Electrical Code Regulations - Electrical Installation and Inspection Act (Nova Scotia)

Electrical Code Regulations

made under Section 6 of the

Electrical Installation and Inspection Act

R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 141

O.I.C. 1999-470 (effective October 4, 1999), N.S. Reg. 95/1999

amended to O.I.C. 2022-59 (effective March 1, 2022), N.S. Reg. 31/2022

Table of Contents

Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.
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Citation

Interpretation

Adoption of Code

Certificate for communications cabling specialist

Suspension or cancellation of communications certificate

Permits and inspections

Electrical permits

Communications permits

Requirements of inspection departments

Inspection procedures of inspection department

Inspector qualifications

Permit fees

Electrical permit exemptions

Communications cabling permit exemptions

General permit exemptions

Approved equipment

Hazardous installations

Special permission

Citation

1 These regulations may be cited as the Electrical Code Regulations.

Interpretation

2 For the purpose of these regulations

“Act” means the Electrical Installation and Inspection Act;

“Chief Inspector” means the Chief Inspector appointed under the Act and includes any person who may exercise the powers of the Chief Inspector;

“Code” means the latest issue of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, published by the Canadian Standards Association, the current issue of which is CSA Standard C22.1 - 18 and as supplemented, amended or added to from time to time by the Canadian Standards Association;

“communications permit” means a permit for the installation of a communication system, as defined in the Code, including any associated cabling and hardware;

“communications technician” means a person who

(i) holds a valid certificate of qualification in the communications technician trade as defined in the Communications Technician Trade Regulations made under the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act, or

(ii) holds a certificate of qualification from another jurisdiction recognized under Section 42 of the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act General Regulations made under the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act;

“communications technician trade” means the communications technician trade as defined in the Communications Technician Trade Regulations made under the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act;

“construction electrician” means a person who

(i) holds a valid certificate of qualification in the construction electrician trade, or

(ii) holds a certificate of qualification from another jurisdiction recognized under Section 31 or 42 of the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act General Regulations made under the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act.

“construction electrician trade” means the construction electrician trade as defined in the Construction Electrician Trade Regulations made under the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act;

“electrical permit” means a permit for an electrical installation as defined in the Code but does not include installations that require a communications permit;

“final inspection” means an inspection performed by an inspection department to ensure that an electrical installation, an alteration or addition to an electrical installation, or any work associated with a communication system installation has been completed and conforms to the Code, the Act and these regulations and is safe and free of any fire or shock hazards;

“inspection department”, when used in the Code and these regulations, means a public utility that supplies or will supply electric power or energy and grants permits to contractors;

“maintenance permit” means a permit for electrical installation work of a routine nature and connected with the maintenance or operation of an industrial, commercial or other establishment;

“permit” means a communications permit, an electrical permit or a maintenance permit; and

“special permission” when used in clause (1) of Section 2-030 (Deviation or Postponement) of the Code means the written authority of the Chief Inspector.

Adoption of Code

3 (1) Except as varied or modified by these regulations or where inconsistent with the Act, the Code is hereby adopted and constituted as regulations with respect to matters enumerated in Section 6 of the Act in addition to any other regulations made under Section 6 of the Act.

(2) The date of coming into force of the Code, including any supplement, amendment or addition to the Code, shall be the first clear day of the fourth month following the month of publication of the Code or any supplement, amendment or addition to it.

4 Where a fire door of Class A Rating (3 hours fire resistance) is required under the Code, the fire door shall have a 3-point latching.

Certificate for communications cabling specialist

5 [repealed]

Suspension or cancellation of communications certificate

6 [repealed]

Permits and inspections

7 (1) No person shall perform electrical or communications work without first obtaining a permit.

(2) A contractor shall notify the inspection department when electrical or communications work is ready for inspection, and upon notification the inspection department shall complete all necessary inspections as required by the Act and these regulations.

(3) In addition to other requirements under the Act and these regulations, a contractor shall notify the inspection department when electrical or communications work is ready for a final inspection, and upon notification the inspection department shall perform a final inspection and issue a final inspection report.

(4) Subsection (3) does not apply to an industrial, commercial or other establishment for which a maintenance permit under subsection 8(2) has been issued to the contractor.

