Kia ora Andrew McGregor,
 
On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 23/09/2025 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following:
 
I am writing to request information regarding the Electrical Workers
Registration Board’s (EWRB) Competence Programme requirements for
Hazardous Area endorsements.
In the Electricity (Prescribed Requirements for Competence Programmes)
Notice 2023 (2023-sl4076), the Competence Programme requirements for
Hazardous Area endorsements reference the following standards:
•       AS/NZS 60079.0
•       AS/NZS 60079.11
•       AS/NZS 60079.14
•       AS/NZS 60079.17
•       AS/NZS 60079.18
•       AS/NZS 60079.29.2
•       AS/NZS 60079.35.1
I seek clarification on the inclusion of some of these standards:
1.      AS/NZS 60079.11 and AS/NZS 60079.18 are manufacturing standards.
They set requirements for the construction of intrinsically safe apparatus
and encapsulated equipment, respectively. These are not standards relating
to installation, inspection, testing, or maintenance, which are the
prescribed electrical work activities relevant to registered electrical
workers.
2.      AS/NZS 60079.35.1 is specifically for battery-operated Caplights
for use in mines susceptible to firedamp. This appears to be outside the
scope of general hazardous area electrical work for two reasons:
•       Mining is a distinct area of practice with its own endorsement.
•       The devices in question are battery-operated Caplights, which are
not considered prescribed electrical work under the Electricity Act, as
they are self-contained battery devices rather than mains or fixed
electrical installations.
Accordingly, my request is as follows:
•       Please provide the reasoning, documentation, or policy basis that
explains why the above standards (AS/NZS 60079.11, AS/NZS 60079.18, and
AS/NZS 60079.35.1) are included in the Competence Programme requirements
for hazardous area endorsements as set out in the 2023-sl4076 Electricity
(Prescribed Requirements for Competence Programmes) Notice 2023.
•       Please advise whether the EWRB has considered limiting the scope
of required standards to those directly relevant to prescribed electrical
work (e.g., installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance), such as
AS/NZS 60079.14 and AS/NZS 60079.17.
•       Please provide any internal guidance, working papers, or
consultation feedback received on this matter.
 
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 21/10/2025, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If you have any enquiries
regarding your request feel free to contact us via email to
[1][MBIE request email].
 
Nāku noa, nā
Ministerial Services
Strategy and Assurance
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 |  P O Box 1473 Wellington 6140

References

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1. mailto:[MBIE request email]

Kia ora Andrew

 

Please find attached an update on your information request. 

 

Ngā mihi nui

 

 

Ministerial Services
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140
 

Kia ora 
 
Please see attached our response to your request for information under the
Official Information Act 1982.

Ngā mihi nui,

Ministerial Services
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140
 

Tēnā koe Andrew,

Thank you for your further email of 31 October 2025, raising additional
questions about recent amendments to the Electricity (Safety) Regulations
2010 (ESR 2010) and potential implications for the Electricity (Prescribed
Requirements for Competence Programmes) Notice 2023.

You have asked whether amendments to the ESR 2010, that moved AS/NZS
60079.11 and AS/NZS 60079.18 from ‘Schedule 2 - Electrical codes of
practice and official standards cited in these regulations’ to ‘Schedule 4
- Standards applicable to fittings and appliances’, change the basis for
their inclusion in competency programme requirements for endorsed
Hazardous Areas registration classes.

Standards AS/NZS 60079.11 and AS/NZS 60079.18 continue to be appropriate
to include in the competence programme requirements for those who work in
hazardous areas as they relate to the electrical equipment (which may
include fittings and appliances) used in explosive atmospheres that
electrical workers carrying out prescribed electrical work (PEW) in
hazardous areas need to be familiar with to ensure the work they carry out
is compliant with relevant legislation.

You have also asked whether AS/NZS 60079.35.1 was included in the
competency programme requirements for those who work in hazardous areas
because the Board considers work on battery-operated devices in a
hazardous area to be PEW.

AS/NZS 60079.35.1 continues to be relevant as work on battery operated
devices in a hazardous area may, or may not, be PEW depending on the type
of device and its application.

Lastly, you asked when the Electricity (Prescribed Requirements for
Competence Programmes) Notice 2023 will be updated to reflect amendments
to the ESR 2010.

The Electrical Worker’s Registration Board (the Board), supported by MBIE,
is currently considering the amendments to the ESR 2010 to identify where
updates to notices and resources are required or may be desirable in the
future. 

The Board will consider the future work programme including prioritisation
of operational and strategic projects in early 2026.

If you have any further questions, please get in touch.

 

------------------- Original Message -------------------
From: Andrew McGregor
<[1][FOI #32360 email]>; 
Received: Fri Oct 31 2025 12:15:38 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
To: Ministerials MBIE <[2][email address]>; 
Subject: Re: DOIA-REQ-0021398-Andrew McGregor Response CRM:0287200

Dear NoReplyMinisterialServices,

Dear Mr. Connor,

Thank you for your letter dated 31 October 2025, responding to my Official
Information Act request regarding the Electrical Workers Registration
Board's (EWRB) competence programme requirements for Hazardous Areas
endorsements.

I am writing to follow up on this matter in light of the recently
published Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2025.

My original query questioned the inclusion of AS/NZS 60079.11 and AS/NZS
60079.18 in the hazardous areas competency programme. I note that your
response stated these standards are cited in Schedule 2 of the Electricity
(Safety) Regulations 2010.

However, the "Updating Energy Safety Standards Citations in Regulations"
paper released by Simon Watts, and the subsequent Electricity (Safety)
Amendment Regulations 2025, indicate that AS/NZS 60079.11 and AS/NZS
60079.18 have now been moved from Schedule 2 to Schedule 4 of the
Electricity (Safety) Regulations.

These amendments come into effect on 13 November 2025. Given that these
standards are no longer cited in Schedule 2, which you noted as the basis
for their inclusion, I would like to ask:

Will AS/NZS 60079.11 and AS/NZS 60079.18 now be removed from the mandatory
requirements of the hazardous areas competency programme?

 

Additionally, I would like to raise a specific query regarding AS/NZS
60079.35.1. Your response noted this standard provides specific
requirements for caplights for use in mines.

This standard, which applies to battery-operated devices, only appears in
Schedule 2 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations. As AS/NZS 60079.35.1
modifies parts of AS/NZS 60079.0 for this specific equipment, could you
please clarify:

Does the EWRB include this standard in the competency programme because it
considers work on such battery-operated devices in a hazardous area to be
prescribed electrical work (PEW)?

Finally, your previous response mentioned that my feedback would be
retained for consideration when the Competency Programme Notice 2023 is
next reviewed. With the legislative backing for the inclusion of some of
these standards now changed, I am keen to understand the Board's intended
timeframe for this review.

When will the Electricity (Prescribed Requirements for Competence
Programmes) Notice 2023 be updated to reflect these changes in the
Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010?

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to
your response.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew McGregor

-----Original Message-----

Kia ora 
  
 Please see attached our response to your request for information under
the
 Official Information Act 1982.

 Ngā mihi nui,

 Ministerial Services
 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

 15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140
  

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