Why is it compulsory to employ an electrician for installing simple goods? Is it required in these days?

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As a pom, I was taught at primary school age how to wire up a 240v plug and fuse, and must have done so 100’s of times, as well as much more complex wiring like ring mains and lighting.

These days we have much better ‘live’ and polarity testing equipment.

What are the stats regarding the danger? Are electrical injuries high for the general population vs, say, electricians?

I suspect I am more likely to suffer injury drilling a hole in the wall to hang a picture? The testers are sensitive enough to locate live wiring.

As a Computer Science graduate, I can and have assembled desktop computers, but not permitted to install an extra light globe in the kitchen?

What’s the point of higher education, if we still retain such constraints that probably were based on stats from another era?

I bought a ceiling fan recently. The internal wiring is controlled by sophisticated plug and socket pairs, making it impossible to assemble the parts incorrectly eg, single cable, doubles, 4s and 6s each with unique patterns of round and square pairings. This is then connected to the 10amp lighting circuit, with 3 levels of safety, mains switch, lighting circuit breaker and its switch, and the actual wall light switch itself. All easily testable with a tester for live and polarity.

As it stands, I have to get the electrician to install this, call out $140+. If it fails I have pay for another call out, $140+, then another for the replacement under warranty, call out $140+. I say this because the failure rate for ceiling fans seems quite common!

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Not every one is skilled in installation, nor are they skilled in detecting possible issues. You may be skilled but as far as anyone else knowing that you are, means you need a licence to prove that you are skilled. Licencing is required to save the many from the few that are not skilled and to prove that the installer is trained to do the work and to ensure they have the necessary insurance coverage for the work they carry out. If there are any faults caused by their installation they can be stopped from further work and/or made to make good the faults at their expense. If you believe you have the required skills then you can apply to your State’s Electrical Registration Board and if successful you will be then licenced and able to lawfully connect your electrical goods and fittings that require that licence for installation. If you fail to get the licence, then lawfully you are not permitted to install anything that requires a licence to do so. If anyone is caused injury while working on your household electricals (and not necessarily connected primarily to the devices/fittings you installed) or your installation affects the grid then you will not only face penalties for failing to have a licence but you could face penalties for culpable actions.

Similar laws apply for plumbing and gasfitting, builders (if an owner builder this also requires licencing), in fact a few trades require licencing for the work to be carried out legally.

Some people do unlawfully connect fittings, or make changes to their property, or friends premises, to do so leaves them very open to prosecution if the unlicenced work is detected. It will void any insurance the person or friend has if damage occurs to the residence or neighbours or other connected services if illegal installation is proven. So unlawful fitting is discouraged and not condoned in law and by CHOICE.

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The other main point is if work is done by an electrician, they can determine if risks exist with current wiring/switchboard installations. If risks exist or installation doesn’t meet current minimum standards for electrical safety, additional works may be needed to make what exists compliant. Examples being a house with old wire fuses, no earth leakage/safety switch, poor earthing, overloaded circuits etc.

A DIYer won’t know what current standards are nor be able to easily identify risks. This is possibly the main reason why DIYers aren’t allowed to carry out electrical works which need to be carried out by a licensed electrician.

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… and because they don’t know the standards and don’t recognise risky conditions, they can unwittingly set death traps for themselves, and/or their family, and/or the next tradesperson who does any work on their house. The house catching fire because of an electrical fault is one example.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

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The UK uses a similar electrical 230V single phase house hold supply. The UK does permit a range of routine electrical tasks to be carried out by an unlicenced person. Some work requires a licenced person to inspect to ensure compliance. Other more advanced work must be done by a licenced person.

Our regulations clearly do not permit any of the work described to be carried out by an unlicenced person. The prior posts offer the reasoning. Is it likely to change one day? The respective licenced trades industries, businesses and licenced trades representative professions/unions are key participants in the advisory groups to government on regulation of their industry.

One can always ask. Similar odds to NASA selecting me to lead their next mission to the moon.

P.S.
On a slight tangent, according to our latest council regulations. If one has a rotted weatherboard on the outside of the house or decking board - it’s off limits to DIY.

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But, what is the evidence? How current is it (excuse the pun)?

