A Form 5 is the Certificate of Electrical Compliance that WA councils ask for under the Health (Public Buildings) Regulations 1992 when the electrical installation at a public event needs certifying. If your event is open to the public, expect your council to ask about it. A private backyard party normally does not need one. I am not an electrician or a lawyer, so treat this as general information and follow your own council's event application pack.
What a Form 5 Is
The WA Department of Health says that electrical contractors performing work in a public building must submit a Form 5 certificate of electrical compliance to the local government. The certificate covers permanent and temporary electrical installations, which is why it turns up for events such as school fetes, council summer series, markets, festivals and community nights. The same page explains the electrical requirements in more detail, and you can read it on the WA Health electrical and lighting requirements page.
In plain terms, a Form 5 is a licensed electrician saying that the temporary power at your event has been looked at and is compliant. It is not the same as test and tag, which checks individual leads and equipment.
Do You Need One for Your Event?
The short answer is that it depends on whether the event is public and on what your council says. The council that approves your event decides, so the event application pack is the final word.
- A private party at home, with invited guests only, normally does not need a Form 5.
- A public event, such as a community movie night, a fundraiser open to the public or a street party, often does.
- Councils differ on timing. Some ask for the form before the event, some on the day and some shortly afterwards, so read the pack carefully.
If you are planning a council or community screening, our post on outdoor cinema hire for Perth councils covers the other documents councils usually ask for, and our compliance page has the insurance certificate, JSAs and waste management plan ready to download.
Who Signs It and What Happens on the Day
A Form 5 can only be completed by a licensed electrician. The electrician comes to site, looks over the whole electrical system and signs the certificate. That means everything connected to the event supply is in scope, not just our equipment, so tell your hire company who else will be plugging in, such as food trucks, stalls and a bar.
When you hire power from us, we arrange the electrician for you. The Form 5 is $500, added to your hire, and it is only charged when your council needs one. Under the WA Health guidance the electrical contractor submits the form to the local government, and we confirm the lodging step with you when you book.
What Gets Inspected
The WA Health page lists the standards behind the requirement: installations must comply with the supply authority requirements, AS/NZS 3000 and AS/NZS 3002, which covers shows and carnivals, along with the Health (Public Buildings) Regulations 1992. For events, the same page says temporary electrical leads must be tested and tagged to AS/NZS 3760. Council event packs add their own detail. The common themes are these.
- RCD protection on the outlets, so a fault cuts the supply instantly.
- Leads in sound condition, rated for the load, and test and tagged.
- Correct earthing of any generator.
- Leads kept off wet ground and covered where people walk.
Our own setup follows those themes. Every petrol generator and our battery inverter runs from its own earth spike, and power is distributed through RCD protected channels. Our Generator and Battery Inverter JSA sets out how we check, hand over and run the equipment.
Generators, Silent Inverters and Form 5
WA Health says the use of single phase generators of 10 kVA or less is discouraged at events, and that electrical equipment should be supplied from reticulated power or large generators. Some councils repeat that in their own event rules, and the City of Wanneroo, for example, publishes its own electrical requirements for public community events. If you are planning power for a public event, ask your council early which generator rules apply.
A silent battery inverter is an option where a generator is not suitable. It has no exhaust and no engine noise, and it costs the same as a generator, from $150 on the 3m and 5m screens and $500 on the 8m. Our guide to generators and battery inverters explains how to choose, and the generator hire page has the prices and the safety documents.
What a Form 5 Costs with Us
The Form 5 is $500, added to your generator or inverter hire, and we arrange the licensed electrician. You will find the full explanation on our Form 5 certificate page. Tell us when you book that your council needs one and when it wants it, and we will line the electrician up with the date.
A Quick Checklist Before You Apply
- Read your council's event application pack and find the electrical section.
- Note whether the council wants the Form 5 before, on the day or after the event.
- List everything that will be plugged in, including other suppliers.
- Ask which generator rules apply to your venue.
- Tell your hire company about the Form 5 when you book, not the week before.
Send the details through the contact page or call 0433 951 928 and the team will plan your power and your Form 5 together.