Branch update

QLD BRANCH

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BRANCH UPDATE

Christopher Gradwell

NECA QLD Member Manager

Welcome to our June issue of neCA news.

Over the last few months Queensland has seen a considerable amount of rain and consequential flooding due to a strong La nina. The rain and flooding have been devastating for many towns, regions and suburbs in our communities, with the loss of lives, property, stock and in many instances, our livelihood. electrical wires and assets have proven to be very vulnerable during this time, with many people being left without power.

Our neCA community responded well to the plight of those affected, by working tirelessly to test, re-wire and get the power back on wherever they could. neCA assisted as much as possible by providing advice and releasing a detailed ‘electrical Contractor Flood Disaster Recovery Guide’.

The guide includes critical information such as evacuation checklists, managing ongoing risks and the correct procedures for reconnecting electricity in the flood’s aftermath. The forms available include the following:

½ Certificate of Periodic Verification as inspected under AS/nZS 3019:2007; ½ electrical Installation

Testing Record Sheet; ½ Safe Work Method Statement for Verification Testing; and ½ Safe Work Method

Statement for Ladders.

Members requiring a copy of the guide and forms can log into neCA’s Technical Knowledge Base.

This was the second consecutive summer and autumn for La nina on the east coast. Only three times in the last 110 years has there been a “three-peat” of three consecutive years in a row. The last time was 2000/01. The Bureau of Meteorology won’t rule out the possibility of it happening again next summer, but here’s hoping it doesn’t eventuate.

The rain and floods also put back a lot of major construction work, with flooded work sites and higher than normal staff absentees. It also put the start to our roadshow season on hold, but we have been able to rearrange our plans to make sure we cover all areas of the state. This year our roadshows will be bigger and better than ever. We are looking at providing contractors with opportunities to engage with electrical Safety Office (eSO) Inspectors as well as energy Queensland staff.

LATEST NECA WEBINAR SERIES

WATCH ON-DEMAND educate yourself and your team with neCA’s top webinars for 2022.

neCA members can watch these recordings and more, simply by logging into neCA’s Technical Knowledge Base. not a neCA member and want to learn more? Scan the QR code to connect with your State Member Manager.

½ Calculating charge-out

and overhead rates;

½ NECA member meeting

– March 2022;

½ Are your switchboard

installations compliant?;

½ Fibre optic splicing

and testing;

½ Generator changeover toolbox

talks with NECA Technical;

½ Why hiring an apprentice is a

smart move for your business;

½ Non-compliance on

construction sites with NECA Technical;

½ Stay ahead of new RCD

requirements and arc fault detection device.

Advocacy

It has been a busy time for our policy team with the preparation of a prebudget submission to the Queensland Government, as well as appearing before the Queensland Parliament’s Transport and Resources Committee to argue for improvements to Queensland’s Security of Payments arrangements.

Our Queensland team has also been pleased to welcome Irma Beganovic as our new Government Relations Manager. While technically part of the national policy team, Irma is Queensland-based. One of Irma’s key roles is to build neCA’s presence with the Queensland Government and government agencies. Welcome on board Irma.

Electrical safety performance information available to everyone

For some time neCA has been lobbying the eSO to release performance information so that it is readily available to contractors and interested parties within the electrical industry.

The eSO has now designed and released a series of performance information data sets on their website at worksafe.gov.au/statistics/performance. Of particular interest, is the data set entitled electrical Safety Performance Report, that will be released quarterly.

This report provides details on all electrical fatalities and serious electrical incidents, including how the fatalities or incidents occurred. The report also provides details of compliance activities, including investigations and audits by electrical inspectors, what sort of statutory notices have been issued and the basis for the notices.

In addition, the report provides details of prosecutions, the number of new licences issued, data on equipment recalls and check testing activities, as well as Licensing Committee disciplinary actions. All the data is aggregated and does not identify any individual or business.

This information is valuable to electrical contracting businesses, because it shows the main areas where the eSO is focusing its efforts. The most recent report identifies, for example, that some of the main reasons for fatalities or serious incidents were from working live, contacting overhead powerlines or incorrectly installing solar battery storage. Inspector notices were commonly issued for breaches of the Wiring Rules, not meeting the correct advertising requirements, not holding the correct licence, breaches of general electrical duties, and not performing adequate risk management. We encourage all members to look up these reports and regularly check for new ones.

NECA’s weekly e-newsletter

Operating a business in the ongoing pandemic can be difficult, with official regulations and requirements constantly changing. neCA’s weekly e-newsletter provides valuable industry information and the latest updates in technical, industrial relations, legal, human resources, workplace health and safety and COVID-19 issues. They are a great way to keep yourself and your business abreast of any changes. If you are not receiving our weekly e-newsletter, scan the QR code and fill out your details.

Customer education on getting the most out of your solar system

neCA is currently assisting energex and ergon in Queensland to provide customers with information on how to make the best use of their solar systems.

In short, when the sun is shining, solar systems are generating electricity that can be used to run electrical equipment and appliances in homes and businesses. Customers have three choices. They can use the electricity as it is generated, sell the electricity back to the grid, or store the electricity in a battery energy storage system (BeSS) for later use.

neCA is assisting energex and ergon by providing information to electrical contractors who install and/or maintain solar systems, to help educate their customers in how to make the best choice for their circumstances.

As a general principle, energex and ergon, suggest that customers use as much of the electricity generated during the day, as they can. using solar appliances when the solar system is generating is sometimes referred to as “solar soaking”.

energex and ergon have prepared a useful explanatory fact sheet that talks about how to make choices, practical things customers can do to conserve electricity, and how to monitor and control energy generation and use.

