Made a big mistake on a job need advice

Nakulsharma647 · Aug 1, 2022

I think i was rushing to fit a new light fitting. And got some cables trapped . Long story short light fitting smoked and went black. Have replaced fitting but really knocked my confidence is this just part of the job.feeling like a damn cowboy

DefyG · Aug 1, 2022

All part of the learning curve ....... its a bit like a rainbow that you cant find the end of ....... so you'll never stop learning.
As said previously, everyone makes mistakes at sometime or other in their lives so just put it down to experience!

OnlQQker · Aug 1, 2022

[ElectriciansForums.net] Made a big mistake on a job need advice

Nakulsharma647 · Aug 1, 2022

My seniors just laughed and fixed it tbh. They didnt really care. I think i was more concerned. Apparently one of them made a mistake and slightly burned down a small barn in the late 80s. Lol

telectrix · Aug 1, 2022

aas said by others, he who never made a mistake never made Jack Shyte. luckily for me, my memorable mistakes were nail or screw thgrough a water pipe (twice) and a drill through a gas pipe (once). gas was easiest as there was no flooding to cause dasmage or clean up. Gas off. pipe cut, couple of soldered joints and tested for leaks with a smoke lighter. OK, but I'm still here aren't I?

telectrix · Aug 1, 2022

Electro-tech said:
And don't forget your wetsuit.

you need a negative IQ to be a wet-pants.

DPG · Aug 1, 2022

Nakulsharma647 said:
My seniors just laughed and fixed it tbh. They didnt really care. I think i was more concerned. Apparently one of them made a mistake and slightly burned down a small barn in the late 80s. Lol

'slightly burned down a small barn' - that's a great line.

Mike Johnson · Aug 1, 2022

There are those that have and those that are going to.

DPG · Aug 1, 2022

Mike Johnson said:
There are those that have and those that are going to.

Absolutely. How many on here can honestly say they've never burnt a small barn down.

brianmoooore · Aug 1, 2022

We all make the occasional mistake. The art is to get it all fixed before anyone notices.
Cut right through a lead gas pipe once - in a building that didn't have gas! Was back in the days when British Gas had shops on the high street, so crimped over the end that was hissing at me, and walked up the street to the shop to report it. I heard later that the occupant of a flat a couple of doors up from where I was had also called into the shop later, complaining of a lack of gas supply.

littlespark · Aug 1, 2022

Spoon said:
Except for me.... I'm like Mary Poppins.... Practically perfect in every way...

Even that time you ordered pavlova instead of cheesecake....

Moley · Aug 1, 2022

littlespark said:
Even that time you ordered pavlova instead of cheesecake....

Ordering pavlova is NEVER a mistake

swaRRR · Aug 1, 2022

A very experienced improver that i know brought down an entire airport by taking a grinder through the main comms cable into the building because he'd been told to 'rip everything out'.

Today my very experienced boss drilled through a main incomer by accident. Client plus two neighbours without power for 6 hours, potential 4-figure DNO bill incoming for the company.

I've been a builder for 19 years and about 3 months ago i was drilling into what i assumed was a double skinned brick wall, and when i went for a p!ss next door noticed it looked like Jesse James had had a shoot out in there with all the bulletholes in the wall.

My old man on his first day at a new construction company put a nail right through a main water pipe.

I fitted a dishwasher front for someone in a very expensive private newbuild estate. All the whitegood fronts i had ever used were blank on both sides and this had a template with holes so i assumed it was also blank both sides. Turns out the flip side of the front had all the holes already pre-drilled (so not sure what the point of the template was) and when i hung the door on the dishwasher all the pilot holes were on display. 50% chance of getting the right side and still got it wrong. As my dad would say, i could fall in a barrel of t*ts and still come out sucking my thumb.

Don't worry about the mistakes. You obviously care about it which means you'll learn from it.

Moley · Aug 1, 2022

A test engineer that I know once blacked out half of Southampton. A work mate of mine took a powerstation offline. I once caused a full fire muster at another power station. Yup, we all make mistakes

swaRRR · Aug 1, 2022

Moley said:
A test engineer that I know once blacked out half of Southampton. A work mate of mine took a powerstation offline. I once caused a full fire muster at another power station. Yup, we all make mistakes

You win lol.

timhoward · Aug 1, 2022

I’ve managed something spectacularly stupid right in front of a customer.
In brief I managed to push two test probes hard onto an incomer ready for a Zs test completely forgetting there was also a lead connected directly between them

(I’d been IR testing L+N to E previously, then two phone calls and a cuppa and I didn’t remember how the test leads were setup)
Fortunately it was a sub main.
The worst bit was the customer was just saying how amazing it was we know what all the wires do…..as I caused a massive spark and loud click and I couldn’t help swearing and taking a jump backwards….!
yeah - we all make mistakes!