locking off

[Pete999]

No good going to join a union as most of them won't act retrospectively

 

[ibrahim]

I can't help thinking there's something

 

[Octopus]

it's going off course again, would use lock off the put one screw in??

No....

 

[Deleted member 72666]

it's going off course again, would use lock off the put one screw in??

I would not only 'lock off' at cu but turn off the whole street and the street next to it to be on the safe side..... Of course I wouldn't lock off and don't think many if ANY would in this situation. But at the very most you should have been given a verbal warning ( extremely harsh in my book) and not dismissed outright but it does sound like there's more to it than you're letting on! Stood ankle deep in water and it's a different story!

 

[Marvo]

Replacing a single screw in a socket fascia plate wouldn't require lock-off procedure if you had consciously and methodically assessed the risks prior to doing it. I'd have considered the following;

• Is the cct supplied by an RCD? If it is then overall risks are already greatly reduced.
• If the cover plate was already retained by a metallic screw then it's connected to the CPC of the circuit via the metal frame of the socket.
• Is the environment a high risk zone, ie is it wet, is access awkward or hindered, is there good visibility?
• Will the employee being coming into contact with any part of the installation not usually capable of being contacted by a general user of the installation?

If these considerations were consciously made before commencing then they amount to sound justification for not requiring lock-off or isolation of the circuit in my opinion.

 

[wesaston]

That's the kind of thing I was looking for marvo so I can say something like that when I go back in. Thanks

 

[Plonker 3]

For the umpteenth time, what did your companies RAMS say regarding doing this?

 

[davesparks]

That's the kind of thing I was looking for marvo so I can say something like that when I go back in. Thanks

Did you actually consider all of Marcos points before instructing him to put the screw in there?

 

[wesaston]

They had electricians tool box talks which coz I was the only spark on my team and the other teams ad between 6/9 sparks I would always get forgotten about and not told about them as I didn't have a direct supervisor like the other sparks on the other team so hand out and stuff like that I never got, it is company procedure to not work live but if I was ever on the tool box talks I never got officially told, the RAMS on jobs wasnt job specific they are generic throughout the company

 

[Marvo]

For the umpteenth time, what did your companies RAMS say regarding doing this?

I assume the RAMS state that any circuit being worked on must be isolated or locked off. If the fascia was already connected to the socket then effectively or arguably it's no more a part of the actual circuit than bathroom pipework that's bonded for example.

Granted though it's something of a gray area but if the OP had approached the disciplinary with his ducks in a row from the start then it's doubtful they would have a case even remotely worthy of a full warning never mind a dismissal.

 

[wesaston]

Yh it was on the rcd side it was a plastic back box and already had 1 screw in the plate and I handed him the correct size screw and a insulated screw driver

 

[wesaston]

I'm not stupid if I was actually going to work on a circuit ie replace the cooker switch I would of locked off as I always do, but as I couldn't find a dafinetive answer myself on weather it would need to be locked off to put a screw in that's why I asked

 

[Plonker 3]

I'm not stupid if I was actually going to work on a circuit ie replace the cooker switch I would of locked off as I always do, but as I couldn't find a dafinetive answer myself on weather it would need to be locked off to put a screw in that's why I asked

You would find this in the RAMS.

So who left the screw out for it needing to be put in?

 

[Marvo]

I'm not stupid..........

I wasn't suggesting you're 'stupid' although I do get the impression you're naive. It sounds to me like the company had alternative reason for wanting to terminate your employment and were looking for an easy way or a cheaper way than redundancy payouts to do this. I think from what you've said and inferred you've been making it easy for them to do this.

 

[wesaston]

If u read back we had just got to the job and was about to re wire the kitchen, it was all going to get stripped out but as we got there we went in to weigh up and I just noticed the cooker switch had 1 screw in and was slightly loose so I asked the lad I was working with to put a screw in as it was tenanted and the plumber was in there and I new the compliance officer was about to turn up, I just thought it was better to put the screw in as we was going to be in and out bringing stuff in,