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B.C. Reg. 100/2004, deposited March 23, 2004, pursuant to the SAFETY STANDARDS ACT [Section 88]. Regulation of the Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services M58/2004, dated March 22, 2004.
I, Murray Coell, Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services, order that the attached Electrical Safety Regulation is made, effective April 1, 2004.
— M. COELL, Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY REGULATION
1 For the purposes of the Act, "electrical equipment" includes apparatus, conduits, plant, pipes, poles, works and any other regulated product that is used, designed or intended for use for or in connection with the generation, transmission, supply, distribution, or use of electrical energy for any purpose.
2 In this regulation:
"Act" means the Safety Standards Act;
"B.C. Electrical Code" means the B.C. Electrical Code adopted under section 20;
"electrical work" means regulated work in respect of electrical equipment;
"fully detached dwelling" means any of the following if occupied or intended by the owner to be occupied as a permanent residence:
(a) any detached building containing only one dwelling unit;
(b) a manufactured home as defined in the Manufactured Home Act;
(c) a recreational vehicle;
"homeowner" means the owner of a fully detached dwelling who lives in or intends to live in that dwelling as a permanent residence;
"industry training credential" has the meaning in the Industry Training Authority Act;
"licence" means a licence issued by a provincial safety manager in respect of electrical equipment;
"licensed electrical contractor" means a person who holds a licence as a licensed contractor in respect of electrical equipment;
"manufacturer's technical representative" means an individual employed by the manufacturer of a regulated electrical product to provide technical services in respect of that product;
"regulatory authority" means the ministry or local government which provides for an inspection service and has authority to require inspection of electrical work in an area of British Columbia;
"rough wiring" means a phase of construction in which an electrical installation is fully accessible for inspection;
"testing" means the evaluation and verification of electrical equipment by means of instruments and testing devices;
"utility" means a person who owns or operates equipment or facilities in British Columbia for the generation, transmission or distribution of electricity or communication signals that are for sale.
3 (1) This regulation does not apply to a public utility as defined in the Utilities Commission Act in the exercise of its function as a utility with respect to the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy.
(2) Despite subsection (1), this regulation applies to the electrical equipment owned or in the possession or control of a public utility if the electrical equipment is not used directly in the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy.
Part 1 — General Qualification and Licensing Provisions
Division 1 — Individuals Who May Perform Regulated Electrical Work
4 (1) Subject to subsection (2), an individual must not perform regulated work in respect of electrical equipment unless the individual
(a) holds an appropriate industry training credential in respect of electrical work,
(b) has successfully completed training recognized by a provincial safety manager,
(c) is employed by an organization that utilizes training programs that are approved by a provincial safety manager and the individual
(i) has successfully completed the relevant training, and
(ii) does not perform regulated work for any person other than the individual's employer who provided the training,
(d) is a homeowner acting in accordance with section 17,
(e) is a manufacturer's technical representative,
(f) holds another certificate of qualification under the Gas Safety Regulation or the Power Engineers, Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Refrigeration Safety Regulation, or
(g) is permitted to do so under section 5 of the Safety Standards General Regulation.
(2) Any right referred to in subsection (1) to perform electrical work is limited by
(a) any exception under this regulation,
(b) any terms and conditions imposed under a permission issued under the Act, or
(c) by the scope of the individual's certificate of qualification or industry training credential.
(3) For the purposes of section 5 of the Safety Standards General Regulation or section 12 of this regulation, only an individual referred to in subsection (1) (a), (b), (c) or (f) of this section is authorized to supervise a person to do electrical work.
5 A manufacturer's technical representative may test and adjust a regulated product and provide evaluations needed by a permit holder to assure that the regulated product will function as intended by the manufacturer when installed and put into operation by the permit holder.
Division 2 — Certificates of Qualification for Field Safety Representatives
6 Only the following individuals are eligible to apply for a certificate of qualification as a field safety representative:
(a) an individual referred to in section 4 (1) (a) to (c);
(b) an applied technologist referred to in section 9 (1);
(c) a professional engineer referred to in section 10 (1).
7 (1) Class A, class B and class C certificates of qualification as a field safety representative are established.
(2) The classes of certificate established under subsection (1) are in addition to other certificates of qualification for electrical work issued by a provincial safety manager.
