CERTIFICATES OF COMPLIANCE!!
ELECTRICAL CERTIFICATES OF COMPLIANCE
BASICS REGARDING THE NEW REGULATIONS:
The issue of Certificates of Compliance(COC) is regulated by the Occupational Health & Safethy Act,
1993 read with the Electrical Installations Regulations 2009. It is no longer regulated by the Machinery
and Occupational Safety Act No.6 Of 1983 and the Electrical Installations Regulations of 1992 as still
stated in most offer to purchases.
The new regulations makes it clear that no user may sell property without a valid COC.
User: is defined to include an owner, mandatory and lessor. A mandatory is any person involved in the
sale of the property. This included an estate agent.
Sell: is defined and include - a for sale notice board, a lease and a donation.
Section 22:Subject to Sec. 10(4) where a safety standard is prescribed, no person shall sell or
market an article, plant, machinery etc. unless it complies with the safety standard.
Section 10(4):Confirms we may transfer the responsibility to another party to obtain the COC, PROVIDED that it is in writing.
Legally no person is allowed to advertise their property as for sale without a valid COC. The estate
agent needs to ensure that an owner has this COC when the property is put on the market.
No person is also allowed to donate a property(example:family transfer or 1/2 share transfer)
without a valid COC.
REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS:
Regulations in terms of Electrical Installation Regulations 2009.
Standards in terms of SANS 10142-1
There is two sections in terms of standards:
- Mandatory requirements - what needs to be done.
- Recommendations - what can be done. This is not legally enforceable but it impacts new installations.
WHO MAY ISSUE COC:
Only a registered person may issue a COC. Therefore the person must have a licence issued by the Department of Labour.
An Unregistered person may work at the property, but only under supervision of a registered person. The registered person needs to personally
ensure of the work done by the unregistered person before he signs the COC.
OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES:
- For every addition or alteration to the installation a user should obtain an additional COC.
- No transfer of COC is permitted if the COC is older than 2 years
- Can't transfer a COC if any alterations or additions were done at the property, except if there is an additional COC to confirm this to be compliant.
DISPUTES:
- When a dispute arise regarding the validity of a COC the GEIA must be called to inspect.
- The person requesting the the inspection will have to pay.
- Should the certificate be declaired not valid, the GEIA will request that a new certificate is issued.
- Should the defect be negligence on the part of the registered person, the inspector shall report the electrician to the Chief Inspector.
INVALIDATION OF COC
Any change / correction to the COC renders it invalid - must obtain a new COC.
A lost COC can not be replaced - a new COC needs to be issued.
Invalid if the test report is headed "Certificate of Compliance".
HOW DOES A VALID COC LOOK?
The COC must have:
- The Logo of The Department of Labour.
- Headed "Annexure 1" and must follow the format described in the Regulations.
- Must head "Department Of Labour".
- Must have a unique number given by the contractor.
- Must be attached to the test report.
- Last page of test report to be signed by the registered person.
