systems intended to exhaust or control the spread of smoke or fire
- the electricity supply for emergency lifts.
- Part 1 Solution
An alternative design solution installed in an electrical installation or a portion of an electrical installation (other than a domestic electrical installation or portion of a domestic electrical installation) that, because of its unusual requirements, application or intended use, cannot meet the requirements of Part 2 of the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules.
Note: Refer to 'Electricity Safety (General) Regulations - Regulation 204 Alternative design solution' for further information.
Prescribed COES
Prescribed electrical installation work is required to have a prescribed COES issued for the work.
Copies of prescribed COES must be provided to the relevant parties within 16 calendar days from completion of the work.
Prescribed COES must be sent to:
- the customer
- the relevant distribution busines
- Energy Safe.
The responsible person must keep their copy for three years. Failure to comply with these requirements is an offence.
- Note: Persons holding a Restricted Electrical Worker’s licence (REL), (previously known as a ‘D’ licence), may purchase prescribed COES however, cannot issue prescribed COES.
Non-prescribed electrical installation work
Non-prescribed electrical installation work means all other electrical installation work than that listed as prescribed electrical installation work requiring inspection.
Copies of non-prescribed COES must be provided to the relevant parties within one month from completion of the work.
Non-prescribed COES must be sent to:
- the customer
- Energy Safe.
The responsible person is to keep their copy for three years.
Failure to comply with these requirements is an offence.
- Note: Persons holding a Restricted Electrical Worker’s License (REL), (previously known as a ‘D’ licence), may only purchase and issue non-prescribed COES.
Periodic COES
Periodic COES allow non-prescribed electrical installation work to be performed at a single electrical installation for a period of three months.
One copy of a periodic COES (the customer copy) is to be sent/retained by the business where the electrical installation work was completed.
One copy is to be kept by the responsible person (the person whose user ID is allocated to the COES) and one copy sent to Energy Safe.
Prescribed work on a non-prescribed COES – Regulation 249(4)
Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019 – Prescribed Electrical Installation Work.
The Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019 became law on 6 December 2019. Regulation 249 states:
'(4) For the purposes of section 45 of the Act, prescribed electrical installation work does not include—
(a) the repair or maintenance of a single component part of an electrical installation or
(b) the replacement of a single component part of an electrical installation by an equivalent component part at the same location or
(c) the installation or connection of a consumer billing meter.'
(5) A single component referred to above includes any terminating device required to connect that single part of an electrical installation to the electricity supply.'
Generally, where any prescribed electrical installation work involving the installation, alteration, repair or maintenance of prescribed electrical installation work is completed, a Certificate of Electrical Safety for prescribed electrical installation work is required to be issued and the work inspected by a licensed electrical inspector before connection to electricity supply.
Regulation 249(4)
Regulation 249(4) of the Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019 does not deem:
- the repair or maintenance of a single component part of a prescribed electrical installation or
- the replacement of a single prescribed component part of a prescribed electrical installation by an equivalent component part at the same location
to be prescribed electrical installation work and therefore does not require inspection.
The term ‘single prescribed component part’ means one component part of an electrical wiring system, eg. one fused mains box, one earth electrode, one circuit breaker/RCD/RCBO on a switchboard assembly.
In effect, Regulation 249(4) allows the repair or maintenance (including replacement) of a single component part of an electrical installation that is classified as prescribed electrical installation work to be excluded from the requirement for a prescribed Certificate of Electrical Safety and electrical inspection.
However, a non-prescribed Certificate of Electrical Safety for any electrical installation work covered by regulation 249(4) is required to be completed and certified by the licensed electrical worker and approved by the responsible person (licensed electrician, technical supervisor etc.).
Electrical installation workers should, when carrying out this type of work, clearly indicate on the Certificate of Electrical Safety for non-prescribed electrical installation work in the area for the description of electrical work:
‘This Work Has Been Carried Out Under the Provisions of Regulation 249(4)’
Notes:
- A responsible person carrying out prescribed electrical installation work which involves the initial installation or subsequent alteration of that work must still issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety at the completion of that work and ensure that the work is inspected by a licensed electrical inspector.