(3) The holder of a class A certificate of qualification may make declarations for any type of electrical work.
(4) The holder of a class B, certificate of qualification may make declarations only with respect to electrical installations in which the voltage of the completed installation does not exceed 750 volts.
(5) The holder of a class C, certificate of qualification may make declarations only with respect to electrical installations in which the current and voltage in the installation do not exceed current of 200 amps and voltage of 150 volts to ground, single phase power.
8 (1) In order to obtain a certificate of qualification for Class A, B or C as a field safety representative under section 7, an individual must
(a) hold an appropriate industry training credential,
(b) complete a course in the application of electrical codes and standards required by the provincial safety manager, and
(c) pass an examination required by the provincial safety manager.
(2) In order to obtain a class A certificate of qualification as a field safety representative under this section, an individual must also complete three high voltage installations.
(3) An individual who qualifies for a class A certificate of qualification as a field safety representative may obtain a certificate of class B or C but may hold only one of those certificates at any time.
9 (1) An individual who holds qualifications in electrical engineering technology and is a member in good standing of the association under the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians Act may apply to a provincial safety manager for a certificate of qualification as a field safety representative in one of the classes of certificates referred to in section 7 if the individual
(a) completes a course in the application of electrical codes and standards required by a provincial safety manager, and
(b) passes an examination required by the provincial safety manager.
(2) An applied technologist who applies for a class A certificate of qualification as a field safety representative must have two years of work experience, acceptable to a provincial safety manager, after receiving a class B certificate of qualification as a field safety representative.
(3) An applied technologist who applies for a class B certificate of qualification as a field safety representative must have four years of work experience acceptable to a provincial safety manager.
(4) An applied technologist who applies for a class C certificate of qualification as a field safety representative must have three years of work experience acceptable to a provincial safety manager.
10 (1) An individual who holds qualifications in electrical engineering and is a member in good standing with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia may apply to a provincial safety manager to obtain a certificate of qualification as a field safety representative in one of the classes of certificate of qualifications as a field safety representative referred to in section 7 if the individual passes an examination required by the provincial safety manager.
(2) A professional engineer who applies for a class A or class B certificate of qualification as a field safety representative must have two years of work experience acceptable to a provincial safety manager.
Part 2 — Permits, Inspections and Regulated Products
Division 1 — Permits
11 (1) When electrical work is performed on electrical equipment, a permit is required
(a) for each structure with a separate electrical supply, or
(b) for each portion of a structure with a separate electrical supply service.
(2) A permit is required for any electrical work that requires the attendance of a utility to connect or reconnect an electrical service.
12 (1) For the purposes of subsection (2) (a), "trainee" means a trainee under the Industry Training Authority Act.
(2) For the purposes of doing regulated work under an installation permit for electrical equipment in which the field safety representative named in the permit is a person who holds a certificate of qualification of class A, B or C, a person authorized to supervise under section 4 (3) may supervise
(a) one or two trainees for installations for which the current exceeds 200 amps and the voltage exceeds 150 volts to ground, single phase, or
(b) up to 4 individuals for installations for which the current does not exceed 200 amps and the voltage does not exceed 150 volts to ground, single phase.
(3) For the purposes of doing regulated work under an installation permit for electrical equipment in which a field safety representative of any class other than class A, B or C is named on the installation permit, the field safety representative may supervise only one or two individuals.
13 If a person holds a permit under the Elevating Devices Safety Regulation or the Gas Safety Regulation to do work on an elevating device or gas system that includes electrical work, no additional permit under this regulation is required to do the electrical work.
14 If electrical maintenance is performed on a building or premises, the application for the operating permit must include the name, class and certificate of qualification number of the field safety representative who will perform or supervise the regulated work under the permit.
15 An operating permit under this regulation is not required for a utility that is regulated under an enactment of Canada.
16 (1) In this section, "utility representative" means individual specified in an application for an operating permit for a utility as the applicant's utility representative.
(2) A utility representative must provide the name, class and certificate of qualification number of at least one field safety representative who will perform or supervise all electrical work under the permit.
17 (1) Subject to this section, a homeowner may perform electrical work in their fully detached dwelling under an installation permit.
