Solar Victoria worked closely with regulators and peak bodies to ensure safety and quality standards were maintained across the Home Heating and Cooling Upgrade program. We required Approved Suppliers to meet relevant safety and quality standards and comply with all applicable laws, regulations and standards and are committed to working with industry to improve outcomes under this program.
We have worked in collaboration with regulators and peak bodies to identify a range of resources and information to assist approved suppliers to work safely and understand their obligations when working under the program.
This list is not exhaustive and does not replace obligations on Approved Suppliers to understand and comply with all compliance obligations, standards and requirements.
WorkSafe Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria (WSV) is Victoria’s occupational health and safety regulator. Its role is to prevent workplace injuries, illness and fatalities, and to enforce Victoria’s occupational health and safety legislation.
As an employer, you are required to provide and maintain a working environment for your employees that is safe and without risks to health.
This includes inducting employees into a well-developed safety management plan. You also need to develop and follow a safe work method statement (SWMS) to undertake high-risk construction work. High-risk construction work is:
- where a person has a risk of falling more than two metres
- on or near energised electrical installations or services.
Further information:
Energy Safe Victoria
Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) is the state energy safety regulator for gas, electricity and pipelines in Victoria. Its role includes ensuring electrical workers isolate, take appropriate measures and work safely when installing electrical equipment and electrical installations.
Approved Suppliers in the Home Heating and Cooling Program must ensure that only employees who are licensed electrical installation workers carry out electrical installation work. Installing and maintaining the following is electrical installation work, which must be carried out by licensed electrical workers.
Work performed by a Restricted Licence holder is limited to the disconnection of the existing wiring of the reverse cycle air conditioner (RCAC) they are replacing and the connection of the existing wiring to the new RCAC. The Restricted Licence holder must not alter, repair or install additional wiring.
Further information:
| Energy Safe Victoria | |
| Energy Safe Victoria | esv.vic.gov.au/ |
| Certificates of Electrical Safety (COES) | esv.vic.gov.au/licensing-coes/coes/ |
| Solar Victoria and Home Heating and Cooling Upgrades Program: Certificates of Electrical Safety flow chart | esv.vic.gov.au/pdfs/coes-flow-chart-solar-victoria/ |
| Electrical Information Sheet 007: Home Heating and Cooling Upgrades Program common electrical defects | esv.vic.gov.au/industry-guidance/electrical/electrical-technical-information/eis-007-solar-victoria-home-heating |
| Fact sheet: Solar Victoria and Home Heating and Cooling Upgrades Program | Fact Sheet - Solar Victoria Home Heating and Cooling Upgrades Program (esv.vic.gov.au) |
| Installation and replacement of air-conditioning systems (ESV & VBA Factsheet) | esv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Fact-sheet-Air-conditioning-systems-VBA.pdf |
| Never work live campaign | esv.vic.gov.au/campaigns/never-work-live/ |
| Electrical Installation Audit - Report | Electrical Installation Audit - Report |
| Responsibilities of Licensed and Registered Electricians | esv.vic.gov.au/licensing-coes/electrical-licences/your-responsibilities/ |
| Effective Supervision of Apprentice Electricians | esv.vic.gov.au/technical-information/electrical-installations-and-infrastructure/electrical-technical-guidelines-and-determinations/requirements-for-the-effective-supervision-of-apprentice-electricians/ |
| Effective supervision of Electrical apprentices – Your responsibilities (Brochure) | esv.vic.gov.au/pdfs/your-responsibilities-apprentice-supervisor/ |
| Victorian Electricity Supply Industry Code of Practice Service – Low voltage fuse removal and reinsertion | victoriansir.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/VESI Fuse Remove and Reinsertion 2014.pdf |
| Electricity Safety-General | For information on electricity safety call ESV on 1800 800 158 or (03) 9203 9700 or visit esv.vic.gov.au/ |
Victorian Building Authority
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) regulates Victoria's plumbing practitioners and plumbing work.
These key documents form the plumbing regulatory framework in Victoria:
- Building Act 1993
- Plumbing Regulations 2018
- National Construction Code, Volume 3 (Plumbing Code of Australia, PCA).
The VBA uses a range of regulatory tools to prevent and react to non-compliance. This includes an audit program to identify levels of non-compliance, a complaints and enforcement team that monitor compliance and investigate complaints and regular occurrences of non-compliance.
Further information:
Australian Refrigeration Council
There are national regulations applying to people who acquire, possess, dispose of or handle ozone depleting substances (ODSs) or synthetic greenhouse gases (SGGs) in the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) industry.
Under the Commonwealth Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995, persons who handle these substances in bulk or in equipment, and people who work on equipment containing these gases, are required to hold a Refrigerant Handling Licence.
Companies or persons who acquire, possess or dispose of these substances are required to hold a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation.
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) is appointed as the Industry Board to administer licences and authorisations.
Further information:
|
Australian Refrigeration Council Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment |
|
| Australian Refrigeration Council | arctick.org/ |
| Refrigeration and Airconditioning – General Information | environment.gov.au/protection/ozone/rac |
| Who can do what, with Split System Air Conditioners | arctick.org/media/1154/arc_fact-sheet_13.pdf |
| Refrigerant handling and disposal |
arctick.org/media/1187/arc_fact-sheet_19.pdf arctick.org/media/1150/arc_fact-sheet_1.pdf environment.gov.au/protection/ozone/rac/safety-considerations |
| Refrigerant Handling Licence | |
Consumer Affairs Victoria
Consumers in the Home Heating and Cooling and Upgrade program can obtain information to understand their rights and responsibilities for products and services, and how to seek protection from practices like inaccurate marketing and high-pressure tactics.
Further information:
| Consumer Affairs Victoria | |
| Consumer Affairs Victoria | consumer.vic.gov.au/ |
| Problems with a Product | consumer.vic.gov.au/products-and-services/problems-with-a-product |
| Problem with a service | consumer.vic.gov.au/products-and-services/problem-with-a-service |
| Refunds, repairs and returns | consumer.vic.gov.au/products-and-services/refunds-repairs-and-returns |
| Business practices | consumer.vic.gov.au/products-and-services/business-practices |
| Energy Product and Services – General Information | consumer.vic.gov.au/products-and-services/energy-products-and-services/solar-energy |
| Consumer Affairs Victoria – General Enquiry |
Contact the Consumer Affairs using the General Enquiry Form |
Disclaimer
The content of this website is provided for information purposes only.
Solar Victoria makes no warranties whatsoever about the accuracy, reliability or authenticity of any information or material contained in this website and accepts no liability whatsoever for direct or consequential loss or damage to any person in connection with the information or advice (or the use of such information or advice) which is provided on this website or incorporated into this site by reference.
Information is provided on the basis that all persons accessing the site and any linked site do so at their own risk and undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of any and all content.
Audits of installations
Information for suppliers and installers about audits aimed at improving safety and quality standards and protecting workers and customers in this program.
Safety audit for your air conditioner
Information for householders about audits aimed at improving safety and quality standards and protecting workers and customers in this program.
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