Hi there Dapo!. [Linked Image]
You say that you guys are moving back from a totally de-regulated system?.
Over here, we have been under de-regulation for some time and in my opinion, it's definitely been to the detriment to the trade and work standards.
Before the change, all Electrical work had to be permitted and inspected before you were even allowed to have it hooked up to the supply.
These days, work is really only inspected when New work is installed or changes are made to the MEN points in an installation, oh and Homeowners work.
But, I've done a few rewires in my time as an Electrician and one thing that always impresses me is the neatly clipped runs of cable up in roof voids and under floors, these days you never see these often, unless you're looking at your own job, pin-clips just don't get used these days here.
As you may be aware Graham, we have an EWRB Audit system here, that means that every July you get asked to submit 3 or 4 copies of COC's (they give you the no's) of work you have done in the last year and a local Inspector goes and inspects your work and reports back to the EWRB.
Where this falls down however, is that if you don't use COC's, you are not subject to the same treatment as those of us that follow the rules!.
Electrician's over here get prosecuted for the stupidest of things, but on the other side of the coin, if you get caught, you've only got yourself to blame.
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In the financial year to June 1997 there were 20 electrical deaths in Queensland. There have been an average 11 deaths a year since then -- until 2002-3, with just one recorded.
Dapo, Are these Electrical worker deaths?
This is a shocking(ahem) figure for a group of people that should know better.
Really, I blame the law-makers, if they hadn't mucked around with the system in the first place, we would all know where we stand and there would be no confusion.