Sacked for doing a good job?

[volta]

Got a call yesterday to quote for an office/factory PAT and went round there this morning. They had no idea on numbers of appliances and the previous test was done back 2011. Did a survey of 3 offices and a 2 factory floors, I guess around 200 items need testing. I decided the best policy was to quote my day rate of £400. I said it will take one and a half days and they agreed and I started the test there and then. It soon became clear that little in the way of professional installation or electrical maintenance had been done with 9 fails out of the first 38 tests. One of the 2 owners a lady in her 60's seemed grateful for me identifying the faults and even told the girls working the sewing machines that I was there to make sure they were safe. I had to tell her that due to the high number of fails it would now take 2 days to finish the job. By late morning my blood sugars were falling as I had not eaten anything and so I went home for lunch, a 6 minute drive. When I returned an hour later the male owner said he was concerned about the number of fails, so I showed him the photos I had taken on my phone as proof. He said he had been in contact with the PAT tester he normally used and wanted him to finish the job. I got the impression he wanted a 'sticker jokey' and not proper PAT tester. He said I will pay you for the day and we'll call it quits. Not wishing to to create a seen in front of the girls and without even asking why I had been fired, I said OK mate if that's what you want and left. I sent them my invoice via email and just hope it gets paid. I had to fail one out of three sewing machine tested as no earth return and never got a chance to test the rest so not sure if it was that or the extra cost causing a conflict of interest. Jugging by the flash cars parked out side the factory there not short of a few bob. Just wanted to know if anyone else had a similar experience, where your doing your best for the client but a safe working place is the least concern. I attached a few photos to show some of the things I found.

 

[camerabloke]

if thats what you have found then i agree that you did the right thing by failing them. i reckon he is after a lick and sticker

 

[Geordie Spark]

Maybe the HSE would be interested in seeing this and conduct an inspection of their own.

 

[Tiny Spark]

Unfortunately I had this very same experience.
Spent around 3 days (I think cant remember now) doing a site with similar faults and got sacked after I had finished the job!
Never did get paid

I feel sorry for the staff tbh as some of the faults are very dangerous so I hope you explained that to them.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Unfortunately I had this very same experience.
Spent around 3 days (I think cant remember now) doing a site with similar faults and got sacked after I had finished the job!
Never did get paid

I feel sorry for the staff tbh as some of the faults are very dangerous so I hope you explained that to them.

I don't think anybody would be interested in the danger aspect as long as the lights and machines are working. THIS is the reason why Trades Unions came into being.

 

[Tiny Spark]

I meant explained to the girls who were using the machines who were probably clueless about the whole thing.
Some bosses just dont care as long as they have their production going out.

These were some of the faults I found in the place I was sacked from for being "to thorough"


110v extension lead....


Another extension lead....


L&N Wrong way round.


Earth cut in half from haveing the lid forced on


Pretty obvious even with crap photos LOL

 

[oldtimer]

Well at least you took a professional approach to this as it could have ended in a bun fight and the guy say you had a bad attitude. Plus me thinks he wanted a quick gloss over and the previous crowd would have done that for him.

I had this last year where the new caretaker reckoned he knew more on PAT testing than my 38 years in the game so I promptly walked off the job and left him looking like a fool . The owner called to apologise but I said I will not take that nonsense so he pulled me in and told the caretaker to take a back seat

 

[ian.settle1]

Maybe the HSE would be interested in seeing this and conduct an inspection of their own.

Agree number of things breaking the law HSAW, PUWER, Managment of Health & Safety etc just to name a few

 

[volta]

I guess all I can do is wait and see what happens. It could be they will get there regular electrician to fix the place up, but if hes the same one that did some of the installations I saw then I don't have much faith in things improving. If I don't get paid then all I can do is threaten reporting them to HSE, maybe I should anyway.

 

[telectrix]

threaten by all means, but don't report till after you have been paid and the cheque has cleared

 

[ian.settle1]

threaten by all means, but don't report till after you have been paid and the cheque has cleared

My thoughts as well

 

[telectrix]

and if you can get a day rate of £400 in plymouth, i'm on the next train.

 

[Kate]

and if you can get a day rate of £400 in plymouth, i'm on the next train.

Hahahaha I just said that to my dad!!!! Got a customer querying my bill of 1 and a half days first fix and designing...materials AND labour £225.49!!! Chasing walls and wiring downlights without causing any damage to ceiling.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

£4 per item?? Just beggars belief!

 

[volta]

£4 per item?? Just beggars belief!

