A nine-month blitz on unlicenced electrical work being advertised through online platforms issued more than $83,000 in infringement notices.

The Electrical Safety Office (ESO) initially targeted outsourcing app AirTasker. On that app they found 64 ads for electrical work audits and issued:

• 15 infringement notices
• 60 improvement notices

In November 2020, ESO began reviewing advertising for electrical work on the hipages service, checking 2607 ads.

Strategies are being prepared to address unlicenced electrical work being advertised on Gumtree, Oneflare, Facebook and Service Seeking.

The ESO investigations resulted in:

• two warrants issued to search the premises of unlicensed electrical contractors to seize evidence
• a court injunction against for repeatedly failing to comply with improvement notices issued for unlicensed electrical contracting.
• six unlicensed electrical work cases being reviewed by Queensland’s independent Work Health and Safety Prosecutor
• 11 electrical safety protection notices issued
• five infringement notices issued
• 60 improvement notices issued
• two cases referred to the Electrical Licensing Committee.
• one case referred to Statewide Investigations, with consideration of reckless conduct.

Five matters are still under investigation with the ESO compliance unit.

All Master Electricians are licenced electrical contractors and must adhere to a code of ethics. All completed work complies with the Australian Standards and Statutory legislation and comes with a minimum 12 months workmanship guarantee.