sparks
ELECTRICAL NEWS
october 2014
4
contractors’ corner
MAKE YOUR
MARK
Working knowledge by Terry McKenzie-Hoy
The pros and cons of a complex problem
ELSEWHERE in this issue of
Sparks
is a letter to
the editor from Johan van Zyl. He wants tomake
it illegal for the general public to buy material to
be used in installation work without a letter from
a registered person stating that he/she will exer-
cise the general control. He thinks that will help
to stop illegal and unsafe electrical installations.
I am sure the editor of Sparks will publish any
responses from readers in a future issue. In the
meantime, here are my thoughts:
(1) Restricting the sale of switch socket outlets,
circuit breakers and distribution boards is certainly
possible.
The effect of the restrictionwould be to create
artificially high prices – if I have to get a registered
person to give a name to the purchase of a dis-
tribution board, then it’s going to cost a lot more
than at a big hardware store.
Also, I would be compelled to use the services of
the registered personwhich, given no alternative,
would cost a lot.
(2)You can’t restrict the sale of cable. It may well
be used for voltages lower than 50V (say solar
panels).
(3) All in all, I think it is a very good idea. I am
sick and tired of seeing the dangerous installa-
tions out there.
But, what about the following extracts from
OHaSA 1993?
“10(4) Where a person designs, manufactures,
imports, sells or supplies an article or substance
for or to another person and that other person
undertakes in writing to take specified steps suf-
ficient to ensure, as far as is reasonably practica-
ble, that the article or substance will comply with
all prescribed requirements and will be safe and
without risks to health when properly used, the
undertaking shall have the effect of relieving the
first mentioned person from the duty imposed
upon him by this section to such an extent as
may be reasonable having regard to the terms of
the undertaking.”
And
“(22) Subject to the provisions of Section
10 (4), if any requirement (including any health
and safety standard) in respect of any article,
substance, plant, machinery or health and
safety equipment or for the use or application
thereof has been prescribed, no person shall
sell or market in any manner whatsoever such
article, substance, plant, machinery or health
and safety equipment unless it complies with
that requirement.”
So, after all, perhaps what Johan van Zyl
suggests is already in law. Just get the Electri-
cal Contractors Association to fight it in court.
Perhaps. Or maybe not.
I think the worst offenders are the large
property developers and institutions such
as banks. These large organisations want to
get on with their business and don’t want to
be tripped up with small matters …“Who
cares?”they usually say. Where does the
electrical stuff come from and who does the
installation? As long as they get a Certificate
of Compliance – which, naturally, they do – it
means little.
Who, one may ask, cares?Well, the answer
should be“everybody in the industry”. Not so.
Consider the following regulations from
OHS Act:
“
2.4.5 – Sub-regulation 5
Where the voltage exceeds 1 kV, a person
deemed competent in terms of paragraphs (b),
(c) or {d) of the definition of a competent person
in Regulation 1 of the General Machinery Regu-
lations, 1988, or a person registered in a profes-
sional category in terms of the Engineering
Profession Act, 2000, shall approve the design of
that part of an electrical installation.
2.4.6 – Sub-regulation 6
Where the intention is to supply five or
more users from a new point of supply, the
user shall appoint an approved inspec-
tion authority for electrical installations
or a person deemed competent in terms of
paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of the definition of
a competent person in Regulation 1 of the
General Machinery Regulations, 1988, or a
person registered in a professional category
in terms of the Engineering Profession Act,
2000, who shall ensure the compliance
contemplated in sub regulation (1) from the
commencement to the commissioning of the
electrical installation.”
I would say that 90% of electricians ignore
these regulations with impunity. So, perhaps
selling electrical items to the public is just a
different symptom of the same illness … if
the regulations don’t suit you, ignore them.
Editor's note: Johan van Zyl's letter is on page 13.
