The Electrical Inspector - Te Kaitirotiro Hiko

23/02/2026

It is with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Bill Lowe, a friend, colleague, mentor, founding member and Life Member of the New Zealand Electrical Inspectors Association.

Bill was instrumental in the establishment of the Association in the 1980's and played a significant role in shaping its values, direction, and standards. From the earliest days, he believed strongly in the importance of professionalism, cooperation, and the sharing of knowledge among electrical inspectors throughout the Central Region and New Zealand.

Bill was a passionate advocate for safety and best practice in the electrical inspection industry. His commitment to improving safety outcomes and supporting fellow inspectors left a lasting impact on the Association and the wider profession. Bill referred to all members as "Safety Professionals" - a mantra he led with and lived by.

In recognition of his lifelong dedication to safety and service, the Association established a safety award in Bill’s name. This award reflects the principles he stood for - leadership, integrity, and an unwavering focus on protecting people through high standards of inspection and compliance.

Bill was known not only for his technical knowledge, but also for his willingness to mentor others and contribute constructively to the work of the Association. His guidance and example influenced many inspectors and helped build the strong professional community we have today.

We extend our sincere condolences to Bill’s family and loved ones. We thank them for sharing him with our profession and acknowledge the significant contribution he made over many years.

Bill Lowe’s legacy will continue through the safety award that proudly bears his name.

Service details:
A service to celebrate Bill’s life will be held this Friday at 11:00am at Guardian Funeral Home,
4 Moorefield Road, Johnsonville.

Rest in peace, Bill.
Your contribution will not be forgotten.

03/08/2024

NEW ZEALAND ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS ASSOCIATION
There are some exciting announcements in the AUG Newsletter starting with the news that Peter MacMillan will retire from the role of President saying that the Association is full of capable people who will continue to take the Association forward and advance the best interest of Industry and NZEIA's place in it.
He is reluctant to speak of his own successes - Kaore te kumara e korero mo tona ake reka - but like Richard Gibben, his contribution to the Association has bourne much fruit. He is due any tribute coming including a Life Membership which I look forward to supporting.

The announcement of the AUTOCARD system is also exciting. Members will have access to fuel discounts. See the newsletter to see how you can apply, the terms and conditions and the current fuel discount rates.

Hopefully this a forerunner in our quest for more members services such as Insurance for Inspectors - e.g. Professional Indemnity, Statutory Liability and Public Liability.

Events this month:
Canterbury Regional Event – Monday 5 August 2024, 5pm.
Venue information available from local area representative

Matamata Dinner – 7 Aug, 5.30 – 6.30
Matamata Club, 9 Waharoa Road East, Matamata
RSVP required for catering, contact local area rep

Education Committee Meeting – 8th Aug, 7.30 – 8.30
ZOOM Online, attendance by invitation only

Executive Meeting – 13 Aug, 7.30 – 8.30
ZOOM Online, attendance by invitation only

Online Forum – 14 Aug, 7.30 – 9.00
ZOOM, Online, attendance open to all members via link
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83513569098?pwd=n1pSbk0oAHSVSUykrcWeie8wda6ipr.1

AGM and ELECTION of OFFICERS
The AGM is coming up soon. Have you considered joining the Executive team and lending your talents to NZEIA? Current President, Mr. Peter MacMillan has indicated he will stand down this year and there are other positions to be considered. Ask around, talk to Peter or Richard or your current local Rep and you will see how NZEIA's is making a difference to the working lives of all member Inspectors. Most positions such as the Area Reps don't need much time from you - I know because I've been there and now it's time for new blood me thinks.

GETTING TO KNOW WHO is WHO at NZEIA
If you want to know who your local area Rep at NZEI is, use your login to enter the Members area to see the listing. There is also an accompanying geographical map there too showing which Ward/Branch you’re in.

CONTACT with NZEIA is via your local area rep (preferred) or through the website - both NZEIA.com and NZEIA.co.nz are active and go to the same place in cyber-world.
Or you can contact Heidi at [email protected],
Or Peter at [email protected],
Or Warren at [email protected],
Or Richard Gibbens at [email protected].
These are good people working for the good of our Industry - with us and for us!

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02/08/2024

REGISTRATION CLASS CHANGES
The new Registration framework for Electrical Workers which takes effect on 1 September 2024 has started with The EWRB sending out emails to Electrical Inspectors only at this time. Other electrical workers will be brought on board over the next 2 years.

The first email notified of the changes and provided links to the relevant information on their website. This was followed up with other emails, one for each of the five endorsements which will be automatically applied. They are based on records submitted to the WorkSafe NZ/Energy Safety high-risk Register.

If they miss one for an area you are competent in, an assessment can be submitted to have that endorsement added to your Registration. It's not clear how long that might take or what evidence might be required for the assessment.

