To achieve Building and Energy's regulatory objectives, the Director and staff administer a wide suite of legislation:

• Energy Safety Act 2006
• Energy Safety Regulations 2006
• Energy Safety Levy Act 2006
• Energy Coordination Act 1994 (major parts)
• Energy Coordination (General) Regulations 1995
• Electricity Act 1945 (most parts)
• Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991
• Electricity Regulations 1947
• Electricity (Network Safety) Regulations 2015
• Gas Standards Act 1972
• Gas Standards (Gasfitting and Consumer Gas Installations) Regulations 1999
• Gas Standards (Gas Supply and System Safety) Regulations 2000
• Gas Standards (Infringement Notices) Regulations 2007

Specific responsibilities

The legislation provides for the Director, supported by the staff of Building and Energy, to:

• ensure the safety of consumers' electrical installations and appliances, by:
  • licensing electrical workers and electrical contractors (through the functions of the associated statutory Electrical Licensing Board), and enforcing prescribed technical standards for electrical installing work;
  • requiring electricity network operators to conduct consumer installation safety inspections in accordance with prescribed requirements and auditing this work to ensure compliance;
  • conducting safety inspections of consumers' electrical installations that are not connected to utility networks; and
  • auditing electrical appliances and equipment being offered for sale, to check compliance with prescribed safety requirements.
• ensure the safety of consumers' gas installations and appliances (including industrial gas appliances), by:
  • licensing gas fitters and enforcing prescribed technical standards for gasfitting work;
  • requiring gas network operators, gas pipeline licensees and LP Gas cylinder distributors to conduct consumer installation safety inspections in accordance with prescribed requirements;
  • overseeing the work of inspectors approving industrial, commercial and domestic gas appliances;
  • conducting safety inspections of consumers' gas installations that are not connected to utility networks or are not supplied with LP Gas directly from a distributor; and
  • auditing gas appliances and equipment being offered for sale, to check compliance with prescribed safety requirements.
• ensure the safety and acceptable performance of gas distribution infrastructure by:
  • auditing gas network operators' design standards and constructed networks for compliance with prescribed safety requirements;
  • monitoring the safe work practices of network operators' employees and contractors, including attendance to incidents;
  • monitoring the quality of gas provided to consumers generally, for compliance with prescribed requirements;
  • investigating consumers' complaints about gas supply reliability and quality; and
  • auditing network operators' compliance with prescribed meter management requirements to ensure acceptable meter accuracy.
• appoint and oversee all inspectors in the State (including those of network operators);
• ensure the safety of electrical and gas workers by enforcing prescribed safety requirements and providing guidance in respect of safe work practices;
• issue exemptions or variations to certain regulatory requirements (electrical and gas);
• investigate electrical and gas safety incidents (although incidents associated with electricity or gas utilities supply systems, or their customers, are usually inspected first by the utilities' inspectors);
• enforce statutory requirements through advice, warnings, prosecutions, and in the case of licence holders, also through disciplinary action;
• respond to consumer concerns generally, regarding electrical and gas technical safety matters; and
• promote electricity and gas safety to both the public and industry operatives.

Go to the Parliamentary Counsel's Office website to download copies of the Acts and Regulations www.legislation.wa.gov.au