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Electrical Kōwhai (Yellow) SSSP — Parallel PCBU 2 (Subcontractor with own H&S System)

A Site-Specific Safety Plan for mid-sized to large NZ electrical firms with their own documented H&S management system, working alongside a Main Contractor on a larger project. Operates in parallel under HSWA s34 — not adopting the Main Contractor's framework. Often ISO 45001-aligned or HSWA-aligned, with an internal H&S Officer or Coordinator.

⚖️HSWA s34 coordination framing throughout
📄Maps to your own H&S system + EWRB licensing + AS/NZS 4836
🇳🇿Acknowledgment (not Acceptance) workflow with the Main Contractor
NZD 395
Instant Download

Editable DOCX · Instant download · Use across as many projects as you operate · Issue per-project to any Main Contractor running the site.

For established electrical firms that already operate SiteWise-prequalified, ISO 45001 aligned, or insurer-rated H&S systems. The Kōwhai pack lets your evidence of due diligence (HSWA s44) reflect your firm's own management framework rather than adopting someone else's. Multiple sections are rewritten for parallel operation — §2, §3, §10, §17, §19, §20, §21, §23 — while the technical electrical content (hazard register, §12 Electrical Safety, §6 Legislation, plant, PPE, training, asbestos, substances) is byte-identical with Kākāriki and Whero.

Don't adopt the Main Contractor's framework

Your H&S system is what your insurer audits, your prequal grade depends on, and your officer due-diligence record references. Adopting the Main Contractor's framework wholesale breaks that audit trail.

HSWA s34 is the legal anchor

Section 34 of HSWA requires PCBUs sharing duties at a workplace to consult, cooperate, and coordinate — not for one to operate under the other. The Kōwhai pack is structured around that legal reality.

Acknowledgment, not Acceptance

The §2.3 block is labelled Main Contractor Acknowledgment, not Acceptance. They're confirming s34 coordination, not approving your H&S system. This is the wording an auditor expects to see when you operate in parallel.

Who this is for

Larger electrical firms (15+ staff) with an in-house H&S team
You have an H&S Officer or Coordinator separate from the Director, an internal hazard register, training matrix, incident-reporting system, and audit cycle.
Specialty firms — industrial control, HV, switchboard manufacturers
Mature internal systems carried between projects. Kōwhai's §2.1 PCBU duties list and §3 Roles table align with how you actually operate.
Electrical firms with ISO 45001 or equivalent
The Kōwhai §21 worker-engagement section aligns with ISO 45001 management-of-change and consultation clauses; §20 dual-incident-register supports ISO incident reporting.
Multi-site electrical contractors
Your H&S system travels with you between projects rather than being absorbed into each Main Contractor's framework.

If you don't have a documented company-level H&S management system, Kōwhai will read as aspirational rather than descriptive. Buy Kākāriki instead ($100 cheaper and structurally correct for that position). If you run the site, you need Whero.

What's inside the template

30+ pages · Formats: DOCX

  • Cover & Document ControlProject, NZBN, version, revision history, sign-off pages.
  • 1. Scope of Electrical WorkMains, ELV, data, fire alarm, security, PV/DC, switchboard work.
  • 2. Issued as Parallel PCBU 2Submitted by [Company Name] as PCBU 2 operating in parallel under HSWA s34; coordinates with — not adopts — the Main Contractor's Whero SSSP.
  • 2.1. PCBU Duties (parallel-operation version)Ten bullets: s36 primary, s37 workplace controller (own-controlled areas), s34 coordination, own H&S policy, training matrix, internal audit, own RPE programme, dual notifiable-event reporting.
  • 2.3. Main Contractor Acknowledgment (not Acceptance)Crucial wording difference — Main Contractor acknowledges your SSSP, they do not accept it. They're confirming s34 coordination, not approving your internal H&S system.
  • 3. Roles, Responsibilities, Officer Duties (7 rows)PCBU 2 (parallel), Officer, H&S Officer / Coordinator (new), Crew Lead, HSR where elected (new), Electrician (worker), Apprentice.
  • 4. Critical Risks for Electrical WorkElectrocution, arc flash (AS/NZS 4836), capacitor discharge, falls, asbestos in pre-2000 fittings.
  • 5. Hazard Register (30 rows)5×5 inherent scored, controls drafted, residual re-scored — identical to Kākāriki.
  • 6. Legislation (35+ rows)Electricity Act 1992, ESR 2010, AS/NZS 3000:2018, AS/NZS 3012, AS/NZS 4836, AS/NZS 5033, AS/NZS 4777, IEC 60900 / 60903.
  • 7. Hierarchy of ControlsEliminate → substitute → engineering → admin → PPE.
  • 8. Task Analyses IndexWorking dead, LOTO, switchboard, PV/DC isolation, live testing, cable pulling at heights, confined-space cable work.
  • 9. Hazardous Substances Register (internal)PVC fume, capacitor electrolyte, transformer oil, solder flux, contact cleaner. Internal SDS register.
  • 10. Notifiable Work Decision (parallel notification)As PCBU 2 you notify WorkSafe NZ directly for events from your own work. Main Contractor notified in parallel under s34. Where doubt exists, both PCBUs coordinate to ensure a single accurate notification within the statutory window.
  • 11. Asbestos Awareness — pre-2000 electrical fittingsBakelite, switchgear backing boards, meter boards — five-step stop-work protocol.
  • 12. Electrical Safety (the core technical section)Working Dead, LOTO, PD-T-PD, AS/NZS 4836 arc-flash, live-work permits, switchboard, PV/DC isolation, equipotential bonding.
  • 13. Working at HeightsFive-level hierarchy + ladder rules + harness anchors.
  • 14. Plant and Equipment RegisterFluke testers, multimeters, insulation testers, RCD testers, IEC 60900 insulated tools, IEC 60903 gloves. AS/NZS 3760 Table 4 — 3-monthly T&T.
  • 15. PPE RegisterAS/NZS 4836-matched arc-flash PPE category, IEC 60903 insulated gloves, AS/NZS 1337.1 eye, hearing, AS/NZS 2210.3 footwear.
  • 16. Training & Competency Matrix (internal)EWRB Practising Licence verification protocol. NZQA 17600 heights, 23966 EWP, 13053 scaffold, 6401 first aid. Internal matrix owned by H&S Officer.
  • 17. Emergency Response (parallel)Your own internal emergency procedure for incidents in your work area. Main Contractor leads site-wide emergency response; your procedure interfaces with theirs under s34.
  • 18. First Aid ArrangementsKit location, qualified first-aider, eyewash for chemical splash.
  • 19. Internal Toolbox + Site-Wide ToolboxYour own internal toolbox (company procedures, training updates, audit findings) + attendance at Main Contractor's site-wide toolbox. Not one or the other — both.
  • 20. Internal Incident Register (dual-register protocol)Incidents recorded in your own register and reported to the Main Contractor's site-wide register under s34. Notifiable events: you notify WorkSafe NZ directly; Main Contractor notified in parallel.
  • 21. Worker Engagement (internal + s34)HSWA s58–67 + Schedule 2 HSR override + internal H&S consultation framework + s34 coordination with Main Contractor.
  • 22. Environmental ControlsCable offcut disposal, capacitor/battery recycling, transformer-oil spill containment.
  • 23. Sign-Off (PCBU 2 Parallel + Main Contractor Acknowledgment + Crew Lead)Main Contractor block is labelled Acknowledgment, not Acceptance.