If you haven't received notification from the Board within the first week of this month, contact the Board. You can also look up the changes on their website.

COMMENTS. The mechanics behind the changes appear straight forward and I expect there will be some teething issues which when brought to their attention, should be resolvable fairly smartly (fingers crossed).

I'm scratching my head about the motive for these changes because I'm not aware of any statistical evidence that would indicate the changes will lead to better safety outcomes for New Zealand.
Will the changes improve the way trainees are trained? - it's hard to see how.
Will the changes mean that employers can pay less for tradespeople who is endorsed in only one area? - yes.

Also, the cynic in me smiles as I see that our plastic ID cards are not going to be replaced once they expire. Instead, we will have to download a look-alike from the site and will have to print one out for ourselves - Humm, I wonder if there is a business opportunity here for some entrepreneurial-type to become a printer of electrical registration plastic ID cards?

01/08/2024

REFERENCE LIBRARY
Our in-house Library is getting an increasing number of enquiries. A reminder, we don’t offer regulatory advice through the Library. You’re welcome to the resources however interpretation, support and appropriate application to meet regulatory compliance is part of our normal business activities. all enquiries welcome.

30/04/2024

USE OF DENSO TAPE
I had a query from a client recently which made me smile as I recalled using Denso Tape in all sorts of situations throughout my career. Here's a snippet from my response to this well-respected client:

Hi ###,
This note is to confirm the outcome of our discussions this morning regarding the use of Denso tape on electrical equipment located in a hazardous area e.g. the Motor connection JB you mentioned in the Tank Farm.

Quote, "Denso Tape is composed of a non-woven synthetic fabric carrier, fully impregnated with a neutral compound based on saturated petrolatum and inert siliceous fillers." Unquote
Its properties include:
· Non Hardening.
· Non Cracking.
· A Cold Applied Tape Remains plastic over a wide temperature range.
· Highly Resistant to Mineral Acids, Alkalis, Salts & Micro-Organisms.

Based on personal experience, NZ installers have been using this tape as a way to minimise water ingress at junction boxes and motor terminal blocks for many years. Its certainly been in use for this type of water-proofing since 1974.

I have found NO reference in our regulations or the AS/NZS60079-series of Standards prohibiting its use in this way.

It is widely accepted as an industry practice with the following conditions:
· Only one layer of tape is to be applied,
· Where there is to be an overlapped joint, it is to be at "bottom" of the item it is being attached too,
· It is preferable that there be no overlap i.e. the joint should be butt-jointed, however,
· Any overlap is to be no longer than the width of the tape being used.
· Denso tape is NOT to be applied to moving or rotating surfaces.

It has been my observation too that over time, the tape will dry out and harden somewhat. This is despite the manufacturers assertions. If this is observed and the equipment is not being opened necessitating the removal of the tape then there is no need to replace the tape because the water-proofing properties on the underside of the tape will still be viable. It would however be prudent to replace dried out tape if the tape is disturbed or if any work has been carried out on the equipment.

As always, I'm happy to take comments from you if you have anything to contribute. Sam

08/03/2024

Well that made me think...

A colleague contacted me to ask if metal bollards located inside a hazardous area inside a building need to be bonded i.e. earthed.

They are not metalwork likely to become alive because of the distance between them and an electrical power source however there's no doubt that striking them with say a vehicle could, perceivable generate a spark aka ignition source possibly leading to a boom.

But here's the thing. Would that spark be electrical and therefore conductive in nature. My answer is no. Such sparks are mechanically generated by strike or heat can be generated by friction.

So, my answer was no because EQB would be ineffective.

But it’s a heck of a question and this late on a Friday afternoon, just before beer o’clock, I’m wondering if there's a different point of view. Would you have made the same call or...

27/02/2024

IS IT AN APPLIANCE ??
During February, I received a query from an Auckland based inspector asking about a Paint Mixing Room (PMR) he'd been asked to inspect and certify. He had received a copy of one of my checklists from a fellow inspector and had some questions.

After an initial chat he told me he'd been given the documents provided to the owner by the PMR supplier/manufacturer/installer (all one person) and decided to give them a call. While discussing various aspects of the installation and the documentation, our inspector was told that the PMR is an appliance and therefore they were able to install electrical fittings. (Ed. A what?)

When he asked me, I said I couldn't see how it could be an appliance. He has an engineering associate who also told him no. I'd been asked this question before and decided it was time to seek the thoughts of WorkSafe NZ. Their response only took a couple of days (nice, thank you) and echoed our advice - the PMR, as described, is NOT AN APPLIANCE.

WorkSafe NZ's response was detailed and showed how they came to their conclusion. They are happy for me to provide copies to anyone interested as a way to "start the discussion". Due to it's length I have elected to make it available upon request - [email protected].

