Electrical Safety

Open Letter

To: All Electrical, Communications Cabling and Electrical Sign Installation Companies
From:David MacLeod,P.Eng. Chief Electrical Inspector
Date: April / 2000

Subject: Licensing Of Companies

Please note if this does not apply to you directly, please forward it to the owner of the company or the supervisor you are presently working for.

Please note the following are proposed changes, and we require your input and feedback to ensure all items are addressed.

Following up with the recommendations of the Working Group in 1999 and requests from the industry we propose the following changes to the Electrical Code Regulations:

Proposed licensing for the following groups:

• Electrical contractors
  
• Communications cabling contractors
  
• Electrical sign installers
  
• Electrical maintenance electricians at industrial, large commercial, etc., complexes(Maintenance License)

Electrical ,communication or electrical sign companies ,groups or organizations(Hospital Boards, School Boards, Manufacturing Plants, Universities, Municipal or Government Depts, or any group engaging in work with respect to electrical, communications cabling, electrical sign installation or electrical maintenance work, etc)would apply for or more of the above Licenses, whichever is suitable for the work they do. The License would be issued in the name of the company or it's representative. This license will be used for obtaining the proper permit. That is a permit for electrical work, a permit for communications cabling work and a permit for electrical sign installations(electricians see item 3 below).Separate permits are required for each type of work performed.

Applicants will, at the time of applying, have to prove they meet all of the necessary requirements as stated in the proposed changes herein in order to be licensed.Permits will be obtained from your local electrical inspection department in the same manner as now but you will use the license to get the permit instead of your construction electricians or communications cabling certificate.

All work must be done by properly qualified people and in the above B and C groups there is a ratio specifying how many people need and need not be certified.

• All electrical work shall be done by construction electricians, apprentices or industrial electricians as is the case now.
  
• All communications cabling work is to be done by certified communications cabling specialist except that a maximum of two non certified people may work under one certified person as helpers . One certified person must be on the site at all times.
  
• All electrical sign installations must be by a certified sign installer( ie certified in a manner acceptable to the Chief Electrical Inspector, which is certification by the Sign Association). A maximum of two non certified people may work under one certified person as helpers. One certified person must be on site at all times. Electricians will still be able to install electrical signs without any further training requirements and under their electrical permit where they are installing the sign as part of an overall contract.Where electricians are installing only an electrical sign they must take out an electrical sign permit. The point at which sign installers can do electrical work will be only from a junction box c/w wiring located next to the sign,installed by an electricain,to the sign( ie the connection) and on or in the sign.

A company or group applying for a License will require the following:

• $1 million dollars in liability insurance
  
• $$10,000 in bonding or possibly a certified cheque for a smaller amount
  
• $The necessary people to do the work as specified above

All companies will be subject to audits by this office. Proper records must be kept for these audits to ensure permits are being obtained and the proper people are doing the work. Those found in violation of the Regulations in which work was done without a permit will be subject to assessments up to a maximum of $2000 or 4 X the value of the permit that should have been obtained and the contractor will then be required to obtain a permit in addition to the assessment. Those found to be in repeated violation of the Regulations or who continue to do sub-standard work may result in suspension or revocation of their License or an assessment .Failure to pay assessments by year end or to pay the yearly renewal fee may result in suspension or revocation of the License. An appeals process will be available prior to any revoking or suspension of any license when based on violations or repeated sub-standard workmanship.

The cost of the Licenses will be $ 300 per year for type A, B, D and $100 per year for C. If a company qualifies for type A, B and D licenses, and requires all three, the total cost would be $300 per year. Licenses may be obtained for a period of one ,two or three years at the above cost per year( ie a license for two years ,type A, B or D would be $600 etc).

Other changes proposed in the Regulation will be that no one can advertise to do electrical, communications cabling or electrical sign work unless they are Licensed.Qualified electricians will be able to get permits for churches or charitable organizations to do electrical work without the requirement to be Licensed and the removal of redundant cable will be mandatory.

The implementation of these changes is being proposed for the fall of 2000. No further mail outs requesting feedback will be sent after this one.

Note that at this time it is proposed that the Dept. of Labour will stop issuing the communication cabling certificates on Oct 1/2000 and the Dept. of Education-Apprenticeship will take over the issuing of the communications cabling certificates and the requirements to obtain this certificate may change.

We require your feedback in writing or by fax, E-mail or phone before June 30 /2000:

Please contact:

David MacLeod, Chief Electrical Inspector

Phone: 902-424-8018
Fax: 902-424-3239
E-mail: macleodd@gov.ns.ca

or

5151 Terminal Rd.- 6 th floor
Halifax,NS
B3J 2T8

Attn: David MacLeod, Chief Electrical Inspector