Is someone trying to rip a customer off? Advice on a Fire Risk Assessment

[robbo777]

Hi

So a customer of mine has just had his fire extinguishers tested and for some reason the guy doing the fire extinguisher check removed this 600x600 flat LED panel and looked above it and said that what he sees is not safe and it's a fire risk.
He proceeded to quote £600 to have 7 of these choc blocks removed and he said it's causing the transformers to get hot.

Personally I think this is total crap, these transformers sit on top of fireproof plasterboard with a good 100mm gap to the fireproof insulation, what are your thoughts please? Would you feel it necessary to change these choc blocks?

 

[Robson689]

I don't think anyone here would recommend leaving a joint like that. Junction boxes exist for a reason but they're what, 4 quid each? Certainly not 600 quid for 7 with labour cost...

 

[James]

Enclosures are available where you don’t need to disconnect anything, they will just clip over the poorly covered chock block.

The price seems high to me but without seeing the quote it’s hard to tell if there is anything else included.

 

[westward10]

I carry out a lot of FRAs and always look in ceiling voids for this sort of thing. I fully agree it needs to be commented on.
£600 is however outrageous and the means of connection should not affect the driver.

 

[snowhead]

So how much has the customer just paid to have the Extinguishers "Tested" by the same person?

 

[davesparks]

He proceeded to quote £600 to have 7 of these choc blocks removed and he said it's causing the transformers to get hot.

Personally I think this is total crap, these transformers sit on top of fireproof plasterboard with a good 100mm gap to the fireproof insulation, what are your thoughts please? Would you feel it necessary to change these choc blocks?

Those joints are unacceptable and could be a fire risk.
The joints will not be causing the drivers to get hot.

Which regulations are you using to back up your statement that its total crap?

Whereabouts is the site located? If its central London then £600 may be more normal than you'd think.
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Enclosures are available where you don’t need to disconnect anything, they will just clip over the poorly covered chock block.

There's no enclosure available that will just clip over that and make the joint acceptable, there's almost certainly no ferrules on the ends of the flex where it terminates into screw terminals.
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Enclosures are available where you don’t need to disconnect anything, they will just clip over the poorly covered chock block.

There's no enclosure available that will just clip over that and make the joint acceptable, there's almost certainly no ferrules on the ends of the flex where it terminates into screw terminals.

 

[lozarus]

There's no enclosure available that will just clip over that and make the joint acceptable, there's almost certainly no ferrules on the ends of the flex where it terminates into screw terminals.

Whilst I agree (and personally would just remake the joints using something like a wagobox and appropriate wagos for mixing solid & flexible core) surely it would be "better than nothing" to just clip a 99p chocbox around it with clamps. No n eed for MF above the tile. As for ferrules, being a perfectionist I always use them (and the bulk of my work is essentially straight swaps / maintenance) - but I never see them used by anyone else at my sites (and as long as the block they've used is appropiately sized, can't see much of a difference between twisting/folding/screwing into the block, just as you would when wiring a plug. But that's for a different thread!

 

[robbo777]

Which regulations are you using to back up your statement that its total crap

Are you saying that the choc blocks are causing the transformer to get hot? That's what I'm saying is total crap.
Which regulation would you quote to say this does or doesn't?

 

[davesparks]

Are you saying that the choc blocks are causing the transformer to get hot? That's what I'm saying is total crap.
Which regulation would you quote to say this does or doesn't?

Starting a new paragraph made it appear that you were saying that everything was wrong and you believe the joints to be compliant.
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can't see much of a difference between twisting/folding/screwing into the block, just as you would when wiring a plug. But that's for a different thread!

ferrules should be fitted on any connection where fine wire cables are terminated under a screw, including plugs.
Every plug I fit from a 2A up to a 125A all get ferrules fitted.

 

[GBDamo]

This was my first "Not in my name" moment at my pressent employer. We were doing about 400 light swaps in an office, all click plus and modular to LED 600 panels.

After about an hour and a half the other lads were all gobbing off at how few I'd done and why i was wiring everthing in JBs, "just WAGO them and chuck them up, we're smashing it*". I just plodded on regardless.

Got call back about six months later to put the rest in JBs, after a fire risk assessment.

Not being the kind of guy to say I told you so
.....


*anybody who uses the term "smashing it" is admitting there a chancer in my book.

 

[MJPD29]

This was my first "Not in my name" moment at my pressent employer. We were doing about 400 light swaps in an office, all click plus and modular to LED 600 panels.

After about an hour and a half the other lads were all gobbing off at how few I'd done and why i was wiring everthing in JBs, "just WAGO them and chuck them up, we're smashing it*". I just plodded on regardless.

Got call back about six months later to put the rest in JBs, after a fire risk assessment.

Not being the kind of guy to say I told you so
.....


*anybody who uses the term "smashing it" is admitting there a chancer in my book.

I agree with you. Quality over quantity. Ended up costing them afterwards anyway