BUT WAIT THAT'S NOT ALL...
There were other matters that the inspector is working through and is doing so with the full support and confidence of the client.

When he asked the installer/supplier about certification he was told he'd provided all the necessary documentation to the client. And here's where it all gets a bit complicated and weird, in my view.

He implied that the electrician doing the final connection and livening would issue a CoC which in turn would include the PMR. The documentation he provided to the client consisted of
1. A Hazardous Area (verification) Dossier.
Comment: It's a fine collection of Producer Statements and other worthwhile material. But, there was no hazardous area classification drawing included. There is a requirement in the Standard he cited in his documentation i.e. AS/NZS60079.14.

2. A document they call a Declaration of Conformity (SDOC).
Comments: Its contents were excellent in that it identified the supplier (themselves), who the intended purchaser is and the location of the PMR. It also referenced our Regs, the Gas Regs, AS/NZS3000, NZS5261 and NZS5601. Whoever prepared the document has some very good regulatory compliance knowledge.
Pity they didn't understand and recognise that PEW can only be performed by a registered electrical worker and that a CoC must be provided.

3. There was also an incomplete copy of an EWRB-issued CoC/ESC.
Comments. It identified compliance with Parts 10, 14 and 17 of AS/NZS60079 plus AS/NZS4114. It mentions a 3-phase supply with N and E. It records those parts of the PMR the CoC applies to including their light (sic) system, control cubicle and 2x exhaust fans. It also referred to their Hazardous Area Dossier.
That's all well and good but on the other hand - it wasn't signed, didn't carry an installation date and there were no electrical test results recorded. Perhaps this is what he'd intended the electrician to sign, I don't know.

You're welcome to join the discussion if you choose.

01/01/2024

Well spotted - A case study
An electrician spotted and reported a problem with a switchboard that was replaced as part of a PV Solar installation I inspected and certified last year. He was onsite for an unrelated matter and alerted me to his find.
We met and following his lead (no pun intended) I agreed with his findings where a) a new switchboard had been installed and b) the RCD/MCB arrangement was non-compliant where more than 3x MCB's were connected to a RCCD and c) an MEN ink was missing between the Neutral and Earth busbars. Item d) was the discovery of a 6mm2 green conductor sleeved red that was used as a phase conductor.

I contacted the installer and:
a) was told he had recorded on his CoC that the DB had been changed. He had needed more space in the DB to install his PV control and monitoring equipment. Ouch yep, my bad, it's written on the CoC.
b) we discussed and debated the matter of the number of MCB's per RCCD. He believes replacing the enclosure and transferring the original arrangement to the new DB didn't require updating and was therefore OK. I didn't and don't agree. Decide for yourself but think load change and power supply arrangement changes. In this case the sparkie and inspector agreed to disagree. Outcome; the arrangement was updated with a win for the client.
c) we both have photos showing the link was installed. We could not determine why the link was not in place when our reporting electrician opened the DB. Outcome. The MEN was reinstated, another win for the client.
d) a 6.0mm2 green conductor had been sleeved as red. It wasn't obvious at first glance but upon greater examination, there it was oh heck!. Outcome. The conductor was replaced.

In my view, the most important things to come from all of this were:
1. The opportunity given by the client and reporting electrician to address the matters rather than to escalate this beyond those who were involved. This speaks volumes about the integrity of the reporting electrician, the original installation electrician and the client whose willingness to rationally debate, accept each other's positions and proposals and then move forward with doing the right thing for the installation and the client; well, it just demonstrates what is possible.

2. Electricians often seek guidance through their own research or they get advice from their peers or inspectors that they know. This installer did all those things. With good intentions and a willingness to listen and share; we arrived at a point where we were able to agree to disagree on only one point. Arguably it's not ideal, yet, neither of us was particularly aggrieved and therefore ego's and pride's didn't need to be satisfied.

I'll leave the last word to the installer, "I don't agree with that but I can see how it might make the installation better".

05/10/2023

NZEIA Taranaki are having a meeting on Tue 24th October in Stratford. It starts at 7pm and is at the War Memorial Centre, 55 Miranda Street.

The evenings lead presentation is about the EWRB and WorkSafe's notice/information boards and as usual, if you have an item you need help with, bring it along and lets see how we can help.

NZEIA Vice-President Warren Willetts will also be in attendance.

RSVP's to Vincent at [email protected]

28/08/2023

Many of you know I belong to NZEIA, a great organisation specifically for electrical inspectors with associate members from the engineering fraternity.

NZEIA Meetings are happening throughout the Country again in September.

I'm particularly looking forward to the Taranaki one on Sept 25th in Stratford where newly elected Vice-President Warren Willets will be in attendance. Also, newly elected area rep, Vincent Bielawa and together, they will be leading a discussion on the EWRB's website including their TOOL BOX and WorkSafe NZ's website including their High-Risks Register. It's a chance to become familiar or learn new things about these resources and to provide comment on what ails you about them. Your comments will be added to those of the rest of the organisation whereupon a submission can be created.

