Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010

Reprint as at 21 January 2019

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010

(SR 2010/36)

Anand Satyanand, Governor-General

Order in Council

At Wellington this 1st day of March 2010

Present:
His Excellency the Governor-General in Council

Note

Changes authorised by subpart 2 of Part 2 of the Legislation Act 2012 have been made in this official reprint.

Note 4 at the end of this reprint provides a list of the amendments incorporated.

These regulations are administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment.

Pursuant to sections 169, 169A, and 169B of the Electricity Act 1992, His Excellency the Governor-General, acting on the advice and with the consent of the Executive Council, makes the following regulations.

Contents

1Title
2Commencement
Part 1
Preliminary provisions
Application
3Application: things these regulations do not apply to
Definitions
4Interpretation
5Meanings of electrically safe and electrically unsafe
6Prescribed electrical work
6AMeaning of low-risk, high-risk, and general prescribed electrical work
7Connectable installations
8IEC shock current standards
Ambient temperature
9New Zealand ambient temperature
Penalty levels
10Level 1 and level 2 penalties defined
11Strict liability offences
12Infringement offences
Part 2
General safety requirements
Requirements for electrical safety
13Doing work on works, installations, fittings, and appliances
14Designing works, installations, fittings, and appliances
14AManufacturer’s instructions
15Using works, installations, fittings, appliances, and associated equipment
15AFittings and appliances at rented residential premises
16Minimising risk of contact with live conductive parts
17Maintaining safe distances
18Notices where high voltages used, generated, or transmitted
18ASigns when carrying out prescribed electrical work
19Notifying WorkSafe of danger
Things deemed electrically safe or electrically unsafe
20Electrically unsafe works and installations
21Electrically safe single-wire earth return systems [Revoked]
22Electrically unsafe low voltage fittings
23Electrically unsafe appliances
24Electrically unsafe RCDs
24AElectrically unsafe safety-critical equipment
24BElectrically unsafe electrical work in relation to certain mining electrical equipment
25Specific installations, fittings, and appliances deemed to be electrically safe
26When fittings and appliances in use deemed to be electrically safe
Part 3
Systems of supply
27Systems in general
28Voltage supply to installations
29Frequency of electricity supplied
30Requirements relating to safety of electricity supplied
31Requirements relating to quality of supply
32Protection against fault currents
33Requirements relating to construction of, or work in vicinity of, telecommunications equipment
33ALimits of operation of SWER systems in relation to telecommunications
Part 4
Safety of works
Rules applying in relation to all works
34Protective fittings for works
35Interference with, or movement of, works
36Generating facilities and substations
37Works constructed as low voltage installations
37ATrolley bus supply systems must be treated as works
38Testing works before connecting to supply
Works not covered by audited safety management systems
39Regulations 40 to 46 do not apply to works covered by audited safety management systems
40Safety checks of works
41Structural loading on works
42Requirements for earthing systems in works
43Isolation fittings for works
44High voltage conductors of overhead electric lines
45Permanent notices on works
46Keeping records and plans
Works covered by audited safety management systems
47Overview
48What safety management systems must do
49Substantive requirements of safety management systems
50Documentation of safety management systems
51Audit of safety management systems
52Audit certificate for safety management systems
53Statutory declaration by safety management system operator
54Cancellation of audit certificate
55Certification and declaration deemed to be compliance with section 61A of Act
56Offences by accredited auditors
Part 5
Safety of installations
Domestic wiring exemption
57Exemption for domestic electrical wiring work
Certified designs for installations
58Certified designs
Rules for low and extra-low voltage installations
59Low and extra-low voltage installations to comply with AS/NZS 3000
60Certain installations must comply with Part 2 of AS/NZS 3000
61Specific rules for installations under Part 1 of AS/NZS 3000
61AAInstallations in excavated areas must comply with AS/NZS 3007
61ARule about 3-pin flat-pin socket-outlets in low voltage installations
Rules for high voltage installations
62High voltage installations treated as if works
Testing prescribed electrical work
63Testing prescribed electrical work on low and extra-low voltage installations
64Testing prescribed electrical work on high voltage installations
Certifying prescribed electrical work
65Requirement for certificate of compliance
66Content of certificate of compliance
67Information recorded on certificate of compliance
68Who may issue certificate of compliance
69Offences relating to certificates of compliance
Inspecting prescribed electrical work
70High-risk prescribed electrical work to be inspected
71Who may carry out inspection
72Record of inspection
72AWhat happens to records of inspection
73Offences relating to inspection
Connection to power supply after prescribed electrical work
73ABefore connecting installations to power supply
73BOffence relating to connection
Reconnection when no general or high-risk prescribed electrical work done
74Reconnecting or restoring power supply to certain low voltage installations
Certifying installations
74AElectrical safety certification
74BException for operators with maintenance management systems
74CTime when electrical safety certificate to be issued
