Safety issue from DC cabling

Hello I’m new to the forum (posting on it anyway). I could do with some advice...
Over the last 2 years I have been subcontracted (labour only) to commission solar PV systems. Often these are newbuild properties and when I get there the panels are already on and the DC cabling done.

There is a potential issue with the DC cabling ( I.e. that it is not properly mechanically protected and is sometimes within 50mm of the finished wall surface - see my other thread for details - Flexible steel conduit as mechanical protection - https://www.electriciansforums.net/threads/flexible-steel-conduit-as-mechanical-protection.198196/

I have tried repeatedly to get the main contractor responsible for the cabling to notify their certification body to get an answer as to whether the installations need to be fixed as this is a safety issue – but no joy. They say they have spoken to their MCS inspector who says they have no problem with it. I have no written proof of this and they won’t even tell me who it is.

So does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to go forward with this? Who are the correct body to inform?
I feel it would be wrong to drop it at this stage as there is a potential danger to the householders...

If you are a labour only subcontractor then responsability for sign off and compliance presumably is with the lead contractor?

put a note on your invoice letting them know your concerns.
that way they can’t come back to you later claiming that you wilfully allowed bad practices to be covered up.

How bothered would you be to lose the contract ?

Write to the head office, stating your concerns, and asking how they think this meets regs ?
That way, you are on record as having raised it. It then puts them in the position of having to justify it - on the record in a manner that could come back to bite them. If they phone you with an explanation, ask them to confirm in writing - if they won't then write to them again setting out what you understood from the conversation and noting their refusal to confirm in writing. And if they come back with "waffle", ask them to clarify as their response doesn't answer the question.
In other words, force it to be on the record so there's no scope for "but we told X to do Y but he didn't" later on.

Do you know who will be signing off the electrical certificates ? If so, have a word with them and see what they say.

And a last suggestion if you still think things are wrong ...
Pop round and have a chat with one of the owners as soon as a house has been sold. Explain your concerns (I imagine most householders would be "interested" if being told their new house had potentially unsafe electrics) and ask if you can see the electrical certificate. Then take it up with whichever trade scam the signatory is a member of.
Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately depending on how you look at it) my mother pulled out of buying a new build (and ref the discussion about standards and heat pumps, yeah, it was all "minimum the regs permitted") and I was planning on calling in the trade scam about the non-compliances (which I had mentioned to the vendor and been assured weren't a problem) - I was rather looking forward to pressing home things like the meter tails buried about 12mm deep and not RCD protected, and the cables in the kitchen not in safe zones.

Thanks for the replies..

So, There has been a lot of emails back and forth with me asserting the non compliance and them saying they've asked their mcs inspector who says it's no problem ( no proof of this happening though ) so there's no way they can say they weren't aware..

I'm way past losing the contract! Been a thorn in their side for weeks now, although they could really be thanking me for saving them from continuing to make the same mistake ( they've stopped using the conduit now )

Annoyingly they required me to sign the electrical certificates, single signature ones, for design, construction inspection and testing of "ac and dc circuits for solar pv system" and then the quality supervisor ( also the company director ) countersigned. I naively did this for around 20 installs ( remember I didn't even install the dc cables ) before I got wise and refused to do it any more. They told me the responsibility is all theirs and I was just signing so they know who did the install..

So I could inform their certifiers. I would even be prepared to go to the householders.

Problem might be that there are 20 or so different installs ( that I personally know of.. I know there are lots more that other employees and subbies have done for the same company over the years ) and although there will undoubtedly be places where the run is less than 50mm from the surface, I don't know where.. and it's all plasterboarded up!

Any suggestions?

I just dont want the people living in the houses to be at risk.

Borneo said:

Thanks for the replies..

So, There has been a lot of emails back and forth with me asserting the non compliance and them saying they've asked their mcs inspector who says it's no problem ( no proof of this happening though ) so there's no way they can say they weren't aware..

I'm way past losing the contract! Been a thorn in their side for weeks now, although they could really be thanking me for saving them from continuing to make the same mistake ( they've stopped using the conduit now )

Annoyingly they required me to sign the electrical certificates, single signature ones, for design, construction inspection and testing of "ac and dc circuits for solar pv system" and then the quality supervisor ( also the company director ) countersigned. I naively did this for around 20 installs ( remember I didn't even install the dc cables ) before I got wise and refused to do it any more. They told me the responsibility is all theirs and I was just signing so they know who did the install..

So I could inform their certifiers. I would even be prepared to go to the householders.

Problem might be that there are 20 or so different installs ( that I personally know of.. I know there are lots more that other employees and subbies have done for the same company over the years ) and although there will undoubtedly be places where the run is less than 50mm from the surface, I don't know where.. and it's all plasterboarded up!

Any suggestions?

I just dont want the people living in the houses to be at risk.

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