Residential Electric fences are governed by law as stipulated in the SANS 10222-3-2023 document.
What you need to know:
All users (owners/tenants/body corporates) must have a COC certificate for the electric fence.
Failure to obtain a COC certificate is a criminal offence
The COC certificate is valid indefinitely, but if the property change ownership, a COC certificate must be presented, not older than two years.
If major changes are done to the fence or energizer, a new COC certificate must be issued.
Installation of electric fences must comply with safety and installation regulations as stipulated in the SANS document. If it does not, your fence is illegal, and the user make him/herself liable to prosecution.
If someone sustains an injury from a non-compliant electric fence (even a burglar), the owner may face criminal prosecution.
An overview visual inspection of the fence must be done every month (Annex H1.3 of SANS)
A detailed inspection must be done every 3 months (Annex H 1.4 of SANS)
It is the responsibility of the user to make sure that the fence is properly maintained, inspections are done, and the fence complies with the regulations.
Inspections and maintenance can be done by the user, but it is highly recommended that the maintenance and 3-month in-depth inspection is done by a qualified and registered electric fence company.
It is also recommended that a record is kept of the maintenance and inspections. (Blanc record attached)
