Electricians: For commercial and office buildings

Choosing an electrician to update, replace or repair electrical work in your office or other commercial building is an important task. Commercial electricians are responsible for a wider range of electrical work than domestic electricians, and therefore some care needs to be taken in choosing one. It is also more important in a business to minimise down time of the building itself as well as any equipment, so a reliable speedy licensed commercial electrician is a must. Building regulations also circumscribe the work that a commercial electrician is able to do on your property, and understanding these is vital before work can commence.

Commercial electricians

Commercial electricians are responsible for all types of electrical work carried out on commercial premises. They repair and maintain equipment, complete rewiring and new wiring in offices and factories, install heating, cooling, ventilation, telephones, CCTV and other electronic security systems, switchboards, factory machinery, intercoms, communications systems, and complete any other specialised electrical work required by various businesses.

Because their work is more complex and varied than that generally encountered by electricians who primarily deal with homes, it is important to ensure that the electrician you choose for your business is qualified and experienced in this type of work.

Building regulations and electrical work

Building regulations are overseen by the Building Commission of Australia, and by your local council. These will affect what type of electrical work you can have done on commercial premises, and you must check this before installing any major new electrical work. Regulations will vary depending on which state the building is in and how the area is zoned. Industrial zoning allows for different types of installations and activities to commercial zoning, for example.

Commercial electrical work

Consider these steps before having any significant electrical work completed on your commercial premises.

• Check with the building regulations for your area, with the State and council regulations, and ensure that the work you are contemplating is legal, or how it can be done to comply with the appropriate building regulations
• Find a reliable commercial electrician. The best way of doing this is often word of mouth. Other business people in particular will refer contractors who are reliable, cost effective and skilled
• Seek and check references before hiring a commercial electrician
• Ensure that the electrician you are considering has a sound understanding of the building regulations that apply to your commercial premises, and that he or she is licensed and has the appropriate current insurance
• Check with the Office of Fair Trading that no complaints have been lodged against the electrician

Commercial electricians and building regulations

Before having any new electrical work completed on your office or workplace, ensure that you check the local building regulations and ascertain that the work is legal. Choose a licensed, reliable commercial electrician to complete the work, and ensure that this contractor has a sound understanding of the applicable building regulations also, to ensure that your work complies and is safe.