Well OK then, £4 p/i. :stooge_curly:

 

[Deleted member 72666]

Got a call yesterday to quote for an office/factory PAT and went round there this morning. They had no idea on numbers of appliances and the previous test was done back 2011. Did a survey of 3 offices and a 2 factory floors, I guess around 200 items need testing. I decided the best policy was to quote my day rate of £400. I said it will take one and a half days and they agreed and I started the test there and then. It soon became clear that little in the way of professional installation or electrical maintenance had been done with 9 fails out of the first 38 tests. One of the 2 owners a lady in her 60's seemed grateful for me identifying the faults and even told the girls working the sewing machines that I was there to make sure they were safe. I had to tell her that due to the high number of fails it would now take 2 days to finish the job. By late morning my blood sugars were falling as I had not eaten anything and so I went home for lunch, a 6 minute drive. When I returned an hour later the male owner said he was concerned about the number of fails, so I showed him the photos I had taken on my phone as proof. He said he had been in contact with the PAT tester he normally used and wanted him to finish the job. I got the impression he wanted a 'sticker jokey' and not proper PAT tester. He said I will pay you for the day and we'll call it quits. Not wishing to to create a seen in front of the girls and without even asking why I had been fired, I said OK mate if that's what you want and left. I sent them my invoice via email and just hope it gets paid. I had to fail one out of three sewing machine tested as no earth return and never got a chance to test the rest so not sure if it was that or the extra cost causing a conflict of interest. Jugging by the flash cars parked out side the factory there not short of a few bob. Just wanted to know if anyone else had a similar experience, where your doing your best for the client but a safe working place is the least concern. I attached a few photos to show some of the things I found.

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£400 x 2 days and 200 items = £4/item.

 

[Octopus]

Well I can imagine you won't be on their christmas card list!

Wonder why they didn't use their normal sticker jockey??

 

[Des 56]

Hahahaha I just said that to my dad!!!! Got a customer querying my bill of 1 and a half days first fix and designing...materials AND labour £225.49!!! Chasing walls and wiring downlights without causing any damage to ceiling.

I take it from that, you charge extra for damaging a ceiling then kate

 

[volta]

It all depends on the installation. With some well maintained installations 'sticker jockeys' can get away with slapping on a sticker for .50p and walk away knowing the client is happy cos' he got a certificate cheap. The jockey is happy cos' he fulfilled his urge to rip folk off and under cut the guys who do the job properly. With this installation not even the jockey could get away with overlooking such obvious dangers, unless he is a total idiot with no conscience.

 

[Des 56]

It all depends on the installation. With some well maintained installations 'sticker jockeys' can get away with slapping on a sticker for .50p and walk away knowing the client is happy cos' he got a certificate cheap. The jockey is happy cos' he fulfilled his urge to rip folk off and under cut the guys who do the job properly. With this installation not even the jockey could get away with overlooking such obvious dangers, unless he is a total idiot with no conscience.

It must be annoying but it is just another example of the farce that inspection and testing has become in our industry

They messed about trying to regulate what can't be regulated (domestic installation)when test and inspection, both pat and fixed installation, in all sectors, is and has been crying out for some sanity
Sanity with the level of experience and qualiification required of the individual and the standard of the inspections carried out by an enterprise

 

[Kate]

[/B]

I take it from that, you charge extra for damaging a ceiling then kate

Charge less because it's fun hahahahha.

No I was asked to not damage any other parts of ceiling so had to take longer routes...takes longer.

Turns out they dont quibble prices...looks like they have had an issue with builder and chucked them off, I was hired by builder so they see me as in cahoots with them.
Feel so sorry for them. Since the 19th of june only work that has been done was a small piece of plasterboard. So they have had no kitchen for months.

 

[Des 56]

So they have had no kitchen for months.

There is perhaps opportunity there Kate,branch out and "fit that kitchen" whilst your there

If I was to be in the trade all over from the beginning,I would become all modern and be a kitchen fitting,pipes and all, wall painting plaster boarder who does electrics as well

 

[Kate]

So they have had no kitchen for months.

There is perhaps opportunity there Kate,branch out and "fit that kitchen" whilst your there

If I was to be in the trade all over from the beginning,I would become all modern and be a kitchen fitting,pipes and all, wall painting plaster boarder who does electrics as well

Hahaha yea its an idea

The plastering is holding up kitchen fitting could never do plastering.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Unfortunately this is all too common, i take my hat off to you for standing your ground, and trying to do a good job. It is also a sad fact that possessions (cars) come out of the company budget before safety requirements.

Had similar a long time ago, a very well known garage equipment/tool importer, got proper arsy with me for replacing a £30 battery connector on a FLT charger without asking.

In the car park MD had some big fancy sports car, and son (proper little s*** he was) was running round in an RS 500 Sierra Cosworth, which was brand new, no expense spared on their cars. Sadly (tongue in cheek) the place burned down a few years ago.

Cheers..............Howard

 

[7029 dave]

£400 a day im in the wrong game!!

 

[oldtimer]

Hahahaha I just said that to my dad!!!! Got a customer querying my bill of 1 and a half days first fix and designing...materials AND labour £225.49!!! Chasing walls and wiring downlights without causing any damage to ceiling.

Kate you forgot to add VAT

 

[Kate]

Kate you forgot to add VAT

I didnt go VAT registered in the end. And the invoice was from back in june. I know im cheap, my business plan for this year is to sort that hahhaha. Especially after reading this thread....£400 a day. I could retire in a year

 

[Adam W]

Were you just there 'testing' or carrying out minor remedials as well?
By the look of it most of those items could be made to pass with a new or remade plugtop, stuffing gland etc, then you wouldn't have ended up with so many 'fails', so instead of saying "I've been really thorough so now you can't use all these items" you could say "I've been really thorough and improved the safety of all these items", which sounds a lot more positive.

