Not DIY advice. How often do pros work live?

aesmith · 2024-10-20T12:40:53+0100

First off there is no question of me doing anything live. Or even near anything live.

This is just a question triggered by observing they guys installing our solar. They did everything live, including installing a new RCBO in the garage consumer unit and connecting the new circuit. None of our electrics were switched off at any stage.

When I mentioned this they said they do this all the time.

Is this normal? As a non-electrician I can't see why they wouldn't at least switch off the main switch on the CU. (I'd have shut off the isolator at the house so nothing in the CU was live)

The only other possibly relevant point is I asked them at the start when they were likely to shut power off, as I was set up ready to power the chick shed from a generator but didn’t want to have to run that all day. Possibly the were responding to that.

littlespark · 2024-10-20T14:15:53+0100

It is drilled into all of us during training that there should be no live work whatsoever.

If the power has to go off, it has to go off... no if's, but's, or maybe's

You were already prepared for a generator, and i wouldnt see it being off for more than an hour anyway.
They had no good reason to work live.

We are permitted to test live... ie insert test prongs into a connector... but that is it.

There is additional training for working live, which needs additional PPE, risk assessments, for the extra danger... but i doubt a couple of solar guys had little more than a pair of flash sunglasses as PPE

Most companies frown upon working live..... for insurance purposes more than anything.

I think ive got my point across.

aesmith · 2024-10-20T14:23:49+0100

littlespark said:
I think ive got my point across.

You have, more or less what I would have expected. Without badmouthing the guys too much, as far as I can tell the work was all done to a decent standard and certainly neat, but I wonder if there was an element of showing off.