(5) An inspection department that issues a maintenance permit of the kind described in subsection 8(2) to a contractor for an industrial, commercial or other establishment shall, at least once in the year for which the permit is issued, perform a limited inspection of the establishment, with the scope of the inspection to be determined by the inspection department.

Electrical permits

8 (1) An inspection department shall not issue an electrical permit except to an electrical contractor, as defined in the Code, who

(a) is or employs a construction electrician; or

(b) is or employs a construction electrician or an industrial electrician and is the owner or occupant of any industrial, commercial or other establishment where electrical installation work of a routine nature and connected with the maintenance or operation of the establishment is required to be performed at frequent intervals.

(2) A maintenance permit issued to an electrical contractor pursuant to clause (1)(b) shall be for a term of 1 year provided that the owner or occupant keeps a record of all work performed and the record is made available for inspection by an inspection department.

(3) [repealed]

Communications permits

9 An inspection department may only issue a communications permit to a communications technician or a construction electrician.

Requirements of inspection departments

10 (1) An inspection department that issues a permit or completes an inspection of an electrical or a communications installation, or issues a maintenance permit or completes an annual maintenance inspection, shall maintain a record of the permit or inspection in electronic or written format for review and audit by the Chief Inspector.

(2) Where an inspection department issues a permit to its subsidiary or a closely related entity or performs an inspection pursuant to that permit, it shall maintain a record of the permit or inspection in electronic or written format for review and audit by the Chief Inspector.

Inspection procedures of inspection department

10A (1) Upon request by the Chief Inspector, an inspection department shall provide, in a manner determined by the Chief Inspector, a written report outlining its inspection procedures for review and approval by the Chief Inspector.

(2) An inspection department shall only follow those inspection procedures that are currently approved.

Inspector qualifications

10B An inspection department shall ensure to the satisfaction of the Chief Inspector that an inspector in its employ

(a) has at least the minimum qualifications required, as set by the Chief Inspector in consultation with the inspection department;

(b) performs inspections consistent with their qualifications; and

Permit fees

11 An inspection department shall charge permit fees and may require the person who requests an inspection of an electrical or a communications installation to pay fees in accordance with the scale of fees approved by the Utility and Review Board.

Electrical permit exemptions

12 An electrical permit is not required for the following categories of installations, provided that the work is performed by a construction electrician who maintains a record of the work completed for inspection by an inspection department or the Chief Inspector:

(a) the replacement or repair of wiring devices or electrical equipment with an electrical rating no greater than 30 A, 120 V to ground or 50 A, 240 V and that are not in a location referred to in Sections 18 and 20 of the Code;

(b) the installation of one 15 A to 30 A, 120 V branch circuit or one 15 A to 50 A, 240 V branch circuit that is not in a location referred to in Section 18 and 20 of the Code;

(d) the replacement of motors; and

(e) wiring supplied from an approved class II transformer in a single dwelling, provided it is not part of a lighting installation.

Communications cabling permit exemptions

13 A communications permit is not required for the following categories of communications systems installations, provided that the work complies with the Code and is performed by a communications technician or a construction electrician who maintains a record of the work completed for inspection by an inspection department or the Chief Inspector:

(a) an installation that does not exceed 6 cabling drops and is not in a location referred to in Sections 18 or 20 of the Code;

(b) a relocation of 20 communication outlets where the installation does not involve any new cable runs or penetrate any existing fire wall.

General permit exemptions

14 The following types of installations are exempt from the permit requirements of these regulations:

(a) communications and cable TV installations in a single dwelling as defined by the Code;

(b) security and intrusion alarm systems; and

(c) installation of signs and outline lighting where the work is completed according to Section 34 of the Code by a certified electrical sign manufacturer acceptable to the Chief Inspector.

Approved equipment

15 (1) No corporation, company, or person shall sell, have for sale, display, rent, lease, advertise, install or use any electrical device, appliance or equipment unless it is certified as approved equipment, as defined in the Code, by a certification organization acceptable to the Chief Inspector.

(2) The Chief Inspector may approve the installation and use of electrical equipment in accordance with the Code.

(3) If, in the opinion of the Chief Inspector, electrical equipment poses a fire or shock hazard, the Chief Inspector may order the disconnection of the equipment.

