Polish Social Club

[trev]

I've worked with a few eastern european sparks and the standard of them has varied some have been very good, some have been terrible. Much the same as UK born and trained lads. Most of the eastern europeans were sober on the job, some liked to get drunk while working. I've also worked with Brit lads who drank on the job.
My point is that there's good and bad everywhere, hopefully the bad ones will get found out and get fired/get a bad reputation hopefully before they hurt or kill themselves or anyone else.
Another thing worthy of mention is how many of us have gone to work in other countrys either because things here have been bad or that the money there is better? I did it and I wish I was still there.

 

[Konrad]

Here are my examples.

1.
I was called to the issue with cosmetics display unit. Sales person in the store had proper electric shock from the thing. I've asked her what exactly did she do. She did stand and did grab both ends of one of the shelves of the display unit. Unit itself was made out of metal and glass with 8 watt fluorescent tubes to give some nice light on the lipsticks.
After short investigation I have found that one of sliding bits did cut supplyuing flex to the fittings.

I was 4th electrician attending to this store regarding this issue.
Previous 3 were 2 English and 1 Polish. They could not find the cause - because they were rubbish.

2.
I was called to the issue with electric meter. Site manager wanted to verify what do they pay for, as supplier did send them the bills. On the site they neither saw anybody reading the meter nor knew where the meter could be. Investigation took me about 45 minutes until I have found 3 phase electric meter located outsite with sticking out gsm antenna for the meter. Lady who was manager of the store was so happy and expressed herself in words:
After 2 years since we have took over this site and several visits of electricians, somebody have managed to find out where our electric meter is!

3.
I was called to head office for some not important rubbish. Sat at the desk writing the papers . Suddenly the subject of electricity arose. My line manager (he is in a lead of over 30 electricians and some about 60 testers) was talking about physics and electricity.
I've asked him one simple question regarding earth loop impedance.

I old days electrical installtions had no cpc. Theye were two wired. Protection of of class I equipment with metal covers was achieved in socket outlets by use of small bridge between neutral to earth pin. This method forming CPC was called zeroing.

Do you know why this was abandoned ?

His answer was :

It was made for a reason! He is English!
4.
I had remedial work to carry out in one of High Street stores. It was priced 2 nights 2 electricians.
Simple job. To strip down old fuse boxes and db's, and there after to fit this place three phase db's. My choice was Hager - bought them from CEF. All you can imagine in this type of job. Reversed polarity on the circuits, earth to neutral paths, 3 phase lighting, PYRO, SWA, FP200 and if this would not be enough more than 100 circuits with last man switch and contactor controls.
I was not worried about at all about the job, as I have expected such rubbish after years and years of add ons, modifications and so forth. I was worried about my supporting engineer. He was helping me as much as he could, but when things have turned to contactors, he said.

- Ekhmmm. Sorry but I had little contact with contactors.

- No worries mate. We place them exactly like main supplies to lighting circuits are connected to MCB'S. We match each contactor for each three circuits with their phases on exactly the same position like in DB and we feed main supply contacts. Then I will show you how to connect operational links to achieve switch ON/OFF.
Today this chap is contracts manager. He is English

end of examples

I have thousands of such examples - including one operations manager of lighting maintenance company from Berkshire who does not know what is a difference in calculating max Ze for TT or TN system and uses TN tables from regs for Max Zs in TT system. I've got reprimend for that!

I can tell you one thing. I do share some of your opinnions because personally I hate cowboys. I know personaly cawboy who can't wire up simple emergency lighting circuit for outside escape route. Or even find simple neutral fault on ring main cricuitt, which is causing main RCD trip. But he is NICEIC with MCS certification and he is Polish.

The reason I am writing all of this tonight is:

Let be honest and open your eyes. The thing is that either somebody is rubbish and or brilliant sparky? It always depends on professional mot ethnical level.

I am Polish electrician and wish all of you happy 2012

 

[johnboy6083]

i completely agree mate. ive worked withpolish sparks, and found them all good. ive worked near some polish pipefitters, and found that some of them didnt care one bit about our work, and would ruin it, to make their lives easier. Some opf theotherpipe fitters/welders couldnt do enough for us. io ended up gettong on reallywell with some of them.

They did play a trick on me though, they told me that "Kocham Cię" meant hello, in polish!
i was going about for a week saying it to the fellas, to try and be polite. One bloke kept laughing at me. It was a scaffolder who put me right.

 

[Konrad]

This is my night. I used to work for Connaught Compliance Electrical Services (before and after they merged with PCL Nationwide) both does not exist anymore. Both companies are British Gas Business now. Then was the time of 365 --- Part of MiddlXXX Group. Where I have met some brilliant and absolute rubbish sparks. Ironicly I was the only one Pole for about 2 years between 100 of field staff. But when somebody ****ed up I was the one who was on the chase and was sorting out the problems. I'm sure once upon the time every good sparky was in the position of being used to sort out the rubbish created by others.

Anyway as I've passed 2391 tonight and had my moment in work even. As all or most of you know, I am Polish and I was one of these very new and fresh Polish sparks in here. Passed my 16th in Dec 2005. Being working on Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted & Luton - airside. High Street stores, restaurants and banks. Gosh lot of memories lot of experience. When I went to Belgium last year I was shocked with lack of appreciation to any kind of safety. Who ever heard about IPAF or PASMA, don't even think about method statement or risk assesment, or why 300 meters long 2.5 mm can't supply social container with heaters. Ouch nobody heard about Voltage Drop. And so on. I'm pretty sure some of people working for mentioned companies know me either personally or from gossips. Yeah we love them gossips - they feel like home near to Vistula River in Poland.
I always read bad opinnions about Polish sparks in here - & I agree many are rubbish. But not all. It always depends on persons competence not nationality. There is only one rule in craftsman world:

Either you are good, or you are cheap.