CHAPTER 141
OF THE
REVISED STATUTES, 1989
1 This Act may be cited as the Electrical Installation and Inspection Act. R.S., c. 141, s. 1.
(a) "approved" means approved by the Chief Inspector or of a standard approved by the Chief Inspector;
(b) "Chief Inspector" means the Chief Inspector appointed under this Act;
(c) "consumer" means any corporation, commission, company, person, association of persons, or their lessees, trustees, liquidators or receivers, utilizing or intending to utilize electrical power or energy directly for any purpose including heat, light or power purposes;
(d) "contractor" means any person, corporation, company, firm, organization or partnership performing or engaging to perform, either for his or its own use or benefit, or for that of another and with or without remuneration or gain, any work with respect to an electrical installation or any other work to which this Act applies, but does not include a public utility as defined in this Act;
(e) "electrical installation" means the wires, machinery, apparatus, appliances, devices, material and equipment used or intended for use by a consumer for the receipt, distribution or use of electrical power or energy;
(f) "Fire Marshal" means the Fire Marshal appointed under the Fire Prevention Act;
(g) "inspector" means an inspector appointed under this Act and includes the Chief Inspector;
(h) "Minister" means the Minister of Labour;
(i) "public utility" includes any corporation, commission, company, person, association of persons, or their lessees, trustees, liquidators or receivers, that own or hereafter own or may own, operate, manage or control or may be incorporated for the purpose of owning, operating, managing or controlling any plant or equipment for the production, transmission, delivery or furnishing of electrical power or energy for any purpose including heat, light or power purposes, either directly or indirectly to or for the public. R.S., c. 141, s. 2.
(a) the insertion or replacement of approved lamps in sockets or receptacles, the insertion or replacement of approved fuses controlling circuits or equipment, the connection of approved portable electrical equipment to supply circuits by means of attached plugs or the use or operation of the same provided that the connection does not overload the circuit conductors;
(b) any electrical installation exempted from the provisions of this Act by the regulations; or
4 The Minister is charged with the general administration of this Act and the regulations. R.S., c. 141, s. 4.
5 (1) The Minister may appoint persons in public service to be inspectors for the purposes of this Act and may designate one of the persons so appointed to be Chief Inspector who shall have the general supervision and direction of the inspectors.
(2) The Fire Marshal shall have and may exercise all the powers of the Chief Inspector. R.S., c. 141, s. 5.
6 (1) With the approval of the Governor in Council, the Fire Marshal may make regulations respecting electrical installations for the purpose of preventing fire and injury to persons and property including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, regulations
(a) adopting and constituting as regulations with respect to any matter enumerated in this Section all or part of any relevant codes, rules or standards and amendments thereto with or without modifications in lieu of or in addition to other regulations under this Section;
(b) prescribing the duties of inspectors and regulating their conduct while in the discharge of their duties;
(c) respecting the granting of permission for the connection, including temporary connection, of any electrical installation to sources of electrical power or energy;
(d) providing for the issuing of certificates of approval or permits for anything approved or done or permitted to be done under this Act or the regulations;
(e) regulating, controlling or prohibiting the installation, erection, use, sale or other disposal of electrical materials and equipment within the Province;
(f) prescribing that no contractor shall carry on business in any area of the Province designated in the regulations unless the contractor holds a license under the regulations;
(g) respecting the licensing of contractors including the form, content and duration of licenses, the revocation or suspension of licenses;
(h) prescribing the manner of giving and serving notices and orders given or issued under this Act or the regulations;
(i) respecting the granting of extensions of time for anything required to be done under this Act or the regulations;
(j) exempting any electrical installation from the provisions of this Act;
(k) providing for procedures for the inspection of an electrical installation or an alteration or addition to an electrical installation;
(l) providing for the approval by the Chief Inspector of procedures made by public utilities for the inspection of an electrical installation or an alteration or addition to an electrical installation;
(m) exempting a public utility or an inspector from the inspection of an electrical installation, alteration or addition to an electrical installation;
(n) respecting the inspection of electrical installations and alterations or additions to electrical installations.
(2) Fees and charges to be payable in respect of inspections, certificates, licenses and permits made or issued pursuant to this Act or the regulations shall be set by the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities. R.S., c. 141, s. 6; 1992, c. 8, s. 26; 2002, c. 6, s. 53.
