Electrical compliance certificate

[ericlowry]

A few questions about the COC from a contractors viewpoint.
How long is a COC valid for?
For what timespan Is the electrical contractor, person who signs the COC responsible for the condition of the installation?
If equipment, switchgear breaks down after a COC is issued is the contractor responsible?

My reason for these questions is that I sometimes get comebacks on COC issues, only from private, residential installations up to nine months after issuing. This becomes a waste of time for me.

Anybody else have these problems?

Thanks
Eric

[ians]

Unfortunately due to the DOL 's lack of competency and inabilities, the COC has just become a quick money making racket for electrical contractors.

To answer your question about switchgear, let's get real, surely you can't expect an inspector to be responsible for product failure.

It is bad enough that the electrical products being sold at electrical wholesales is of such inferior quality (with an sabs stamp) that you can't even be sure it is going work the day it is installed, how on earth could you expect the inspector to be liable for a product 24 hrs after it installed.

[ians]

By the way this crap that wholesales are selling is a much bigger problem than you realise. Crabtree products for example must have the worse backup service, they don't even have a replacement team to fix their crap product. The last project 10 switches purchased 3 failures within days of project completion, I returned the product to their branch in Westmead I am not even going to into detail about the runaround. Was told it must have been a faulty batch, yeah right seems after all these years you still have carry a bag of replacement switches, which they use to supply contractors back in the day.

[ericlowry]

COC

I agree, the COC itself does not specify an expiry date, nor does it specify who is responsible for the installation. The homeowner is ignorant of section 8 of SANS 10142 and is quick to blame the electrician for all kinds of things so what can we do. No help from the DOL or the ECB. I agree with you about equipment quality some of the stuff is real rubbish.

[ians]

Search this forum, there are many posts which will give you details about how long a COC is valid, who is responsible for the electrical installations, etc.

[Dave A]

Search this forum, there are many posts which will give you details about how long a COC is valid, who is responsible for the electrical installations, etc.

You had me tripping down memory lane checking the similar threads section below. Of course, none of them dealt with all the issues
But after doing a proper search, this one seemed the most recent discussion on how long a COC is valid for.

How long is a COC valid for?

The short answer is - It's not transferable after more than two years. Beyond that, it seems to get complicated.

For what timespan Is the electrical contractor, person who signs the COC responsible for the condition of the installation?

Surely he (she) is not. The contractor is responsible for the work/services they've done, which is a little different from "responsible for the condition of the installation".

If equipment, switchgear breaks down after a COC is issued is the contractor responsible?

Perhaps, if they installed it.

My reason for these questions is that I sometimes get comebacks on COC issues, only from private, residential installations up to nine months after issuing. This becomes a waste of time for me.

It goes with the territory.

Anybody else have these problems?

It's a problem? We call it after sales service
Naturally, if it's a maintenance issue, we do feel we're entitled to being paid for our services (duly authorised by the client first, of course).

[ians]

That is why I didn't just reply, it is complicated.

[lonzasa]

I am a electrical foreman at a company and need to know ,if the company is taken over by a new company do I have to renew all the coc s on each of my 300+- drives and d.b boards/ Please help Thx clay

[Leecatt]

I am a electrical foreman at a company and need to know ,if the company is taken over by a new company do I have to renew all the coc s on each of my 300+- drives and d.b boards/ Please help Thx clay

You electrical certificate is transferable provided it is valid.
You may not pass on a certificate which is older than 2 years

A certificate remains valid indefinitely provided regular maintenance is performed upon the installation.
This is a grey area with some believing that the certificate needs to be updated every 24 months

[Dave A]

I thought it might be useful to upload what I understand to be the latest applicable electrical installation regulations - Notice R242 - 6th March 2009

[Leecatt]

I thought it might be useful to upload what I understand to be the latest applicable electrical installation regulations - Notice R242 - 6th March 2009

Thanks Dave, I was going to do that but I was in a hurry and also couldn't figure it out. The part about "regular maintenance" is in there somewhere, or is it in SANS, but I couldn't find it.

[Dave A]

I suspect you are referring to this, Leecatt:

Responsibility for electrical installations

2. (1) Subject to subregulation (3), the user or lessor of an electrical installation, as the case may be, shall be responsible for the safety, safe use and maintenance of the electrical installation he or she uses or leases.

(2) The user or lessor of an electrical installation, as the case may be, shall be responsible for the safety of the conductors on his or her premises connecting the electrical installation to the point of supply in the case where the point of supply is not the point of control.

For the record, subreg 3 deals with an agreement between the user and lessor...

And then there's this gem, which is interesting - especially when it comes to maintenance -

5 (4) A registered person shall exercise general control over all electrical installation work being carried out, and no person may allow such work without such control.

That would also be the responsibility of the user or lessor to ensure on an existing installation, I'd think.

[lonzasa]

Thank you,Dave
I was in the process of spending R140 k on New cocs ,I however was told by the Eca (Louis Pretorius) that It was law and that I would have to do the cocs on transfer.Is He Taking a chance?
Than you
clay

[Leecatt]

Thank you,Dave
I was in the process of spending R140 k on New cocs ,I however was told by the Eca (Louis Pretorius) that It was law and that I would have to do the cocs on transfer.Is He Taking a chance?
Than you
clay

A valid electrical certificate must be passed onto the the new owner.
An electrical certificate remains valid for 2 years provided regular maintenance has been performed upon the electrical installation, and all additions and alterations have been certified.

[Dave A]

I was in the process of spending R140 k on New cocs

Before I get into the second part of that point, were any problems that needed fixing found during the examination and testing of the installation?