Part P assessment question

[markadams]

One of the questions on a recent Part P assessment was how would I wire an external outbuilding if the earthing arrangement to the property was PME.

I said I would run a three core SWA from the property to the outbuilding and use the cable armour and the third core as the exported CPC.

I was highly criticised and was told that I should install a rod at the property and at the outbuilding.

I can find no mention of this in 17th ed AMD3 book, can anyone tell me where i would find this if it is the case.

I have had a couple of other Assessments previously where they have checked out building installs and never mentioned this so I am not happy.

 

[westward10]

Should have asked where this is stated in black and white.

 

[markadams]

I did and he wont tell me.

 

[kenny7askew]

assessed by who ?

 

[westward10]

I did and he wont tell me.

Make a formal complaint.

 

[markadams]

Stroma, I am at the moment but I just wanted to check my facts as the assessor was insisting that I was wrong and listed it as a non-conformity.

 

[westward10]

If he is going to list it as a non conformity he should show you evidence.

 

[markadams]

It says that I need to prove that I now know the correct procedure. How exactly can I do that?

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Many people think it’s a non-compliance, but it’s not.
Might be able to use this as evidence:
https://electrical.------.org/media...tdoors-a-supply-to-a-detached-outbuilding.pdf

 

[kenny7askew]

seems a bit odd/harsh to give a non compliance for the answer you gave to a verbal question
without the opportunity to look it up

 

[telectrix]

the assessor is wrong. you would normally only need to make the outbuilding TT if it was a metal structure or if the 3rd core of your SWA was inadequate for bonding purposes (min. 10mm for PME ).

 

[westward10]

I assume this outbuilding was nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[mattg4321]

I've been hearing through the grapevine that Stroma are starting to become extremely harsh with their assessments. On the face of it this should worry us less than the other extreme, but some of the reasons for non conformances do make you wonder whether they do it to make you pay for a re-visit.

I've heard this through my Elecsa assessor recently (so he ma ybe biased), but also through a friend who is registered through Stroma. He received a non conformance due to fixing sockets inside kitchen cabinets. The assessor claimed accessories had to be fixed to the fabric of the building and not kitchen furniture. Complete garbage as we all know. I forget whether he had to have a re-visit or not.

 

[Wes1000]

In the IET guide to the building regs 5.7.3 states making the outbuilding a TT as an alternative method to how you suggest.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

It’s a hypothetical question, so the non-conformity should be hypothetical as well.

 

[westward10]

It is all very well if they wish to be harsher providing they can support their claims.

 

[markadams]

If the outbuilding had extraneous conductive parts then I would have put a rod in.

The question had no relevance to the job he was assessing this time as it had a TT earthing arrangement and no specific details were given in the question, just how would I do it with PME Earthing

 

[markadams]

If the outbuilding had extraneous conductive parts then I would have put a rod in.

The question had no relevance to the job he was assessing this time as it had a TT earthing arrangement and no specific details were given in the question, just how would I do it with PME Earthing

 

[telectrix]

makes you wonder sometimes if some of these assessors are not as knowledgeable as they should be. maybe he's a short course ex traffic warden and hasn't got out of the habit of parking penalty ticket targets.

 

[Midwest]

Stroma, I am at the moment but I just wanted to check my facts as the assessor was insisting that I was wrong and listed it as a non-conformity.

Has your cheque bounced or something like that, for 'em to get all shirty?

 

[haptism]

Was it a fairly large bloke, pasty complexion, who ate sausages for lunch ?? If so then it might be the same o who assessed me; told me that my SWA to an outbuilding needed to be RCD'd ?? and marked it as a non-conformity. I complained and had it over-ruled. I think his name was Andy (might be wrong thou as it was 2 years ago). What his name ? If its the same bloke we can get him fired; seriously

 

[Madocks]

Wierd, if you had done a garage for your assessment then maybe......

Ive heard stroma have started doing telephone renewals! so doubt they are getting stricter!

 

[Midwest]

Was it a fairly large bloke, pasty complexion, who ate sausages for lunch ?? If so then it might be the same o who assessed me; told me that my SWA to an outbuilding needed to be RCD'd ?? and marked it as a non-conformity. I complained and had it over-ruled. I think his name was Andy (might be wrong thou as it was 2 years ago). What his name ? If its the same bloke we can get him fired; seriously

Easy tiger.

I think this is a case of old money versus new money. I mean darling, you get wot you pay for these years. Stroma are clearly new money, and trying to make themselves look respectable, against the lords from Certsure. I mean who pays pennies to be in a decent club. Standards are clearly slipping. Wasn't like this a few years ago, ya paid ya wod, and got serviced

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

They phoned me a few weeks ago asking me to leave NICEIC and join Stroma. Didn't take them up on the offer. For simple fact it would mean changing all my stationary and business cards that have the NICEIC logo on Told them it would cost almost as much as I would save joining to change it all and buy new advertising stuff and T-shirts etc...
I do find no matter what scheme you are with you get good assessors and bad. I had heard that Stroma were on a recruiting drive for some field assessors as they had a shortage and there low fees had left them playing catch up.. might explain why they are doing bi-annual assessments and even phone renewals now in the years in between!? Maybe they are being a bit lax on the recruitment of assessors?

 

[mhar]

You should have provided him with the Stroma technical department helpline number