Gas Engineer and competent electric cooker installer

[CraigF]

I'm a gas engineer working for a well known retailer. Spend all day Installing cooking/laundry. Electrical training is pretty poor on their part. Here to educate myself in best practice/regs. Pretty sure much of what they ask us to do electrics wise is beyond our competency.

 

[Wilko]

Hi Craig and Welcome to the Forum !
I'm sure it will be interesting to hear what goes on .

 

[Andy78]

Welcome. I imagine you will find yourself pretty restricted to your companies working practices and guidelines, however if they are asking you to do work you are not comfortable with you should ask for training in that department.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Pretty sure much of what they ask us to do electrics wise is beyond our competency.

Howdy Craig
Can you give us some examples of such electrical work?

 

[CraigF]

Howdy Craig
Can you give us some examples of such electrical work?

My main concern is around extending a cooker radial from the terminal box to take an oven and hob. We're asked to swap a single gang terminal for a two gang to split the fee, add a 13A socket/fcu to one and connect the hob to the other. My interpretation of regs is that that work is beyond what a "competent" cooker installer would do as it is extending/altering the circuit as opposed to replacing l/f/l.

 

[CraigF]

Howdy Craig
Can you give us some examples of such electrical work?

I'm happy to do the work btw I'm just not convinced we should be.

 

[Midwest]

My main concern is around extending a cooker radial from the terminal box to take an oven and hob. We're asked to swap a single gang terminal for a two gang to split the fee, add a 13A socket/fcu to one and connect the hob to the other. My interpretation of regs is that that work is beyond what a "competent" cooker installer would do as it is extending/altering the circuit as opposed to replacing l/f/l.

This peace of kit is a good one to have at hand. Used it loads of times myself, so have the rest of the guys here;

Its a Scolmore dual appliance outlet.

As per the FCU, need to discuss more. Guys will advise.

 

[Des 56]

My main concern is around extending a cooker radial from the terminal box to take an oven and hob. We're asked to swap a single gang terminal for a two gang to split the fee, add a 13A socket/fcu to one and connect the hob to the other. My interpretation of regs is that that work is beyond what a "competent" cooker installer would do as it is extending/altering the circuit as opposed to replacing l/f/l.

Perhaps "your concern" may not be as justified as you believe at this time
The cooker radial circuit should/probably will have, at source a protective device rated for the cable which will protect it from overload so changing from 1 to 2 outlets should not be too much of a concern

Example is a socket radial,the quantity of outlets is not a bother, the total load from any amount of outlets cannot overload the cable as long as the protective device is sized correctly

 

[The Ghost]

It is one of those things that fall between the cracks of non scrutiny and it is "probably" ok. However if things did go wrong and without suitable qualifications and testing and issuing of certificate (MEIWC) for instance then someone is going down. It is ok as long as nothing goes wrong. Under H&S and EAWR it is the responsibility of your employer and you (a legal responsibility) to ensure proper working practices are in place. As I say if nothing goes wrong then fine, but if it does you have no defence at law or under EAWR in that you have done all that is reasonable. I.E. Testing, qualification, and sufficient "skill" as it is now to ensure the safest possible working practices. So you are intrinsically in a weak position. Although the electrics you describe are admittedly seemingly ok. As I say if something goes wrong...

 

[Wilko]

20p more - if they're asking you to change the installation rather than just connect to it, then you need to be able to test and minor works verify in my opinion.