ADVICE TO CABLERS
Electricians or any other person, unless they hold an appropriate cabling registration or are being directly supervised by someone who does hold an appropriate cabling registration, are not permitted to install/maintain/repair any telecommunications customer cabling – to do so is a criminal offence under the Telecommunications Act 1997.
You should also be aware that anyone performing specialised cabling work without the appropriate competency is committing an offence under the Telecommunications Act 1997 and could also have their public liability insurance declared to be “null and void” as they would be undertaking work for which they do not hold the mandated qualifications.
Changes to the registration requirements were initiated in July 2012 that required all registered cablers that work on “specialised cabling” to have the appropriate competencies for the specialised cabling work that they would be under taking by July 2014.
Are you aware of your requirements regarding your cabling licence? This article will assist members with the processes involved in becoming a registered cabler or gaining competencies, provide details on our NECA SA chapter and explain the procedure for TCA Forms.
Click here to read more about the training or competencies NECA SA has to offer
SAVE SOMEONE’S LIFE – SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT FAULTY CABLES
Infinity and Olsen-branded electrical cables that failed to meet mandatory electrical safety standards are still installed around the nation. Testing of TPS and Orange Round cables found that they could become brittle, leading to a potential safety hazard if the insulation cracks. “The risk of fire and shock from these brands of faulty cables has always been a key concern for our sector,” said the Chief Executive Officer of the National Electrical and Communications Association, Suresh Manickam.
“With almost 2,000 kilometres of Infinity Cables still currently installed in homes and businesses, the risk of danger only worsens as time goes on.”
“To this end, NECA encourages and supports the ACCC’s awareness campaign that seeks to remove faulty cabling. The ACCC reminds us that a failure to remediate known concerns could lead to a fine, prosecution, financial liability and potentially the loss of life.”
“I encourage ACRS members, and the wider industry, to be aware of this notice and to pass the message on. It may help to save someone’s life, family or home.” Mr Manickam concluded.
Where can I get more information?
For further details on Infinity cable and the national recall visit the ACCC Infinity cable recall: act now before it’s too late page at accc.gov.au
A New Year reminder to help employers (including self-employed contractors) meet your super obligations!
With 2016 well and truly in full swing, it is important to note some timely reminders to help you meet your superannuation obligations for the year ahead, Here is an summary of what to consider to help you and your business meet its obligations and help avoid any unwanted penalties from the Australian Tax Office.
Power your financial future with the only super fund dedicated to the electrotechnology and aligned industries
Benefits for employers (including self-employed contractors)
* NESS Super facilitates administration of your employees’ super. We are “MySuper” authorised and help you to meet all your business’ compulsory Superannuation Guarantee and Award obligations.
* Accepts personal and salary sacrifice contributions and well as super contributions on behalf of self-employed or unincorporated partnership contractors.
* Electronic (online) contributions payment facility and Clearing House facility to pay to other super funds AT NO COST TO EMPLOYERS, which simplifies the monthly process of providing member data and making super payments.
* NESS Super’s personal service – our friendly staff are always ready to help you and the employees.
With NESS Super you can be confident you are part of an experienced, well managed fund that looks after your employees’ super future. NESS Super is an industry super fund, so all net profits go to members.
Benefits for members
* A choice of 7 investment options that can be combined to suit personal objectives.
* Default insurance cover at very economical rates. We make it simple to apply for additional cover or transfer insurance, so members can further protect themselves and their family against financial loss.
* Consolidate other super accounts – we help with the transfer process.
* Access to a range of services including commission-free financial advice (potentially at no charge, depending on your requirements), special deals on health insurance and low cost banking and loan services.
* NESS Pension, which provides 2 tax effective pension options from age 55 that can also be paid to members who are still employed.
* Receive 2 statements a year and also keep track of your NESS Super account online, 24/7.
To get the maximum benefits from NESS Super, employers & members should contact us on 1800 022 067 or refer to the current NESS Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and the latest NESS Super Annual Report available on the NESS Super website www.nesssuper.com.au
For more information, please contact Mynas Leontios on 0448 432 443 or via email on mynasl@neca.asn.au. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.nesssuper.com.au
NESS Super, making life super easy for ACRS members!