(2) An installation permit may be issued to a homeowner only if
(a) electricity is not fed or supplied from the fully detached dwelling to a separately owned or occupied property, and
(b) the electrical work involves only installations in which the current and voltage do not exceed current of 200 amps and voltage of 150 volts to ground, single phase power.
(3) An installation permit issued under subsection (2) does not authorize the issue of a permit to install the connection from a manufactured home or recreational vehicle to the power supply of a manufactured home park or recreational vehicle park.
(4) A homeowner who performs electrical work under an installation permit must request that the work be inspected by a safety officer
(a) if the work or a phase of the work is completed, promptly on that completion, or
(b) if no other inspection has been made within 180 days from the start of the permit, immediately before the expiry of the 180 day period.
(5) If an inspection is required after a request under subsection (4), the inspection must be made after completion of the electrical work and before
(a) the concealment of any portion of the rough wiring, and
(b) the connection of power to the electrical supply system.
(6) A homeowner may perform the electrical work in the homeowner's fully detached dwelling under an installation permit issued to a licensed electrical contractor for that work if
(a) the contractor who holds the permit supervises the work, and
(b) the homeowner only performs work referred to in subsection (2).
18 (1) No permit is required if the only electrical work performed is testing.
(2) An individual may replace the following regulated products without a permit, up to a maximum rating of 150 V to ground, with electrical equipment of a similar type or rating:
(a) receptacles;
(b) cord attachment plugs;
(c) snap switches;
(d) ballasts;
(e) dimmer switches;
(f) fan speed controllers;
(g) thermostats;
(h) overcurrent devices.
(3) An individual may replace, without a permit, a lamp of up to 347 V to ground with a lamp of a similar type or rating.
(4) An individual may replace, without a permit, a fuse of up to 750 V with a fuse of a similar type or rating.
(5) If a licensed electrical contractor performs repairs involving the components of existing installed and certified regulated electrical equipment, no permit is required if
(a) there are no modifications or additions to the electrical installation,
(b) neither the electrical rating nor the characteristics of the equipment is altered, and
(c) the replacement components are of a type which do not invalidate the original certification mark.
19 (1) If a person holds an electrical installation permit, the field safety representative named on the permit must request an inspection at least once in every 180 day period.
(2) If no inspection request under subsection (1) has been submitted within a 180 day period, the holder of the permit must have the permit amended to allow for the extra time before performing any regulated work.
(3) On the completion of each phase of electrical work under an installation permit, the field safety representative named on the permit must request an inspection.
(4) A person must not do any of the following unless the regulated work has been inspected or the inspection has been waived:
(a) conceal any portion of the rough wiring;
(b) connect power to the electrical supply system;
(c) if the inspection is required for other than the last phase, work on the next phase of the electrical work.
(5) If an inspection is required for regulated work, other than the regulated work in the last phase, a person must not do regulated work on the next phase of electrical work.
(6) After receiving a request under subsection (1) or (3), the regulatory authority may require
(a) an inspection, or
(b) a declaration that the work performed under the permit complies with the Act and the regulations.
Division 2 — Regulated Product Standards and Certification
20 The Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, Nineteenth Edition, Safety Standard for Electrical Installations, Canadian Standards Association Standard C22.1-02 is adopted in whole, including any errata and as if it were amended as set out in the Schedule to this regulation, as the B.C. Electrical Code Regulation 2002.
21 (1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), a person must not use electrical equipment in British Columbia, or offer for sale, sell, display or otherwise dispose of electrical equipment for use in British Columbia, unless the electrical equipment displays a label or mark as follows:
(a) a label or mark of any of the following certification agencies:
(i) Canadian Standards Association;
(ii) Intertek Testing Services NA Ltd.;
(iii) Intertek Testing Services NA Inc.;
(iv) Canadian Gas Association;
(v) Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada;
(vi) Underwriters' Laboratories Inc.;
(vii) MET Laboratories Inc.;
(viii) Entela Canada Inc.;
(ix) TÜV America Inc.;
(x) TÜV Rheinland of North America;
(xi) Quality Auditing Institute;
(b) a label or mark of a certification agency that is acceptable to the appropriate provincial safety manager to certify electrical equipment for a specific installation;
(c) an approval mark issued under section 10 of the Act;
(d) in the case of used manufactured homes, used factory-built structures and used recreational vehicles, a label supplied by the appropriate provincial safety manager.
