Does this look, feel, smell or sound right? - Categorising Observations

[fivevoltlogic]

I was surfing through one of the electrical training groups on Facebook yesterday and came across this question from an AM2 prep course:

Name the categories of observations when certifying an installation

There were 4 points to fill in after that.

Initially I thought of the C1-C3 and FI codes, but then thought that these being the codes for EICR wouldn't be useful when certifying as the EICR is a report of condition. You can't certify anything with a C1 present, right? You'd be certifying something that isn't satisfactory...

My only other thought was that it could be referring to your senses of sight, touch, smell and hearing used to inspect during initial verification. (Please don't lick things).

I commented this and the guy was flabbergasted at my suggestion. Someone else commented C1-C3 and FI which was the answer accepted by the original poster.

My question is, is this just a ---- poor wording of a question where they are actually looking for C1, C2, C3, FI, or is it looking for something else, and am I right, or have I missed another obvious answer?

I did have a look through the regs and code breaker for info - I didn't go as far as getting GN3 out though, it was on the other side of the room.

Thanks and looking forward to some learned input.

Will

 

[DPG]

I was surfing through one of the electrical training groups on Facebook yesterday and came across this question from an AM2 prep course:

There were 4 points to fill in after that.

Initially I thought of the C1-C3 and FI codes, but then thought that these being the codes for EICR wouldn't be useful when certifying as the EICR is a report of condition. You can't certify anything with a C1 present, right? You'd be certifying something that isn't satisfactory...

My only other thought was that it could be referring to your senses of sight, touch, smell and hearing used to inspect during initial verification. (Please don't lick things).

I commented this and the guy was flabbergasted at my suggestion. Someone else commented C1-C3 and FI which was the answer accepted by the original poster.

My question is, is this just a ---- poor wording of a question where they are actually looking for C1, C2, C3, FI, or is it looking for something else, and am I right, or have I missed another obvious answer?

I did have a look through the regs and code breaker for info - I didn't go as far as getting GN3 out though, it was on the other side of the room.

Thanks and looking forward to some learned input.

Will

I suppose it depends what they mean by certifying an installation. It doesn't say a new installation, so it may be referring to issuing an EICR on an existing one.

It's one of those typical questions that could do with a few more words and a bit less vagueness maybe.

 

[fivevoltlogic]

I suppose it depends what they mean by certifying an installation. It doesn't say a new installation, so it may be referring to issuing an EICR on an existing one.

It's one of those typical questions that could do with a few more words and a bit less vagueness maybe.

The wording of a lot of these is absolutely shocking. I've just gone back to the original post and they've mentioned GN3 page 166 so it really was my fault for not getting up off my butt and walking across the room last night then.. I'll have to check it when I'm home.

What got me though was the thought that an EICR being issued isn't certifying anything, existing installation or not. It's merely reporting on the condition. Or is an EICR considered a certificate?

Thanks for your reply

Edit: added a paragraph

 

[DPG]

The wording of a lot of these is absolutely shocking. I've just gone back to the original post and they've mentioned GN3 page 166 so it really was my fault for not getting up off my butt and walking across the room last night then.. I'll have to check it when I'm home.

Thanks for your reply!

Yeah I've seen some shocking questions over the years. No excuse for it.

 

[loz2754]

You're quite correct. It's a poorly worded and misleading question.
There are no forms of certificate in BS7671 that have an entry for observations.
Only on an EICR do we find a section for observations, with the classification codes C1, C2, C3, and FI. They are not referred to as categories.
And, as you say, an EICR is not a certificate, it is a report.

 

[fivevoltlogic]

You're quite correct. It's a poorly worded and misleading question.
There are no forms of certificate in BS7671 that have an entry for observations.
Only on an EICR do we find a section for observations, with the classification codes C1, C2, C3, and FI. They are not referred to as categories.
And, as you say, an EICR is not a certificate, it is a report.

I'm glad I question these things. It's a bit annoying that I might have gotten this wrong by trying to be logical and looking through all the reference material (except GN3, ha), but someone who just learns the answers and not the why's would have gotten it correct.

Oh well, I guess I'll just do as I'm told then...

 

[Vortigern]

Of course it could be the senses all four, as prophetically sounded in the OP's title.

 

[Electro-tech]

Damage, deterioration, defects and conditions within the installation that give rise, or potentially give rise, to danger.