ELIMINATE THE RISK OF BIG FINES – KEEP ACRS INFORMED OF ADDRESS AND EMAIL CHANGES
A thirty second free call is all it takes to keep ACRS records up to date and therefore ensure that you receive your renewal reminder, and never get caught working illegally.
We understand that there are time pressures on all cablers and contractors, and with so many things to renew annually, it is easy for one or two to slip through the cracks. ACRS understands this and invests a lot of time and resources into providing a renewal reminder which is emailed six weeks before your cabling registration expires and a second reminder is posted to your postal address. This gives ample time to fill out the simple renewal form and return to the administration centre.
To simplify things, you can also renew a current registration on line at acrs.com.au or call ACRS on 1300 667771 and the friendly team will be glad to receive your payment details over the phone.
Many cablers are forgetting to inform ACRS when they move house, change employers, change email or obtain a new mobile number and therefore they do not receive this crucial renewal reminder letter.
When you are asked to produce a valid cabling registration card before you win a job, the excuse you forgot will not help.
Help ACRS help you!
You can update your personal details via our website or notify ACRS by calling our friendly admin team on 1300 667771 or by faxing or emailing your new details to:
Fax (02) 9744 3928
Email: enquiries@acrs.com.au
Cabling for telecommunications
Communications Alliance and its cabling publications
Communications Alliance’s primary area of interest in cabling is in the customer’s premises, in particular the cabling product specifications and cabling installation practices in domestic dwelling and commercial buildings. The following information lists the published cabling-related Communications Alliance Standards, Codes and Guidelines relevant to their application.
A list of all Communications Alliance cabling-related publications can be found at Publication by Topic (cabling).
Customer premises cabling
The following Standards and Guidelines apply to cabling installed within a customer premises on the customer side of the Network Boundary of a telecommunications network.
Communications Alliance publications
- AS/CA S009 Customer Cabling installation requirements – the ‘Wiring Rules’ (mandated Standard)
- AS/CA S008 Customer Cabling Products requirements (mandated Standard)
- AS/CA S035 Department of Defence temporary cabling installation requirements (mandated Standard)
- G642 Installation requirements for broadcast cabling and connection of digital broadcast equipment to a telecommunications network
- xDSL provision from a DSLAM in a customer building Technical considerations when providing broadband xDSL services on customer cabling from a DSLAM in a customer building
CUSTOMER CABLING AND THE NBN
Before your premises is connected to the nbn, you need to be aware that nbn will only complete part of the job. When you contact a Retail Service Provider (RSP) to arrange for your nbn connection you should tell your RSP which services and equipment that you want connected to your NBN service. This will determine if you need to arrange for new equipment or cabling work in your premises.
It is very important that you advise your chosen RSP if you have a medical, security or fire alarm that operates over your current land line so they can advise you as to how to ensure these services continue to operate over the NBN.
In some cases you may be able to use some, or all, of the existing telephone and data cabling already installed in your premises. However, in some cases the existing cabling will not be suitable to provide your chosen services. This will mean that new cabling will need to be installed to support those services.
Examples of situations where you may need additional cabling work include:
* If you want to use telephone sockets (‘phone points’) previously installed in different parts of your premises.
* If you have or intend to purchase a television that is capable of connecting to “streaming video on demand” services and wish to connect the television to the internet using a wired connection.
Your RSP should be able to advise you if alterations to the existing telephone and data cabling in your premises are necessary to connect your chosen services.
Any work that needs to be done to connect the existing telephone and data cabling in your premises to connect to the NBN must be carried out by a registered cabler. The services of a registered cabler are likely to involve additional costs to you.
In some situations your RSP will organise for a registered cabler to come to your premises to do this work. If the RSP is not able to organise this work, you will need to contact a registered cabler directly.
If you engage a registered cabler directly to undertake any work, you should:
* ask to see the cabler’s registration card;
* clearly describe the services and/or equipment that you wish to have connected to your NBN service; and
* ask the cabler for a completion form (TCA1 form) when the job is finished.
A registered cabler must provide you with a TCA1 form at the completion of any cabling work. By providing a TCA1 form, a registered cabler is stating that the completed cabling work complies with the Wiring Rules AS/CA S009:2013