Prosecution Details

Being the main contractor at a construction site, failed to ensure that electricity had been supplied to the site from a supply authority's service line or service cable by way of a temporary or permanent connection by the time when work on the site had reached plate height.

When the house the defendant was building was inspected on 12 November 1998 the house was at plate height and roof carpenters had started pitching roofing timbers. Regulation 3.65 requires power to be supplied by the time work reaches "plate height". Plate height means the point at which the brickwork is complete, and the roof etc is ready to be fitted to the house.

It was practicable for the defendant to have arranged for power to be supplied to the site. A Western Power customer connection pillar was located at the front of the premises as depicted in the photograph. Power could have been supplied to the site by way of a temporary power pole connected to the customer connection pillar.

The aim of regulation 3.65 is to remove unnecessary hazards. When the construction work reaches plate height, power tools such as circular saws, drills etc, are used to fit roof timbers, cladding, guttering and so on. In the absence of power on site, portable generators and long extension cords have to be used. The defendant had previously received notices on this matter at other sites dating back as far as 21 April 1997.

The defendant pleaded guilty.