contents.2www.energysafe.vic.gov.au03 Wiring Rules – when are thechanges mandated?04 ESV proposed policy on changesto the ‘L’ Licence06 G<strong>as</strong> industry identity retires after51 years06 89-year-old injured in g<strong>as</strong> cookerincident07 ESV <strong>as</strong>sists investigations into firesinvolving evaporative air conditioners08 New campaign on “Look Up And Live”09 Young man’s lucky escape whenpowerline falls on machine10 Switching to energy efficient lighting10 Recalls of electrical equipment13 Fire at Broadford RSL14, 15Working 300 metres up on the 88thfloor of the Eureka Tower16Prosecutions, Infringement Noticeupdate17 <strong>Safe</strong>ty alert on “live” metallic antennamounting bracket18 The Electricity <strong>Safe</strong>ty Amendment Act19 Infringement notices issued overunapproved Christm<strong>as</strong> lights20, 21, 22, 23G<strong>as</strong> technical articles24 Praise for ESV’s electrical Home<strong>Safe</strong>ty Inspection Scheme25, 26Electricity technical articles27 New Wiring Rules – informationsessions and booking formThe energysafe team for this issue:Editor David Guthrie-JonesContributors Charlotte Roseby, Norm Jackson, AllenPeacock, Darren Margerison, Trevor Hudson, Neil Fr<strong>as</strong>er,Michael Leahy, Terry Clement, Bill te Wierik, Loc VuongEditorial <strong>as</strong>sistant Taryn DrewettPhotographers Michael Wearne, Bill te Wierik,Shelley Burnside, Terry Clement, Loc VuongCartoonist/illustrator Paul HarveyDesign AER DesignPrinting Energi PrintEditorial panel Management and staff of <strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Safe</strong>ty<strong>Victoria</strong>.FRONT COVER: In this issue we look at one ofMelbourne’s new tourist attractions. It is the Skydeck orobservation platform 300 metres high on the 88th floorof the Eureka Tower in Southbank. It claims to be thehighest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere.REC Chris Bakes w<strong>as</strong> involved over a considerable timeinstalling power, lighting control, sound and visual effectsfor this exciting, and possibly scary for some, attraction.You can read about Chris and the project and view someother great pictures in the centre pages of this issue.The front cover photo and some of the others are byAlan Beard.fromtheeditor.Welcome to 2008 and the slightly new lookenergysafe. After 10 issues and more thantwo years of the same style and design wethought it w<strong>as</strong> time for a “refresh” of themagazine’s look – nothing too dr<strong>as</strong>tic buta change anyway. After all things cannotremain the same.We hope you like the look of the magazine.Whether you approve or not, ple<strong>as</strong>e let us know.Talking about things not staying the same,there are probably some in the electrical tradeswho wished the Wiring Rules had stayed thesame and are now trying to come to terms withthe new version, AS/NZS <strong>3000</strong>:<strong>2007</strong>, whichh<strong>as</strong> introduced a large number of changes tothe way RECs, LEIWs and LEIs work.Because the introduction of the new edition ofthe Wiring Rules impacts so many in such a largeway, we make no apologies for giving the topicsome extensive coverage again in this issue ofthe magazine.The centrepiece is the comprehensive four page,e<strong>as</strong>y to read summary of the changes which ispresented <strong>as</strong> an insert in this issue. Hopefully itwill be of great use to all who need it. It is printedon thicker stock compared to the rest of themagazine to ensure a longer life. It may even beworth laminating.We believe this four page insert is the bestsummary of the new Wiring Rules yet produced.It w<strong>as</strong> prepared by industry experts and firstappeared in the Institute of Electrical Inspectorsofficial publication at the end of l<strong>as</strong>t year.Thanks to the Institute for allowing us to publishthis essential information.ESV accepts that coming to terms with the newWiring Rules and adopting the provisions is notan e<strong>as</strong>y matter. Many readers may by now beaware that ESV in conjunction with NECA h<strong>as</strong>arranged more than 20 information sessionsfor the trade across Australia over the next fewmonths. We have information on the sessionsand the booking form in this issue.The article on page 3 regarding enforcementof the new provisions is essential reading. Thechanges came into force when the new Ruleswere issued in November l<strong>as</strong>t year and ESVexpects the trade to work to them <strong>as</strong> soon <strong>as</strong>practicable, but be compliant by 30 June 2008.ESV will exercise discretion if it detects breachesof the provisions up until then.Of course there is a lot more reading in thisissue. For instance there is an article on the newpolicy proposed by ESV in relation to the issuingof the ‘L’ or Supervised Workers Licence – theaim being to encourage holders to progress tobecoming ‘A’ grade electricians. ESV is currentlyconsulting with industry on the proposed policy.Recent electricity and g<strong>as</strong> “events” involvingsafety are also covered in this issue. For instancea young man is lucky he w<strong>as</strong> not electrocutedwhen a powerline fell on the roof of a front endloader. Similarly two people – one of them an 89-year-old woman – received serious burns in g<strong>as</strong>related incidents.We have a report on the fire which destroyed theRSL hall at Broadford and with it much valuablememorabilia. It is ESV’s conclusion that the fireresulted from an electrical fault.Recently ESV issued infringement notices againstthe suppliers of unapproved Christm<strong>as</strong> lightingproducts and h<strong>as</strong> been instrumental in recalls ofelectrical products. We have details in this issue.There are of course a number of comprehensivearticles providing electricity and g<strong>as</strong> relatedtechnical information.There is now another way of seeing Melbourneand its surrounds – 300 metres up in theSkydeck of the Eureka Tower on Southbank.The story of how the power, lighting control,sound and visual effects were installed on thenew observation deck on the eighty-eighth floorof the tower makes very good reading.Hopefully you will agree that there is somethingfor everyone.David Guthrie-Jonesdguthriejones@esv.vic.gov.auadvertisenow!For advertising information and bookings contact Barry Telfer of Barry Telfer Media Services onPh: (03) 9579 7787, Fax: (03) 9579 7782 or by email at btms@pat<strong>as</strong>h.com.auBookings are now being taken for the next and subsequent issues of energysafe.Our attractive advertising rates are <strong>as</strong> follows:Full page > $5000 Half page > $2500 One third page > $1700 Quarter page > $1500Authorised by: <strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Safe</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> Building 2, 4 Riverside Quay, Southbank, <strong>Victoria</strong> 3006 Ph: 03 9203 9700Printed by: Energi Print, 2-4 Emily Street, Murrumbeena, <strong>Victoria</strong> 3163Copyright. All material appearing in energysafe is copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is notpermissible without the written permission of <strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Safe</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong>, depending on the source of the article.Liability. Howsoever arising <strong>as</strong> a consequence of use or reliance upon any advice, representations, statement,opinion or conclusion expressed herein is expressly denied by <strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Safe</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> and all persons involvedin the preparation of this publication.
