News

Battery energy storage systems

ERAC has released a document titled Battery Energy Storage System Installation requirements.

This document provides a consistent approach to interpreting requirements within AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical Installations – Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment, across Australia and New Zealand.

 

Electrical equipment safety recalls

When faults or safety concerns arise with equipment already on the market, a recall may be necessary. This can be in the form of a mandatory recall or voluntary recall.

To assist traders in the conduct of the recall ERAC provides the Electrical Equipment Safety Recall Guide.

These guidelines were updated and approved by ERAC on 17 December 2019.

Fatality data

Electrical safety regulators collect and analyse electrical fatality data to assist our work towards improving electrical safety in Australia and New Zealand.

Annual accident and fatality reports can be found HERE.

Certain electrical products in Australia must be labelled with their energy efficiency rating and/or meet minimum energy efficiency standards before sale.

For more information about the MEPS visit energyrating.gov.au

In 2001, the National Uniform Electrical Licensing Advisory Council (NUELAC) released a uniform set of requirements for licensed electricians.

The requirements provide advice to industry, particularly the Jobs and Skills Councils and Registered Training Organisations, about the regulatory requirements an apprentice electrician must satisfy before being issued an electrical licence.

These essential capabilities were reviewed and updated in 2014, and again in 2024, with the assistance of representatives from state regulators, unions, employer groups and industry advisory boards in Australia and New Zealand to ensure they remain relevant and adequate.

The result of the 2024 review was a revised 48 Essential Performance Capabilities available on this link: Essential Performance Capabilities for Electricians

ERAC has created a central portal for identifying all certificates of electrical equipment issued under electrical safety laws in Australia.

To verify your product has a valid certificate, click here for the public search.

ERACs intention is for this database to list all certificates issued by electrical safety regulators in Australia and New Zealand as well as certificates issued by private certification bodies that operate in accordance with the Equipment Safety Rules.

This database has an associated on-line application facility. This online process has been adopted by Energy Safe Victoria, Queensland’s Electrical Safety Office and Workplace Standards Tasmania. The next regulator scheduled to join the system is South Australia’s Office of the Technical Regulator.

People wishing to make applications for Certificates of Conformity to these certifiers may do so by logging into the database via the login facility (left of screen) and selecting the certifier of their choice during the application process (Workplace Standards Tasmania only accept applications of companies located in Tasmania).

Note 1:
Not all regulators and private certification body certificates are currently listed on this database; ERAC haa provided access to the database, to upload certificate details, available to certifiers that have signed the ‘deed of access’.

Note 2:
Certificates added to this database can be used to register level 3 equipment to meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS). The EESS has been, or is being, adopted by all States and Territories of Australia, with the exception of New South Wales.

Update – EESS requirements for after 1 March 2014

The EESS commenced In Queensland on 1 March 2013 with a 12 month transition period. Tasmania and Western Australia have recognised the EESS. Australian jurisdictions are currently progressing or considering their implementation of the EESS and all jurisdictions are participating in an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) process. New Zealand will have complementary legislation in due course.

During this IGA process the legislation of jurisdictions, other than those mentioned above, remains unaltered; funding from EESS registration fees are being retained in a trust fund; and the current check testing and compliance activity supporting the EESS is being sourced from within jurisdictional resources.

Due to the ongoing transition the EESS requirements after 1 March 2014 are:

If a Responsible Supplier has taken all reasonable actions for registration they will be considered as having met the requirements for registration as far as can be expected.

For example the Responsible Supplier would:

  • remain registered as a Responsible Supplier (renew registration as it falls due);
  • have started registering level 3 equipment (where certificates are on the certification database);
  • be working through the process of registering their remaining range of level 3 equipment; and
  • register type and brand (and optionally model number and certification detail) of level 1 equipment they supply.

NSW REAS certificates for NSW declared articles will continue to be able to be uploaded onto the national certification database.

The following NSW REAS have ability to upload certificates:

  • Australian Safety Approval;
  • BSI Group;
  • Certification Body Australia;
  • Global-Mark;
  • SAA Approvals;
  • SAI Global;
  • SGS Australia;
  • TUV Rheinland Australia; and
  • UL International New Zealand.

The New Zealand electrical regulator has recently introduced legislation that recognises the EESS as a means of compliance for some of their electrical safety requirements. Contact the New Zealand regulator for more detail.

NOTE: To assist Responsible Suppliers, any level 3 equipment that is currently registered, or registered in this phase of requirements, will not require renewal of registration until further notice (the original equipment registration expiry date on the database will not trigger a requirement to renew). The equipment will be visible on the national EESS registration database as valid registered equipment, and will remain showing as registered (subject to certification remaining valid). This will remain until the Responsible Supplier is given notice by regulators that equipment renewals are in force for that equipment (at least 1 years notice from the anniversary of the original expiry/renewal date will be given).

To assist in the registration process for level 1 equipment, there will soon be a csv file on the ERAC website to enable bulk upload of level 1 equipment details. If you require this file before it is uploaded, please contact eessadmin@justice.qld.gov.au.

Go to https://equipment.erac.gov.au/Public/ to check which certifiers are uploading certificates. If your certifier is not listed, or their certificates are not listed, check with your certifier as to what action they are taking. Note the NSW Fair Trading certificate details will be added separately; contact EESS admin by email on eessadmin@justice.qld.gov.au for more information.

The EESS requires the use of the RCM on equipment in accordance with the rules laid out in AS/NZS 4417. For electrical safety, the use of the RCM on equipment is only permitted if the equipment is in compliance with the EESS. (Nb. – rules for the use of the RCM for products subject to ACMA arrangements (eg. EMC, radiocommunications, telecommunications, EME) are set out in ACMA regulatory arrangements).

Note: The RCM is a registered trademark of Electrical Safety Regulators and the ACMA. The rules for use of the RCM for compliance with electrical safety requirements are set out in AS/NZS 4417. One of those requirements is that equipment that meets electrical safety level 3 equipment definitions must be registered on the EESS national database. To register level 3 equipment the certificate for that equipment must be on the national certification database.

Until each remaining participating jurisdiction (Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory) implements the EESS the current requirements for electrical equipment will remain in place for that jurisdiction. Additional to that, Equipment complying with the EESS and registered as required by a registered responsible supplier and marked with the RCM in accordance with AS/NZS 4417.1:2012 will be accepted for sale in all participating jurisdictions from 1 March 2013.

For further details on the new system click on the EESS tab above.

Please note, NSW is considering the proposal that all State and Territory regulators participate in the EESS. No formal decision either way has been made by NSW at present. If you have queries about the current or future position in NSW please contact NSW Fair Trading. For NSW requirements see http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/default.html.