Auto-electrician fined for unauthorised work

An auto-electrician carried out unauthorised work on his property- leaving exposed, live cables hanging from a ceiling. Photo / iStock

An auto-electrician has been fined more than $2000 after he carried out unauthorised work on his property -- leaving exposed, live cables hanging from a ceiling.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said auto-electrician Peter Calnan employed builders and electricians to repair a property he owned after it was damaged by fire in 2013.

After completion, Calnan livened the property himself, despite not being authorised to carry out such work. Cables were still hanging from the ceiling that had copper conductors exposed, MBIE said.

When they were later tested by a registered electrician, they were found to be live.

Spoken to by an investigator, Mr Calnan denied livening the property and said he had no knowledge of who had done it.

Calnan was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on one charge of failing to minimise risk of contact with live conductive parts. He was fined $2100 and ordered to pay costs of $356.

Electrical Workers Registration Board registrar John Sickels said Calnan's actions were potentially life threatening.

"The board will continue to prosecute people who operate outside the law. Playing with the electrics in a building is highly specialised work and needs to be conducted by qualified professionals.

"We will continue to be vigilant in relation to unregistered and unlicensed workers and will prosecute wherever necessary.