7 (1) No electrical installation nor any alteration or addition to an electrical installation shall be made except in conformity with this Act and the regulations.
(2) Where under this Act a duty is imposed upon a public utility to inspect an electrical installation or an alteration or addition to an electrical installation, the inspection shall be carried out by a person approved by the Fire Marshal for that purpose. R.S., c. 141, s. 7.
8 (1) Subject to the regulations, every public utility or an inspector shall inspect the electrical installation of a consumer applying for a supply of electrical power or energy.
(2) Where the electrical installation does not conform to the regulations, the public utility or an inspector shall so notify the consumer and the contractor, specifying wherein the electrical installation does not so conform, and the public utility shall not make a connection nor be required to make a connection with the electrical installation nor supply any electrical power or energy to the consumer until the electrical installation is in conformity with the regulations. R.S., c. 141, s. 8; 2002, c. 6, s. 53.
9 (1) Where a public utility or an inspector has reason to believe that an electrical installation may not conform to the regulations, the public utility or the inspector may inspect the electrical installation.
(2) Where an inspection is made and the public utility or the inspector is of the opinion that the electrical installation does not conform to the regulations, the public utility or the inspector shall give the consumer notice in writing of its or his findings and may include in the notice an order directing the consumer to cause the electrical installation to conform to the regulations within a reasonable period of time to be stated in the notice.
(3) Where the consumer fails to cause the electrical installation to conform to the regulations within the period of time stated in the notice, the public utility shall, unless the period of time is extended by the Chief Inspector, disconnect or discontinue the supply of electrical energy or power to the electrical installation until the electrical installation is made to conform to the regulations.
(4) Where the period of time stated in the notice is extended by the Chief Inspector and the consumer fails to cause the electrical installation to conform to the regulations within the extended period of time, the public utility shall disconnect or discontinue the supply of electrical energy or power to the electrical installation until the electrical installation is made to conform to the regulations. R.S., c. 141, s. 9.
10 (1) Every contractor, before making any alterations or additions to an electrical installation, shall notify an inspector or the public utility supplying electrical power or energy to the electrical installation that such alterations or additions will be made, giving the date when the alterations or additions will be commenced.
(2) Subject to the regulations, an inspector or the public utility shall inspect the alterations or additions mentioned in subsection (1) during the making and on the completion thereof, and the contractor or consumer shall not connect the alterations or additions to the original electrical installation until they shall have been so inspected.
(3) If the alterations or additions mentioned in subsection (1) do not conform with the regulations, an inspector or the public utility shall so notify the contractor and the consumer, specifying wherein the alterations or additions do not so conform, and the contractor or consumer shall not connect the alterations or additions to the original electrical installation unless and until they are in conformity with the regulations. R.S., c. 141, s. 10; 2002, c. 6, s. 53.
11 For the purposes of this Act an inspector or a public utility may
(a) at all reasonable times enter any premises including those of a consumer or contractor; and
(b) inspect and examine all electrical installations or electrical materials and equipment. R.S., c. 141, s. 11.
12 Every consumer or contractor shall give every inspector and public utility or its agent such access at all reasonable times to the premises of the consumer or contractor as may be necessary for the purpose of inspecting electrical installations and alterations and additions. R.S., c. 141, s. 12.
13 No person shall obstruct or attempt to obstruct an inspector or a public utility in the performance of his or its duties or the exercise of his or its powers under this Act. R.S., c. 141, s. 13.
14 No person shall cover up or make inaccessible for inspection any electrical installation or alterations or additions until the same shall have been inspected and approved under this Act. R.S., c. 141, s. 14.
15 Nothing in this Act or the regulations or the issuance of any order under the authority of this Act renders any inspector or public utility, while acting under or pursuant to this Act or the regulations, liable for any injury, loss or damage caused to a person or property by reason of a defect in any electrical installation or electrical materials or equipment. R.S., c. 141, s. 15.
16 Every public utility, consumer, contractor or other person who violates or fails to observe any provision of this Act or the regulations is guilty of an offence and on summary conviction is liable to a penalty of not more than one thousand dollars. R.S., c. 141, s. 16.
