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Employers of electrical workers registration (EMP)

Information about the Employers of electrical workers registration (EMP) and Certificates of Electrical Safety.

Overview

Employers of electrical workers can now register in ESVConnect, for the purpose of purchasing Certificates of Electrical Safety (COES) for their employees.

Energy Safe Victoria requires employers of licensed electrical workers (LEWs) to operate in a fair, ethical and compliant manner, purchase certificates for licensed employee’s use and completion, and keep the employer worker list up to date at all times.

To apply to be registered as an employer of electrical workers, a business must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • A manufacturer of goods or products that employs LEWs to maintain the manufacturing facility, on one or more sites owned or occupied by the employer, or
  • An owner/occupier of residential, commercial and or industrial properties that employs LEWs, in the regular course of business, to maintain the owned/occupied sites only for the owner, or
  • A company that provides other primary (non-electrical) services and employs tradespersons or others who hold Restricted Electrical Licences to perform disconnect/reconnect of appliances or equipment ancillary to the person’s primary trade (e.g. plumbing – hot water service or air conditioner company).

Employers of electrical workers are different from RECs

The key difference between an employer of electrical workers and a registered electrical contractor is that an employer must not carry on, or offer to carry on, or hold out that the person carries on, or is willing to carry on, any class of electrical contracting, that under the regulations, is a prescribed class of electrical contracting.

Refer to the our Registered Electrical Contractors page for information about RECs.

Terms of registration

A registration may be issued or renewed subject to any conditions ESV impose, including a condition that a registration may apply to only one class of electrical work.

Unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered a registration may be renewed for a period of up to five (5) years, commencing from the date of issue or renewal of the registration.

Further terms of registration:

  • There is no cost for an eligible business to register or renew as an Employer of electrical workers.
  • Employer registrants do not receive a registration card.
  • One business manager must be in place at all times while an Employer registration is active, and the appropriate consent declarations requirements must be met.

Requirements for registration

Business managers

The business manager can be a person nominated by the company to administer and manage the Employer’s registration in ESVConnect.

Insurance

ESV takes no responsibility for insurance advice for Employers of electrical workers. Employers can seek advice from any insurance company regarding insurance requirements for their employees and electrical installation work completed on company owned/occupied sites.

Obligations

Licensed Electrical Workers (LEWs) employed by the Employer are responsible for all electrical installation work completed on company sites and must ensure:

  • all electrical installation work is safe,
  • complies with the Electricity Safety Act 1998External Link (the Act), pursuant regulations and applicable Australian Standards,
  • prescribed electrical installation work is inspected, and
  • a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) is issued for all electrical installation work carried out.

Keep a register

Employers must keep a register of licensed electrical installation workers employed by the company. This register must be available for inspection at all reasonable times by Energy Safe.

An Employer must not employ a person in the carrying out of electrical installation work unless the person is a licensed electrical installation worker of a prescribed class or an apprentice within the meaning of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006External Link , in a trade that involves carrying out electrical installation work.

Changing details

Energy Safe must be informed of any changes to a business’ registration information within 10 business days of the relevant event. This includes business type, contact details or the addition or change of a business manager.

These changes can be managed in ESVConnect.

Fees

There are no registration application or renewal fees for Employers of electrical workers.

Registration renewal

Energy Safe will send an email reminder to the business manager(s) nominated in the ESVConnect employer registration three (3) months prior to registration expiry.

It is an organisation’s responsibility to ensure registration is current and Energy Safe has the business’ correct contact details.

An application for renewal of registration must be accompanied by details of any changes in the information provided in the application for registration or for the most recent renewal of registration or in any other circumstances relating to the application.

Energy Safe must cancel the registration of an employer of electrical workers that fails to apply for renewal of registration by the renewal date.

Using ESVConnect

I don’t have an ESVConnect account

All new registrants will need to create an ESVConnect account. Watch this user guide video or follow the process below.

Introduction and ESVConnect user account set up

If you are a current licence holder who has not upgraded from Online Services, you must complete an upgrade before you can log in to ESVConnect.

Creating an ESVConnect account as a new registrant

  1. Go to the ESVConnect External Link log in page.
  2. Click on the ‘Register for ESVConnect’ button.
  3. Select the following registration path:
    • None of the above: for new users without a licence.
  4. Enter a valid email address to use as your ESVConnect Login ID. Select a password that adheres to ESV’s security guidelines.
  5. Agree to the Conditions of Use and Privacy Notice, and then upgrade. This will take you back to the ESVConnect login pageExternal Link .
  6. Enter the ESVConnect email Login ID and password. Click ‘Log in’. A verification code will be sent to the email address nominated.
  7. Enter the verification code. Select ‘Verify my account’. An active profile is created and a welcome email will be sent to the nominated ESVConnect email Login ID.
  8. Enter your residential and postal addresses, and mobile number.
  9. You will arrive at your profile screen. Here you can view licences, registrations and associations.

For information about using ESVConnect, click on ‘Welcome to ESVConnect video’ or ‘Take a tour’.

I have an ESVConnect account

If you currently hold a licence or registration and have an ESVConnect account, log in to ESVConnect with your existing log in details and follow the process below.

Applying for registration as an Employer of electrical workers in ESVConnect

Watch our our user guide video or follow the process below.

Application for Employer registration and ESVConnect navigation

Prior to starting your application, please ensure you have completed, signed and scanned the letter of authority ready for attachment in your application. Here is a Sample Letter of Authority (Employer) you can use a guide for your own:

EMP – Sample letter of Authorisation
  1. Log in to ESVConnectExternal Link .
  2. Select ‘My Applications’ from the menu on the left of screen.
  3. Click on ‘Apply for Employer Registration’ on screen (the ‘Read more…’ option provides further information regarding Employer registration).
  4. Select the appropriate responses and provide the information requested.
  5. Complete a final review of all details when finished and submit the application.
  6. An ESV Licensing team officer will review your application, approve, decline or request further information as applicable. You will be notified of the outcome by email.
  7. If your Employer registration application is approved, follow the processes contained in the ESVConnect COES guide for Employers and employees to set up your employer profile and add operators or workers to your employer profile. Refer to page 16 Employer Operator and pages 30 and 32 Appendix – Worker List Management.
  • Download this user guide: ESVConnect COES Guide for Employers

Notes:

  1. Please ensure you add Energy Safe to your email application's safe senders list.
  2. Site addresses: a maximum of 10 site addresses can be added to your registration. If you have more than 10 site addresses, add only those addresses where the bulk of the electrical installation work is performed.

Date: 19/03/2024 5:43

Controlled document

The currency and accuracy of this document cannot be guaranteed once printed or saved to a storage device. If in doubt, please check the ESV website for the current version.

Reviewed 07 March 2024

Monday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Tuesday: 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

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