(4) Where the Chief Inspector finds uncertified electrical equipment stocked by a retailer, wholesale supplier, distributor, manufacturer or contractor, the Chief Inspector may order the retailer, wholesale supplier, distributor, manufacturer or contractor, within a reasonable period of time, to

(a) provide the Chief Inspector with a list of persons to whom the equipment has been supplied;

(b) remove from shelves and discontinue selling, renting or leasing the equipment; and

(5) Where an inspection department or the Chief Inspector finds uncertified electrical equipment installed in an electrical installation, the inspection department or the Chief Inspector may order the disconnection of the equipment.

(6) An inspection department or the Chief Inspector shall tag uncertified equipment to warn persons that the equipment must not be connected to an electrical supply.

Hazardous installations

16 Where an inspection department or the Chief Inspector finds a hazardous installation, the inspection department or the Chief Inspector may

(a) order or effect the disconnection of the installation; and

(b) take whatever action the inspection department or the Chief Inspector considers necessary to ensure safety in the area of the installation.

Special permission

17 The Chief Inspector may grant special permission in writing to a contractor for a deviation or postponement under the Code.

The current consolidation of the Electrical Code Regulations made under the Electrical Installation and Inspection Act includes all of the following regulations:

The following regulations are not yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:

N.S. Regulation	In force date*	How in force	Royal Gazette Part II Issue
95/1999	Oct 4, 1999¹	date specified	Oct 22, 1999
139/2001	Oct 1, 2000	date specified	Nov 30, 2001
174/2003	Oct 10, 2003	date specified	Oct 31, 2003
64/2004	Apr 1, 2004	date specified	Apr 6, 2004
99/2007	Apr 1, 2007	date specified	Mar 30, 2007
156/2008	Apr 1, 2008	date specified	Apr 18, 2008
98/2009	Apr 1, 2009	date specified	Apr 14, 2009
70/2011	Apr 1, 2011	date specified	Apr 15, 2011
96/2013	Apr 1, 2013	date specified	Apr 12, 2013
95/2015	Apr 1, 2015	date specified	Apr 8, 2015
31/2022	Mar 1, 2022	date specified	Mar 11, 2022

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for rules about in force dates of regulations.

ad. = added am. = amended	fc. = fee change ra. = reassigned		rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected		How affected
2........................................................		am. 31/2022 (clause letters removed)
. 2, defn. of “Code”..........................		am. 174/2003, 31/2022
. 2, defn. of “communications cabling specialist”.......................................		rep. 31/2022
. 2, defn. of “communications certificate”........................................................		rep. 31/2022
. 2, defn. of “communications permit”........................................................		rs. 31/2022
. 2, defn. of “communications technician”.....................................		ad. 31/2022
. 2, defn. of “communications technician trade”..............................................		ad. 31/2022
. 2, defn. of “construction electrician”........................................................		rs. 31/2022
. 2, defn. of “construction electrician trade”..............................................		ad. 31/2022
. 2, defn. of “final inspection”..........		ad. 174/2003; am. 31/2022
5........................................................		rep. 31/2022
5(2)(c)..........................................		fc. 64/2004, 99/2007, 156/2008, 98/2009, 70/2011, 96/2013, 95/2015
5(9)...............................................		fc. 64/2004, 99/2007, 156/2008, 98/2009, 70/2011, 96/2013, 95/2015
5(11).............................................		rep. 139/2001
6........................................................		rep. 31/2022
7........................................................		ra. as 7(1) 174/2003
7(1)..............................................		ra. from 7 174/2003; am. 31/2022
7(2)..............................................		ad. 174/2003; am. 31/2022
7(3)..............................................		ad. 174/2003; am. 31/2022
7(4)..............................................		ad. 174/2003
7(5)..............................................		ad. 174/2003
8(1)(a)...............................................		am. 31/2022
8(2)...................................................		am. 174/2003
8(3)...................................................		rep. 174/2003
9........................................................		rs. 31/2022
10A-10B...........................................		ad. 174/2003
13......................................................		rs. 31/2022
17......................................................		am. 31/2022
Schedule A.......................................		fc. 99/2007

	Note	Effective date
1	Except S. 9(2).	Mar 1, 2000

Note: Only regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this table. It may not reflect the entire history of regulations on this subject matter.

Electrical Code Regulations	N.S. Reg. 95/1999
Electrical Installation and Inspection Act
Note: The information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.