Prosecuted for doing an EICR , worrying precedent.......

[Guest111]

Agree with you mate, its the same nightmare when a carry out gas inspections. One day a chimney could be clear the next day not so - falling debris, birds nesting etc

or blocked off by an idiot roofer.A guy near me decided to replace his gas fire with an electric one as it was "faulty",I went round to give him some advice and enquired what was up with the gas fire.Apparently after it had been on for about half an hour it shut off and wouldn't light until you opened the door,A smoke test pointed to a blocked flue,a look on the roof revealed a 2x2 flag had been cemented over the "redundant" chimney by a roofer doing some repair work.

 

[odawire]

This is why I never read newspapers, "He stated he was an "electricians mate"" the daily mail turn that in to "he described himself as a "mate of an electrician"" it obvious to us its being sensationalised how many stories do people read about things they don't fully understand and get brainwashed.

 

[odawire]

"Young mother electrocuted in her flat 'because electrician who tested her leaking boiler was UNQUALIFIED" Even that headline doesn't make sense.

 

[Geoffsd]

The Press and media in general are a disgrace and, along with MPs, it would be a good idea if the were prosecuted for lying.

 

[Darkwood]

Regardless of spin and blame here to sign off an installation the signer needs to be competent to do so regardless of his title, as we has seen over the last few decades - 'Electrician' no longer holds the high title it used to, all that is needed is that anyone signing off any kind of Electrical work can prove his competence under scrutiny and justify his results for the testing... the word of the law does not state title but uses the word competent - it is then down to the defense to prove s/he is otherwise not competent.

The facts aside and pushing also the tragic events that led up to this article, it comes down to someone or numerous people faked the legitimacy of the test cert' and regardless what brought this to court they have that charge to answer to, if however during this investigation it is found that in anyway through that the negligence of this 'Electricians Mate' played a key role in the death of this women and can be proved that what he was asked to do would have prevented and shown the safety issue then he can be charged in relation to the death. As we don't know the real facts and just see the media hype we can't comment except in loose talk in a public closed area.... personally i think the hype has a positive effect as it puts the dangers across to any incompetent persons out there that one day it may catch up with them.

 

[Engineer54]

I'd would say that it's a worrying precedent that there are now so many wanna be electricians out there, that either have no clue as to what their doing, or are just faking official paperwork for monetary gain....

It's about time in my opinion, that the powers that be, start prosecution procedures far more often, and far quicker than that of the present case going through judicial system....

 

[telectrix]

just to get back to the technicalities.... if the screw had just made contact with the L conductor and the metal studding, how would an IR test have picked this up? if the cable in question was in a safe zone, and someone has screwed in within the safe zone, then why is that person not in court? finally, as i can't remember, under the 16th ed., were cables within a metal stud wall required to be RCD protected or otherwise as with 17th 522.6.103?

 

[ian.settle1]

Slightly digressing the whole newspaper/media industry wants to be overhauled as here they are rearranging facts so they can gets better sales

Then you hear that someone has been prosecuted as they have revealed the name of someone who claimed they where raped and has lifetime anominity but the person they have accussed has their name spread across the papers before they have been up in court.

I personnally think that there should be a revue of the media with tougher penalties on them for things like this.

 

[amckay]

Talking about defence and prosecution, there are lawyers who specialise in road law others in tax and some in serious crime. Does anyone know of any lawyers who specialise in our industry? It would be good to have a lawyer (if needed) who knows his stuff on the subject rather than have any random lawyer who flicks thru books trying to sort your issue when he's already got a big workload ambulance chasing.

 

[Engineer54]

There are various specialisation solicitors but they are mainly based in company/contractual law and criminal law. All the others will always use expert witnesses as their main weapon in a court of law.
Remember, when it gets to Crown and High Court proceedings, it's Barristers that do the arguing under the briefs supplied by the defendants solicitors.