A LOCAL electrician has raised the spectre of unlicensed work being undertaken on some home-building sites in the district.
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John Cafe, a licensed sparkie from Bega, said he has been approached “an unprecedented number of times” over the past 12 months to connect and sign off on electrical work “by persons unknown”.
“This usually comes to light because something isn’t working properly or the work is sub-standard,” Mr Cafe said.
He said he refuses all requests to repair or connect power to such installations.
“Installation problems include incorrect polarity, no earthing, substandard insulation, exposed connections, overloading of circuits, screws and nails piercing electrical conductors and electrical outlets in hazardous areas,” Mr Cafe said.
“Any liability arising from electrical work comes under close scrutiny from insurers and the legal system in the case of fires and fatalities.
“It would be foolish and uneconomical for a licensed registered and insured contractor to accept responsibility for someone’s work who isn’t qualified and insured.
“Nobody is being done a favour getting a cheap electrical job done by someone who does not have the relevant qualifications and insurance.”
A spokesperson for NSW Fair Trading said consumers should always ensure they engage a licensed electrician for all electrical work, every time.
“Using an unlicensed electrician means that there is a greater chance that the electrical work will not be safe or compliant and ultimately will mean there is a greater cost placed onto the consumer,” the spokesperson said.
“A licensed electrician who is engaged to complete any electrical work carried out by unlicensed persons would require the licensed electrician to re-inspect all of the previous work to ensure the work is safe and compliant with stringent Australian standards.
“A licensed electrician must ensure that when they sign off on any electrical work that it meets these standards and can only complete a Certificate of Compliance of Electrical Work once they are satisfied the installation is safe.”
NSW Fair Trading undertakes compliance checks of home building sites to ensure traders are operating within the law.
Fair Trading also responds to consumer complaints and can undertake a mediation and inspection service, which includes issuing a rectification order for any residential work that the licence holder is eligible to undertake.
“If a trader is found to be in breach of the Home Building Act, they can be subject to investigation and/or disciplinary action including being formally cautioned, fined, prosecuted, or if licensed, having their licence suspended,” the spokesperson said.
“Depending on the severity of the offence, individuals can be fined between $250 and $1500 per breach and corporations can be fined between $500 and $3000 per breach.
“In the case of unlicensed electrical work, if prosecuted, the courts can impose fines of up to $22,000 for an individual and $110,000 for a corporation.
“In addition, all major disciplinary action against a licence holder is recorded against their details on the public register.”
If a consumer has dealt with an unlicensed electrician, they should immediately notify Fair Trading so the matter can be investigated and appropriate action taken.
Complaints and inquiries can be lodged with Fair Trading via its website, www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au, or call 13 32 20 for further information and assistance.