Anthony Schewitz is the new technical advisor for the Highveld region. He has been appointed to assist ECA members with technical advice and interpretation of the national wiring codes and the OHS Act. Anthony will also help with the training of members on Certificates of Compliance and other courses. He is a qualified installation electrician […]
The advice the ECA(SA) provides to its members must be in line with legislation and reasonability. At the ECA, we receive enquiries regularly that could be described as “challenging”. A wholesaler recently approached us with a contentious issue – the ongoing debate about how to install GU10 230 V tails for recessed down lighters. The wholesaler […]
The ECA receives many technical questions from our members. In this article, I summarise the most frequently-asked of these questions and provide their answers. For how long is an electrical CoC valid? An electrical Certificate of Compliance is valid indefinitely for the installation for which it has been issued, provided that the installation has not […]
The Department of Labour (DoL) presented a two-day safety indaba in Port Elizabeth on 21 September and, in talks, revealed that there may be some far-reaching changes to the electrical industry. The department stated that it was “in discussions with all role-players” with a view to re-introducing municipal electrical inspectors to assist with the policing […]
In addition to the weekly scheduled modular practical training courses conducted by George Senekal, regional training manager at the ECA Cape Town Training Centre, the region continues with its various management and related training programmes. Over the past four months, additional workshops were conducted on various topics. These include: A labour relations course conducted by […]
On Friday, 12 January 2018, the ECA(SA) inducted 100 new construction electrical apprentices, selected from over 1800 applicants, to undergo free training at the ECA Meadowdale training centre for the next two years. Their training will be funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) in an […]
An expert group meeting on blockchain technologies recently took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with participants having learnt more about the technology and possible benefits for the African continent. Speaking at the end of meeting, Kasirim Nwuke, chief of the new technologies and innovation section at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said that […]
On Friday, 17 November 2017, Cabinet approved the 115-page Electronic Communications Amendment (ECA) Bill, giving the public and industry just 30 calendar days in which to comment, after which the consultation period will be closed and further objection prohibited. Minister Siyabonga Cwele and the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) team have crafted a […]
An employee at Rustenburg Platinum Mine, Meyer Bester, was dismissed by his employer, for referring to a co-worker as a swartman. Was this procedurally and substantively fair or unfair? Let’s look at the circumstances. Bester had arrived at work one day to find a large vehicle parked in the parking bay adjacent to his own, […]
The Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) requires contractors who perform work on government and semi-government projects, including municipal projects, to award up to 30% of the tender sum to small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs). This means that “Ps and Gs”, as well as work done by specialist subcontractors which forms part of the […]
