Building permits for lights?
The Insight
External lighting installations are often used for the illumination of areas such as sports fields, pedestrian pathways, vehicular roadways and carparks. These lights can take the form of freestanding lighting pole structures.
When designing these external lights, building approval requirements often go unnoticed.
“A building permit? But our external light is not a building, nor is it attached to a building?”
Similarly, proper electrical safety requirements are unknown.
“We are just changing this fitting to LED, why we do need an RCD?”
It is essential for designers to be aware of building requirements and follow any updates to relevant electrical standards.
The Impact
In Victoria, if a new lighting pole installation exceeds a height of 8m, then a building permit is required.
This building approval requirement is atypical for external lighting pole installations as they are not generally associated with buildings. It applies to tall pole installations like sports-lighting and vehicular lighting systems and serves to ensure that lighting poles are structurally sound.
Another overlooked requirement in external lighting installations is the implementation of Residual Current Devices (RCDs) which reduce the harm of ongoing electrical shocks. With the update to the electrical wiring standards in AS/NZ3000, RCDs now hold a pivotal role in electrical safety.
For external lighting installations, this means those transitioning to LED may require review and update of the electrical supply circuits to meet current electrical wiring standards.
Save yourself the shock, keep up to date and in touch with your local builder certifier.