How this template compares

The differentiator between the three electrical tiers is PCBU position under HSWA — not trade content.

FeatureKākāriki (Green)Kōwhai (Yellow) — this packWhero (Red)
PCBU positionSub UNDER main contractorSub IN PARALLEL with main contractorMain contractor (PCBU 1)
HSWA framings36 + adoption of PCBU 1 frameworks36 + s37 + s34 (own system + coordination)s36 + s37 + s34 + s44 + s56
Main Contractor sign-offAcceptanceAcknowledgment (not Acceptance)N/A — you are PCBU 1
WorkSafe notificationThrough Main ContractorDirect + Main Contractor in parallelDirect (you are the notifying entity)
Toolbox meetingsSite-wide onlyInternal + site-wide attendanceRuns site-wide toolbox
Roles table5 rows7 rows (+ H&S Officer + HSR)8 rows (+ Site Manager + Subcontractor Liaison)
Incident registerInto Main Contractor's site registerDual register — own + Main ContractorSite-wide register (accepts subcontractor reports)
Best forSmall / mid electrical firms under PCBU 1Larger electrical firms with own H&S systemElectrician running the site (residential rewire, sole-trade PV)
PriceNZD $295NZD $395NZD $495

Reviewed by OH Professionals

This SSSP was reviewed by occupational health and safety professionals against current NZ electricity legislation, the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, and the AS/NZS standards governing electrical work in New Zealand. Arc-flash protocol cross-checked against AS/NZS 4836; insulated tool and glove standards against IEC 60900 / 60903. The Kōwhai-specific parallel-operation framing was drafted to match WorkSafe NZ overlapping-PCBU guidance for HSWA s34 coordination.

Legislation referenced

Frequently asked

How do I know if my firm has a "documented H&S management system"?+
You have a written H&S policy (not just a section in your employee handbook), a documented risk-management procedure you actually follow on every job, a training matrix that tracks every worker's competencies and refresher dates, an internal incident-reporting form, and an audit or review cycle that happens at a known cadence. If you have all five, Kōwhai is appropriate. If you have some but not all, you may be operating closer to Kākāriki tier in practice.
We have a SafetyCulture / iAuditor subscription. Does that count?+
Closer than nothing, but the system is the documented framework — the policy, procedures, audit programme. The tool is just where the records are stored. If you've built your SafetyCulture templates around a written H&S policy and a defined risk-management procedure, then yes. If you're using SafetyCulture to fill in forms but the underlying framework isn't written down, no.
The Main Contractor says they need to "accept" my SSSP. Does that mean I should buy Kākāriki?+
Possibly. Some Main Contractors use "accept" loosely to mean "review and confirm". If they're asking you to adopt their H&S framework as your project framework, that's Kākāriki territory. If they're asking you to submit your own framework for them to coordinate with, that's Kōwhai territory. Ask the Main Contractor directly — and if you're unsure, Kākāriki is the safer default.
Can a sole-trader electrician be Kōwhai-tier?+
Theoretically yes if you have a written H&S management system, but rare in practice. Most sole traders and small firms operate at Kākāriki tier when subcontracting.
Does it cover PV / solar work?+
Yes. The §12 Electrical Safety section covers PV/DC isolation under AS/NZS 5033 + AS/NZS 4777, with DC arc-flash considerations. Suitable for both grid-tied and stand-alone PV install work.