Electrical inspection and old boards with asbestos

[Daveh36]

Hi Guys just been asked to carry out an inspection at a warehouse. Got there and first two boards I saw were the really ones with rewirable fuses asbestos flash tape and exposed bus bars. There are a couple of new boards as well My question is should I just carry out a visual and fail it straight away or should I do a full inspection and fail it?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I guess you are doing an EICR. Your job is to carry out an inspection and comment on departures from BS7671.
See anything in the good book about asbestos?
So you cannot fail it on that basis.

You should make a comment about this in the notes section, perhaps with a replacment recommendation, but it cannot be a fail.

> You may need to think about your personal protection during the inspection process, though.

 

[buzzlightyear]

because it has asbestos you must do a risk assessment before hand .

 

[Daveh36]

I was under the impression that hse guide lines were to not disturb the asbestos so would not be able to remove the fuses safely. And am right in saying that the old boards do not meet any fire regs and that rewirable fuses are an automatic C2 nowadays

 

[Risteard]

I refuse to disturb any suspected ACMs. List it as an operational limitation.

 

[Taylortwocities]

And am right in saying that the old boards do not meet any fire regs and that rewirable fuses are an automatic C2 nowadays

If the enclosure doesn't meet today's edition of the regs then its a C3, nothing more.
Rewireable fuses are perfectly acceptable, assuming EFLI etc allow their use.

 

[ipf]

“Automatic C2”....where’d you get that?. Recommend changing to cartridge fuses if you can get suitable carriers. You might have a point with the open busbars, though.

 

[Nigel]

because it has asbestos you must do a risk assessment before hand .

Excuse me? Please explain......

 

[westward10]

An EICR does not fail it is either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. BS3036 semi enclosed fuses are still in compliance with BS7671 but apply the correction factor for such devices when assessing overcurrent compliance, this should be rudimentary knowledge for a person carrying out EICRs. The presence of asbestos is a separate issue from BS7671 and you must follow your company policy when confronted with it.

 

[Octopus]

This is why agreeing to do EICR's without visiting site can be a bit of a pain .....

 

[Intoelectrics]

I was under the impression that hse guide lines were to not disturb the asbestos so would not be able to remove the fuses safely.

You can safely work with asbestos in certain limited situations if you have some basic training. Here is a link to the guide you can purchase from the HSE.
Asbestos Essentials, HSG210: A Task Manual for Building, Maintenance and Allied Trades on Non-licensed Asbestos Work, HSG210 - https://books.hse.gov.uk/bookstore.asp?ACTION=BOOK&PRODUCTID=9780717665037

I highly recommend it as a very useful guide to understanding what you can and can't do and what to expect if you come across asbestos.

I did the non licensed full asbestos awareness course which allows me to work on non licensed asbestos removal and repairs. I highly recommend you look into this course. I imagine most local training providers will advise you on this.

Here is an example of one
Cat B Asbestos Awareness Training | Asbestos Training LTD - https://www.asbestostraininglimited.com/non-licensable-works-training/ukata-cat-b-training?gclid=CjwKCAiA5qTfBRAoEiwAwQy-6SV5T1FNyFRiabC16dQ5S5surKGshg1o8vxhAeN-uYtUnGoyAnj0AxoCWDAQAvD_BwE

It cost me around £150 for a full day's course. It opened my eyes especially the fact that there are 6 main types of asbestos that are commonly put into 3 categories. Although asbestos is hazardous in general some types can be extremely harmful, especially if disturbed.

 

[netblindpaul]

Does the asbestos form part of the electrical installation covered by BS 7671?

 

[richard1972]

carry out a full inspection and list all defects, otherwise could be in a situation where customer agrees to pay to rectify first defect found, then you go back and find other defects, which means another conversation.

 

[Daveh36]

Hi Guys thanks for the responses I decided to not risk the asbestos and declined the job. Let some one else worry about it

 

[Nigel]

Hi Guys thanks for the responses I decided to not risk the asbestos and declined the job. Let some one else worry about it

Correct decision. Well done.