removal of main cutout fuse

[sparkymatt1987]

Who is to be informed for the removal of a cutout fuse for say a consumer unit change??

 

[mechelec]

I think it is all down to personnal risk assesment. ie is it safer to pull the fuse or work live, own competance, condition of equipment, working area, PPE etc.
That said you shouldnt be doing it.
Has anyone on here been reprimanded for pulling a fuse?

 

[Deleted member 19807]

I pulled a 100A 1361 black carrier (with dno permission, sse) only to have it fall in to 2 pieces in my hand, not nice. I called sse and they were out within the hour to replace it. Could have been a lot worse.

 

[ezzzekiel]

are you competent to remove the fuse safely, providing care is taken then its no more dangerous than walking across the street, which leaves the legal issue and in myknowledge no one has ever been prosecuted for ding so and even if they were chances are it wouldnt go to court unless of course the hse has been involved due to accident or injury so with these things in mind make your own informed choice

 

[Octopus]

Dont know if any of you work within SSE patch, but I found on their website a pdf that explains that if you are part of a permited trade association they allow you to pull the fuses.

ssepd.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Content/15_News_and_Media/ProcedureOnTheRemoval.pdf <<<put www. in front of <<<

Very handy. Is there a listing of the area's covered by this?

 

[Deleted member 19807]

i unfortunetly work for those sse clowns!!!

care to spill the beans?

 

[HandySparks]

Well as noted on another thread the pulling of the DNO fuse will become a mute discussion as of Jan, as if your wanting to abide by the BS 7671-2008, you can not pull a DNO fuse unless you have that DNO permission.

I seemed to have missed something. What thread is this, and what are the specific changes in Jan relating to pulling the DNO fuse, please?

 

[malcolmsanford]

Regulation 537.1.4 As been extended in the 1st amendment to include:

"Where the distributor provides a means of disconnection complying with chapter 53 at the origin of the installation and agrees that it may be used as the means of isolation for the part of the installation between the origin and the main linked switch or circuit breaker required by regulation 537.1.4, the requirement for isolation and switching of that part of the installation is satisfied.

Note A cut-out fuse may be withdrawn only by a person authorized to do so by the distributor."

So the regs are now advising us that we should not be pulling cut-out fuses unless we are authorized to do so.

 

[Knobhead]

Work safely? This is getting beyond a joke!

If the DNO’s fitted isolators to EVERY installation then so be it. But they are neglecting their care of duty to my eyes. “Every installation should have a safe means of isolation”.
I’ve had to work to those rules for the last 35 years, why in the name of god are they exempt!

Rant over! :83:

 

[Octopus]

Regulation 537.1.4 As been extended in the 1st amendment to include:

"Where the distributor provides a means of disconnection complying with chapter 53 at the origin of the installation and agrees that it may be used as the means of isolation for the part of the installation between the origin and the main linked switch or circuit breaker required by regulation 537.1.4, the requirement for isolation and switching of that part of the installation is satisfied.

Note A cut-out fuse may be withdrawn only by a person authorized to do so by the distributor."

So the regs are now advising us that we should not be pulling cut-out fuses unless we are authorized to do so.

So are all the distributors going to simplify their proceedures, educate their call centre staff and make the whole process easier for everyone? I doubt it.

Last time I needed a distributor it took me 6 calls and 1 hour of my time!

Rant over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

So are all the distributors going to simplify their proceedures, educate their call centre staff and make the whole process easier for everyone? I doubt it.

Last time I needed a distributor it took me 6 calls and 1 hour of my time!

Rant over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Educate their call centre staff??....When was the last time you spoke to an educated call centre member of staff.....lol........:dozey:

 

[Knobhead]

I’ve been lucky, only ever had to speak to a DNO once, the conversation went along the lines of:

• I need to speak to an engineer
• I can take an enquiry and pass it on to the correct department
• Do you know what you’re talking about?
• No I just pass messages on…..
• Let me speak to an engineer that will know what I’m talking about.
• I can put you through to our technical sales department
• OK I’ll give that a try
• Hello technical sales
• I explained the problem
• Nothing to do with us, but I know a man that can
• Hello systems engineering
• Thank god! I explain the problem again
• Eeerr can I call you back within 10 minutes
• We’ll be there in ½ an hour

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I’ve been lucky, only ever had to speak to a DNO once, the conversation went along the lines of:

• I need to speak to an engineer
• I can take an enquiry and pass it on to the correct department
• Do you know what you’re talking about?
• No I just pass messages on…..
• Let me speak to an engineer that will know what I’m talking about.
• I can put you through to our technical sales department
• OK I’ll give that a try
• Hello technical sales
• I explained the problem
• Nothing to do with us, but I know a man that can
• Hello systems engineering
• Thank god! I explain the problem again
• Eeerr can I call you back within 10 minutes
• We’ll be there in ½ an hour

So....in a roundabout kind of way Tony...you got there...in the end i suspect...lol........:cry_smile:

 

[sparkie710]

With everyone saying they pull it their self that’s fair enough for obvious reasons having to wait for the do which could equal lost money waiting around. But if you do please be careful make sure you wear correct ppe and look at the head before you do encase bitumen is present and you can’t get it back in. AND ALWAYS TEST!!! Can’t express it how important it is. I’m not going to lie I messed up didn’t test and couldn’t let go couldn’t scream because I had the tails in my had lucky I got yanked off and only got bruises. 100% stupidity but I never been so scared and everyone should always take great care one mishap and that’s it.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

With everyone saying they pull it their self that’s fair enough for obvious reasons having to wait for the do which could equal lost money waiting around. But if you do please be careful make sure you wear correct ppe and look at the head before you do encase bitumen is present and you can’t get it back in. AND ALWAYS TEST!!! Can’t express it how important it is. I’m not going to lie I messed up didn’t test and couldn’t let go couldn’t scream because I had the tails in my had lucky I got yanked off and only got bruises. 100% stupidity but I never been so scared and everyone should always take great care one mishap and that’s it.

Interesting point this.....should anyone pull a DNO fuse on there own?.....or should another competent person be present....just in case?....Should at least one of those be an emergency first aider?..........

 

[Knobhead]

This was a local works rule. Any electrician on an out of hours call out should be accompanied by a trained first aider if carrying out any MV switching operation.

I thought it a bit churlish to ask what happens if their both dead!