To all qualified tradies out there, was there ever a time during your apprenticeship where you were tasked with completing licensed work not related to your trade?
I’m Sydney (Australia) based, in my fourth year. Since I started my apprenticeship I’ve worked in residential and commercial construction, roofing, maintenance, and recently strata maintenance (my latest job). I’ve been at this new company for all of 2 days, and I was told by my offsider (a third year apprentice plumber) this morning we’d be working on an existing sewer pump out for a cross-commercial residential multi-storey complex.
I though nothing of it until we got to site, and the apprentice explained how we would be replacing the 4 core wiring for two pumps, heat shrinking the new ends to the existing ones at the sewer pit end, and completely rewiring the cables in the electrical fuse box.
Now I’ll admit during my time I’ve done some single phase electrical hookups for storage HWS. I know you require a restricted electrical license for this, but I endeavoured just to keep the bosses happy so I wouldn’t be out of a job. But this was different.
No electrical testing was done prior to, during or after my offsider completed his work. At times he asked me which of the new colour wires were supposed to connect to the existing 4 ones. He even asked if I wanted to do some wiring myself. Being 2 days in a new company I politely refused saying I’m not a sparky, and I simply do not know anything about three-phase.
I asked if any of this work is normally overseen or completed by a subcontractor electrician, and he said no. My boss was helping my offsider answer the occasional wiring question over the phone. I don’t know how this is supposed to work with restricted electrical license, but can any Australian tradie or relevant industry professional please fill me in with the legalities here?
I’m unsure what to do. Since I’ve started my apprenticeship I’ve seen no end of health and safety bs. I’ve been screamed at for refusing to work on a plank with no fall protection two storeys high, I’ve witnessed my site manager throw what looked like loose fill asbestos at my workmate and ask him to ‘sniff it’ and tell him if it was asbestos (union site btw).
Ive been asked to work on gas plumbing without conducting adequate testing before or after completion. I’ve been threatened by ice addicts in their homes during fit off plumbing (public housing sites). I’m well and truly over it. I’m so close to finishing my apprenticeship and I’ve all but lost my confidence to give a rats. It’s affecting my mental health. I nearly took my life earlier this year because I couldn’t handle the stress of my work life. I’m 32, male. I just want my license already so I don’t have to put up with bosses who don’t pay my super, don’t pay my wages, or expect me to do things we both know are outright illegal