Electrical legislation
For a list of the energy legislation administered by Building and Energy visit:
Building and Energy legislative framework
Wiring Rules
The 2018 edition of AS/NZS 3000:2018: Electrical installations, known as the Wiring Rules, was developed by Standards Australia in collaboration with industry and government.
A copy of the standard is available through Intertek Inform.
WA Electrical Requirements (WAER)
The WAER sets out minimum requirements for all electrical installations in WA.
Compliance with the WAER is mandatory under Regulation 49 of the Western Australian Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991. The WAER should be read with the Electricity Regulations 1947, Part VIII, and the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991. Both sets of regulations take precedence.
The document makes frequent references to relevant Australian Standards. As a general rule, nothing in those standards is replicated in the WAER. The reader needs to refer to the quoted Australian Standards.
Failure to comply with a requirement may result in prosecution under the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991. It may also cause electricity connection delays.
Current version
WA Electrical Requirements (WAER) – August 2023
Past versions
Safe working guidelines
The safe working guidelines provide guidance on safe working for electrical licence holders and effective supervision of electrical apprentices. Employer and employee responsibilities for maintaining workplace safety are set out in the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
Every apprentice entering the electrical industry must be aware of the risks involved in working with electricity. The danger is real.
A person carrying out electrical work is safe when the appropriate practices and procedures are followed.
Responsibility for general safety
Employers have a duty of care to maintain a safe working environment for employees by providing information and training, safe work procedures, safety equipment and effective supervision.
Employees have a duty of care to ensure their own safety and to avoid any act or omission which adversely affects the safety of others during the performance of their work. Employees must cooperate with employers, follow safe work procedures and use protective equipment.
View the Safe working guidelines for electrical workers.
Safe working guidelines for electrical apprentices
The ‘Safe working guidelines and assessment for electrical apprentices’ booklet covers basic electrical safety practices to be learned and followed by every electrical apprentice. Safe working practices and procedures are an integral part of the electrical trade and must be the first skills learned.
It is provided as a guide to employers and apprentices to ensure apprentices have sufficient basic trade safety knowledge prior to being granted an electrician’s training licence. The booklet also forms part of the apprentices’ reference material during the apprenticeship.
View the Safe working guidelines and assessment for electrical apprentices.
Apprentice safety assessment test and report
To apply for an electrician’s training licence, an apprentice needs to read and understand the safe working guidelines and then complete a written test with a minimum pass mark of 80%.
The apprentice’s employer must conduct the test and submit a brief report to Building and Energy with the apprentice’s training licence application form.
View the apprentice safety assessment test and report:
Requirements for electrical installing work
View the Guidance note to electrical workers carrying out electrical installing work.
The Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 (Regulations) require electrical contractors to certify certain types of electrical installing work carried out in Western Australia. Depending on the type of work one or more of the following may be required:
- Preliminary notice
- Notice of completion
- Electrical safety certificate
Preliminary notices
An electrical contractor intending to carry out any notifiable electrical installing work, or cause any notifiable electrical installing work to be carried out, must submit a preliminary notice to the relevant electricity network operator before the proposed electrical installing work is commenced (Regulation 51).
Some exemptions are provided in the regulation.
If the electrical installation will not be connected to an electricity network operator's system, the notice must be sent to Building and Energy.
Notices of completion
An electrical contractor who carries out any notifiable electrical installing work, or causes any notifiable electrical installing work to be carried out, must submit a notice of completion to the relevant electricity network operator within three (3) days of completion of the work (Regulation 52).
Some exemptions are provided in the regulation.
Regulation 242 of the Electricity Regulations 1947 requires the network operator to have such a notice before connecting the electricity supply.
If the electrical installation will not be connected to an electricity network operator's system, the notice must be sent to Building and Energy.
A notice of completion is a legal document certifying that the installing work:
- has been completed;
- has been checked, tested and complies with all regulatory requirements; and
- is safe to connect to the electricity supply.
The electrical contractor must make a record of each test, inspection and verification that was carried out in accordance with the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules.
