PME & external scaffold

[Sintra]

Spent most of the day arguing with UKPN and EDF over a flaming scaffold. Have had this day planned for months for new 400A PME supply to go on. Bloke arrives this morning pulls up in his van and says "that can't be turned on because you have a scaffold round the building". Asked him why and his reply was that it could bring parallel earths into the building. After telling him that was bollox and demanding his supervisor crawled out from his office, he eventually turned up around lunchtime. His explanation was that the scaffold was an extraneous conductive part and that if somebody was touching the scaffold and also touching bonded extraneous parts within the building they could get a shock. Now to do this they would need to have arms longer than a fncking gorilla (or MDJ) and I mean a span of at least 7M. I then said fnck this and got a guy to attach a fly lead to the MET and got the other end brought out to the scaffold. Tested between the fly lead and the scaffold and got an impressive 140K ohms. I then asked him what value of Ib he would like me to use before I done my calculations to prove whether or not the scaffold was extraneous. At this point the 2 w4ankers disappeared with no explanations.

Totally p1ssed me off as this has just messed up the complete commissioning schedule for the job which was relying in power being changed over this weekend.

 

[Marvo]

I'd add their full names, phone numbers and office address to the opening post above and move this entire thread to the public viewable forums for Google to index. If you make peoples name --- they'll think twice before the try it on next time.

 

[Sintra]

Good idea I might do that tomorrow when I get their details of the PC. I must remember to edit my swearing though or I would be getting a week in the sin bin lol. I wouldn't care if they were justified in what they were saying but could not back their statements up with anything.

 

[JD6400]

I feel for you Sintra , and also think they are talking balls !
But before going any further you best check the connection agreement paper work or any other guideline paperwork that they have sent out for the job .
I nearly got caught on a new 650a upgrade on a farm about 4 years ago , I had luckily just checked through some of their paper work about what was required on site the day before they were due , and found a specific passage in it stating that if there was any scaffold on site they would cancel the job and charge for a rescheduled visit at a time of their discretion !
I had it removed before they arrived , but forgot to ask why it was so , and have always since just assumed it was something to do with health and safety .

Edit ; I can not say that I have noticed this on any subsequent new connection's paperwork , but I have always just made sure that no scaf is present anyway now .

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Spent most of the day arguing with UKPN and EDF over a flaming scaffold. Have had this day planned for months for new 400A PME supply to go on. Bloke arrives this morning pulls up in his van and says "that can't be turned on because you have a scaffold round the building". Asked him why and his reply was that it could bring parallel earths into the building. After telling him that was bollox and demanding his supervisor crawled out from his office, he eventually turned up around lunchtime. His explanation was that the scaffold was an extraneous conductive part and that if somebody was touching the scaffold and also touching bonded extraneous parts within the building they could get a shock. Now to do this they would need to have arms longer than a fncking gorilla (or MDJ) and I mean a span of at least 7M. I then said fnck this and got a guy to attach a fly lead to the MET and got the other end brought out to the scaffold. Tested between the fly lead and the scaffold and got an impressive 140K ohms. I then asked him what value of Ib he would like me to use before I done my calculations to prove whether or not the scaffold was extraneous. At this point the 2 w4ankers disappeared with no explanations.

Totally p1ssed me off as this has just messed up the complete commissioning schedule for the job which was relying in power being changed over this weekend.

chase it up....

then issue a fine for their delay ....

 

[Sintra]

I feel for you Sintra , and also think they are talking balls !
But before going any further you best check the connection agreement paper work or any other guideline paperwork that they have sent out for the job .
I nearly got caught on a new 650a upgrade on a farm about 4 years ago , I had luckily just checked through some of their paper work about what was required on site the day before they were due , and found a specific passage in it stating that if there was any scaffold on site they would cancel the job and charge for a rescheduled visit at a time of their discretion !
I had it removed before they arrived , but forgot to ask why it was so , and have always since just assumed it was something to do with health and safety .

Edit ; I can not say that I have noticed this on any subsequent new connection's paperwork , but I have always just made sure that no scaf is present anyway now .

Unfortunately this isn't my scaffolding to remove. Saying that it's 7 storeys high for the guys replacing the window frames and washing the outside of the building. It's not due to be dismantled for another month.

 

[Sintra]

Been hunting about online and found this document issued by UKPN. https://www.dropbox.com/s/eh6izlma57sll30/EDS+06-0017+Customer+Installation+Earthing+Design.pdf

This extract appears to say that the scaffold can stay.

 

[JD6400]

Oh ferk !

 

[JD6400]

Good find !
But it may be prudent just to check over that paperwork , as to be honest I would say if they have stated the same as they did to me , it would take precedence !?

 

[Marvo]

Been hunting about online and found this document issued by UKPN. https://www.dropbox.com/s/eh6izlma57sll30/EDS+06-0017+Customer+Installation+Earthing+Design.pdf

This extract appears to say that the scaffold can stay.

Cool, so my original advice stands, make their names --- in the public forums.