Verification is a legal requirement and should be integral to a contractor’s work. Vincent Law explains.

Verification is a term we know the meaning of but don’t do enough about.

We have grown accustomed to things changing rapidly and have developed a mindset of faster, stronger and better.

The key thing we look for is ‘better’. It leads us to believe that something is of higher quality or meets or exceeds our requirements and/or expectations.

This may be true on a product level but does it equate to the quality or correctness of your work?

In the world of Standards, verification is defined as: “confirmation, through the provision of objective evidence, that specified requirements have been fulfilled”; where objective evidence can be obtained by observation, measurement, test or other means.

With the recent publication of AS/NZS 3000:2018, it is a good time to remind ourselves about the objective evidence needed in relation to an electrical installation.

Clear requirements are set out in Section 8 of the Wiring Rules. In summary, the Standard provides a checklist for observations and a mandatory series of tests. To assist with this process, the regulator for each state requires contractors to complete a legal document usually in the form of a certificate of compliance.

Referring to the definition above – other than ticking a box to say something was done, what objective evidence is there to show that it actually was done? Are your readings correct? What are the implications?

In the commercial world there is a common saying: “If it wasn’t written, it wasn’t done.” Government websites have clear guidelines and recommendations for business-related documents. Legally, records are to be kept for seven years.

Although inspectors check an installation before authorising the supply of power, is the responsibility of verification and liability on their shoulders? The answer is no.

Records in all states have shown that people have died due to installation errors – where power has been supplied – and it is always the electrician who must answer the questions.

If the relevant evidence of installation records can be provided on request, this mitigates many of the installation issues in the industry today. Section 8.4 of the Standard calls for the necessity of proper record keeping: “In order to enable re-verification of an installation, it is necessary to know the details of the original verification.”

Using an exaggerated example, when you go to the doctor for a test, you trust the results and hope they give you good news. How would you feel if the doctor told you the results were good but you later found out that the readings were wrong?

In the field of measurement, your results are only as good as the accuracy of your tools and methods. Which brings a question to light: when were your tools of trade last calibrated? Although it is not stated in AS/NZS 3000, it is stipulated in AS/NZS 3017, which the wiring rules references in the event of verification.

The unfortunate attitude of “she’ll be right” is often the main reason for neglect in this area. Contractors are generally unaware of the possible legal repercussions when something goes wrong because of an incorrect reading.

Calibration is an adjustment of a meter/device to a known reference. Checking against another meter is a good start, but how do you know which reading is correct? And both devices might have been inaccurate to start with.

Due to the environment in which electrical contractors work, the equipment is subjected to harsher treatment than it would in a test lab.

Modern instruments are more robust, and are much more advanced and accurate than ever before, yet many things may affect measurement quality. These include exposure to magnetic fields, temperature, humidity, shock and vibration, frequency of use, etc.

If unchecked, an instrument may be ‘off’ without the user realising until something goes wrong.

In many fields of work, commissioning and installation verification is unfortunately often viewed and treated as a tick of the box. With the effort taken to design and install the equipment, why is installation testing seen as an inconvenience?

One of the biggest changes in the latest revision of AS/NZS 3000 is the requirement for a residual current device (RCD) on every sub-circuit.

With the extra equipment required for an installation, it is crucial to ensure that each aspect has been tested and verified. The Standard mandates that checks on RCDs be performed as part of the verification process.

Reputable product manufacturers jump through hoops and walk through fire to ensure their products are safe, and compliant to national and international Standards as well as local rules and regulations.

Quite often, the design and testing process begins years in advance so that a product is available as soon as rule changes are implemented. It is a rigorous and robust process, but at times manufacturers are let down by customers. There are contractors who fail to check their own work and misuse a product, which may lead to the unnecessary banning of perfectly functional products.

The role of the regulator in the electrical installation environment is to enforce the rules and issue penalties for non-compliances. Examples are seen in regular bulletins where offences are published with the corresponding penalty. Some lists clearly show the lack of regard for testing on the contractor side.

On a wider note, this is not just a matter of monetary penalties, it is a blatant lack of duty of care for co-workers and end users. It harms the people involved – and gives the industry a bad name.

From the issues highlighted in this article, the key point is that verification should not be treated as an afterthought. Verification is a legal requirement and it should be integral to the work you do.

Your actions (or lack of) have a greater effect than you may think.

Vincent Law is quality and compliance manager at Hager Electro.