A copy of the notice of completion and the associated testing and checking records must be retained by the electrical contractor for a minimum of five (5) years.
Electrical safety certificates
An electrical contractor who carries out any electrical installing work (either notifiable or non-notifiable), or causes any electrical installing work to be carried out, must also submit an electrical safety certificate to the person for whom the work was done within 28 days of completion of the work (Regulation 52B).
Some exemptions are provided in the regulations (for example, an electrical safety certificate is not required for maintenance work).
An electrical safety certificate is a legal document certifying that the installing work:
- has been completed;
- has been checked, tested and complies with all regulatory requirements; and
- is safe to connect to the electricity supply.
A copy of the electrical safety certificate must be retained by the electrical contractor for a minimum of five (5) years.
Lodgement of notices and certificates
Electrical contractors may use Building and Energy's online application 'eNotice' to lodge (electronically) preliminary notices and notices of completion with network operators (or Building and Energy) and to deliver electrical safety certificates to the relevant persons. Use of this online service is free.
The sample inspection system
The sample inspection system recognises that some electrical workers and contractors are capable of getting the job done correctly the first time. It guarantees that the responsibility for ensuring that the work is done correctly rests with the electrical contractor and electrician, and not with the network operator.
The sample inspection system permits inspectors to audit a much wider range of industry work and ensure a safer result overall for the network operator's customers. For example, alterations and additions to domestic premises are a common activity and the electrical work associated with them is considered to offer greater safety problems than those in new dwellings. This system allows the network operator to establish an inspection surveillance in this area of work without increasing its inspection resource.
A notice of completion is received from the electrical contractor, which also provides details of the electrician who checked and tested the work. If the electrician's performance is satisfactory and he or she completes a reasonable volume of work within a defined time span, a sample rate (that is, one in five) is assigned to this electrician. Inspections are then carried out when the sample rate (that is, the fifth job) is reached.
The sample rate for new electrical installations is determined by the network operator and is based on a formula which is part of the network operator's approved inspection system plan. The electrician's sample rate is set automatically and continually adjusts depending on the electrician's performance and volume of work.
Electricity network safety
The Electricity (Network Safety) Regulations 2015 are designed to ensure the safety of the public, consumers and electricity workers in the vicinity of electricity supply infrastructure.
Electricity network operators publish public safety objectives
Regulation 31 of the Electricity (Network Safety) Regulations 2015 requires the four major electricity network operators to publish their public safety objectives for the maximum number of specified safety incidents listed in Regulation 30, each year, for the following three years.
The four network operators published objectives can be found on the following links:
Under Regulation 32 they must publish their public safety results after each quarter and send a report to the Director of Energy Safety. The Director may comment on the results and publish his assessment of any network operator's safety performance.
Guidelines for the safety of buildings near network operator assets
The Guidelines for the safety of buildings near network operator assets are issued under Section 33AA of the Electricity Act 1945.
The risks and potential consequences of an electrical incident involving building encroachments too near network operator assets are significant, especially for high voltage. The danger justifies stringent safety design criteria for buildings to prevent injury to persons and major damage to electrical installations and buildings.
These guidelines have been produced to assist property owners, surveyors, planners, architects, builders and local governments. It gives due consideration to safe clearances from network operator overhead and underground electricity infrastructure when designing and planning buildings, signs and other structures.
View the Guidelines for the safety of buildings near network operator assets.
Further enquiries
For further enquiries on these issues, please contact:
Principal Engineer Electricity Supply
Telephone: (08) 6251 1900
Facsimile: (08) 6251 1901
Working on or near energised electrical installations
Working on or near energised electrical equipment (live work) is an unsafe practice and too frequently results in burns, shocks, serious accidents and fatalities for electricians and other workers.
Compliance obligations for licensed electrical workers
The Electricity (Licensing) Amendment Regulations (No. 2), published in November 2017, do not permit electrical work to be performed on or near an exposed energised part of an electrical installation that can be de-energised. Work on energised parts of installation may occur in accordance with Regulation 55 of the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991.
This came into effect 14 May 2018.
