South Australians can now receive compliance certificates from plumbers, electricians and gas fitters electronically, through a government project that aims to reduce red tape and improve business efficiency.
Paper based Certificates of Compliance (CoCs), which consume more than 1 million sheets of paper per year, can now be entered via an online system and emailed to consumers, leading to better customer service.
Importantly this increase in efficiency is expected to reduce compliance costs to South Australian businesses.
Registered users will be able to complete, submit, store and retrieve electronic CoCs (eCoCs) online, and send them electronically to the Office of the Technical Regulator (OTR) and other recipients, such as customers and industry entities.
Background
The Office of the Technical Regulator has made a significant change to the way the gas, plumbing and electrical industries meet compliance regulations.
The eCoC system will store a full record of all certificates completed by workers and contractors so they can be easily accessed and referred to in the future. These can be created and saved in draft and accessed at a later stage to submit.
It will streamline business and administrative processes, and make it easier for the OTR to communicate regulatory improvements. These improvements are expected to lead to decreased compliance costs to South Australian businesses.
Registered users on the eCoC system will also receive regular updates such as changes to standards, product and installation safety issues and safety reminders.
The eCoC system can be accessed at www.sa.gov.au/otr/ecoc
Quotes attributable to Acting Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith
All gas, plumbing and electrical work must be accompanied by a Certificate of Compliance – but with a paper based system in the past it hasn’t been easy to standardise and regulate.
This online system for the eCoCs means you can be assured work done on your home is completed by a licenced and fully regulated tradesperson, with records kept by the OTR.