Hi,
Im not sure if this is the right forum for this post?
Anyway, Im just wondering what you guys do when carrying out CoVs for installations that have been disconnected greater than 6 months. The few that I have done have all had no issues, therefore I could issue the CoV on the spot. But I did one today for an Electrician on a house that was built in the early 60s. There are a few issues that need resolve before the power can be put back on. ie. O/H lines are too close to carport attached to house (within 100mm of the roofing Iron), smashed power points hanging off walls, poor Insulation Resistance tests on various circuits etc.
How to you guys go about situations like this? Do you give the Electrician (who does the work for the property manager) a list of things that need attention, then complete and issue the CoV once the non complaint work has been updated. Or issue the CoV with the list of things that need attention and hope they resolve it before the power goes on. From what I've herd from others, no one reads the CoV and power usually gets restored without any of the safety issues being fixed.
Thanks
CoVs
Re: CoVs
What the law requires:
ESR 74 says that installations, or parts of installations, that have been disconnected or isolated for more than 6 months, then the person doing the re-connection / re-livening must sight a certificate.
The certificate must state that the installation / part installation is "safe for continued use"; and it must be "issued in accordance with Section 3 of AS/NZS 3019".
So that's visual inspection only; and any items that don't meet the requirements set by Section 3 MUST be made safe before the cert can be validly issued.
If the re-connection / re-livening happens before the cert has been issued, that's an offence (clearly stated in ESR 74(4).
Issuing a certificate while any item remains not "safe for continued use" is also an offence; but under different law - probably under general Crimes Act provisions.
So issuing a cert that includes a list of non-safe items would be asking for trouble - just providing the Board with direct evidence against yourself.
If any of the not-safe items amount to an "immediate danger to life or property"; ESR 19 requires us to notify both owner / occupier and Worksafe.
They can't be an "immediate danger" while not connected to a supply; but if we know that power has been restored without these items being fixed we have to take action.
Technically we could probably get away with failing to notify, because assessing for issue of this cert isn't actually listed in ESR 19 among the activities that trigger the requirement. But you can't get in trouble for over-reporting; while getting off a charge of failing to report is going to take considerable time & effort.
Before ESRs came into force (2010); this kind of certificate used to be called a certificate of verification (CoV), but that term no longer has any official status. However since there's no handy TLA that can be based on the official description; "CoV" remains in common use.
ESR 74 says that installations, or parts of installations, that have been disconnected or isolated for more than 6 months, then the person doing the re-connection / re-livening must sight a certificate.
The certificate must state that the installation / part installation is "safe for continued use"; and it must be "issued in accordance with Section 3 of AS/NZS 3019".
So that's visual inspection only; and any items that don't meet the requirements set by Section 3 MUST be made safe before the cert can be validly issued.
If the re-connection / re-livening happens before the cert has been issued, that's an offence (clearly stated in ESR 74(4).
Issuing a certificate while any item remains not "safe for continued use" is also an offence; but under different law - probably under general Crimes Act provisions.
So issuing a cert that includes a list of non-safe items would be asking for trouble - just providing the Board with direct evidence against yourself.
If any of the not-safe items amount to an "immediate danger to life or property"; ESR 19 requires us to notify both owner / occupier and Worksafe.
They can't be an "immediate danger" while not connected to a supply; but if we know that power has been restored without these items being fixed we have to take action.
Technically we could probably get away with failing to notify, because assessing for issue of this cert isn't actually listed in ESR 19 among the activities that trigger the requirement. But you can't get in trouble for over-reporting; while getting off a charge of failing to report is going to take considerable time & effort.
Before ESRs came into force (2010); this kind of certificate used to be called a certificate of verification (CoV), but that term no longer has any official status. However since there's no handy TLA that can be based on the official description; "CoV" remains in common use.
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