The Ontario College of Trades
Beginning April 8th, 2013, the Trades Qualifications and Apprentice Act (TQAA) and the Apprenticeship Certification Act (ACA) will be repealed as certain sections of the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act (OCTAA) come into force. Ontario's apprenticeship and trade certification system will be governed under this new Act. As such, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MTCU) will no longer be issuing trades certificates of qualification Instead this function will be under the purview of the Ontario College of Trades who will be administering the OCTTA.
On this date, practicing in a compulsory trade by those who hold a C of Q will require membership to the Ontario College of Trades. In this case, the College will begin transferring C of Q’s that were issued by the MTCU by registering individuals. This applies to the issuance of C of Qs for all compulsory and non-compulsory trades in Ontario.
For more information on the Ontario College of Trades or to receive more details on how to transition your C of Q, please visit their website at www.collegeoftrades.ca or call toll free: 1-855-299-0028.
WSIB
A regulatory change was made to WSIB requirements in January, 2013 for businesses in the construction industry. Prior to January, only businesses that had employees were required to register with WSIB however, that is no longer the case. Today, even if you are a sole proprietor you may be required to register. There are exemptions from WSIB and the new requirements. For further information on these changes and exemptions, please visit
www.beregisteredbeready.ca.
In order to verify compliance and upon application of a new or renewal electrical contractor licence, licence holders will be required to provide information about their WSIB registration. On all electrical contractor licence application forms, applicants can list their WSIB account number in the area provided on the form. If you have any questions about how to update your WSIB number for your electrical contractor licence, please email: esa.licensing@electricalsafety.on.ca, fax: 1-888-251-7377 or phone us 1-877-372-7233 (option 3 on the phone menu).
The 2012 MASTER ELECTRICIAN EXAMINATION REFERENCE MATERIAL contains legislation relevant to electrical contracting and is permitted to be used during the Master Electrician Examination. This document has been formatted to compliment the Pre-Master Electrician Training Course and Master Electrician Examination. You can download this document for FREE or purchase it in book format for $60 plus HST. To purchase, simply request this book when registering for the Pre-Master Electrician Training Course or the Master Electrician Examination. If you are already registered in a course and/or exam and would like to purchase this book, please email a request to mastersexam@electricalsafety.on.ca.
The Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act and an Administrative Agreement with the Ministry establish the legal framework for the Electrical Safety Authority’s (ESA’s) operation as an Administrative Authority. The ESA is designated by Ontario Regulation 89/99 as the responsible authority for purposes of section 113 of the Electricity Act, 1998 and associated Ontario Regulations 10/02 (The Ontario Electrical Safety Code), 22/04 (Electrical Distribution Safety) and 570/05 (Licensing of Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians).
As of January 1, 2007...
- No person shall operate an Electrical Contracting Business in Ontario without first obtaining an Electrical Contractor Licence issued by ECRA/ESA.
- No person shall assume the responsibility of a Designated Master Electrician for the carrying out of electrical work on behalf of an Electrical Contractor without first obtaining a Master Electrician Licence issued by ECRA/ESA.