- The commissioning and periodic testing of electrical equipment which does not involve the physical disconnection of any conductor or component part of an installation such as, residual current device, line isolation monitor, isolation transformer installed in cardiac/body protected areas as per AS/NZS 3003 or a high voltage circuit breaker is not deemed to be electrical installation work.
The following examples are intended to clarify some of the more common instances where regulation 249(4) may apply and where a non-prescribed (NP) COES must be completed and issued when carrying out this type of electrical installation work.
Note: NP means Non-Prescribed Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Mains connection box (fused or non-fused)
| Repair to a mains connection box. | NP |
| Repair of cable connection at a mains connection box. | NP |
| Replacement of a single mains connection box in the same location (e.g. to allow for fascia replacement or wall cladding installation or 55Amp mains connection box with an 80 Amp mains connection box). | NP |
| Replacement of a single un-fused mains connection box with a fused mains connection box in the same location | NP |
Consumer’s mains – general (including submains of multiple installations)
| Repair to conductor insulation or conductor (e.g. joint in conductor at junction box). | NP |
| The replacement of a section of consumer’s mains (or submains of a multiple installation) by use of a similar wiring system of the same current carrying capacity installed in exactly the same location (identical route). | NP |
Consumer’s mains – underground electric lines
| Repair to conductor insulation or conductor (e.g. joint in conductor at junction box). | NP |
| The replacement of consumer’s mains by use of a similar wiring system of the same current carrying capacity installed in exactly the same location (identical route). | NP |
Main earthing system
| Disconnection/reconnection of existing conductor termination at earth electrode | NP |
| Repair to earthing conductor | NP |
| Replacement of a single earth conductor of the same size and in the same location. | NP |
| Replacement of a single earth electrode in same location (includes installing an earth electrode where the water pipe had been used as the earth electrode). | NP |
Meter enclosure and customer provided equipment (equipment not owned by electricity supplier)
| Replacement of a single meter only enclosure in same location. | NP |
| Replacement of a single meter only enclosure in same location. | NP |
Metering equipment (except for metering equipment owned and installed by a major electricity company (MEC))
| Installation of meter equipment | NP |
| Replacement of meter equipment in the same location | NP |
| Installation of Current Transformers | NP |
| Replacement of Current Transformers in the same location | NP |
| Disconnection and reconnection of meter equipment for testing purposes | NP |
| Disconnection and reconnection of Current Transformer(s) for testing purposes | NP |
Consumer’s mains – private aerial lines
| Repair to a single severed or damaged overhead conductor (e.g. approved joint in conductor). | NP |
| Restraining a single overhead conductor. | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of aerial hardware (e.g. one insulator, one cross-arm brace, one stay or one pole cap, breakaway device etc.). | NP |
| Re-securing a single component of aerial hardware (e.g. tightening insulators, cross-arm braces, struts, pole caps etc.). | NP |
| Replacement of more than 20% of overhead conductor by use of a similar wiring system in the same route location in a high bushfire risk area – only where permitted by an Energy Safe Victoria emergency restoration. | NP |
| Replacement of less than 20% of overhead conductor by use of a similar wiring system in the same route location in a high bushfire risk area. | NP |
| Replacement of a single circuit protective device of same current carrying capacity in the same location (e.g. circuit breaker, fused mains box). | NP |
| Replacement of a single pole in the same location, which constitutes less than 20% of the total number of poles in the line in a high bushfire risk area. | NP |
| Replacement of a single pole in the same location, which constitutes more than 20% of the total number of poles in the line in a high bushfire risk area – only where permitted by an Energy Safe Victoria emergency restoration. | NP |
| Replacement of a single cross arm. | NP |
Switchboard – main (including switchboards installed in individual occupancies of multiple installations)
| Replacement of one main switch with another switch of the same current rating in the same location (this includes when a main switch is replaced with a circuit breaker that is correctly rated to provide over current protection of the consumers mains). | NP |
| Replacement of the main neutral link or bar with another link or bar of the same current carrying capacity in the same location. | NP |
| Repair of a consumer’s mains conductor termination (i.e. on the line side of a main switch or at a neutral link). | NP |
| Replacement of a single surge protection device with an equivalent surge protection device on the line side of a main switch in the same location. | NP |
| Installation of one single surge protection device with an equivalent surge protection device on the load side of a main switch in the same location. | NP |
