Week 3

What we're covering:

• The Wiring Rules Part One
• The Wiring Rules Part Two
• Codes of Practice

AS/NZS 3000:2018, Electrical installations – more commonly known as the Wiring Rules, are the technical rules that help electricians design, construct and verify electrical installations. 
These rules are intended to protect people, livestock, and property from electric shock, fire and physical injury hazards that may arise from an electrical installation that is used with reasonable care and with due regard to the intended purpose of the electrical installation. 
AS/NZS 3000 sets out the requirements for electricians to install the correct piece of equipment for the purpose intended. All electrical installations are tested and verified to be safe after they are constructed, altered, modified, or repaired. You will find specific information on testing in section 8 of AS/NZS 3000.

The Wiring Rules consist of two separate parts: Part 1 is what you are going to achieve and Part 2 is how you are going to achieve it. 

Part One

Outlines the scope, application and fundamental safety principles required for a safe electrical installation, ensuring the protection of people and property. The principles are mandatory, so you must comply with them! 
The definitions in Section 1.4 are really important and helpful to understanding electrical terms and the standard itself. 
Section 1.5 provides 14 fundamental safety requirements intended to protect people and property against harm and damage. 

Part Two

Outlines the requirements and methods electrical workers must follow to ensure compliance with Part 1 of the standard. It expands on the ‘high level’ performance outcomes of Part 1 and talks about how to achieve them in real life. 

Locating passages in the AS/NZS 3000 

The AS/NZS 3000 document has contents pages which present information in the following sequence: 

• Contents: The Contents are broken down into sections 1 to 8. Each section has subject titles and is further broken down into subsections with subject and page numbers. 
• Appendices: A list of appendices in the standard. 
• Tables: A list of tables in the standard. 
• Figures: A list of figures in the standard. 

The standard also has a very good index at the end which can be useful for locating a subject you have a term or name for. You need to know which is the most effective way to find what you are looking for - depending on what information you are starting with. 

Exercise 19

Let’s look at an example. Assume you have been asked to define the term ‘readily accessible’. You can do this in two ways:

1. Look at the contents page and find definitions. This is Section 1 clause 4. Sub-clause 1.4.2 is “Accessible, readily’.
2. Look up the Index page at the end of the standard and locate ‘accessibility’ which is the first term. There you have ‘a definition of 1.4.2 which refers to the definition being present in Section 1, clause 4, sub-clause 2. 

Your tutor will give you some other terms to locate.

You should read AS/NZS 3000. To become a qualified electrician, you will need to sit an exam on it. Each job you do, look at the rules that cover what you are doing that day in AS/NZS 3000. By doing this, you will slowly but surely familiarise yourself with AS/NZS 3000.  

Self-directed Learning

Codes of Practice

Electrical Codes of Practice (ECPs) are issued by WorkSafe under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1992 and are used to ensure compliance with the Electricity (Safety) Regulations. They work on the principle that any installation, fitting, appliance, or other equipment must be electrically safe to provide appropriate protection for people and property. 

According to the Electrical Act, the purposes of the Electrical Codes of Practice include: 

1. The setting or endorsing of standards or specifications concerning the design, construction, installation, importation, or manufacture of works, electrical installations, fittings, electrical appliances, or associated equipment. 
2. The setting of standards regarding electricity that will be supplied to, or used by, electricity retailers and consumers.
3. The operation or use of works, electrical installations, fittings, electrical appliances, or associated equipment. 
4. The inspection or maintenance of works, electrical installations, fittings, electrical appliances, or associated equipment. 
5. The safety of persons or property associated with or using works, electrical installations, fittings, electrical appliances, or associated equipment. 

Schedule 2 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations, ‘cites’ the Electrical Codes of Practice which makes them officially binding. 

Structure of the ECPs

As in the case of the Standards, the ECPs contain mandatory (no choice, you must do this) requirements for compliance with the Electricity (Safety) Regulations. They also include best practices (not mandatory but highly recommended for good results) when carrying out work. 
Best practices are often used to ensure safety where non-electrical workers (such as homeowners or other trades) are working on or around electrical equipment and fittings. 
ECPs use the following terms to indicate whether the code is mandatory or not. These are: 

• Shall: Indicates a statement is mandatory to achieve compliance with the ECP. 
• Should: Indicates a statement is indicating good practice but is not mandatory. 
• May: Indicates the existence of an option.