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I would rather advocate for DIY plumbing than electrical work. If you mess up the results may be unpleasant and may be dangerous over a period of time if you are unobservant. With electrical wiring bad results are much quicker and more severe with less chance for a do over.

Certifying people are competent seems reasonable for 230 v work to me. You may be perfectly capable but unless you pass the test nobody knows.

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I don’t know if it is still the case, but in the ACT there used to be a restricted electrical licence; pass the appropriate test and you could do some types of electrical work on your own home / appliances, but couldn’t legally do it for anyone else.

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Many other countries think that adults are adults! Australia is one of the few that think adults need child like protections to do simple things. Like plumbing, installing simple electrics. Electrical jobs like replacing a frayed lead, an extra globe, converting a USA plug for an Australian one, extending a lead on an appliance, installing a USB charging socket, etc.

Seriously, if you think you are capable of drilling hole for a picture hook, and yet aren’t capable of these basic electrical jobs, you shouldn’t be doing any DIY job. Is wet paint near electrics safe, how would you know?

Really, are we so insecure in Australia, that every task must only be done by a licenced person? As @mark_m says even replacing a rotted weatherboard.

What is the evidence to support dumbing-down the population. For certain accounts we need a financial planner to switch funds from one place to another, ie, less complex than doing a simple online purchase, a trained monkey could do it. Likewise simple DIY.

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That is a false comparison, it isn’t a matter of being an adult or even being a responsible person (as not all adults are) it is a matter of skill and competence.

No.

None from me but that isn’t relevant to licensing electrical work.

I agree but not on your scope of the term ‘simple’. You are broadening the whole discussion now to much broader questions. Overgeneralising is only going to confuse matters more. I can reasonably agree that you should be able to change a tap washer without a licence but disagree that you can rewire 230 v power services without one.

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One local government (UK) source provides the following advice, assuming their web site is up to date. Very much the same as my prior link in content.
https://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/info/20375/building_regulations/1140/renovating_your_home/9#:~:text=However%2C%20you%20are%20still%20allowed,or%20even%20replacing%20damaged%20cables.

Does it make an argument for Australia to take a long hard look at itself?

I save up our electrical jobs until there are sufficient to make it worthwhile for the local sparky (rural community) we use. In urban Brisbane our experiences with gas, plumbing and electrical works have been very different. Every job has a call out fee despite the business claiming it is a local service. Every job seems to need two trips to the home because the first is only to decide what is needed that they did not bring to the job.

It’s understandable that many consumers find frustration and extortionate costs a challenge. It takes 4 years to become a tradesperson. Longer depending on the business and added certifications for some tasks. The golden rule seems no person has a mental capacity to know how to do any one task or skill until they acquire all the skills and knowledge they might need to do very possible task in the profession. It’s that superset of skills and knowledge one is paying for when all you need is a ceiling fan replaced or a power point replaced because it is damaged or switch faulty. The later are both DIY tasks permitted in the UK, but not in Australia.

The challenge question is how long does it take for someone to acquire and demonstrate a single skill such as that required to replace a GPO or ceiling fan? I’m assuming that in the interests of safety one does need some level of acquired skill and knowledge.

Consider:
If one personally performs the work to replace a DC ceiling fan remote controlled with a new fan of like type in Australia DIY it is not permitted unless one has a licence. There’s an argument put forward that any work not done by a properly licenced person could cause harm, hence supporting the current regulation.

If one’s car has a flat tyre on the road side can one change the tyre (wheel)? What happens if the spare is not properly secured and comes loose (falls off)? It seems we are free to take on this type of task which could cause serious harm or has serious risks free from regulation. There are those of us who would wait for roadside assistance - fine if that is a preference. There are those who will pull out a manual and follow the instructions. Reality is we can do far more than just change a flat tyre on a motor vehicle without fear of occupational statutory penalty.

Who here is really looking after whose best interests?

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If a car wheel comes off and it is proven to have been improperly secured, the driver can wear a lot of legal consequences. If a vehicle had not been serviced properly and usually by a qualified mechanic (with the notations in the handbook) insurance companies have been known to decline to cover the vehicle when a claim for coverage is requested (as we use a qualified mechanic, details have been requested and the proof supplied).

