In the state of Queensland, all electrical work must be performed or supervised by a licenced electrical contractor holding an up-to-date and valid qualified technical person (QTP) licence.
In this article, we’ll explain the role of a qualified technical person (QTP), how to become a licenced QTP, and the roles and responsibilities of a qualified technical person (QTP).
Criteria to become a qualified technical person (QTP)
An electrical contractor in Queensland that holds their qualified technical person (QTP) licence must meet the following criteria:
- Be a fit and proper person
- Be competent to perform the role of a QTP for a Queensland electrical contractor licence
- Be licenced to perform electrical work within the scope of work being contracted
- Be competent in that type of work even where a licence may not be required (i.e. testing and tagging electrical equipment).
The qualified technical person must be either an employee of the electrical contractor, member of the partnership, or an executive officer of the corporation that is carrying out the contracted electrical work.
Role responsibilities of a qualified technical person (QTP)
At the forefront of the role, a QTP must ensure that the electrical contractor carrying out work is doing so in a way that is electrically safe. It is not possible for an electrical contractor to transfer their electrical safety duties and responsibilities to the QTP, however, the QTP program does acknowledge that there will be instances where the electrical contractor and QTP is the same person – such as in sole trader operations.
QTPs must perform electrical work in accordance with the latest regulations and applicable standards (according to the nature of the job and project). Only the QTP is certified to sign documents about electrical work as required by the Electrical Safety Act 2002 or by an electricity entity.
The QTP will be delegated a number of tasks as part of the project which ensure that relevant safety practices are being met. Some of the safe systems of work that a QTP is responsible for developing includes:
- Develop and implement risk management policies and procedures
- Develop safe work procedures for work and rescue
- Ensure that all work complies with the Wiring Rules and other standards
- Ensure that all electrical workers hold the relevant training certification to complete their designated work.
- Audit and enforce compliance in line with the electrical contractor's risk management system.
- Review and update safe work procedures when any defects or issues are identified or there are changes to the scope of work being carried out.
Who enforces and checks qualified technical person (QTP) certification?
In Queensland, the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) is responsible for conducting checks to ensure that the individual nominated as the QTP is able to supervise or perform the work properly. Individuals that are nominated as the qualified technical person for more than one electrical contract licence at any one time will be asked to prove that they can perform and supervise the work to the required standard.
Electrical contractors are responsible for ensuring that the QTP is given adequate time, resources, and support to correctly perform the role. For large jobs, the scope of the job may require a business to appoint more than one QTP. This is particularly relevant for businesses that conduct work that is divided into subdivisions or across a number of different geographic locations.
How to become qualified as a qualified technical person (QTP)
If you are planning on performing electrical work as a business or on behalf of another business as a contractor in Queensland, the QTP (Qualified Technical Person) course is an Electrical Safety Office (ESO) requirement.
In order to enrol in the QTP training course, applicants must hold an Unrestricted Electrical Workers Licence for a minimum of 2 years prior to applying for an Electrical Contractors licence.
The Qualified Technical Person Course QLD (UEEEL0002, UEEEL0029 &UEEEL0030) training is delivered face-to-face in class over 3-days. The training is split into theory (first two days) and practical assessments (third day).