74DOffences relating to electrical safety certificates
Record-keeping
74EWhat happens to certificates of compliance
74FDetails of high-risk work to be lodged on database
74GWhat happens to electrical safety certificates
74HOffences relating to record-keeping
Miscellaneous
74ILocation of installations
Periodic assessments
75Periodic assessments of certain installations
Connectable installations
76No supply without warrant of electrical fitness
77Restrictions on use of connectable installations
78Issue of warrants of electrical fitness for connectable installations
Part 5A
Mining electrical equipment and conductors
78AInterpretation
Alluvial mining operations and quarrying operations
78BObligations in relation to alluvial mining operations and quarrying operations
78CStandards for equipment at alluvial mining operations and quarrying operations
78DPeriodic assessment of equipment and conductors at alluvial mining operations and quarrying operations
Opencast mining operations
78EObligations in relation to opencast mining operations
78FStandards for equipment at opencast mining operations
78GSafety assessment programmes at opencast mining operations
Tunnelling operations and underground mining operations
78HObligations in relation to tunnelling operations
78IObligations in relation to underground mining operations
78JCertified designs for mining electrical equipment and conductors at tunnelling operations and underground mining operations
78KSafety assessment programmes at tunnelling operations and underground mining operations
78LGeneral offences
Tourist mining operations
78MObligations in relation to tourist mining operations
Part 6
Safety of fittings and appliances
79Maintenance of domestic appliances
80New and used fittings and appliances to be electrically safe
81Evidence of compliance with standards
82Offences relating to false or incorrect marking
83Supplier declaration of conformity required before sale of declared medium risk articles
83ADeemed approval by WorkSafe for sale of medium risk EESS products
84Declared high risk articles not to be sold unless approved
85Approval by WorkSafe for sale of declared high risk articles
86Deemed approval by WorkSafe for sale of declared high risk articles
86ADeemed approval by WorkSafe for sale of high risk EESS products
87Prohibitions relating to fittings and appliances
88Supply of electricity to hand-held appliances
89Use of hand-held appliances in certain high-risk situations
89AUse of hand-held appliances in cramped spaces
Testing appliances
90Testing appliances after certain work done on them
Periodic assessment of electrical medical devices
91Periodic assessment of electrical medical devices
Part 7
Registration, employer licences, and Board provisions
What supervised persons and trainees may do
92Limits of work that supervised persons may do
93Limits of work that trainees may do
Employer licences
94Requirements for system of operation of holders of employer licences
95Certification of system of operation
96Approved persons
Board provisions
97Search criteria for register of electrical workers
98Form of complaints
99Fees payable to Board
Part 8
Working practices
100Safety responsibilities of person who carries out work
101Responsibility of employers for safety of employees
102Work on live high voltage overhead electric lines
103Work on live conductors of low voltage overhead electric lines in installations
103AWork on or near bare live conductors in alluvial mining operations, mining operations, and quarrying operations
104Work on isolated high voltage fittings
105Work stringing additional conductors between poles or other supports
106Notices when working on works and installations
107Offences relating to Part 8
Part 9
Miscellaneous
WorkSafe’s powers and obligations
108WorkSafe’s power to prescribe forms, etc
109WorkSafe’s power to exempt from requirements
110Issuing urgent instructions, orders, or requirements
Miscellaneous
111Gazette notices to be published on Internet site
111AConsolidation of certificates
111BAuthentication mark
111COffences relating to application of authentication mark
112Details that must be provided in reports of accidents
Recording certificate details
112ADatabase for recording certificate details on Internet site
112BAccess to database
Transitional provisions
113Existing and in-process works, installations, fittings, and appliances
114Declared articles under previous regulations
115Specified fittings and appliances under previous regulations
116Secretary’s exemptions
117Warrants of electrical fitness
118Certificates of compliance
Transitional provision relating to 2011 amendments
118ATransitional provision relating to Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2011
Transitional provision relating to 2012 amendments
118BTransitional provision relating to Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2012
Transitional and savings provisions relating to 2013 amendments
118CSavings provision for existing mining electrical equipment in relation to Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2013
118DTransitional provision relating to Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2013
Arbitrators
119Arbitrators
Revocation and amendments
120Revocation of Electricity Regulations 1997
121Amendment to Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003
122Amendments to Electricity (China Free Trade Agreement) Regulations 2008
Schedule 1
Prescribed electrical work
Schedule 2
Electrical codes of practice and official standards cited in these regulations
Schedule 3
Infringement notice and reminder notice
Schedule 4
Standards applicable to fittings and appliances
Schedule 5
Prescribed fees payable to WorkSafe
Schedule 6
Prescribed fees payable to Board
Schedule 7
Authentication mark
Schedule 8
Rules for mining electrical equipment and conductors
Gazette Information
Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2012
Reprint notes