Electricity (Licencing) Amendment Regulations (No.2) 2017
Regulation 55 limits performing work on or near live electrical equipment to circumstances only where:
- it is necessary for the work to be carried out effectively;
- the health and safety of one or more persons would be otherwise put in imminent and significant danger; or
- it is necessary in order to test, measure the performance of, or detect or locate faults or defects in, the part of the installation.
AND
- the risks can be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable; and
- the work can be carried out safely.
Code of Practice for persons working on or near energised electrical installations
Building and Energy developed a Code of Practice for persons working on or near energised electrical installations to assist electrical workers to comply with the new regulations.
View the Code of Practice for persons working on or near energised electrical installations
Note: This new Code of Practice replaces the document “Code of Practice – Safe Low Voltage Work Practices by Electricians” published by the Director of Energy Safety in 2008.
Working live kills
Electrical workers are at a greater risk of electric shocks and electrocution than members of the general public or workers in other occupations.
To promote the safety message ‘Working Live Kills’ tool box and car bumper stickers were designed. Multiple options were circulated to students to obtain feedback on the most impactful design. The stickers were extremely successful with industry stakeholders and registered training organisations who assisted with the wide distribution.
To request ‘Working Live Kills’ stickers, please contact: EGPgeneraladmin@demirs.wa.gov.au
Letter to electricity customers regarding ban on live work
Building and Energy prepared a letter signed by the Director of Energy Safety to inform electricity customers about the new laws, which strictly limit work on or near energised electrical equipment to exceptional circumstances. Electrical contractors and electricians are encouraged to provide a copy of this letter to their customers when quoting and performing electrical work.
View the Letter to electrical installation owners – Ban on live work.
Compliance obligations for other workers
Persons performing any work in premises with an electricity supply must be aware of the potential significant hazards associated with live electrical equipment.
In particular, there are a number of possible electrical hazards in roof spaces that are a danger to any person, workers or occupier, when entering a roof space. These hazards may include:
- exposed live electrical conductors or terminals;
- unenclosed joints in conductors (i.e. no connection boxes);
- substandard or deteriorated wiring (often associated with older buildings);
- unused wiring left in the roof space that has not been disconnected from the switchboard;
- past electrical work not performed by a competent person which could be substandard and unsafe;
- live consumers mains even when the main switch is off and the SPD is removed;
- solar array DC and service AC cabling carrying significant DC voltage;
- damaged cables (e.g. chewed by rodents); and
- metallised thermal insulation which may be energised due to poor installation practices.
Building and Energy has developed stickers to be affixed to the roof space manhole and at the main switchboard/meter box to serve as a reminder to switch the power off before anyone enters the roof space.
To request stickers, please contact: EGPGeneralAdmin@dmirs.wa.gov.au(link sends email).
More information can be found on Building and Energy's working in the roof space webpage or in Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 – Regulation 153, Work in roof spaces.
Electrical Arc Flash Hazard Management Guideline
The Australian Energy Council has developed an Electrical Arc Flash Hazard Management Guideline recommending minimum industry standards in managing electric arc flash hazard.
RCD installation requirements
RCD requirements for installations built after 1 January 2019
All installations constructed after 1 January 2019 have to comply with AS/NZS 3000:2018, the Wiring Rules. As such, all final sub-circuits including those protecting hard-wired appliances (for example: stoves, air-conditioners, and the like) in residential premises are to be RCD protected.
RCD requirements for domestic dwellings being offered for sale, rent or hire
Under the Electricity Regulations 1947 (the Regulations) all residential premises to be sold, rented, made available as short-term rental accommodation or hired must have at least two RCDs protecting the final sub-circuits to socket outlets and lighting. There must be no more than three final sub-circuits per RCD. The lighting circuits (if there are two or more) must be divided between the RCDs.
The Regulations were amended in November 2018, to remove references to the Wiring Rules. The requirements for RCDs for residences being sold, rented or hired remain unchanged.
The law does NOT require RCDs on final sub-circuits protecting hard-wired appliances.