New Wiring Rules –what ESV is doing aboutinforming the tradeabout the changesnew edition mandated from 1 July 2008Director of <strong>Energy</strong><strong>Safe</strong>ty, Ken Gardner,h<strong>as</strong> re-iterated that thenew edition of the WiringRules – AS/NZS <strong>3000</strong>:<strong>2007</strong>– will be mandated from1 July this year.Ken told energysafe: “When it comes toenforcing the new Rules, ESV’s position mustbe clearly understood by the electrical trades.“Strictly speaking the new Rules apply fromtheir date of publication, which w<strong>as</strong> November12 l<strong>as</strong>t year. Therefore, ESV expects the tradeto work to them <strong>as</strong> soon <strong>as</strong> practicable, but becompliant by 30 June 2008.an outlineof changesto <strong>as</strong>/<strong>nz</strong>s<strong>3000</strong>:<strong>2007</strong>,Wiring Rules“We accept that the adoption of the new Rulesfrom a practical and commercial perspective isnot an e<strong>as</strong>y t<strong>as</strong>k. Therefore between now and1 July 2008, where breaches of the Wiring Rulesare detected, we will exercise our discretionwhen considering enforcement.”Ken said ESV w<strong>as</strong> also fully aware that becauseof changes to clauses and the structure ofthe new edition, updates have to be madeto the current Electricity <strong>Safe</strong>ty (Installation)Regulations 1999.“For instance some of the terms in theregulations do not correlate with the new WiringRules. So work is underway at ESV in matchingthe regulations to the Rules.“Because of the amount of work involved inupdating the regulations, the new version willnot come into force until next year.”This edition of energysafe contains a handy,e<strong>as</strong>y to read and digest four page insert whichexplains the changes that have been madeto the new Wiring Rules. It is a must read foreveryone involved in the electricity industry.The article h<strong>as</strong> been prepared by industryexperts, and is published by kind permissionof the Institute of Electrical Inspectors -http://www.iei.org.auThe article first appeared in the Summer<strong>2007</strong> edition of the Institute’s official journal,ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS.ESVinformationsessionson the NewWiring RulesESV h<strong>as</strong> arranged more than 20information sessions at venues across<strong>Victoria</strong> to enable licensed electricalinspectors, registered electricalcontractors and licensed electricalworkers to get “up to speed” on the manychanges resulting from the introductionof the new edition of the Wiring Rules– AS/NZS <strong>3000</strong>:<strong>2007</strong>.Director of <strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Safe</strong>ty, Ken Gardner, toldenergysafe that while copies of the new Ruleshave been available since the end of l<strong>as</strong>t year,it is in 2008 that they will become enforceablefrom a practical perspective.“There are of course many changes in the newedition compared to the previous AS/NZS<strong>3000</strong>:2000, and ESV accepts that the industrywill need both <strong>as</strong>sistance and time to come toterms with all the new provisions.”ESV is working with NECA in arranging thesessions. Sessions for LEIs will l<strong>as</strong>t four anda half hours, while the sessions for RECs andLEIWs will l<strong>as</strong>t two and a half hours. Details andthe booking form for REC and LEIW sessionscan be found on page 27.Both the times of the sessions – first thing inthe morning or late in the afternoon - and thevenues for them have been arranged so thatthey are <strong>as</strong> convenient <strong>as</strong> possible for the trade.While ESV h<strong>as</strong> organised the sessions andselected the venues, NECA is taking thebookings and helping to publicise the sessions.There will be a total of 21 sessions for RECsand LEIWs between the middle of March andlate May. The selected venues – up to threesessions are being held at some sites – arePreston, Holmesglen, Ballarat, Bendigo,Geelong, Warrnambool, Bairnsdale, LatrobeValley, Wodonga, Shepparton, Mildura, SwanHill and Horsham.The three sessions for LEIs are being held atPreston, Holmesglen and Bendigo.Ken said: “I would urge everyone involved in theelectrical trades to attend one of the sessionswhich have been arranged to <strong>as</strong>sist everyonewho needs to work to the Wiring Rules.“I also want to make it clear that all attendeesat the information sessions will need to haveobtained their copies of the Wiring Rules andto be re<strong>as</strong>onably familiar with the contentsbeforehand.”There is a nominal charge of $30 per personfor each session.3SUMMER/AUTUMN 2008 ISSUE 11