Contractor fined for obstructing safety investigator

According to Queensland’s Department of Employment and Industrial Relations, a licensed electrical contractor was recently fined $1200 after an Electrical Safety Office (ESO) inspector was obstructed from investigating wiring defects in a home in August 2007.

The contractor pleaded guilty to obstructing an ESO inspector in the exercise of his powers under the Electrical Safety Act 2002. The Beenleigh Industrial Magistrates Court heard that the inspector was preparing an improvement notice listing wiring defects requiring attention, when the contractor became aggressive and used abusive language.

The inspector tried to show him the wiring standards but was pushed in the chest, stumbling and falling over a retaining wall and sustaining minor abrasions.

The Magistrate found the inspector acted professionally at all times and said inspectors monitoring and enforcing compliance with safety legislation should not have to consider such abuse and that the offence was serious. ESO executive director Peter Lamont said anyone who offered violence to ESO inspectors should expect to be prosecuted.