Equipment in hazardous areas (including protection equipment associated with hazardous areas)
| Repair to conductor insulation or conductor in hazardous areas (e.g. joint in conductor). | NP |
| Repair to conductor connection at electrical equipment in hazardous areas. | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of electrical equipment of the same current rating and/or hazardous area classification characteristics where the cable termination does not involve re-routing of the original cable - where permitted in accordance with AS/NZS 60079.14. | NP |
| Replacement of a single control, isolation or protection device of the same current rating and/or hazardous area classification characteristics in the same location – where permitted in accordance with AS/NZS 60079.14. | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of protection equipment associated with hazardous areas of the same current rating in same location – where permitted in accordance with AS/NZS 60079.14. | NP |
High voltage equipment
| Installation of metering equipment | NP |
| Replacement of metering equipment | NP |
| Repair to high voltage conductor insulation or conductor | NP |
| Repair to high voltage conductor connection at equipment | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of high voltage electrical equipment of the same current rating where the cable termination does not involve re-routing of the original cable (e.g. HV motor with terminal box on motor in same location) | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of high voltage electrical equipment of the same current rating, same fault level rating and same protection characteristics (e.g. circuit breaker). | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of high voltage control, isolation or protection device of the same current rating in the same location. | NP |
| Replacement of a section of high voltage cable by use of a similar wiring system of the same current carrying capacity and same fault level rating in exactly the same location (identical route). | NP |
Replacement of one of the following components of high voltage equipment of the same
| NP |
| Replacement of commutator brushes on high voltage motor – by use of tools. | NP |
| Replacement of slip rings on high voltage motor. | NP |
| Maintenance of slip rings or commutator/s on high voltage motor. | NP |
Standby, alternative and supplementary supplies
| The replacement of a section of an identical wiring system of the same current carrying capacity installed in exactly the same location (identical route). | NP |
| Repair to conductor insulation or conductor. | NP |
| Repair to conductor connection at electrical equipment. | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of electrical equipment of same current rating in the same location (e.g. protection, control, etc.). | NP |
| Replacement of a single inverter with an equivalent inverter of the same rating and capacity in the same location. (e.g., Manufacturer equivalent) | NP |
| Replacement of a single Photovoltaic panel with an equivalent single Photovoltaic panel of the same rating and capacity in the same location. (e.g., Manufacturer equivalent) | NP |
Battery energy storage systems (BESS)
| Repair to conductor connection at electrical equipment. | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of electrical equipment of same current rating in the same location (e.g. protection, control, etc.). | NP |
| Repair to conductor insulation or conductor. | NP |
| The replacement of a section of a similar wiring system of the same current carrying capacity installed in exactly the same location (identical route). | NP |
| Replacement of a single preassembled integrated BESS with an equivalent single sealed preassembled integrated BESS of the same rating and capacity in the same location. | NP |
| Replacement of a single preassembled battery system with an equivalent single sealed preassembled battery system of the same rating and capacity in the same location. | NP |
| Replacement of a single battery module or cell with an equivalent single battery module or cell of the same rating and capacity in the same location. | NP |
Electric fences (for security purposes)
| Repair to conductor insulation or conductor. | NP |
| Repair to conductor connection at electrical equipment. | NP |
| Replacement of a single component of electrical equipment of same current rating in the same location (e.g. energizers, ancillary, protection, control equipment, etc.). | NP |
| The replacement of a section of cable by use of a similar wiring system of the same urrent carrying capacity installed in exactly the same location (identical route). | NP |
| Replacement of fence in same location. | NP |
| Installation or alteration of physical barrier in same location. | NP |
| Replacement of physical barrier in same location. | NP |
Electro-medical equipment
| Repair to conductor insulation or conductor. | NP |
| Repair to conductor connection at electrical equipment. | NP |
| Replacement of one component of electrical equipment of same current rating in exactly the same location (e.g. socket outlet, residual current device, line isolation monitor, circuit breaker, isolating switch, isolating transformer, EP terminal, theatre lighting, etc.). | NP |
Search a public register
A directory of tradespeople for industry and community use.
Date: 05/10/2024 13:54
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.
Reviewed