Made a big mistake on a job need advice

[Nakulsharma647]

I think i was rushing to fit a new light fitting. And got some cables trapped . Long story short light fitting smoked and went black. Have replaced fitting but really knocked my confidence is this just part of the job.feeling like a damn cowboy

 

[Spoon]

I take it that only the light fitting was damaged and not any of the cable?

 

[Nakulsharma647]

I take it that only the light fitting was damaged and not any of the cable?

Some of the cabling was replaced by a more senior member of staff just to be on the safe side. Do people make mistakes like that or is it just me being hopeless

 

[Electro-tech]

Unfortunately, that is why a skilled or a Competent person with Electrical knowledge is required & especially in the workplace a senior member of staff is no substitute to being Skilled. Makes me wonder if you have heard of the Electricity at Work Act & various HSE requirements in the workplace.

 

[Nakulsharma647]

It was a cable in the light fitting terminal that got trapped and shorted. Im an apprentice.totally my fault though

 

[Nakulsharma647]

Have been assessed as competent and given work accordingly. Just a mistake on my part. Just wondered if this sort of thing happens to all.

 

[westward10]

I doubt anyone on here hasn't made a mistake which could easily have been avoided, it happens. Someone should have run a test across the circuit but it sounds like they didn't. We all learn from things like this and you will be more cautious in the future it won't take long to forget about it.
Trust me that wasn't a big mistake.

 

[snowhead]

I can say with absolute certainty that everyone makes mistakes, no matter how experienced or how long they've been doing the job.
If ever anyone denies that they've made a mistake or 2 or more then either they are lying or haven't realised they have and someone else found it.
This applies to everyone in every field of work.

I'm now retired and made plenty of mistakes over the years, plenty of minor, occassionally a major / expensive one.

 

[littlespark]

Dont worry about it.... Sh!t happens.

Could be worse.... you could be a surgeon.

 

[DPG]

I must admit I was expecting something a lot worse than that when I saw the post title.

Everyone on here will have made mistakes, it's just part of being human. It's learning from them that is the important bit.

 

[Nakulsharma647]

Thank you i do appreciate it. The complexity of the job makes me admire the pros even more. Damn it i should have done plumbing with my limited IQ

 

[DPG]

Thank you i do appreciate it. The complexity of the job makes me admire the pros even more. Damn it i should have done plumbing with my limited IQ

Bus or train driving seem to be a good option these days!

 

[Spoon]

If ever anyone denies that they've made a mistake or 2 or more then either they are liying or haven't realised they have and someone else found it.

Except for me.... I'm like Mary Poppins.... Practically perfect in every way...

 

[Electro-tech]

Thank you i do appreciate it. The complexity of the job makes me admire the pros even more. Damn it i should have done plumbing with my limited IQ

And don't forget your wetsuit.

 

[westward10]

What did your seniors have to say about it.

 

[DefyG]

All part of the learning curve ....... its a bit like a rainbow that you cant find the end of ....... so you'll never stop learning.
As said previously, everyone makes mistakes at sometime or other in their lives so just put it down to experience!

 

[OnlQQker]

 

[Nakulsharma647]

My seniors just laughed and fixed it tbh. They didnt really care. I think i was more concerned. Apparently one of them made a mistake and slightly burned down a small barn in the late 80s. Lol

 

[telectrix]

aas said by others, he who never made a mistake never made Jack Shyte. luckily for me, my memorable mistakes were nail or screw thgrough a water pipe (twice) and a drill through a gas pipe (once). gas was easiest as there was no flooding to cause dasmage or clean up. Gas off. pipe cut, couple of soldered joints and tested for leaks with a smoke lighter. OK, but I'm still here aren't I?

 

[telectrix]

And don't forget your wetsuit.

you need a negative IQ to be a wet-pants.

 

[DPG]

My seniors just laughed and fixed it tbh. They didnt really care. I think i was more concerned. Apparently one of them made a mistake and slightly burned down a small barn in the late 80s. Lol

'slightly burned down a small barn' - that's a great line.

 

[Mike Johnson]

There are those that have and those that are going to.

 

[DPG]

There are those that have and those that are going to.

Absolutely. How many on here can honestly say they've never burnt a small barn down.

 

[brianmoooore]

We all make the occasional mistake. The art is to get it all fixed before anyone notices.
Cut right through a lead gas pipe once - in a building that didn't have gas! Was back in the days when British Gas had shops on the high street, so crimped over the end that was hissing at me, and walked up the street to the shop to report it. I heard later that the occupant of a flat a couple of doors up from where I was had also called into the shop later, complaining of a lack of gas supply.

 

[littlespark]

Except for me.... I'm like Mary Poppins.... Practically perfect in every way...

Even that time you ordered pavlova instead of cheesecake....

 

[Moley]

Even that time you ordered pavlova instead of cheesecake....

Ordering pavlova is NEVER a mistake

 

[swaRRR]

A very experienced improver that i know brought down an entire airport by taking a grinder through the main comms cable into the building because he'd been told to 'rip everything out'.

Today my very experienced boss drilled through a main incomer by accident. Client plus two neighbours without power for 6 hours, potential 4-figure DNO bill incoming for the company.

I've been a builder for 19 years and about 3 months ago i was drilling into what i assumed was a double skinned brick wall, and when i went for a p!ss next door noticed it looked like Jesse James had had a shoot out in there with all the bulletholes in the wall.

My old man on his first day at a new construction company put a nail right through a main water pipe.

I fitted a dishwasher front for someone in a very expensive private newbuild estate. All the whitegood fronts i had ever used were blank on both sides and this had a template with holes so i assumed it was also blank both sides. Turns out the flip side of the front had all the holes already pre-drilled (so not sure what the point of the template was) and when i hung the door on the dishwasher all the pilot holes were on display. 50% chance of getting the right side and still got it wrong. As my dad would say, i could fall in a barrel of t*ts and still come out sucking my thumb.

Don't worry about the mistakes. You obviously care about it which means you'll learn from it.

 

[Moley]

A test engineer that I know once blacked out half of Southampton. A work mate of mine took a powerstation offline. I once caused a full fire muster at another power station. Yup, we all make mistakes

 

[swaRRR]

A test engineer that I know once blacked out half of Southampton. A work mate of mine took a powerstation offline. I once caused a full fire muster at another power station. Yup, we all make mistakes

You win lol.

 

[timhoward]

I’ve managed something spectacularly stupid right in front of a customer.
In brief I managed to push two test probes hard onto an incomer ready for a Zs test completely forgetting there was also a lead connected directly between them
(I’d been IR testing L+N to E previously, then two phone calls and a cuppa and I didn’t remember how the test leads were setup)
Fortunately it was a sub main.
The worst bit was the customer was just saying how amazing it was we know what all the wires do…..as I caused a massive spark and loud click and I couldn’t help swearing and taking a jump backwards….!
yeah - we all make mistakes!