Standards Do Not Stand Still — and Neither Can a Registered Person

Standards Do Not Stand Still — and Neither Can a Registered Person

Keeping up with electrical standards is not optional; it is a professional responsibility

The electrical industry is constantly evolving.

New technologies enter the market. Installation methods change. Manufacturers introduce new equipment. Renewable-energy systems become more advanced. Inverters, battery systems, embedded generators, smart controls and alternative supplies are now part of everyday electrical work.

As the industry changes, the standards governing electrical installations must change with it.

This is why electrical professionals cannot qualify once, obtain registration and then continue working from the same knowledge for the rest of their careers. The knowledge that was sufficient several years ago may no longer be sufficient for the installations being designed, constructed, inspected and certified today.

For every Registered Person, keeping up with the applicable standards is part of remaining competent.

Your registration does not automatically keep your knowledge current

Being registered as an Electrical Tester for Single Phase, Installation Electrician or Master Installation Electrician confirms that a person met the registration requirements applicable to that category.

However, registration does not automatically update a person’s knowledge whenever a standard changes.

A Registered Person must actively remain informed.

The Electrical Installation Regulations require electrical installations to be designed and constructed in accordance with the incorporated health and safety standards. SANS 10142-1 is specifically incorporated as the standard applicable to low-voltage electrical installations, and the Department’s explanatory notes refer to the standard or any updated revision of it.

The Registered Person must therefore understand which requirements apply when electrical installation work is performed, inspected, tested, verified and certified.

The standard may change.

Your responsibility does not.

A Certificate of Compliance carries personal responsibility

Only a Registered Person may issue a Certificate of Compliance.

Before issuing that certificate, the Registered Person must satisfy themselves through inspection and testing that the installation complies with the applicable requirements. When a fault or defect is identified, the Registered Person must refuse to issue the certificate until that fault or defect has been corrected.

This is an important distinction.

The Registered Person is not merely signing a document prepared by somebody else. The signature confirms that the person has applied their own knowledge, judgement, inspection and test results to the installation.

By signing, the Registered Person is effectively confirming:

• I understand the installation I am certifying.

• I have inspected and tested the relevant work.

• I have applied the requirements applicable to this installation.

• I am satisfied that the installation is compliant and reasonably safe.

• I am prepared to accept responsibility for my decision.

That responsibility cannot be transferred to an assistant, employee, subcontractor, supplier, training provider or social-media group.

Other people may assist with information, installation and testing, but the final decision to certify remains with the Registered Person.

“That is how we have always done it” is not a compliance method

Experience is extremely valuable in the electrical industry. Practical knowledge develops through years of working with installations, identifying faults and solving real-world problems.

However, experience must be supported by current technical knowledge.

A method may have been accepted under an earlier edition of a standard but later be clarified, restricted or replaced. A familiar test procedure may be updated. A new test report may be introduced. New technologies may require additional isolation, protection, labelling, documentation or verification.

Continuing to use an outdated method simply because it worked in the past can expose the installation, the client and the Registered Person to unnecessary risk.

The correct question is not:

“How have we always done it?”

The correct question is:

“What does the currently applicable requirement expect from this installation?”

Technology is changing the installations we certify

Electrical installations are no longer limited to a supply, distribution board, socket outlets, lighting circuits and fixed appliances.

Registered Persons increasingly encounter installations containing:

• Solar photovoltaic systems

• Grid-interactive and hybrid inverters

• Battery energy-storage systems

• Backup and alternative supplies

• Small-scale embedded generation

• Automatic changeover arrangements

• Systems capable of operating in grid, backup or island mode

• Surge and lightning protection

• Electronic monitoring and energy-management equipment

• Multiple AC and DC sources within the same installation

These technologies introduce operating conditions and risks that were not as common in traditional installations.

The Registered Person must understand not only how the equipment is connected, but also how the complete installation behaves under different operating conditions.

Questions must be asked about isolation, neutral and earth arrangements, fault-current paths, protection, bonding, conductor sizing, labelling, changeover arrangements, testing and the documentation required to support certification.

