# Interest group forums > Electrical Contracting Industry Forum > [Question] Electrician responsibilities vs installation electrician responsibilities

## fenix

Hi all.
The above question is bit of a grey area for me and any advice appreciated. 

Im trade tested electrician working as maintenance electrician in building.  Im only electrician with no real clear detailed duties and responsibilities listed in my contract of employment.

Building work at is old and not sure if even has a coc. These days im getting into more and more trouble with regards to health and safety and also basically required to do checks and coc testing and repairs while getting nailed for any and all faults and or breakdowns.
Do i just accept responsibility for all?  Any advice appreciated. Thanks

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## Leecatt

Your English is very bad and it is very hard to understand what you are asking for.
Perhaps you should rewrite it correctly or ask the question in your mother tongue and anyone who speaks your language can respond. 

Sent from my SM-A705FN using Tapatalk

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## Rifrug

Hi Fenix, In my opinion if you are employed as a maintenance electrician in a factory or building you can request a copy of your employment contract. If there is no contract it will be very difficult for you to perform your duty's as electrician. The best is to ask your employer for a document with the work description and other expectations, it will benefit both you and employer. 
Regarding getting into trouble you can bring the topic of COC’s up in your H&S meetings and mention if they need COC’s the company needs to involve a competent person capable of doing COC’s as you are not licensed to do it yet and it cannot be expected of you unless the give you the manpower to do it.
In the mean time if I was you I would start reading up and doing the installation rules as it will benefit you in future for all the  electrical work you will do. It sounds like your in a responsible position so you will need to up your skills.

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## fenix

Thanks for the reply. Im registering for installation rules as soon as i can. Ok let me try and ask question in another way. As just someone with trade test... For what can i be held accountable for with regards to regulations when comes to a property.

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## Rifrug

Hi Fenix, According to my knowledge you are responsible for installation work that you do on that specific property. All electrical installations needs a valid COC. If you add a plug or light or whatever, it will need a COC. If you power up such a new plug without a COC it will remain a illegal connection until a COC is issued. The person allowing such illegal work will be responsible. 
As a maintenance electrician you are allowed to do maintenance work. This you will do under the appointed responsible person for that building, this person will normally be someone with a the competence in the form of a qualification such as a installation electrician registered with D.O.L. or can be a registered engineer.
You are responsible for your actions as electrician, if someone should get injured or electrocuted the person responsible needs to take accountability, that normally is the D.O.L. registered person. If there is no such registered person you will be responsible for your actions. (This is the grey area where your employer might have no knowledge of the Labour Law and can request you to do unsafe acts. This is where your employment contract becomes critical for you to be on the right side of the law)

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## fenix

Thanks for the reply.  No registered persons on site just me. Understand that responsible for work i do. Was mostly asking about installation as whole. Way i saw it was that responsibilities in regards to installation and coc would fall on my manager and or his boss to make sure those documents in place. Thought my job was just to maintain and do repairs where needed. In past bigger jobs that dont always have time for got contracted out. As far as coc for work i have done or rest of installation not sure what going to happen. Doesnt look like they will always contract wrk out or at least get an assesment or inspection done so I can do repairs and then get someone to issue coc as im not registered yet.
But anyway thanks for advice. For now will focus on getting installation rules done.

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## ians

One of the biggest issues with being a highly skilled and qualified master electrician... the phrase "you should have known better" is used against me. 

In your case show them the middle finger and carry out your job as per your skill level and act as dumb as possible if something goes wrong... you didnt know any better. 

If you dont sign the documents... dont let it bother you... the person who puts pen to paper will be put in the firing line and held responsible for negligence.

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