locking off

[wesaston]

I recently got sacked for not locking off a cooker circuit while a 37 year old electricians mate put 1 3.5mm screw in,
there was one screw missing when went into a kitchen that we was about to rewire,
and we was going to strip it out we only went in to weigh it up, I did ask the guy to put the screw in just because it was loose with only one screw being in and as the house was tenanted and other trades working I thought It best to just fix it up as we was unloading our tools and that, he was under my supervision has he only ad nvq level2 (apparently)
so if anyone knows if I was defiantly in the wrong as I cant find a definitive answer!

thank you

 

[telectrix]

locking off to fit a 3.5mm pin in a socket.? anybody who advises that must have his head so far up his arse that his ears fart.

 

[wesaston]

Ha, it was also into a plastic surface back box not a metal one so it was moulded where the screw goes in, and he had a 1000v insulated screw driver

 

[Plonker 3]

Were lock off lots supplied by your company?

What RAMS do the company have in place for that type of job?

Were you a subby, on the books, agency or on a trial period?

What was the actual reason given to you for being relieved of your duties?

 

[wesaston]

I was permenant, full time contract, I'd been there 4 years, yeah we are issued with kicking off kits, my compliance record was 100% for the last 12 months, but in the 4 years I'd been there I'd never been on the electricians tool box talks where they was told about the company policy off its gross misconduct to work on live circuits, which I never do, I wasn't aware that you'd have to be locked off to put a screw in as when your testing you'd unscrew and screw outlets while they are live ie zs at a cooker switch, we wasn't actually testing, they dismissed me sayin I let a unqualified person work on a energised circuit,

 

[shanky887614]

surely that wouldn't warrent an instant dismissal, this sounds a little odd

 

[Pete999]

I recently got sacked for not locking off a cooker circuit while a 37 year old electricians mate put 1 3.5mm screw in,
there was one screw missing when went into a kitchen that we was about to rewire,
and we was going to strip it out we only went in to weigh it up, I did ask the guy to put the screw in just because it was loose with only one screw being in and as the house was tenanted and other trades working I thought It best to just fix it up as we was unloading our tools and that, he was under my supervision has he only ad nvq level2 (apparently)
so if anyone knows if I was defiantly in the wrong as I cant find a definitive answer!

thank you

You haven't peesed your Boss off before that incident have you? sounds like he is a bit of a div ridden jobs worth

 

[trev]

It's not electricians you need, it's someone who can give you proper advice based on employment law after being told the full facts behind this because I can't help thinking there's something we're not being told here.

 

[Pete999]

It's not electricians you need, it's someone who can give you proper advice based on employment law after being told the full facts behind this because I can't help thinking there's something we're not being told here.

Thinking the same thing trev, sounds a bit odd

 

[Octopus]

locking off to fit a 3.5mm pin in a socket.? anybody who advises that must have his head so far up his arse that his ears fart.

Or be an NICEIC inspector

 

[ian.settle1]

I was permenant, full time contract, I'd been there 4 years, yeah we are issued with kicking off kits, my compliance record was 100% for the last 12 months, but in the 4 years I'd been there I'd never been on the electricians tool box talks where they was told about the company policy off its gross misconduct to work on live circuits, which I never do, I wasn't aware that you'd have to be locked off to put a screw in as when your testing you'd unscrew and screw outlets while they are live ie zs at a cooker switch, we wasn't actually testing, they dismissed me sayin I let a unqualified person work on a energised circuit,

That is what they sacked you for by the looks of things.

Have you had any previous warnings for anything at you have not told us about?

 

[telectrix]

looks to me like an excuse. sacking is cheaper than redundancy.

 

[Pete999]

That is what they sacked you for by the looks of things.

Have you had any previous warnings for anything at you have not told us about?

Ian's right, but still sounds a bit harsh, come on tell us what else has happened.

 

[Des 56]

Other possible issues aside

If you were sacked or even had as much of a rebuke for such a trivial nonsense ("locking off" to insert a screw) "my god what are these H+S nuts doing to our society",the H+S obsessed fool needs the lock shoved as far up his rear end as the longest driver you possess

In industrial work it is sometimes essential because of the environment,but for goodness sake,a bog standard domestic system accessory is being deemed as dangerous working conditions,"the missing screw", its contorting the whole basis of safe working

This modern culture seems to forget "we work with electrics through choice",we are taught to handle that force safely,we have little need for these draconian mamby pamby dictates

Overbearing H+S nuts make my blood boil,whatever happened to training people to be safe by their own skill and means
Other trades present my ---,if the remotest possibility of danger is persued it is only in the minds of those nuts who infest our society

 

[telectrix]

nail on head, des. or is that deemed to be a risk these days.

 

[Pete999]

nail on head, des. or is that deemed to be a risk these days.

Or key in the lock, or maybe not then.

