I'm back on the tools. What the hell is wrong with these testing companies?

widdler said:

Well I'm am out of the training game for a bit..

I've got a couple of work offers but I am basically whoring myself out to whatever is paying for the foreseeable..

So I've done a full test of a primary school this week, I was handed Amtech Fastest loaded on a laptop which had all the cert data pre-loaded from someone else and I was asked to just test and fill in the blanks.


So a couple of things (bearing in mind the extent claimed 100%):

1 - Since when was it ok to 'tick' the R1&R2 having just carried out a Zs?
2 - Oh and regarding that Zs, don't look for the highest, or work out the furthest. Take it from the lowest ceiling.
3 - Since when was it acceptable to not even attempt to do IR?
4 - "Pump room? we don't go in here we just LIM it"


I've just completed a school for this company and have data they don't want because they have never had so much and don't need it.. or maybe know what it is?
I've measured current imbalances, taken thermal images and done power quality analysis on their BMS main control panels.

Oh and all the 'electrically competent person' observations I have made - that granted are not non-compliance's with BS 7671 but are non compliance's with BS 5266, The IET PAT CoP and BS 7909 to name a couple. They don't want to pass them to the customer either - probably because they don't understand them..



Basically I was given a week in the building so did everything I could in the time given. It was all tested by Thursday which left me with a day to go round double checking and carrying out inspections - but the 'QS' has chosen to change my IR readings back to LIM and my measured values of R1&R2 to 'ticks'..

What a douche!

Oh and Amtech Fastest software? What a restricting auto adjusting load of crap.




If testing companies are going to treat the testing work this way it's going to end up like PAT.



Oh, and one of the observations I made.. see if you can spot it.

View attachment 32365

Click to expand...

oracle said:

I'm back on the tools for summer. Was taken on by a large contractor and given to someone who would "show me the ropes"

He happened to be someone who I trained and assessed his 2391 practical. I was stringent about meeting all the criteria and completing results accurately.

He measures the Ze, a Zs on one socket per ring and the RCD. That's it. 10 minutes of testing then 30 minutes of fudging the rest on a tablet. Up to eight installations a day.

All the time teaching and training the guy about the importance of the job and a few years later he's a sticker jockey.

Click to expand...

Leesparkykent said:

From what I've seen most of these testing firms are a complete joke....Pittance per circuit, no real inspection and made up test results. Most customers don't care as long as they get a satisfactory report for a cheap price.

Click to expand...