Modern equipment cannot simply be added to an installation while relying only on traditional assumptions.

Edition 3.03 is a practical reminder

The availability of SANS 10142-1:2026 Edition 3.03 was formally announced on 26 June 2026.

Its release is another reminder that the electrical industry continues to develop and that Registered Persons must stay informed.

Edition 3.03 introduces and clarifies requirements that affect several practical areas of electrical installation work, with particularly important implications for alternative supplies, generating plant, solar PV, battery systems, testing, verification and supporting documentation.

These changes are not only relevant to electricians specialising in solar.

A Registered Person inspecting an installation may encounter a generating plant or alternative supply even when they were not responsible for installing it. They must still understand how that equipment affects the installation being inspected and what may or may not be certified.

Not knowing that a requirement changed does not make an incorrect installation compliant.

Staying informed must become part of normal practice

Professional development should not happen only when a problem occurs.

Registered Persons should develop a routine for keeping their knowledge current. This should include:

1. Obtaining the latest applicable standards

Do not rely indefinitely on an old printed copy, screenshots, extracts or information forwarded through informal groups.

1. Reviewing amendments properly

Do not only look at the list of changes. Read the revised clauses in context and understand how they interact with the rest of the standard.

1. Updating inspection and testing procedures

When requirements change, test methods, inspection checklists, documentation and internal procedures may also need to change.

1. Updating CoC and test-report practices

Make sure the correct reports, annexures, supporting drawings and installation information are completed where required.

1. Participating in technical discussions

Professional groups, training sessions and industry platforms can help identify areas where different interpretations exist.

1. Asking questions before signing

Where a requirement is unclear, obtain clarity before issuing the Certificate of Compliance.

1. Being willing to change an established method

Professional competence includes the ability to recognise when a previous practice is no longer suitable.

Training providers can assist — but responsibility remains with you

Training organisations, industry associations and technical platforms play an important role in explaining amendments and helping electricians understand difficult requirements.

However, no training provider can take over the Registered Person’s responsibility.

A video, course, article or group discussion should be used to support understanding. It should never replace the Registered Person’s own duty to consult the applicable standard, evaluate the installation and make an informed decision.

The purpose of training is to strengthen professional judgement, not to replace it.

TDMI Training and Nearby Electrician’s five-episode series

To assist the electrical industry with the transition to Edition 3.03, TDMI Training and Nearby Electrician have launched a free five-episode educational series explaining the changes and their practical implications.

The series is designed to break the amendments into manageable sections and to help Registered Persons, contractors and electricians understand:

• What has changed

• Where the requirements have changed

• Why the changes matter

• How the changes affect installations in practice

• What must be considered during inspection and testing

• How the changes influence verification, certification and documentation

• Which areas require particular attention when working with alternative supplies, inverters, PV and battery systems

The series should be viewed as a practical guide alongside the standard itself.

It is not intended to replace SANS 10142-1. Its purpose is to help the industry identify, understand and correctly apply the changes contained in Edition 3.03.

Follow TDMI Training and Nearby Electrician as the five episodes are released and shared with the industry.

Competence is not something achieved once

Obtaining a qualification and becoming registered are major professional achievements.

But competence is not frozen on the date that a registration certificate is issued.

True competence requires continuous learning, technical awareness and the willingness to adjust when standards, technologies and installation practices change.

Every Certificate of Compliance carries the Registered Person’s name, registration details and professional reputation.

That signature must be supported by current knowledge.

Final thought

Standards evolve because the industry evolves.

Technology will continue to change. Electrical systems will become more interconnected. Alternative supplies will become increasingly common. Testing and documentation requirements will continue to develop.

The Registered Person who stays informed protects the client, the installation, the public and their own professional registration.

The Registered Person who refuses to keep learning risks being left behind by the same industry they are expected to certify.

Keeping up with standards is not primarily the responsibility of the Department, the contractor, the supplier, the training provider or the person who installed the equipment.

It is the responsibility of every Registered Person whose name appears on the Certificate of Compliance.