Owners of existing residences constructed prior to 1 January 2019 may decide to protect all the final sub-circuits but this is optional and not mandatory.
If an electrical contractor is engaged to verify that RCDs are fitted to a residence intended for sale, rent or hire, they need to ensure that, as a minimum, RCDs are fitted as required by Electricity Regulations 1947 not AS/NZS 3000:2018.
Further details are provided in the Electricity Regulations 1947, Regulation 12 to 18 available from https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au.
Renewable energy installations
Small scale renewable energy installations in Western Australia
In most cases, installing solar photo-voltaic (solar PV), battery or wind turbine equipment is electrical installing work. The Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 (ELR) define electrical installing work as ‘the work of assembling and fixing in place, altering or adding to any
electrical installation or maintaining, enhancing, repairing, removing, or connecting to fixed
wiring, any electrical equipment’.
Key points for industry
Key points for those working in the small scale renewable energy industry in Western Australia
- The installation of solar PV systems, battery storage systems and wind turbines are notifiable electrical work. This means that under the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991, the nominee for the licensed electrical contractor must submit a Notice of Completion to the relevant network operator for each installation within three days from the time the work was completed. This applies to both installations connected to a network and for standalone systems.
- Where installations are carried out under sub-contracts, it is the responsibility of the licensed electrical contractor that does the work to submit the notices to the network operator.
- With the exception of some mechanical work such as building a battery rack or installing the solar panel brackets, almost all of the work is electrical work that must be performed by a licensed electrical worker. This includes the interconnection of solar panels and bonding. Apprentices must be supervised. Regulation 49D of the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 outlines the requirements for apprenticeship supervision.
Building and Energy will be working to ensure that PV solar installations and battery storage systems are installed according to WA Regulations.
Notice of Completion required for obtaining the Small-scale technology certificates
As of 24 December 2020, the Clean Energy Regulator has required the Notice of Completion and the Electrical Safety Certificate to be collected with the Small-scale Technology Certificate assignment form, before Small-scale technology certificates (STCs) may be created.
Submitting the NOC will help ensure that the renewable energy system has been installed and certified according to relevant Western Australian legislation and standards.
Not submitting the NOC with the STC form may lead to your claim for STCs being failed or delayed as the application does not meet all state and territory requirements, which includes the issuance of a NOC.
Installing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) utilise the technology we simply know as batteries, storing and using renewable energy to power homes and businesses.
The relevant standard for battery installations from Standards Australia is: Electrical Installations – Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment (AS/NZS 5139:2019).
BESS are being installed in increasing numbers in electricity distribution networks, homes, remote area power supplies and commercial/industrial installations. Electrical contractors may be asked to recommend and quote for a BESS or install, commission and test a system designed or selected by others. The BESS may or may not form part of a solar photovoltaic (PV) installation. It is important electrical workers familiarise themselves with the systems and relevant safety requirements prior to doing work on BESS.
Building and Energy published the following fact sheets to alert electrical contractors and electricians to the safety issues associated with BESS:
- Battery Energy Storage Systems
- Lithium-ion batteries used in BESS
- Lead-acid batteries in stand-alone power systems
Careful design and specification of equipment is the guiding principle for each specific installation to achieve the highest practicable standard of safety in design. This is the responsibility of all parties providing the equipment to the customer.
BESS equipment must be installed by licensed electrical contractors if it forms part of an electrical installation or operates at 120V DC or greater.
The Clean Energy Council provides information on requirements for accredited installers and designers of solar and energy storage systems. The industry has developed a Best Practice Guide: Battery Storage Equipment for battery storage electrical safety standards.
The Victorian Country Fire Authority has produced a useful guideline Design Guidelines and Model Requirements: Renewable Energy Facilities that provides standard considerations and measures in relation to:
- fire safety;
- risk and emergency management to be considered when designing;
- constructing and operating new renewable energy facilities; and
- upgrading existing facilities.
It is recommended that the ‘Design Guidelines and Model Requirements: Renewable Energy Facilities’ guidance be considered for renewable energy facilities including BESS facilities.
