Government of Western Australia | An Osborne Park business has been fined after falsely declaring an electrical apprentice had completed the practical workplace training required to become a licensed electrician.
At Perth Magistrates Court, Heptad Holdings Pty Ltd, trading as WA Rewind Co, was ordered to pay more than $23,000 in fines and costs following prosecution by WA’s electrical safety regulator, the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety’s Building and Energy division.
According to the Department, the case reinforces that employers must ensure electrical apprentices receive training across all mandatory competencies and, if needed, take reasonable steps to arrange suitable work placements with another employer.
Heptad Holdings pleaded guilty to breaching the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991, which prohibits falsifying any matter relating to a licence application.
The court heard the apprentice’s workplace experience was mostly limited to maintenance and repair of electric pumps and motors, which the business specialised in.
Heptad Holdings was not licensed to carry out electrical installing work and did not provide practical electrical installing experience required by the apprenticeship.
However, the company certified that the apprentice had achieved electrical installation competencies and signed a Training Contract Completion Agreement declaring that all apprenticeship requirements had been met.
The declaration enabled the apprentice to obtain a Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician, which was subsequently used to support an application for an electrical worker’s licence.
In sentencing, Magistrate Philip Urquhart recognised this was a significant oversight that resulted in a person entering an industry involving “dangerous work” that should not be undertaken by an unqualified person.
