Issue 103 July - August 2014

Eight years ago the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) was let off the hook and relieved of its obligation to ensure the competence of electrical workers.

This extraordinary revocation of the board’s primary duty by parliament has left no organisation tasked with the challenging duty of ‘ensuring’ the competence of electrical workers, although the EWRB appears to have either missed the law change or chosen to ignore it, and continued with this role.

The loss of an appeal against his dismissal by Top Energy Ltd has cost a line mechanic more than just his job. Ordered by the Employment Relations Authority to pay Top Energy $10,000 in costs, the worker has suffered minor burns from an electric shock, a six-metre fall from a power pole, loss of his job and now will be out of pocket by $50 a week for the next four years.

However, it could have been worse if the Employment Relations Authority’s findings are to be believed. Its first finding was that the registered and licensed line mechanic had been electrocuted – despite his presence in court alerting the authority to the fact that he was far from dead.