Scary or Safe? Legal or Seagull?

[Burnt Fingers]

Before anyone thinks it - its not me. I stick to FCU's and baby stuff and I do Minor works forms for changing an accessory because I think i should at my level of competence.

OK - Chap aged a lil older than me (Qualified 1979 no training since) will do domestic CU changes and rewires without any fear, even does special locations, without concerns because he says he has years of experience and he is a Qualified Electrician.
No tests no certs, just wire and fire. I have a Multifunction Tester, that I use, and he just looks at me like I am wearing a dress.

Now I need to do a Part P Limited Scope Course (waits for eggs, bricks and bottles to fly in) because i might want to add a spur in a kitchen, or even....use a mains CCTV camera outside. Consequently I have worked with this bloke for some experience (no touchy just learny) and frankly I have a far better grasp of 7621 and building regs, Inc P.

I have seen him do a lot of things that I would not. I think I should probably not work with him, but, my question is - is this a common situation?

I am very experienced and unqualified so I restrict what I do. But I suspect wht he is doing might actually be a Criminal Offence. At risk of being punched in the face by way of reply, what do you lot think?

 

[GLENNSPARK]

:smilielol5:that made me chuckle, you got a thanks for that LOL

theres nothing i wont do for a little bit of exposure...

 

[GLENNSPARK]

:smilielol5:that made me chuckle, you got a thanks for that LOL

so... does that make us `chuckle brovvers` Mike?
just think...
we could go round wirin stuff up on the cheap....just like a pair of chuckle brothers....
i can be called Barry...and you can be Paul...

 

[MDJ]

LOL, I love the chuckle brothers, and you would definately be barry, to me to you

 

[GLENNSPARK]

LOL, I love the chuckle brothers, and you would definately be barry, to me to you

to you..to me...to you...
what a bloody pair....
it`s only like what you sees when your goin round though isn`t it...
stuff thats been wired by Messrs. Chuckle....

 

[ipf]

Most of the sparks had meggars (IR testers) due to the fact we installed plenty of pyro, but that was about it for virtually all of them LMAO.

Not much to go wrong with other cables then, was there :blush5:

On pyro it was full IR tests and continuity and tape marking, as you indicate.
My AVO was for continuity and fault finding, but very rarely can I remember using a loop impedance tester prior to the 90's. And as for testing ELCB's, well, if it operated something was wrong......get the AVO and meggar out.

 

[Burnt Fingers]

Oh come on its a typo.......geeze you are hard to please. I bet none of you lot are familiar with the nasogastric intubation of equines...and it was late...and i was scared to ask...now I wish I had kept quiet.

Do I get anyone on my side if I said i had to point out to him that RCD offers no overcurrent protection? Yea? Scary innit.

 

[baldsparkies]

Its like the guy who walks into a warehouse and an entire row of low bays arent working. A 10 amp mcb is out.
Now no spark would turn that breaker on whilst his mate listens and watches for the pop bang wizz and says its that one.
Or the breaker stays in because the fault has blown out and all the low bays are working bar one.
Of course not. No one has done that. We all get our test kit out and spend an entire day finding the fault.
Why ??? well because your boss respects the fact that your doing the job properly doesnt he. He wants you to spend the whole day there and possibly a second day. Your a qualified sparks he would expect no less from you. And when you have found and rectified the fault (2 days) later he will pat you on the back and say well done, I'm proud of you.

 

[Sparkytlec]

My old boss use to fill in test Certs in the bar at his cricket club in the evening then sign my name on them even though the job hadn't even seen a test kit. The only tester we had on site was our trusty martindale 3 neon socket tester and a RS 2 probe voltage / continuity tester. We weren't allowed to use the test kit incase it got damaged as it was so expensive. There was no such thing as calibration either. I'm glad he's retired!

 

[Guitarist]

My old boss use to fill in test Certs in the bar at his cricket club in the evening then sign my name on them even though the job hadn't even seen a test kit. The only tester we had on site was our trusty martindale 3 neon socket tester and a RS 2 probe voltage / continuity tester. We weren't allowed to use the test kit incase it got damaged as it was so expensive. There was no such thing as calibration either. I'm glad he's retired!

It's a good job the families of all those who have lost loved ones over the last few years due to this kind of practice don't read these forums. People like your old boss are the worst kind of criminal in my eyes.

