An electrical contractor has been fined thousands after an electrical regulator found an essential safety component had not been installed for days, and mandatory checks had not been carried out.

At Joondalup Magistrates Court in January 2022, a Yangebup electrical contractor pleaded guilty to breaching WA’s electricity licensing laws.

Fines totalling $20,000 were handed down to the company involved and the employee who failed to install a key safety component and carry out mandatory tests.

The court heard in October 2019, an electrical worker was tasked with wiring and installing a pole-mounted switchboard with socket outlets for a temporary power supply to be used by builders at the site.

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The company submitted an official notice that described the electrical work carried out and declared that it had been checked and tested for compliance with WA’s Wiring Rules.

But an inspector who checked the installation nine days later discovered that a key component of the protection system – the multiple earthed neutral (MEN) connection – had not been installed. The error would have been detected if the required checks and tests had been carried out properly.

Without an MEN, protective devices such as circuit breakers and fuses may not operate if an electrical fault occurs, which can cause metal objects to become live with lethal voltage levels.

The contracting company was fined $15,000 for submitting an inaccurate notice for the work and ordered to pay $737 in costs.

In November 2021 the electrical worker was fined $5,000 for carrying out the non-compliant work and ordered to pay costs of $318.

Testing is critical on all electrical works conducted, if you need technical guidance then please phone the MEA Technical Hotline for expert advice. Phone 1300 889 198.