S
sparkywag
Firstly, please excuse my ignorance, but i'm not a sparks so will prob be using the wrong terminology etc. Sorry!
My husband starting work recently for a company that installs heaters. Originally, they were supplied with a plug, but apparently as time has gone on, they needed a spur installing and connecting that way.
Obviously, that is no problem for my hubby
The first few jobs he went to, he had to fit spurs and connect the heaters etc then he got told he had to upgrade a consumer unit fit extra sockets in the houses, then another job he was told to break the seals at the mains as it needed connecting to the economy 7 or something. The last job he went to, he tested the circuits before he started and got bad readings so called the team leader as in his opinion the electrics wanted condemning- the team leader wasn't interested and told him to again break the seals and fit the heaters.
My husband was reluctant to do this as he was under the impression that it is illegal to break the seals- is this correct? Is it something that people do get prosecuted for? Or is he over-reacting and its standard for sparks to do this? The team leader (who isn't apprentice trained or anything just did a short course but now, on paper, is 'more' qualified than my hubby!) told him that he breaks the seals all the time and has worked live straight off the mains and to just get on with it !(forgive my ignorance but that sounds dangerous to me!)
The other thing that bothers him is the company isn't registered with niceic or napit or anything.. they do a 'test' but the paperwork doesn't get sent anywhere- they don't tell building control or anything, is this within the rules? They are very slap dash about the works (he's seen a video that the appretice took at a job where there was asbestos in a property- they called the office to advise and say they can't take the heater out, the boss called back and insisted they do otherwise they'd be sacked.. and they more fool them they did take it out without taking appropriate precautions)
The surveys are conducted properly (as the salesmen do them) so when he turns up at a property, the electrics might have seen better days and maybe should be put under more duress by adding extra heaters to the circuits.
Its putting my husband in an awkward situation as he really needs the job, but equally, he doesn't want to end up doing something illegal under orders and being held accountable for it later.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated and my hubby is really worried he may get into trouble doing this sort of job, but until he can find something else, he really has no choice as we need his income.
thanks
My husband starting work recently for a company that installs heaters. Originally, they were supplied with a plug, but apparently as time has gone on, they needed a spur installing and connecting that way.
Obviously, that is no problem for my hubby
The first few jobs he went to, he had to fit spurs and connect the heaters etc then he got told he had to upgrade a consumer unit fit extra sockets in the houses, then another job he was told to break the seals at the mains as it needed connecting to the economy 7 or something. The last job he went to, he tested the circuits before he started and got bad readings so called the team leader as in his opinion the electrics wanted condemning- the team leader wasn't interested and told him to again break the seals and fit the heaters. My husband was reluctant to do this as he was under the impression that it is illegal to break the seals- is this correct? Is it something that people do get prosecuted for? Or is he over-reacting and its standard for sparks to do this? The team leader (who isn't apprentice trained or anything just did a short course but now, on paper, is 'more' qualified than my hubby!) told him that he breaks the seals all the time and has worked live straight off the mains and to just get on with it !(forgive my ignorance but that sounds dangerous to me!)
The other thing that bothers him is the company isn't registered with niceic or napit or anything.. they do a 'test' but the paperwork doesn't get sent anywhere- they don't tell building control or anything, is this within the rules? They are very slap dash about the works (he's seen a video that the appretice took at a job where there was asbestos in a property- they called the office to advise and say they can't take the heater out, the boss called back and insisted they do otherwise they'd be sacked.. and they more fool them they did take it out without taking appropriate precautions)
The surveys are conducted properly (as the salesmen do them) so when he turns up at a property, the electrics might have seen better days and maybe should be put under more duress by adding extra heaters to the circuits.
Its putting my husband in an awkward situation as he really needs the job, but equally, he doesn't want to end up doing something illegal under orders and being held accountable for it later.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated and my hubby is really worried he may get into trouble doing this sort of job, but until he can find something else, he really has no choice as we need his income.
thanks