Check in with your Local Area Rep for similar meetings in your area.

The new Exec have had their first meeting under recently re-elected President Peter MacMillan and will no doubt be making their announcements over time.

Check out the NZEIA.co.nz website for a full list of the 2023/2024 Executive including contact details for your local Area Rep.

Compliance, Competency and Consistency... are what NZEIA is all about!

23/07/2023

JULY/AUGUST
Rather fortuitously given our current project, NZEIA held an online forum on June 07th discussing an NZI initiative about identifying electrical fire hazards. Regrettable the two non-member Guest Speakers weren't able to make it online (huh??) however Richard Gibbens from Stones Electrical covered for them and his presentation was great.

He shared of his experiences with examples of the 'great' versus 'not-so great' electrical situations he'd been involved with. The item that most caught my eye/ears was in the area of switchboards and assessing their current condition for electrical safety and regulatory compliance. The presentation also identified the benefits of period assessment. FYI, AS/NZS 3019.
From my own experience, I note that all major Insurance companies are insisting on assessments and Certificates of Verification on commercial and industrial switchboards as part of their renewing process.

We have been involved with switchboard assessments for many years and comparing the information provided in the presentation to what we do provided us with some additional information which we now include in our checksheets.

The document upon which Richard's presentation was based is available on line at https://www.nzi.co.nz/content/dam/insurance-brands-nz/nzi/nz/en/documents/nzi/risk-solutions/nzi-electrical-fire-hazard-guide-nz7359-01-0323.pdf
I recommend it for your edification and viewing pleasure. Thanks Richard.

And on Wed 12th July, there was an information seminar lead by Nigel Chang, NZ Business manager, of Century Yuasa Batteries. He spoke about battery technology for large power supplies.

Batteries? I'll admit to thinking that this might be one of those dry-ball subjects but seeing as it promised to view things from the perspective of large power supplies, I attended.

What a really knowledgeable fellow Nigel is and his somewhat perfunctory delivery on all things "battery" was one of the most interesting presentations NZEIA has brought to the members in quite some while. He introduced us to the world of infinite applications and explained the differing applications for each of the many types available. Who knew? Not me that's for sure. A battery is a battery is a battery, right? Yeah, nay. Not by a long shot.

Some of you (us) top up the water and thanks to the science involved, they just keep going. Others don't need anything from us once they're installed. That's what I thought until Nigel took us into his world.
Wow... it was so blimmen interesting that we ran over time and I was left wanting to hear more.

Both topics were very interesting and I'm looking forward to the next on-liner set for August 9th.

As always, check in on the NZEIA.co.nz website for the latest updates and notices of upcoming events/meetings.

And if you want to read more about what we've been up to, see our website: www.theelectricalinspector.co.nz 🤨

Welcome to The Electrical Inspector - specialist Hazardous Areas InspectorsUpdated 21st June 2021

01/03/2023

AFTER THE STORM(s)
No doubt you will know someone in Auckland, or Up North, in the Bay of Plenty, along the East Coast or in the Hawkes Bay who has suffered some measure of loss following the recent rain and wild wind events in February. We really feel for them as we try to digest the visual reports we're seeing on TV.
As electrical inspectors we learnt some worthwhile lessons following the Waitotara Valley storm in 2006. Their loss of power was substantial too. Restoring that power was a priority so once the lines guys had tackled the hard stuff like standing power poles back up, re-stringing downed power lines, and checking that power transformers were OK, a system was developed to ensure the safe restoration of power to property owners. With the high voltage (11kV) power loss the PowerCo guys and their contractors worked tirelessly to get that power back on.
As they worked, there was concern that with the amount of water damage in homes it might be unsafe to simply turn all the power back on. With socket outlets around 400 mm above floor levels, possible water in light switches and perhaps switchboards and light fittings and with the lower stove connections and water heater connections, a PLAN would be needed.
After consulting with Energy Safety (Service), an emergency notice was gazetted and issued requiring all low voltage connections (230/415 Vac) in the area to be isolated without delay at their various network connection points most of which were pole-fuses.
Next an inspection of each property was carried out, at no cost to the property owner. Once they were satisfied, an Inspector with network access authorities re-livening the property. Other Inspectors who were not authorised to work on the Network contacted PowerCo who then sent out a livening agent. Many of the areas affected recently have implemented a similar return-to-service system.
For those who are still waiting, the lines folk are doing what they can and are doing it in an orderly and safe fashion. They’ll get to you. You matter to them.
We applaud the lines guys, their supervisors and the network controllers. There are also many electricians and inspectors who are using their skills to restore people's power as soon as safely possible.
Mauri ora!