Professional Certificate of Competency in Electrical Wiring Standards: AS 3000:2018 (Australia and New Zealand only)

Overview

This course covers the requirements laid down in the standard AS/NZS 3000, commonly known as the Australia - New Zealand Wiring Rules. For those installations covered in the scope of this standard, its provisions are mandatory and must be followed. Any engineer involved in planning and design of electrical systems, their installation or maintenance must have a clear idea about the various requirements contained in the standard.

The primary purpose of this standard, like many of its various other equivalent national standards, is to ensure the safety of personnel against the dangers arising from the use and handling of electrical equipment and appliances. The introductory modules of this course outline the basic principles that should be understood for a better appreciation of the standard. These include modules which illustrate the calculation for the power demand of a system and the computation of earth fault currents as discussed in the appendices of the standard. These are informative in nature and are very important in making an electrical system safe for operation. The actual provisions of the standard are then discussed in detail in the subsequent modules.

Course Outline

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

• Brief scope and contents of Australian Wiring Rules (AS/NZS 3000)
• Selection and installation of electrical equipment and safety considerations
• Selection and installation of wiring systems
• Earthing and its importance in safety
• Testing and verification

MODULE 2: INSULATION OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND ITS ROLE IN SAFETY

• Functions of electrical insulation
• Air as an insulator
• Solid and liquid dielectrics
• Insulation class and temperature ratings
• Role of electrical protection
• Calculating the demand of electrical systems for proper conductor sizing (as per AS/NZS 3000 Appendix - C)

MODULE 3: EARTHING OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

• The need for earthing of electrical systems
• At the source (system earthing)
• At the load (protective earthing)
• Methods adopted for system earthing
• Protective conductor
• Equipotential bonding

MODULE 4: EARTH FAULT DETECTION AND PROTECTION

• Earth fault sensing methods
• Calculation of earth fault current
• Earth fault loop impedance
• Limits of LV feeder lengths for proper earth fault detection (as per AS/NZS 3000 Appendix - B)

MODULE 5: AS/NZS 3000 STANDARD - SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS

• Definitions
• Protection for safety
• Design of an electrical installation
• Selection of electrical equipment
• Installation of electrical equipment

MODULE 6: GENERAL ARRANGEMENT, CONTROL AND PROTECTION

• Arrangement of electrical installation
• Control of electrical installation
• Fault protection Protection against overcurrent
• Additional protection by residual current devices Protection against overvoltage
• Protection against undervoltage
• Protection against fire hazards due to arcing faults
• Switchboards

MODULE 7: SELECTION AND INSTALLATION OF WIRING SYSTEMS - Part 1

• Types of wiring systems
• Current-carrying capacity
• Sizing of conductors
• Voltage drop considerations in sizing
• Installation

MODULE 8: SELECTION AND INSTALLATION OF WIRING SYSTEMS - Part 2

• Enclosure of cables
• Aerial wiring systems
• Busbar trunking systems and rising mains
• Earth sheath return system

MODULE 9: SELECTION AND INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

• Protection against thermal effects
• Connection of electrical equipment

MODULE 10: EARTHING ARRANGEMENTS AND EARTHING CONDUCTORS

• Earthing Functions
• Earthing arrangements
• Multiple Earthed Neutral (MEN)
• Earthing of equipment
• Equipotential Bonding
• Earth fault loop impedance

MODULE 11: DAMP SITUATIONS

• Baths, showers, fixed containers
• Pools, tubs
• Fountains
• Saunas

MODULE 12: SPECIAL ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS

• Locations containing baths, showers or other fixed water containers
• Extra-low voltage electrical installations
• High voltage electrical installations
• Hazardous areas, emergency areas
• Visual inspection
• Testing