A Class Electricians’ Licence Refresher

Due to the high-risk environment that electricians work in, it makes sense that professional development is undertaken on a regular basis. This will ensure electricians are safe, current and have the opportunity to identify whether remedial assistance is needed.  For these reasons, the ETU has developed a new course to refresh electricians’ skills and knowledge, with the aim of improving safety and competency within the industry.

The course is aimed at all A class electricians in Victoria

The course will cover the main obligations and identify changes to current laws to make sure all electricians are up to date and current in the areas of:

  • safe working practice in the electrical trade
  • not working ‘live’
  • having a sound working knowledge of Part 3 of the Electrical Safety Act 1998
  • the Electrical Safety (Installation) Regulations 2009
  • the Electrical Safety (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2010 the AS/NZS 3000:2007 Wiring Rules including Amendments 1 and 2
  • the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
  • the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007 so they can meet and understand their legal working requirements and responsibilities before the renewal of their licence.

The focus of the day is on the legal responsibilities of an electrician relating to the Acts, Regulations and Standards.

The major outcome is for attendees to read, interpret and understand the legislation and standards, providing the opportunity to meet all current laws within the electrical industry. In 2014 the essential capabilities to obtain an A class licence were reviewed to ensure relevancy and currency. The result was a revised 55 Essential Performance Capabilities (EPC55) framework, which will be discussed at the course.

The morning session

The amended 31 Critical Capabilities (EPC31) used in the Electricians’ Licensing Assessment will be covered in the morning, as well as how to develop a safe working management system (SWMS), applying appropriate control measures, using the hierarchy of control, no live work measures, lock-out procedures, appropriate personal protective equipment, effective supervision of apprentices and the requirements for profiling.

The afternoon session

After a lunch break, we will return to cover safe working practice, implementing an SWMS and mandatory testing of an electrical installation that is called up in section 8 of AS/NZS 3000:2007 Wiring Rules. We will reinforce the need to consult the AS/NZS 3017:2007 Electrical Installations Testing Verification Guidelines and AS/NZS 3190:2011 Approval and test specification.

Residual current devices (current – operated earth – leakage devices) will be covered, as well as AS/NZS 3760:2010 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment. This will take the form of a demonstration on how to carry out these tests including a visual inspection checklist. Participants will then practise the mandatory tests in pairs.

What you’ll get out of the course

Upon completion of the professional development, all participants should be able to identify any gaps in their knowledge, which could possibly mean more in-depth training is needed to negate these shortfalls.

This will guarantee electricians are compliant and current with all relevant laws and working practices relating to their employment.

It is in the best interest of employers, contractors, electricians and their clients that all workers are up to date, current and can comply with all laws relating to carrying out employment legally, ensuring safety. This, in turn, ensures clients have a safe, working and compliant installation.

For further information, course dates and enrolment:

Call: The Centre for U on 1800 270 875
Email: hello@centreforu.com.au
Web: https://centreforu.com.au/


This article is from the Autumn 2017 issue of the ETU's members magazine. You can read the digital edition here.