A Brisbane electrical contracting business has been fined $30,000 for carrying out electrical work while he was unlicenced.

Some air-conditioners he installed were dangerously wired and could have shocked people or caused fires.

After an Electrical Safety Office investigations he was convicted of 10 charges including:

• One charge of performing electrical work without holding an electrical contractor licence
• One charge of failing to comply with electrical safety duty and that failure exposed an individual to a risk of death or serious injury
• Eight charges of failing to ensure that electrical work performed complied with The Wiring Rules

The man  originally had an electrical licence, but it expired in May 2016. It was then cancelled because of disciplinary actions in November 2019.

Between November 1, 2018 and December 29, 2017 while not holding a valid electrical contracting licence, he advertised his services as an electrician.

During that time, he performed electrical work including installing air-conditioning units at Ashgrove, Wilston, Newstead, Gordon Park, Ascot, Cashmere, North Lakes and Murarrie in Brisbane.

One unit he installed at a Wooloowin unit was found to be particularly deficient:

• Wires attached to the air-conditioning unit had been cut and re-connected by twisting the wires together and covering them in tape
• That wiring was inside ducting adjacent to the air-conditioning unit
• That sub-standard connection had the potential to overheat, causing a fire or exposing the live wiring
• Any person who touched such live wiring was at risk of electrical shock

Some other air-conditioning installations he performed were found to not comply with The Wiring Rules in force at the time.

He was convicted and fined $30,000.

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.

Read more form MEA

• ESO targets online ads for unlicenced electrical work
• Sparkies burnt working on switchboards
• NSW inspectors target solar installers