Concerns over soft wiring

The Electrical Trade Union (ETU) has expressed concern over the way soft wiring is being treated by some non-electrical trades.

The issue arose recently on a construction site where electrical installation work was being performed by workers not holding electrician’s licenses.

Some people hold the incorrect view that, because the electrical installation is plugged into a plug socket, any worker could perform this work. However, where the installation is fixed in position and the work is performed at the workplace where it will be connected to supply, the installation work must be performed by a licensed electrician who is employed by a registered electrical contractor and it requires a certificate of electrical safety.

According to the ETU, there have been other instances where workers erecting office partitioning in office fit-outs were also found to be installing wiring which connected together to provide supply to socket outlets. This again was supposed to be installed by licensed electrical workers. It seems that people think that any person can install such work because the wiring system plugs together, comes in short lengths and doesn’t require the use of tools.

The ETU is encouraging licensed electricians to be vigilant to this type of activity, noting that workers carrying out this type of work who are not licensed electricians could be prosecuted.