 

[volta]

Were you just there 'testing' or carrying out minor remedials as well?
By the look of it most of those items could be made to pass with a new or remade plugtop, stuffing gland etc, then you wouldn't have ended up with so many 'fails', so instead of saying "I've been really thorough so now you can't use all these items" you could say "I've been really thorough and improved the safety of all these items", which sounds a lot more positive.

I did fix the plugs and then retest but the fails were coming thick and fast, some items required complete replacement/overhaul and I would need a week to sort this place properly.
e.g. the strip light, taped block connector, split flex to iron which had been taped, missing grommet/stuff gland (which I dont carry) and the no earth return on the Jap sewing machine etc. The list was just getting started.

 

[gnuuser]

I did fix the plugs and then retest but the fails were coming thick and fast, some items required complete replacement/overhaul and I would need a week to sort this place properly.
e.g. the strip light, taped block connector, split flex to iron which had been taped, missing grommet/stuff gland (which I dont carry) and the no earth return on the Jap sewing machine etc. The list was just getting started.

well you did what you were supposed to when inspecting and pat testing
pointing out the fails is proper procedure.
note that the repairs could be done by you or by another qualified spark
but that does not excuse them to ignore the issues at hand.
you may need to get legal assistance on this to get paid for your efforts
and in my opinion you should report them to the proper authorities.

 

[not clever]

Tiny spark your album is open to public view.....................like the G53 gat.......is it a paint ball lookalike?(assume it is looking at the other pics) the real thing is ****e hot.

 

[Kate]

Tiny spark your album is open to public view.....................like the G53 gat.......is it a paint ball lookalike?(assume it is looking at the other pics) the real thing is ****e hot.

Whats with the rats??

 

[Tiny Spark]

Tiny spark your album is open to public view.....................like the G53 gat.......is it a paint ball lookalike?(assume it is looking at the other pics) the real thing is ****e hot.

Its a X7 Phenom paintball gun that I modeled to look like a MP5 but with a CAR stock instead of the collapsible wire one.
Its up for sale atm LOL.

Rats are for a shooting forum I am part of Kate,
Long story lol

 

[Kate]

Its a X7 Phenom paintball gun that I modeled to look like a MP5 but with a CAR stock instead of the collapsible wire one.
Its up for sale atm LOL.

Rats are for a shooting forum I am part of Kate,
Long story lol

Job I was on today had a major rat infestation....I thought of you

 

[Tiny Spark]

Thats a bit harsh!
I always thought of myself as a cute but loud mouse LOL

 

[Kate]

I thought of you in a nice way couldnt tell who you were from photos so have no opinion...except I think of you dressed as a COD player lol or halo.

Saves pest control fee and you must have fun doing it

 

[baldelectrician]

I learned the hard way when testing.

I am half way through a void office and told the guy at he start a price per circuit, which he agreed to.
just as we'll as we found another 3 DB's went from 37 circuits to 81

as I take debit cards I took the payment for the first part of be job this week and I told him the initial results.

i make it policy to NOT tell anyone if something has passed or failed until I have finished and been paid.

i have been burnt before ( by telling people things ahead of payment) and make it clear at the start that the procedure is
1. Cost and scope sorted
2. Job done
3. Payment
4. Report
5. Remedials

 

[volta]

I learned the hard way when testing.

I am half way through a void office and told the guy at he start a price per circuit, which he agreed to.
just as we'll as we found another 3 DB's went from 37 circuits to 81

as I take debit cards I took the payment for the first part of be job this week and I told him the initial results.

i make it policy to NOT tell anyone if something has passed or failed until I have finished and been paid.

i have been burnt before ( by telling people things ahead of payment) and make it clear at the start that the procedure is
1. Cost and scope sorted
2. Job done
3. Payment
4. Report
5. Remedials

That is a very useful tip, thanks.

 

[volta]

Finally had a very short email reply from their accounts in response to my request for payment. It simply says they have posted a cheque and want the report/certificate for the completed work. I replied saying I send a combined report and certificate on receipt of full and cleared funds.
What made me laugh was the inclusion of the following...

'All our products are manufactured under strict Quality Procedures and all our workmanship is guaranteed for twelve months.

***** has achieved accreditation to the Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS).

The views or opinions present in this e-mail are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. The e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for the individual or entity to which they are addressed.'

Not sure if the sender has a sense of humor or it was a coded message for help, no way is this company a safe place to work. Just took a look at the CHAS website and all they appear to do is give a company a kind of 'HSE' pre qualifying accreditation for a fee. They don't actually come out and check if a company is a safe place to work, they just take your word for it. Anyway, if the the cheque bounces, assuming I get it, I think Ill give CHAS a call and let then know what I think of their 'accreditation scheme'. :cheesy:

 

[ling-electrical]

Had a similar situation with an EICR recently. The consumer unit was upgraded in 2010 and some remedial work carried out. There were no notifications on the original certificate, but I had flagged up 31 items (11 of them C2). The customer refused to accept that It could deteriorate so much in 3 years and it was reluctant to pay for the inspection.....Obviously it wasn't tested correctly in the first place!