 

[Rockingit]

Now, I'm respectful of 'old school'. Old school built most of this country back together after the war, and through the decades after and nearly all of us see, live and breath old school work everyday.
But times change, don't they? Old school also used to drive home without a seatbelt after Friday night at the pub, eat a fry-up every morning, drag a woodbine every ten minutes, let the kids roam out till dark eating choccy..... and so on. Technology, understanding and education all move on. My very first mobile phone is now a museum exhibit (science museum really do have one on display!) ...... why am I not still using it?

 

[ipf]

Now, I'm respectful of 'old school'. Old school built most of this country back together after the war, and through the decades after and nearly all of us see, live and breath old school work everyday.
But times change, don't they? Old school also used to drive home without a seatbelt after Friday night at the pub, eat a fry-up every morning, drag a woodbine every ten minutes, let the kids roam out till dark eating choccy..... and so on. Technology, understanding and education all move on. My very first mobile phone is now a museum exhibit (science museum really do have one on display!) ...... why am I not still using it?

I remember roaming 'till dark but can't remember eating all that choccy....the odd apple maybe, nicked from a tree in one of the nice gardens. :drool5:

 

[MDJ]

I'm Glad things have moved on and improved, as mentioned in my previous post I was able to test my Jobs on the company I worked for in the nineties and tested everyone else's, and surprisingly found lots of faults LOL, times change and rightly so, think about Health and safety in the 70s? or lack of it and then what it is like today.

 

[baldsparkies]

Times have moved on tis true. Some for the better, some not.
The pressure put on sparkies to take short cuts as always been there. And driven by the bosses after a quick turn around and fast buck.
How many times have we arrived on a new contact to find H&S, PPE, site induction, paperwork that crosses T's and dots the I's taking top priority.

And how quickly all that is forgotten as the contract comes to a close. With penalty clauses calling for a thousand pounds a day.
Off come the hard hats. In comes all that high level access gear that was banned on site, ladders, platforms. 3 or 4 trades scrabbling in a small room to get there bit finished.
And then surprise surprise an accident happens.
At the end of the day, everyone wants to be seen doing the right thing provided it doesnt cost to much money.

 

[rocker]

There is, and always will be, old fellas who's arrogance stop them learning anything new, just as there will always be young fellas who think they know everything because they've sat in a classroom for a few months. It's the way it is. What you have to do is do what you know is right, and just regard them as the fools they are.

 

[ipf]

I remember about 30 years ago working in a massive scampi production plant. We were installing supplies to machines and a bloke in his late 40's came working on site sorting problems. He was a brilliant engineer, really clever and quick with any electrical problem. I found him one day, working alone, about 30ft up a ladder, pulling all sorts of live cables in a trunking. 'just getting the job done quick' was his explanation.
Never saw him again but I heard that he died on the job of a heart attack a few months later. A bit of a cover up as regards the full details but it goes to show, it CAN happen to the brilliant ones.

 

[RWJ]

I remember about 30 years ago working in a massive scampi production plant. We were installing supplies to machines and a bloke in his late 40's came working on site sorting problems. He was a brilliant engineer, really clever and quick with any electrical problem. I found him one day, working alone, about 30ft up a ladder, pulling all sorts of live cables in a trunking. 'just getting the job done quick' was his explanation.
Never saw him again but I heard that he died on the job of a heart attack a few months later. A bit of a cover up as regards the full details but it goes to show, it CAN happen to the brilliant ones.

That's sad to hear

 

[baldsparkies]

There is, and always will be, old fellas who's arrogance stop them learning anything new, just as there will always be young fellas who think they know everything because they've sat in a classroom for a few months. It's the way it is. What you have to do is do what you know is right, and just regard them as the fools they are.

Very well said.
Classroom or out on the job. Young or old. You will NEVER know it all. And you are NEVER to old to learn.
For those old uns who think they know more than the younger guys, think again !!
I am 60 this year, and have often gained useful knowledge from those many years my junior.
At the same time I have often been thanked by those I have helped out.
Its not a competition to those of us who take pride in our trade.
Respect is something you have to earn.
Arrogance and a know it all attitude will leave you with few friends, and little respect.

 

[7029 dave]

Very well said.
Classroom or out on the job. Young or old. You will NEVER know it all. And you are NEVER to old to learn.
For those old uns who think they know more than the younger guys, think again !!
I am 60 this year, and have often gained useful knowledge from those many years my junior.
At the same time I have often been thanked by those I have helped out.
Its not a competition to those of us who take pride in our trade.
Respect is something you have to earn.
Arrogance and a know it all attitude will leave you with few friends, and little respect.

Ditto all the way!!