Exercise 20

Exercise 21

What we're covering:

• certification of electrical work
• risk categories

Prescribed electrical work (PEW), is categorised as being high risk, low risk, or general work and each category has its own set of inspection and certification requirements.
These two video presentations explain the key aspects of the Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010 for prescribed electrical work. 

• An overview of the changes to the Electricity Safety Regulations 2010
• Certifying electrical installation work

The first video describes the risk categories of prescribed electrical work (PEW), including examples of high risk, low risk, and general work, while the second video talks about the certification of electrical work and the various requirements such as Certificates of Compliance, Records of Inspection and Electrical Safety Certificates.
In your own words explain what is meant by high risk, low risk, and general work. Include examples of each. Note what type of certification is required for each level of risk. The following may be useful to refer to:

• Electrical Workers Registration Board Inspections
• WorkSafe Energy Safety Poster
• Electrical Workers Registration Board Paperwork

Exercise 22

Self-directed Learning

Use your SDL time to work on your assessment.

What we're covering:

"Being professional" is very important in the workplace but what does this actually mean? The Oxford dictionary defines a profession as being "a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification." 

Professionalism involves much more than just being good at your job, however.  Professional behaviour in the workplace is a combination of attitude, appearance and manners. It includes the way you speak, look, act and make decisions.

Being competent is a minimum standard. The rest of what gives meaning to workplace professionalism is all about your behaviour. It’s not just what you know - it’s how you do your job, how you behave, and how you come across in your interactions with others. This video discusses some of the things you should (and shouldn’t) do when you start out in an electrical career. Take note of the key messages.

Exercise 23

Research the characteristics of a professional person, then choose the top ten qualities or behaviours you think an electrical worker should demonstrate in the workplace. 
Download this worksheet and write your answers in the spaces provided. Then upload your completed worksheet into the class forum.  Look at what your classmates have written and provide feedback for them.

Ethical Behaviour

Ethics is a system of moral standards that affect how people make decisions and lead their lives. Ethics includes actions, attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviours combined.
Ethics covers the following:

• How to live a good life.
• Our rights and responsibilities.
• The language of right and wrong.
• Moral decisions - what is good and bad?

Work ethics means the way people conduct themselves in the workplace.

A good work ethic promotes a sense of teamwork, trust, pride, and inclusion within the business. The opposite fosters lower overall morale, high turnover rates, poor production, and bad feelings.

Exercise 24

Exercise 25

Read the following scenario, then decide what Zoheb should do and explain whether this is the ethical action to take.

What should Zoheb do? Share your ideas in the class forum.  Do you and your classmates agree?

Exercise 26

Self-directed Learning

Your workplace will most likely have a diverse workforce. Professional behaviour includes embracing and appreciating diversity and practicing inclusion so that employees feel equally important as their colleagues. 
Diversity is a word that describes the differences among people. It encompasses any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another including age, gender, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin.  

Exercise 27 

Answer the following and post your thoughts on the group forum:

1. What are some challenges of diversity in the workplace?
2. How does diversity benefit the workplace?
3. What can team members do or say to help create the feeling of inclusion within the team?
4. Name a stereotype associated with the culture you identify with that is not consistent with who you are. Complete the following sentence: 

I am (a/an) ____________________ but I am NOT(a/an) ____________________.

What we're covering:

• verbal and non-verbal communication

Becoming a successful electrician takes time and requires a broad range of skills. A knowledge of math and physics will help you gain your qualifications, but to be a good electrician you will also need to interact effectively with others. You must learn to communicate effectively and build strong positive relationships with everyone you interact with – co-workers, managers, subcontractors, suppliers and customers. Often you will be dealing with people who do not have a working knowledge of electrical systems and do not understand the technical jargon, so the way you impart information will be very important. Poor communication wastes time, which in turn wastes money. 

Communication involves transferring information from one person to another. We spend about 75% of our time communicating knowledge, thoughts, and ideas to others.

