Tuition for home electricians mooted

Press, 9 March 1984, Page 3

Tuition for home electricians mooted

PA Wellington Safety reasons may prompt moves to investigate ways to train people to do some of their own electrical work, the Minster of Energy, Mr Birch, said last evening. A substantial amount of home-handyman work was being done by untrained people, and without any monitoring of safety standards, he said in a speech to the Institute of Electricians in Auckland.

“This is an ongoing situa-

tion in which the amount of dangerous or sub-standard work in existence must tend to increase,” he said. “Unless a satisfactory way can be found to control it, we will be obliged for safety reasons to investigate ways of teaching people to do it correctly, to recognise their limitations and to seek assistance openly from skilled persons at the appropriate time.”

Mr Birch last year suggested that the time might be appropriate to consider allowing the home handy-

man to do more of his “own thing.”

A wide range of suggestions for change had been made since and a number totally opposed the idea.

“It is quite clear, however, that if any changes are forthcoming they will have to be accompanied by provisions for tuition and ways to ensure that safety standards are met,” Mr Birch said.

A working party appointed to investigate the suggestions would report by the end of the year.