So you want to be an inspector? 

Future Energy Skills values the trust electricians put in us as they develop their career journey. We meet numerous individuals along the way, with some whose journey is worth highlighting. Recently we caught up with Jack who has recently passed his Licensed Electrical Inspector assessment and we are keen to pass on Jack’s ideas as to how to be successful. 

Apprenticeship journey 

Jack is a 29-year-old electrician who works mainly in the domestic market. He began his apprenticeship after deciding that university was no longer for him. He wanted to pursue a career where he was able to use his brain as well as his hands, so the electrical trades seemed the perfect fit.  A family member was operating as a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) and having seen the sorts of work he carried out on a day-to-day basis, Jack embarked on a pre-apprenticeship programme in electrotechnology. Following this, he was fortunate to be hired by Maxim Electrical Services as an apprentice where he had the opportunity to work on a broad range of installations, from office buildings, hotel and apartment high-rises, to warehouses, factories and electrical installations related to the Victorian rail network. This breadth of experience kept the apprenticeship both interesting and challenging, and he was lucky to be surrounded by very knowledgeable and experienced electricians. 

Jack obviously excelled and was nominated for and won the NECA Second Year Apprentice of the Year award in 2018. Early in his apprenticeship he took a deep interest in the Australian Standards and electric theory and consequently his trade school teachers were incredibly supportive in answering all of his questions and fostering that knowledge. The following year, Jack won the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) National Apprentice of the Year competition. As part of that award, he was given the privilege to travel to the USA to take part in the Global Power Trade Unions Congress. Following the conclusion of the congress, he had the opportunity to learn about and experience the specifics of American electrical installations, wiring practices, training and licensing, as well as meeting various industry stakeholders. It was an eye-opening experience that he will never forget. 

Becoming an REC 

He never thought that he would become an electrical contractor, but when his apprenticeship ended in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jack had to reconsider. After taking some time off, he completed the electrical contracting business course and applied for registration as an REC. At first it was very daunting: he had never worked in the residential sector, and what followed was lots of re-reading of AS/NZS 3000 and the Victorian Service Installation Rules (VSIRs), coupled with countless phone calls to electrical inspectors, other contractors and Energy Safe Victoria’s technical enquiries line. Jack was well supported by his partner, who had residential experience from her apprenticeship, and was able to help on work he was unfamiliar with and at times helping on the tools. It was clear he had a lot to learn, but with the fundamentals obtained through his apprenticeship, he was confident he would succeed. 

Over time, he has experienced a range of different situations that have made him the electrician he is today. Jack believes residential is perfect as you don’t always know what you’re in for, you don’t know if there is any illegal DIY wiring or the extent of it, and you can’t assume that the previous electrician’s work is still safe and compliant. So, Jack’s IR tester and LV gloves got used almost daily. Bit by bit, he became better at various inspection and test procedures. Jack still mostly works in the residential sector, carrying out anything from socket-outlet replacements to full house rewires and mains upgrades, and everything in between. He also carries out a small amount of work in the commercial and industrial sectors. He has enjoyed every bit of it – even when a job is tough or throws up the unexpected over and over again, there’s nothing like that satisfaction of a job well done! 

Becoming an LEI 

As an REC, Jack wanted to push the limits as an electrician, and the people with the most knowledge and experience around him were Licensed Electrical Inspectors (LEIs). So, he aspired to work towards becoming an inspector one day, knowing that striving towards this goal would make him a better electrician regardless. 

Years ago, he looked at a LEI theory sample paper and knew he didn’t have enough knowledge or familiarity with the Australian Standards to give it a genuine attempt. But he was curious, so he started studying bit by bit. That meant lots of reading of the Australian Standards, the Electricity Safety Act 1998 and the Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019. Besides reading, the next step was ensuring correct interpretation. That meant plenty of phone calls to inspectors and Energy Safe Victoria. On the practical side it was his day-to-day work that gave him the ability to increasingly recognise unusual situations, rectify defects, install things correctly and to the Standard, and test installations as per Section 8 of AS/NZS 3000 using the methods detailed in AS/NZS 3017. It has not been a short or easy learning journey, and it is by no means over, but it has made him a better electrician. His partner has helped immensely as he is able to explore different perspectives on clauses or regulations with her. 

One of the biggest challenges was correct interpretation of the Standards. Some clauses are not necessarily what they appear.  

For example: Cl. 2.6.2.2.2 states that  

Type AC RCDs “shall not be installed” 24 months after the publication date of Amendment 2.  

The wording is very specific: “shall not be installed” in other words means “where installing an RCD, it shall be Type A”.  

This has nonetheless caused a great deal of confusion in the industry, resulting in needless Type AC RCD replacements with Type A RCDs whenever alterations are being carried out on a circuit.  

On the other side, there was some confusion – including from manufacturers themselves – around if it were legal to replace Type AC RCDs with Type AC RCDs under the repair provisions of AS/NZS 3000 (it’s not). The wording seems simple, but correct interpretation is critical, as there are consequential outcomes. 

Another challenge was connecting the dots between what you know to be right or wrong in practice, and why something is right or wrong in the Standards. That again took a great deal of time in learning various definitions and checking the interrelations between different clauses and parts of the Standard. Overall, it was persistence and general technical advice from inspectors and compliance officers that helped Jack get over the line. 

LEI Assessment Experience 

Jack thoroughly enjoyed the assessments for the challenge they presented. It took a couple of attempts which only spurred him on to improve his knowledge and processes. Overall, he found the assessments to be an appropriate test of the minimum skills and knowledge required of an LEI. 

Having no formal training it was difficult to know what to expect. But inspections are always a second check after the electrician has carried out both visual inspection and testing on their prescribed and non-prescribed work, so in that sense the day-to-day work of an electrician – carrying out all your tests and visual inspections, ensuring compliance to the standards of your installations – is the best training of all. 

Jack found with his first attempts that he didn’t have enough time. On reflection Jack identified that he did not have an efficient and systematic inspection process. This is a critical skill for an LEI who may need to work under time pressure without compromising the integrity of the inspection, so he developed his own inspection and test process. At his next attempt he found he had sufficient time. 

Jack didn’t feel that the assessments were trying to ‘trick’ him. The defects are legitimate representations of defects Jack has found in the field, working as an REC. Jack believes, the assessments not only ensure accurate discovery of defects, but also the requirement to accurately ignore things which are not defects – another critical component of the job of an LEI. 

Overall, it was a great experience, and Jack is glad to have completed the assessments and to be licensed.  

Jack’s recommendations in taking the assessment 

• Read the applicable standards, the Act and the Regulations as much as you can. Scrutinise the true meaning of the clauses and regulations. 

• Get yourself a copy of AS/NZS 3017, as it is invaluable for common test procedures needed in the field. 

• Ask questions to your inspectors and colleagues. 

And on the practical side, the best preparation for the assessments is  

• Doing your best work as an electrician.  

• Ensure that your work complies all of the time.  

• Where you aren’t sure, check the applicable Standard and otherwise contact Energy Safe Victoria.  

• Test everything, every time.  

• Get into a habit of identifying defects at jobs you attend.  

All of these skills are just the skills that an electrician needs on a daily basis, and prepares those wanting to become an LEI at the same time.