Workplace communication includes:

• Team meetings.
• 1:1 feedback sessions.
• Receiving information and instruction.
• Asking questions and confirming procedures.
• Communicating about the progress of the task.
• Collaborating on shared tasks.
• Nonverbal communication.

Talking is often seen as the most common method of communication but most communication is silent or non-verbal. Learning to read these non-verbal signals is all part of developing your communication skills. Communication can be harder when we can’t see these signs like when we use the phone, texts or email.

Verbal Communication

Words can mean many different things, depending on the way they are said. The tone, pitch and volume of your voice could change how your messages are received.

Try to avoid using jargon or abbreviations and be mindful that not everyone understands the complicated language and terminology of electricity. Make sure you always speak in a respectful way, adjusting your speech to suit the individual.  The volume used and the speed the words are delivered will also affect how the message is interpreted. 

Nonverbal Communication

93% of your message is conveyed by nonverbal means. So, before you even start speaking you have sent a strong message to the other person! 

Non-verbal communication includes:

• Sign language – This is a recognised language throughout the world and one of the three official languages of New Zealand. 
• Facial expressions - our faces show how we are feeling - a frown or a smile sends a very clear message. The appearance of a person’s face offers clues about ethnic origins, age, gender etc., while the expression on a person's face is a good indicator of their emotions - happiness, surprise, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, interest etc.
• Eye contact - is one of the most important nonverbal cues in western society. You are expected to meet other peoples' gazes when you communicate and failure to do so may be interpreted as being dishonest, bored or angry. In some societies however making eye contact is embarrassing and intrusive. When dealing with people from another culture be aware of their background and allow for the differences in their cultural behaviour.
• Gestures – These are hand or arm movements such as pointing, waving, and making a fist. Each of these will communicate information about an individual or a worker, often without them realising it.

• Posture - how you position your body is will provide others with clues about our feelings, attitude and emotions. Folding your arms is a closed posture suggesting you feel defensive or negative towards the other person. Leaning towards the other person shows interest in what they are saying or doing.

• Written communication – This method is used to send messages, keep records, or provide evidence. Without any non-verbal clues there is much more potential for messages to be misunderstood.
• Visual communication such as graphs and diagrams can be useful in written communication. It is a very powerful way of getting a message across and can be more powerful than verbal and non-verbal communication. Visual communication is much easier and more varied now due to the developments in technology.  

Exercise 28

Identify the emotions expressed by these non-verbal communication signs and describe actions you could take when your co-worker communicates in this way. Download the worksheet and complete your answers in the spaces provided. Then share your worksheet in the class forum and compare your thoughts with those of your classmates.

Toolbox Meetings

Toolbox meetings are informal chats, usually done on-site, about the jobs to be done that week. Everyone is given the opportunity to discuss safety measures and procedures, the work programme and how the job is tracking. Your team can raise any concerns they have, as well as discuss incidents that have happened since the last talk.

Toolbox talks should be run on a regular basis for 10-15 minutes, creating an ongoing channel for open communication.  

A ‘successful’ toolbox meeting:

• Informs workers of any changes to company procedures. 
• Identifies new hazards and reviews existing hazards. 
• Develops/reviews hazard control measures. 
• Discusses/reviews accident and incident data. 
• Encourages employee participation. 
• Creates an ongoing channel for open communication. 
• Discusses the work programme. 
• Develops/reviews work processes. 
• Provides short training sessions.

Visit this site and identify the five steps involved in running a Toolbox Meeting. 

Self-directed Learning

Active Listening

Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that enter your ears. It is a physical process that happens automatically (unless you have hearing problems).

Listening, requires focus and concentrated effort. It is just as important for communication in the workplace as talking is. 

There are two common types of listening: listening to reply and listening to understand. 

• When you listen to reply, you are focusing on what you’re going to say next, rather than what the other person is saying. With this type of listening, you risk missing key information or even repeating what the other person just said.
• When you listen to understand you listen to what the other person has to say without thinking about how you’re going to reply. If you do think of something you want to say or a question to ask - save it for later and go back to listening to understand.

You have a lot to learn on the job so listen carefully to avoid making mistakes.  Listening to other people’s ideas instead of just trying to put your own ideas out there will also make you a popular team member.

Rate how well you listen by visiting this site and working through the Employment NZ Self-Assessment tool.