Dear WorkSafe New Zealand,
Background
Connection of mains is high-risk prescribed electrical work (PEW) under regulation 6A (2) (b) of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010.
Regulation 70 to of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 requires high-risk PEW is to be inspected.
Regulation 73A(1)(d) allows connection for connection of MAINS to occur up 6-months after inspection (ie issue of the record of inspection (ROI)).

Risks
The New Zealand Electrical Inspector’s Association (NZEIA) notes:
1. That mains is high-risk PEW because a single fault (polarity error and/or high-impedance neutral) will cause the installation to be unsafe.
2. That the electrical inspector completing the inspection/ROI is not be able to test the mains for either:
• a polarity reversal fault or
• a high-impedance neutral fault
without the service main cable terminated into the distribution network.
3. That the connection electrical distribution business (EDB) making the connection as part of works (rather than as part of the installation) may result in no electrical safety certificate (ESC) being issued for the mains high-risk PEW.

OIA Requests
1. Is it an offence for an Inspector to issue an ROI without deterministically ensuring that a mains polarity fault is not present at the time the ROI is issued?
2. Is it an offence for an Inspector to issue an ROI without deterministically confirming that a high-impedance neutral fault is not present at the time the ROI is issued?
3. Is it an offence, by the EDB, the electrical inspector and/or the electrician to have mains connected to the distribution network without an ESC having been issued?

Yours faithfully,

Mark Harris