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Energy Safety Business Update – July 2017
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What constitutes a Certified Design?
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The Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010 both provide for the use of a certified design to modify the installation standards’ requirements that apply to electrical and gas appliances and fittings, and ensure that essential safety requirements are met.
A design for an electrical or a gas installation, or part installation, is a certified design if:
- it identifies the location or proposed location of the installation or part installation; and
- it identifies the standards (if any) with which the installation or part installation, or proposed installation or part installation, complies or is intended to comply; and
- the person who prepared the design signs and dates it.
A certified design may influence or direct the selection of electrical and gas appliances and fittings, and their installation, or maintenance. Examples of a certified design include an architect's drawing or an engineering design that shows the location of fittings, because these drawings or designs influence the safety of a completed installation. This can be especially useful if the architect or designer knows the intended use of the premises, details that the installing contractor may be unaware of.
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Using LED lamps as replacements for conventional lamps in hazardous area light fittings
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The use of LED lamps as replacements for conventional lamps in hazardous area ‘Ex’ fittings will invalidate the certification of the fittings. Unless the fittings have been certified for LED lamps replacing the lamps with LED ones may make the fittings electrically unsafe.
Changing the internal wiring in fluorescent light fittings to accommodate LED lamps will also require recertification of the fittings. This should only be carried out in a certified overhaul facility, and in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
Likewise changing the type of lamps in emergency lighting fittings can make the fittings no longer suitable for purpose.
In some cases the simple replacement of a fluorescent tube with an LED lamp can make the light fitting electrically unsafe, for instance if the modified fitting then permits access to live parts.
Electrical workers should note that it is important to ensure the use of LED lamps as replacements in conventional fittings is consistent with the certification of the fittings.
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Electrical Installations in Caravans
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Energy Safety reminds importers and suppliers of caravans and other recreational vehicles that the electrical installations in many imported caravans do not meet New Zealand standards and are required to be electrically refitted before they can be issued with an Electrical Warrant of Fitness and connected to a New Zealand supply.
Issues include non-compliant wiring, fittings, and appliances, as well as installation techniques.
Electrical Inspectors carrying out an Electrical Warrant of Fitness check on such installations are reminded to assess that the installation complies with Part 1 of AS/NZS 3000 Electrical installations before carrying out the usual inspection to AS/NZS 3001 Electrical Installations - Transportable structures and vehicles including their site supplies.
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Gas appliances certified to AS/NZS 5263-series standards
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Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand have now published specific type standards in the AS/NZS 5263 Gas appliances series of standards. These replace older Australian gas appliance standards.
For example, AS/NZS 5263.1.1:2016 Gas appliances – Domestic gas cooking appliances replaces AS 4551-2008 Domestic gas cooking appliances.
In the longer term, this will make certification to joint Australian/New Zealand Standards more relevant and accessible for suppliers of gas appliances in New Zealand.
These standards are considered technically equivalent or superior to the standards they replace. However, because they are not yet cited in Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations, references to these standards can’t be explicitly added to the Gas Appliance Supplier Declaration database.
Suppliers of appliances relying on certification to these standards should note:
- SDoCs should, for the time being, continue to refer to the relevant Australian standard
- Supporting documentation (SDoC) should include a comment attributable to the certification body that certification to an AS/NZS 5263.1 standard is technically equivalent to the corresponding certification to the corresponding Australian Standard
- Any LPG appliance must be certified as a universal LPG appliance or a New Zealand LPG appliance
- There is no impediment to uploading certificates to the relevant AS/NZS 5263 standard.
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Flame safeguard on gas appliances certified to AS/NZS 5263.1.1
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Changes to certification requirements for domestic gas certification in Australia take effect from 1 July 2017. While these requirements do not automatically apply in New Zealand, Energy Safety recommends suppliers of domestic gas cooking appliances that rely on Australian certification should take steps to implement flame failure protection (flame safeguard) on gas hobs.
From 1 July 2017, hobs on gas cookers certified to AS/NZS 5263.1.1:2016 Gas appliances – Domestic gas cooking appliances will have to include flame failure protection. For details of how this is implemented in Australia, see the GTRC Technical Bulletin 011 issued by the Australasian Gas Technical Regulators’ Committee.
There is no requirement to upgrade stock that is already in New Zealand at 30 June 2017 to include flame failure protection.
For New Zealand, the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations recognise certification to AS 4551-2008 Domestic gas cooking appliances. This standarddoes not require flame failure protection. However, Energy Safety recommends suppliers of domestic gas cooking appliances that rely on Australian certification should take steps to implement flame failure protection (flame safeguard) for new stock as soon as is convenient.
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