By law, an electrical contractor/electrician who carries out any electrical installing work on a consumer's premises must provide an electrical safety certificate to the person for whom the work was done within 28 days of completion of the work (the relevant person may be the owner, occupier or another party such as a builder or property manager).

An electrical safety certificate is a legal document certifying that the installing work:

• has been completed;
• has been checked, tested and complies with all regulatory requirements; and
• is safe to connect to the electricity supply.

A copy of the electrical safety certificate must be retained by the electrical contractor for a minimum of five (5) years.

Some exemptions apply. For example, an electrical safety certificate is not necessary for maintenance work.

The certificate is a guarantee that the electrical installing work has been carried out by a licensed electrical contractor and is safe.