240v

Adapted from Baker's "To all people thinking of playing with 240V" thread on the OCAU Forums.

To all people thinking of playing with 240V

In the past few months, I've been alarmed to see the willingness of people in here to play with 240V. When myself and other members have responded, telling them of the legality of it, they normally respond with abuse. I am a member of the Electrical Trade Union, and in the member brochure they've got a feature named "Stop Dodgy DIY". I thought I'd reproduce part of this here, so that hopefully people will read it, and think.

Did you know?

• It is illegal to install or replace a power point, light fitting, or any appliance that requires any wiring unless you are a qualified electrician.
• Your house and contents insurance could be worthless if the insurance company finds out that any electrical work has been done without the certificate of a qualified electrical engineer.
• 33% of all house fires start from electrical faults.
• Even the pros can get hurt. 85% of qualified electricians have recieved a shock at some time in their working life.

Vanessa Garbutt - Qualified Electrician

DIY - More pain than gain!

"Doing your own wiring is bloody dangerous because its so easy to stuff up. It only takes one faulty wire to zap someone or burn down a house. Not only is it illegal, your insurance is worthless, and you endanger your own life or the life of someone you love. Its just not worth the risk. Don't do it yourself - get a qualified professional in."

It's not worth doing jobs yourself. What you think is a harmless job that you've done just might not be.

Electricity is a killer. Your home and your familys lives might be at stake. Think about it - is it really worth it?

What can and can't I do without a licence?

Queensland

In Queensland only electrical licence holders can perform "Electrical Work". Electrical Work is defined by the following clauses from the Queensland Electrical Safety Act -

18 Meaning of electrical work

(1) Electrical work is the manufacturing, constructing, installing, testing, maintaining, repairing, altering, removing, or replacing of electrical equipment.

Examples of electrical work—

• Installing low voltage electrical wiring in a building.
• Installing electrical equipment into an installation coupler or interconnecter.
• Replacing a low voltage electrical component of a washing machine.
• Maintaining an electricity entity’s overhead distribution system.

(2) However, the following are not electrical work—

(a) installing or removing electrical equipment by connecting it to electricity, or disconnecting it from electricity, by a plug and socket outlet;

(b) repairing or replacing non-electrical components of electrical equipment; Examples for paragraph (b)—

• Repairing hydraulic components attached to an electric motor.
• Replacing a drive belt on a washing machine.

(c) replacing a component forming part of electrical equipment if the electrical equipment has been designed so that the component is readily and safely able to be replaced by a person without electrical knowledge or skill;

Examples for paragraph (c)—

• Replacing a fuse.
• Replacing the bulb in a light fitting.

(d) assembling, making, modifying or repairing electrical equipment in a workplace under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 that is prescribed under a regulation for this paragraph, if that is the principal manufacturing process at the workplace, and arrangements are in place, and are detailed in written form, for ensuring that—

(i) the work is done safely and competently; and

(ii) the equipment is tested to ensure compliance with relevant standards;

(e) building, under the supervision of an electricity entity, an overhead electric line on structures that do not already carry an energised overhead electric line;

(f) building or repairing ducts, conduits or troughs (channels) where electrical wiring will be or is installed, if—

(i) the channels are not intended to be earthed; and

(ii) wiring installed in the channels is not energised; and

(iii) the work is done under the supervision of a person licensed to perform electrical installation work;

(g) laying, cutting or sealing underground cables that are part of the works of an electricity entity before the initial connection of the cables to an electricity source;

(h) recovering underground cables that are part of the works of an electricity entity after disconnection from an electricity source;

(i) altering, repairing, maintaining or recovering an overhead electric line that is part of the works of an electricity entity, if the work is performed under the entity’s supervision and—

(i) if the line is not on supports supporting another electric line—the line has been isolated from an electricity source so that the closure of a switch cannot energise the section of the line where work is being done; or

(ii) if the line is on supports supporting another electric line—both lines have been isolated from an electricity source so that the closure of a switch cannot energise the section of the line where the work is being done or an adjacent section of the other line;

(j) erecting structures for the support of electrical equipment; Examples of structures— electric poles and towers

(k) locating, mounting or fixing in place electrical equipment, other than—

(i) making or terminating electrical connections to the equipment; or

(ii) installing supply conductors that will connect the equipment to a supply of electricity;

(l) assisting a licensed electrical worker to perform work on electrical equipment under the direct supervision of the electrical worker, if performing the work does not involve the person directly contacting live electrical equipment;

(m) maintaining the structural parts of the electrical traction system on a railway, other than overhead electric lines, that forms part of the works of an electrical entity, if the work is structural work performed under a safe system of work;

(n) work performed by a person on electrical equipment if—

(i) the electrical equipment is not energised; and

(ii) the work is prescribed under a regulation for this paragraph; and

(iii) it is necessary for the person to perform the work to meet the eligibility requirements for an electrical work licence.