Find the important details for completing your certification documentation.
Paperwork must be done when the electrical work is completed.
The type of paperwork and other things that need to be completed depends on the work. Here is what’s meant by a few key terms:
“Connection” is the final bit of PEW that, when completed, will allow electricity to flow into the installation.
For example, it’s the final act in hooking in the mains, so that when a person inserts the supply fuse carrier it powers up the MEN Board. Inserting the fuse is not PEW.
This is when the person responsible completes the certificate and gives a copy to the person who contracted for the work.
View Regulation numbers 65 – 74I Certifying prescribed electrical work on the
Different PV systems have specific requirements for example.
Where there is a mains inverter within the PV system, which is a low voltage mains parallel system that is connected to the national grid, the inverter must be installed to comply with the standards AS/NZS 3000 and AS 4777.1. This work is categorised as high-risk PEW which will require certification and a record of inspection (ROI).
To learn more about certification WorkSafe have provided guidance - PV certification compliance (external link) .
Risk categories determine certification requirements.
| Certification requirement | Low-risk work | General work | High-risk work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Compliance (CoC) | Optional | Required | Required |
| Record of Inspection (RoI) | Not required | Not required | Required |
| Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC) | Required | Required | Required |
| Entry on Electricity and Gas High-risk Database (by electrical inspector | Not required | Not required | Required |
This handy quick guide should give you a good idea of what’s needed based on the type of work you’re doing:
Replacement or repair work example, the replacement of a light switch or power outlet or RCD needs to be verified it is electrically safe. This done by issuing an ESC.
This is generally installation work (new, additions, alterations, rewires, new and extended circuits) but is not high risk or low risk
The requires you to issue a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) and ESC.
The person doing that final connection is responsible for ensuring that the installation they are connecting to is electrically safe. They are responsible for issuing the ESC.
If that person has not carried out that work on the installation then they have to verify it is safe to connect.
They must sight the CoC and RoI. They can rely in good faith on these documents and only then complete that final connection. It is recommended that person retain copies of these certificates.
You’re allowed to make certification documentation in lots of different formats, such as paper and digital/electronic. There are some important requirements, though, and a design check list (external link) is available from Energy Safety website.
You can also get documents that are already made from places like:
Providers of online and cloud based electrical compliance and certification programmes.
The Certificate of Compliance (CoC) and the Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC) are often combined. The two documents serve different purposes and in all cases the ESC is the final part of the document to be completed by the person who did the connection or the work and is responsible for that work.
There are lots of certification forms and formats available, so choose a document based on the:
When completing ESC, CoC or RoI, you need to include details of the work undertaken – be sure to record all the work that you were responsible for, the range of dates the work was carried out, and any supervised people involved with the work.
Feel free to attach any additional pages, information, drawings and documents to a CoC or RoI to provide the necessary detail.
It’s best trade practice to record all your test results. This provides additional proof and further verification of electrical safety.
Take care to indicate what level of risk the work is and the standard it conforms with, don’t just tick all the boxes.
If you are relying on manufacturers’ instructions and a supplier declaration of conformity (SDoC) only tick those boxes if you supply a copy or an internet link to those items. If you don’t supply a copy or link, then don’t tick those boxes.
Note for example
You may have done the work according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the fittings you used comply with NZ standards have an SDoC. Let’s say these fittings were from long established reliable suppliers/manufacturers with reputable brands and products. However, if you do not provide a copy or link to the SDoC or manufacturer’s instructions with the CoC then you are not specifically relying on those documents and you do not tick those boxes. You can however always ask your supplier and they should be able to provide you with a copy or link to these documents.
If you have any doubt about the quality, safety or compliance with NZ standards of any electrical fitting, then ask to for a copy of the SDoC and manufacturers’ instructions and attach these to the CoC. This will give you protection against possible future liability associated with those fittings.
A CoC is an important legal document that confirms who was responsible for the work, that the work has been done lawfully, has been tested and all the information in the certificate is correct.
It is your responsibility to ensure this information is complete and correct otherwise the certification could be viewed as false or misleading.
On completion of the Installation or electrical work that forms a part of that installation, the certification must be issued as soon as possible, within 20 working days.
This time frame also applies to electrical inspectors who need to lodge the record of inspection details onto the Energy Safety high-risk data base.
Certification documents must be handed, forwarded or otherwise made available to the person or company representative who contracted or authorised the electrical work to be undertaken.
Certification documents must be retained by the person who is considered the responsible person for these documents for a period of seven years either in hard copy or electronically.
The regulations set out the people and authorities who can legally ask for these documents at any time with in the seven-year period and the responsible person must be able to provide them within ten working days.