 

[shanky887614]

Other possible issues aside

If you were sacked or even had as much of a rebuke for such a trivial nonsense ("locking off" to insert a screw) "my god what are these H+S nuts doing to our society",the H+S obsessed fool needs the lock shoved as far up his rear end as the longest driver you possess

In industrial work it is sometimes essential because of the environment,but for goodness sake,a bog standard domestic system accessory is being deemed as dangerous working conditions,"the missing screw", its contorting the whole basis of safe working

This modern culture seems to forget "we work with electrics through choice",we are taught to handle that force safely,we have little need for these draconian mamby pamby dictates

Overbearing H+S nuts make my blood boil,whatever happened to training people to be safe by their own skill and means
Other trades present my ---,if the remotest possibility of danger is persued it is only in the minds of those nuts who infest our society

ive made mistakes working live but because of good working practise no one was injured or hurt.

we use vde tools for a reason, for safety.

the screw would be earthed by the earthbar on the accessory so they were in no danger at all

 

[Pete999]

ive made mistakes working live but because of good working practise no one was injured or hurt.

we use vde tools for a reason, for safety.

the screw would be earthed by the earthbar on the accessory so they were in no danger at all

Working live, wash yer mouth out with carbolic soap, what mistakes did you make?

 

[Englishman]

So who informed bosses that you were allowing somebody to "work on a live circuit" which wasn't happening anyway, not much different to saying that putting a plug in is working on a live socket

 

[telectrix]

does me head in. all this palaver about working live. next thing is the RNLI will only be allowed to use their lifeboats on dry land in case they get drowneded.

 

[shanky887614]

Working live, wash yer mouth out with carbolic soap, what mistakes did you make?

your working live every time you take a ze or zs.

 

[Simonslimline]

your working live every time you take a ze or zs.

Surely this isn't what you mean though in post 17?

 

[trev]

your working live every time you take a ze or zs.

There is a masssive difference between live working and live testing. One is a necessity, the other is not (in the vast majority of cases)

 

[Des 56]

ive made mistakes working live but because of good working practise no one was injured or hurt.

we use vde tools for a reason, for safety.

the screw would be earthed by the earthbar on the accessory so they were in no danger at all

The electrician may on occasion need to work live,in order to work live,he needs to acquire the skill and experience in order that he is not in danger himself and others are not put in danger

Always and for every moment the danger should be foremost in his mind.
He needs this awareness to be safe
Denying the electrician training and experience of working live puts that electrician and others working around him in danger when occasion requires

I know what the EWR say about working live,but real life sometimes deviates from the text book version of what is needed

 

[shanky887614]

Surely this isn't what you mean though in post 17?

nope its not, the worst ive done is trip tp mcb's

if i touched the copper i would have got a shock but because of my habbit of always touching everything to earth before after testing i realised it was now live.

 

[wesaston]

I have had a disaplinary but it was about 3 years ago and wasn't live

 

[trev]

Shanky, most people use a voltage indicator mate.

 

[wesaston]

The lad who put the screw in was under my supervision but ive not been on any supervision course, ive been told I shouldn't be supervising anybody without being on any course

 

[Pete999]

your working live every time you take a ze or zs.

Thats live testing it's different, or so they tell me.

 

[wesaston]

The compliance officer who came to the job, which I rang him to tell him where I was Workin so I wouldn't knowingly then work unsafe

 

[ian.settle1]

The lad who put the screw in was under my supervision but ive not been on any supervision course, ive been told I shouldn't be supervising anybody without being on any course

Why was he put with you in the first place then?

 

[wesaston]

Exactly, they wanted kitchen rewires in a day so they took him on but they said he's only allowed to chase walls and help me pull cables in, might aswell of been on my own

 

[Knobhead]

There’s more to this than you’re letting on.

Had this been a genuine case with a reputable company a written warning would suffice.

 

[trev]

There’s more to this than you’re letting on.

Had this been a genuine case with a reputable company a written warning would suffice.

I wouldn't have thought it would have gotten that far Tony, surely a word to the wise would have done given the circumstances (of what we've been told so far anyway)

 

[Marvo]

Get yourself some professional representation and go through the appeals process.

 

[ian.settle1]

There’s more to this than you’re letting on.

Had this been a genuine case with a reputable company a written warning would suffice.

That's why I asked earlier if he had any previous warnings

 

[7029 dave]

Are you having it off with the boss's mrs.?

 

[wesaston]

How ive told it, is exactly what happened nothin more I was suspended for 2 weeks then got sacked, ive had an appeal hearing today, that's why ive asked the question on here about having to lock off just to put a screw in as I couldn't find an answer myself

 

[trev]

So what was your previous disciplinary record?
How was your time keeping?
Had you upset anyone higher up the food chain?
It's all relevant info mate but as you've been told, you need some proper advice based on employment law. Not the opinions of sparkies

 

[Plonker 3]

So did you read and then follow the company method statements and risk assessments before doing the job?