NECA Industry Nights

We’ve had an exciting start to the second quarter of this year, kicking off our Industry nights across QLD in the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Maroochydore. The feedback from those who attended has been very positive, with several contractors commenting that they left feeling more supported and guided by neCA than ever.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Industry night speakers: eSO, energy QLD and neCA’s WHS experts. I’d also like to acknowledge the ongoing commitment and support of our business partners MMeM - Haymans, Cetnaj and Go electrical, Lawrence & Hanson, nHP, Legend, Clipsal Schneider, energy Super and BRADY.

Keep an eye out for more information on neCA Industry night dates, upcoming educational webinars and other exciting events for the latter half of 2022. We are in planning mode for an exciting new schedule that you won’t want to miss.

Are your vehicles running on empty?

Fuel prices are going through the roof and prices are set to rise even further. This will have an impact on your business’s profitability. neCA members have access to the neCA Fleet Fuel program which allows cardholders to purchase petrol, LPG, gas and diesel from Ampol outlets throughout Australia at discounted prices.

As a neCA Fleet Fuel Scheme holder, you receive special discounted member pricing at very competitive rates. So, take the stress out of your administration with easy and free record-keeping, easy direct debit payments each month, having your tax invoices emailed to you monthly and no transaction fees. Visit neca.asn. au/necagroup for more information or connect with neCA Member Services.

Triple ISO Certification – NECA makes the process simple for you

Many members that I regularly speak with ask why they would need to get Triple ISO Certification when they are already ISO Certified.

There are two key reasons to achieve triple certification. Firstly, electrical contractors can prove to their clients that they fully understand the process and will do what they say they can do. It helps them with tendering, audits and job creation. Secondly, electrical contractors can implement a structured approach to managing their organisational risk.

If this is what you require for your business, I recommend that you connect with neCA’s WHS experts, who completely understand your requirements and will support and guide you throughout the whole process.

NECA member meeting

neCA recently held its first virtual members-only meeting. It was great 2022 to meet neCA members and discuss industry-related issues that affect their businesses. I look forward to chatting with members over a cup of coffee in the next few months.

In the meeting, attendees were BOOK YOUR introduced to their State Member Manager, with discussion revolving TICKETS NOW! around the support and resources available for members. If you missed the meeting, you can watch the recording on our Technical Knowledge Base. We received such great feedback after the session that this has inspired our team to continue hosting these quarterly meetings with our next meeting scheduled for June. Keep an eye on your inbox for your members-only invitation. If you have any questions or would like us to discuss specific industry related topics, then we encourage you to connect with neCA Member Services. Lastly, the neCA team is here to provide you and your business with resources and expert advice to help support your business growth. If you have questions regarding your neCA membership or require industry advice, please connect with neCA Member Services or myself. We look forward to seeing you virtually at our next Member Meeting.

NECA Awards

2022 2022 2022 CONTACT YOUR LOCAL NECA BRANCH OR VISIT WWW.NECA.ASN.AU FOR MORE DETAILS

nominations for the neCA Awards are now closed and judging is truly underway. Thank you to all members who nominated their projects for this year’s awards – we wish you the best of luck.

The 2022 neCA Award winners will be announced on Friday 5 August with a lunch held at the Sofitel Brisbane. Tickets sales will open shortly, so keep an eye on your inbox for more details. I encourage all members to attend and support their industry colleagues.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP

Members have access to email and phone support through our Member Services team, ensuring that you and your business receive the right specialist advice when you need it. The neCA team can assist your business with:

Get in touch today with Christopher Gradwell – your neCA Queensland Member Manager.

½ SafetyStar - a free document-based management health, safety, environment and quality (HSeQ) system, designed to assist electrical contractors to meet minimum compliance; ½ unlimited phone and email support with technical, workplace health and safety (WHS), human resources (HR) and industrial relations (IR) issues; ½ unlimited access to neCA’s Technical Knowledge Base (TKB) with the latest industry standards, WHS documents and HR and IR templates; ½ discounts, offers and deals on business essentials including fuel; ½ unlimited basic phone and email enquiries with our legal team; ½ workwear, corporate clothing and PPe targeted for the industr; ½ training and skills development; ½ free industry events and regular updates.

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^ESI Financial Services Pty Ltd (ESI Financial Services, ABN 93 101 428 782) (AFSL 224952) is a wholly owned entity of LGIAsuper. ESI Financial Services has engaged Industry Fund Services Limited (IFS) ABN 54 007 016 195 AFSL No 232514 to facilitate the provision of financial advice to members of LGIAsuper. LGIAsuper Financial Advisers are Authorised Representatives of IFS. In limited circumstances, a LGIAsuper Financial Adviser may also be an Authorised Representative of ESI Financial Services. Additionally, LGIAsuper has also engaged Link Advice Pty Limited ABN 36 105 811 336, AFSL 258145 to provide LGIAsuper members with access to limited personal advice over the phone in respect to LGIAsuper and Energy Super products. This document does not provide personal financial advice and should not be considered the sole or primary basis on which you make financial decisions. You should consider your financial situation before acting on the advice. You should also obtain and consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for more information or call us on 1300 436 374. While all due care and diligence has been taken in the preparation of this document, the Trustee reserves the right to correct errors or omissions. Information in this document is current as at 25 March 2022. Prepared and issued by LGIAsuper Trustee (ABN 94 085 088 484) (AFSL 230511) (the Trustee), as trustee for LGIAsuper (ABN 23 053 121 564) (RSE R1000160) (the Fund). A Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) is available from energysuper.com.au or by calling 1300 436 374.