11 August 2015

Rotorua auto electrician prosecuted for unauthorised electrical work

Another strong message has been sent to people undertaking prescribed electrical work without the authority to do so.

Auto-electrician Peter Calnan has been sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on one charge of failing to minimise risk of contact with live conductive parts. He was fined $2100 and ordered to pay costs of $356.

Calnan employed builders and electricians to repair a property he owned after it was damaged by fire in 2013. After completion, Calnan livened the property himself despite not being authorised to carry out such work. At the time, cables were still hanging from the ceiling that had copper conductors exposed. These were tested by a registered electrician and found to be live.

Following this, Mr Calnan contacted an electrician asking him to issue a certificate of compliance for the premises. When spoken to by an investigator Mr Calnan denied livening the property and any knowledge of who had done it.
Electrical Workers Registration Board Registrar John Sickels says the actions in this case are potentially life threatening and people must be held accountable for reckless behaviour.

“The Board will continue to prosecute people who operate outside the law. Playing with the electrics in a building is highly specialised work and needs to be conducted by qualified professionals.”

“We will continue to be vigilant in relation to unregistered and unlicensed workers and will prosecute wherever necessary, ” says Mr Sickels.

The EWRB was established in 1992 and is responsible for the ongoing competency of over 30,000 registered electrical and electronic workers in New Zealand. Part of the function of the Board is to exercise disciplinary powers and bring prosecutions where necessary under the Electricity Act 1992.

ENDS

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