A Certificate of Compliance Is More Than a Form — Know What You Are Signing
For many electricians, the Certificate of Compliance is something that comes at the end of a job: inspect, test, complete the paperwork and sign.
But legally, that signature means far more than simply confirming that “the lights work.”
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Electrical Installation Regulations, the Certificate of Compliance forms part of a legal certification process. The Regulations define the CoC as the prescribed Annexure 1 certificate, issued by a registered person in respect of an electrical installation or part of an installation.
The CoC must also be accompanied by the approved test report. Regulation 7 places the responsibility on the user or lessor to have a valid CoC for the installation, in the prescribed Annexure 1 format, together with the required test report.
So the CoC is not a loose piece of paperwork. It is part of a legal and technical record.
The user or lessor carries responsibility too
A common misunderstanding is that once the electrician issues a CoC, all responsibility for the installation somehow moves to the electrician.
That is not what the Regulations say.
The user or lessor remains responsible for the safety, safe use and maintenance of the electrical installation. They are also responsible for certain conductors between the installation and the point of supply where the point of supply and point of control differ.
The Registered Person certifies the installation. The user or lessor remains responsible for how that installation is subsequently used and maintained.
That distinction matters.
Only a Registered Person may issue the CoC
Regulation 9 is very clear: no person other than a Registered Person may issue a Certificate of Compliance.
The Registered Person does not simply sign a document prepared by somebody else. Before issuing the CoC, that person must satisfy themselves by inspection and testing that the applicable requirements have been met.
For a new installation, Regulation 9 links the certification to compliance with Regulation 5(1) and requires the work to have been carried out under the Registered Person's general control. Existing installations and alterations are treated differently, with the Regulations specifically distinguishing between new installations, existing installations and additions or alterations.
The Annexure 1 itself reflects these three circumstances by requiring the Registered Person to identify whether the certification relates to a new installation, an existing installation or a new part added to an existing installation.
That tick box is therefore not just administrative.
It determines what you are declaring.
The Registered Person's declaration carries real weight
On Annexure 1, the Registered Person declares that they have personally carried out the inspection and testing of the electrical installation described in the attached test report.
They also declare that the installation is reasonably safe when properly used, that the CoC number has been entered onto the accompanying test report, and that the relevant parties involved in design, specification, procurement, construction, commissioning, inspection and testing have completed the applicable sections.
That is a significant declaration.
Before signing, the Registered Person should therefore be able to answer a simple question:
“Can I justify every statement, every tick and every test result on this document?”
The Electrical Contractor signs a different declaration
This is another area that is often misunderstood.
Annexure 1 contains a separate section titled Declaration by Electrical Contractor.
The contractor declares that the electrical installation has been carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations made under it. The contractor must provide the electrical contractor registration number, date of registration, signature and contact information.
The Registered Person declaration and Electrical Contractor declaration are therefore not the same thing.
The Registered Person is accepting responsibility for the inspection, testing, verification and certification.
The Electrical Contractor is declaring responsibility for the electrical installation work carried out under the contracting business.
The Electrical Installation Regulations also require anyone operating as an electrical contractor to be registered, and the business must either employ a Registered Person full-time or the contractor must themselves be a Registered Person.
Understanding which hat you are wearing when you sign Annexure 1 is extremely important.
The test report is part of the certification
SANS 10142-1 clause 8.7 reinforces the legal requirement that the Annexure 1 CoC must be accompanied by the approved test report.
The current test report records much more than a few meter readings.
It identifies the type of installation and supply system, supply voltage, number of phases, main switching arrangement, short-circuit withstand rating, earth leakage details, surge protection, alternative supplies, specialised installations and other important characteristics.
It then requires the person completing the report to describe exactly what portion of the installation is covered.
This becomes especially important because the responsibility section of the test report states that the signatory's liability is limited to the installation described in Section 3.
A vague description creates a vague scope.
A precise description creates a clear certification record.
Inspection is not just testing
The test report requires visual inspection before the numerical test results are even considered.
It asks whether conductors have the correct rating and current-carrying capacity, whether components are correctly selected and installed, whether disconnecting devices are correctly positioned and whether circuits, protective devices, terminals and distribution boards are properly identified.
The point is simple:
Good readings do not make a visibly unsafe or incorrectly installed system compliant.
Inspection and testing work together.
If there is a fault, you do not simply issue the CoC
Regulation 9 also deals directly with faults discovered before certification.
Where a fault or defect is detected, the Registered Person must refuse to issue the CoC until the defect has been rectified. Where the defect constitutes an immediate danger and the installation is energised, steps must be taken to disconnect the affected circuit and notify the Chief Inspector.
That is why evidence gathering, fault lists, photographs, drawings and supporting annexures are so useful in professional CoC work.
They help demonstrate what was inspected, what was found, what was corrected and what was ultimately certified.
And one final warning: Annexure 1 must be completed correctly
The Annexure 1 form itself contains two important warnings.
The certificate is not valid unless all sections are correctly completed and the approved test report is attached.
It also states that the certificate will be invalid if corrections have been made.
That alone should make every electrician think carefully before treating a CoC as routine paperwork.
Join us for the FREE follow-up webinar
On 22 September 2026 at 18:00, TDMI Training, Nearby Electrician, PQRS, AREP and ECA will once again come together for our follow-up industry webinar.
My session will focus specifically on:
Certificate of Compliance — Annexure 1 & Test Reports
We will work through the document from an electrician's perspective, including the legal responsibilities of the Registered Person, Electrical Contractor and user/lessor, how the declarations fit together, how to define the scope of certification correctly, and what the test report is actually intended to prove.
The evening will also include:
Anthony Schewitz — Loop Testing & PSCC
Carel Ballack — V-0-V Connections
The webinar is completely FREE and open to the electrical industry.
📅 22 September 2026
⏰ 18:00
💰 FREE TO ATTEND
Registration information will be shared shortly.
A CoC is not simply something you complete. It is something you declare, certify and sign your name to. Make sure you understand exactly what that means.
.webp)