(2) An approval mark under subsection (1) (c) signifies compliance with requirements in respect of fire and electrical shock hazards only.
(3) Electrical equipment that does not require approval under the B.C. Electrical Code does not require a label or mark.
(4) Electrical equipment that has not been approved under subsection (1) may
(a) be displayed for not more than 14 days if the regulatory authority gives written permission to do so, or
(b) be used by a utility in its capacity as a utility if a professional engineer has certified that the use of the equipment is safe.
Schedule
1 For the purposes of section 20 of this regulation, the Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1, Nineteenth Edition, Canadian Standards Association Standard C22. 1-02 is adopted as if it were amended as follows:
(a) in section 0 by deleting the definitions of "Electrical contractor", "Electrical equipment", "Inspection department", "Inspector" and "Qualified person" and adding the following:
"Electrical contractor" includes a person, not being the worker of the contractor, who does electrical work for another person, and includes a utility corporation that does electrical work for another person;
"Inspection department" means the regulatory authority;
"Inspector" means a safety officer as defined in the Safety Standards Act;
"National Building Code of Canada" means the British Columbia Building Code and local building bylaws;
"Qualified person" means an individual who has knowledge of the electrical system and equipment being installed or altered and who is aware of the hazards involved; ,
(b) in section 2 by deleting rules 2-000, 2-004, 2-006, 2-008, 2-012, 2-020, 2-022 and 2-028,
(c) in section 4 by deleting subrules 4-004 (15) and (16),
(d) section 6 in rule 6-206 (2) by deleting paragraph (c) and substituting the following:
(c) Locating the service box inside a separate building, room or enclosure, provided that in multiple occupancy buildings a main disconnecting means is provided at each occupancy panelboard, switchboard or distribution centre. ,
(e) in section 12 by deleting the word "masonry" from rule 12-1500 (a),
(f) in section 14 by deleting, from subrule (1) of rule 14-606, the words "Except as permitted by rule 14-100, or" and replacing them with "Except for panelboards",
(g) in section 20 in rule 20-108 (2) by deleting "masonry" in the first line,
(h) in section 26 in rule 26-700 by adding the following subrule:
(12) Where a receptacle, other than a ground fault circuit interrupter receptacle, is connected to a circuit that serves other outlets, the receptacle shall be installed in a manner that will permit it to be disconnected from the circuit conductors without interrupting their continuity. ,
(i) in section 30 in rule 30-102 by deleting subrule (2) and replacing it with the following:
(2) In buildings or premises where a trained and qualified electrical maintenance person is retained, the voltage shall be permitted to exceed 150 volts to ground, but it shall not exceed the voltage to ground of a nominal system voltage of 347/600 Y. ,
(j) in section 34 by adding the following:
34-500 Location. A portable outdoor sign shall be permitted to be situated less than 2.2 m above grade if the location would normally prevent vehicles from coming into contact with either the sign or its connecting cord.
34-502 Power Supply. A receptacle supplying a portable outdoor sign shall be
(a) a Class A ground fault circuit interrupter type; or
(b) if installed on a building, either a Class A ground fault circuit interrupter type or on a circuit protected by a Class A ground fault circuit interrupter.
34-504 Cord Connection. The flexible cord used to connect the receptacle to the sign plug cap attachment shall be of a type suitable for extra hard usage in wet locations as specified in Table 11. ,
(k) in section 60 by deleting paragraph (a) in rule 60-704,
(l) in section 62 in rule 62-202, by numbering the present rule as subrule (1) and adding the following as subrule (2):
(2) Manually operable controls for electric heaters in bathrooms shall be located at least 1 m from the bathtub or shower stall, this distance being measured horizontally between the control and the bathtub or shower stall, without piercing a wall, partition or similar obstacle. ,
(m) in section 62 in rule 62-208 by adding the following as subrule (3):
(3) Each central unit shall be provided with a disconnecting means connected on the line side of the controller and unit, located within sight of and within 9 m of the controller and unit, provided that the disconnecting means shall be permitted to be omitted where the central unit is located in a dwelling unit and fed from within that dwelling unit. , and
(n) in section 62 by deleting rules 62-210, 62-214 (2) and (10).
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