I don’t mind the UK legislation for minor household repairs but it still requires inspection to ensure compliance. A small saving is possible but a call out fee at least would be payable.

“Upon completion of the job, it is a legal requirement for the electrician to test the new system and hand over a signed BS 7671 electrical safety certificate”

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I am with @longinthetooth.

Thankfully ‘we’ are protected by requiring to hire, a good, bad, or indifferent tradie. (/sarcasm) Once they have a license all bets are off as with any industry. My view is that once a license is granted nobody cares about their quality of work unless and until ‘it hits the fan’ so long as they pay their renewal fee annually.

My personal experiences include

  • an internal type power point was installed outside when the house was built and although not in the open weather was in the open sun. The plastic deteriorated and began disintegrating and had to be replaced with a proper outside type at 6 years after the house was built.
  • a family member had a reno done including a full switch board upgrade. After some new appliances were purchased a year later there was a recurring breaker trip. Initially just thought it was too much load. Bringing in another sparky to add another breaker and circuit found the circuits had been wired so a single powerpoint was connected to one breaker and everything else was connected to a second. One wire moved, all solved.
  • an external light was mounted on the fascia board without any water proofing to protect where the wires went into the board. Maybe it met some arbitrary standard, but? In heavy rain water dripped from inside the eaves.
  • I had my own box rebuilt to incorporate RCD breakers on each circuit; a few years later when my solar was being installed those installers showed me what looked like a ‘dogs breakfast after the dog got ill’ behind the vanity panel. That sparky had to tidy it up to complete his own work.

In contrast, as many of us new Australians know, simply because we might have advanced qualifications from ‘somewhere else’ in what is an Australian licensed trade, we are unqualified to perform most anything DIY in our own homes in electrical (and plumbing) beyond the most trivial.

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Which is a totally different matter to preventing unskilled and untrained people from electrocuting themselves and others.

By that logic as not all drivers are careful and competent we ought to abolish drivers’ licences, or because some people with guns go silly and act irresponsibly we should not bother with licensing and training in safe gun handling.

These are all non sequiturs.

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There seem as many or more oversights for a wide range of routine things, as well as even less oversight for some professions. The topic is essentially about prohibitions on DIY in the face of a lack of oversights of the respective trades, and that is what I addressed. Hiring a licensed tradie (or any ‘hired hand’) is not in itself a guarantee of getting good work or even as good as an amateurish job in some cases.

The self regulatory approach across many Australian trades and professions serves some well, and others much less well.

We can disagree on our views, and leave it at that.

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What is the evidence?

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Then change the title and disconnect the two matters. Trades oversight and reliability is the not the same as free for all with 230 v connections.

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I don’t know. What are you replying to?

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The OP as I read it was an open question as to the relative level of skills required to perform different types of electrical work.

Currently the Australian way is to restrict electrical work to those who have achieved a minimum standard. The standard covers a broad range of skills and knowledge. At a higher level of knowledge and skill is electrical installation work. For which the regulator and consumer expects strict compliance to the regulations and standards 100% of the time. The same it is expected is supported by a standard of workmanship to ensure the requirements are not compromised.

There is other associated work requiring a limited set of skills and knowledge - EG replacing a light fitting. To meet Australian regulations (State/Territory) only the highest level of skill and training is accepted. Akin to paying for a “brain surgeon” when all one needs is an antiseptic wipe and Band-Aid applied to a cut. Cuts can turn septic and one could loose a limb or die. (Excuse the sarcasm.)

There is only one answer to the OP. Because no one should be injured or die from an electrical work failure. Except as @PhilT alluded to we don’t live in a perfect world.

Perhaps the OP could have asked a different question. I’d ask whether the premium standard is necessary for even the most basic of work, and how can we accommodate it by changing the regulations.

My polite suggestion is the knowledge and skills required to safely and correctly replace a light fitting etc are readily acquired or assessed. Especially if the industry and TAFE etc are willing.

It’s not an easy argument to make when the only ones at the table are those with an interest in maintaining the status quo. It will need a serious rethink as nationally there is a recognised national serious skills shortage. To note one outcome aConsumers now face premiums in a market place that lacks competition. One in which the Fallons of the business world look increasingly likely to dominate.