Electric Shock

[Darius-parky]

I was working on upgrading a council property. I disconnected the incoming supply, removed the cut-out fuse (I am authorised to do that), removed the tails from the meter, conducted a safe isolation procedure. I was satisfied the supply to the property was dead and work commenced to replace the consumer unit and all sockets and switches. When I got to the last socket of the job I received an electric shock. On further investigation I discovered power was being illegally diverted into the premises by the tenants from the hallway communal supply. I am now being -------ed for this. What did I do wrong?? Should I have been testing each and every socket and switch as I went along as I am being told? After removing the main supply fuse, removing the tails from the meter, ripping the board off the wall, do you still go around with your approved voltage indicator to every point. That is a bit pethatic is it not?

 

[SMB]

That is really unlucky mate, its also food for thought.

Most people would have been caught out with that one.

It certainly wasn't your fault.

I bet you couldn't beleive it!

A real 'shock' indeed!

I can't see why your company are having a go at you.

All the best.










I think i might try plumbing.........

 

[sparky3366]

Pathetic it may be, but you wouldntve got a belt if you had checked it. Some people do anything for free electricity...ranging from tapping into the incomer of a street light to picking a supply from next door. Even if you are certain it is dead, check...the supply could be stolen from a landlords CU and if it trips the rcd you might not be able to get access to reset it. Preaching to the choir I know but...

 

[malcolmsanford]

In our H & S state then yes you do indeed have to test at each and every point to prove that it is safely isolated, but I do understand and comiserate with you, if we did this to the letter of the policy we would be there all day. It would be a reasonable assumption that with the main fuse out the accessories in the flat would be isolated.

I suppose as it was flats, and you hadn't obviously isolated the communial areas, then on sockets it might have paid you to plug in a socket and see type tester to see if it was dead, but I think a rollocking was a little off, or was this again done to the letter of the H&S policy, so it was seen to been having done

 

[bugsy]

if you had of tested the the out going way of each outgoing way after isolating the incomming supply (pulling the fuse ) the fault would have shown up
712-01-01

 

[malcolmsanford]

Is that 712-01-01 a quote from the 16th edition or something in the PV section ?

If he had tested the "outgoing way", I'm assuming you mean at the CU then it would all have been dead and isolated as the main fuse would have been pulled, how would that have helped him when the socket was fed from the communial board of a hall socket?

 

[Superspark23]

If you had done a full PIR before the condumer unit change then it would have shown up. If it was you that had done the preceeding PIR then it was your fault, if the the electrician who did the PIR. If not and your company doesnt give you enough time to do a PIR then its theirs.

 

[Bigboy247]

Always be on the safe side, check before you chop. Could save your life on day.

 

[sparky3366]

not many people do a full pir on a cu change and by the sound of it the guy was rewiring the place. It doesnt matter about the pir finding the socket as it couldve been put in after the last pir...

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Is that 712-01-01 a quote from the 16th edition or something in the PV section ?

If he had tested the "outgoing way", I'm assuming you mean at the CU then it would all have been dead and isolated as the main fuse would have been pulled, how would that have helped him when the socket was fed from the communial board of a hall socket?

If the "Live" sock et was part of a ring or radial it would have back feed to the MCB, maybe in this case the "Live" socket was just tapped off the comunal one so would not have shown up at the board.

 

[bugsy]

If the "Live" sock et was part of a ring or radial it would have back feed to the MCB, maybe in this case the "Live" socket was just tapped off the comunal one so would not have shown up at the board.

Yes its 16th but same procedure for 17th , and i dont have regs to hand but remember 16th

 

[malcolmsanford]

If the "Live" sock et was part of a ring or radial it would have back feed to the MCB, maybe in this case the "Live" socket was just tapped off the comunal one so would not have shown up at the board.

I did read the post as it was fed from a single supply from the communial hallway CU and not had 2 supplies one from there and another from a ring final or radial within the flat.

 

[GT1]

I take it you called the cops too !!

 

[Engineer54]

I doubt very much if there is one electrician on this forum, that after pulling the main cut-out fuse and removing the tails for this installation would then expect to find a live socket outlet!! And that's the truth of the matter!!! Testing every outlet after such a procedure?? Why would you?? Hindsight is a wonderful thing!!!

The tenants of this rental property should have the book thrown at them, if they were responsible for the illegal outlet supply. It could have killed the sparky here, undertaking this work...

 

[i=p/u]

just unlucky