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Electricity Act 1992

Miscellaneous provisions - General electricity matters - Electricity safety instruments

169C: Minister may approve electricity safety instruments

You could also call this:

“The Minister can make and approve safety rules for electricity”

The Minister can approve safety rules for electricity. These rules are called electricity safety instruments. They can explain what words mean, set out rules, or give information about activities or things related to electricity. This might include listing standards, controlling substances, or saying what skills people need.

Before approving these rules, the Minister needs to make sure they’ve talked to all the right people about it. But if they’re just making small changes to the rules, they don’t have to talk to everyone again.

Some of these rules become law automatically. For others, the Minister needs to tell everyone about them. They do this by putting a notice in the Gazette (which is like a government newspaper) and making sure the rules are available for free on WorkSafe’s website.

Even if the Minister forgets to talk to everyone before making the rules, the rules are still valid. This means they still work and people still have to follow them.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1037236.

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169D: Legal effect of electricity safety instruments, or

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Part 14 Miscellaneous provisions
General electricity matters: Electricity safety instruments

169CMinister may approve electricity safety instruments

  1. The Minister may—

  2. approve an electricity safety instrument developed by WorkSafe for the purposes referred to in subsection (2); and
    1. amend or revoke an approved electricity safety instrument.

      1. The purposes of electricity safety instruments are to define terms, prescribe matters, or make other provision in relation to any activity or thing, including (without limitation) listing standards, control of substances, competency requirements, and certification requirements.

      2. The Minister must not approve an electricity safety instrument unless the Minister is satisfied that all persons and organisations that the Minister thinks appropriate have been consulted, having regard to the subject matter of the proposed electricity safety instrument.

      3. The Minister may approve an amendment to an electricity safety instrument (including approving incorporation of amendments to, or updates of, documents incorporated by reference) without complying with subsection (3) if the Minister is satisfied that the amendment is minor or technical.

      4. To the extent that an electricity safety instrument is given effect to in accordance with section 169D, it is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

      5. To the extent that an electricity safety instrument is not secondary legislation, subsection (7) applies.

      6. The Minister must, as soon as practicable after an electricity safety instrument is made,—

      7. notify the electricity safety instrument in the Gazette; and
        1. ensure that a copy of the electricity safety instrument is published on an internet site—
          1. that is maintained by or on behalf of WorkSafe; and
            1. from which members of the public can access and download it free of charge at all times (as far as practicable).

            2. A failure to comply with subsection (3) does not affect the validity of an electricity safety instrument.

            Notes
            • Section 169C: replaced, on , by section 7 of the Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 10).