Hundreds of thousands of Australian tradies are set for a productivity boost with compliance standards to be available together on mobile for the first time.  

Standards Australia’s new mobile model is designed to give tradespeople, technicians and workers the ability to view standards on work sites in real time via their mobile phones, with price, convenience and safety as key drivers. 

The improved approach should also benefit home-owners by making it easier for tradespeople to have the standards they need to be able to do their jobs on hand all the time. 

“At a time when cost of living pressures are affecting us all, Standards Australia is delighted to announce this improved system that aims to give hundreds of thousands of tradies the choice of a lower cost, easy-to-access digital solution to work safely, efficiently and profitably,” says Adrian O’Connell, Standards Australia’s CEO. 

“Standards Australia has been investing heavily in new distribution models. Over the next 12 months, we will offer mobile access to standards that workers and supervisors use every day. By moving to modern mobile delivery, and away from PDF’s, we are firmly getting standards into the hands of tradies, right on their mobile phones.” 

“We hope the new system will provide five key benefits for tradespeople - boosting safety, productivity, compliance and convenience and at the same time reducing the cost they pay for standards publications every year.” 

“Workplace safety remains an ongoing challenge in Australia, and any efforts to improve safety on worksites with adoption of standards is a good initiative.” 

The cost to the Australian economy each year from work-related injuries and illnesses is $28.6 billion. (2) 

Mr O’Connell said the electrical and technology industries would particularly benefit from the introduction of new app subscription options. In 2021, 143,000 Australians were employed as electricians, which is forecast to rise 10.2% to 157,700 by 2026. (1) 

The main industries employing electricians are construction (68%), manufacturing (7%), mining (6.2%), electricity, gas, water and waste services (5,6%) and other industries (13.2%). (3) 

Electricians are usually young, with only 6.8% aged over 60, making mobile access for standards a logical choice. (4) 

The peak industry body representing the interests of the electrical and communications contracting industry across Australia - the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) - has welcomed Standards Australia's announcement. 

“There has been much speculation about how this new delivery model for Australian Standards would take shape,” says NECA CEO, Oliver Judd. 

“I’m pleased that NECA and Standards Australia have been able to work together to achieve a result which will see NECA able to work towards offering access to more than 20 electrical standards to all Australian electricians for under $100 per year." 

“This is a fantastic result for industry and one which will not only ensure the nation’s electricians have access to the latest information but will also strengthen safety for both tradies and the wider community." 

Under the new model, an electrician could select 22 commonly used electrical standards (including future updates) and pay an annual fee of approximately $90. For comparison, an electrician would currently expect to pay $208 for an online version of the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules (AS/NZS 3000:2018 Electrical Installations).  

As well as electricians, this model may be useful for other trades and occupations, with users able to select their own Australian Standards to make sure they have the resources they need to be able to do their jobs.

For example, a builder needing access to the primary referenced standards in the National Construction Code (NCC) would pay approximately $100 per year for access on a mobile app. 

This new initiative is part of a broader program by Standards Australia to make standards more affordable and accessible for users. Standards Australia will continue to consult with industry in the coming months to tailor and test its offering and will also work with its partners on delivery for this program. It hopes the first distributors will be ready with apps in the market by the end of 2023.