Safety and part p questions

[Nickzx6]

hi

I’m new to self employed domestic (having done my apprenticeship and time in industry with a utility supplier) so looking for a little guidance on the below.....

Got asked to look at an Rcbo tripping issue. Called in for an initial look. Nothing seemed obviously wrong so as to cause the tripping. What I did spot though was a fairly new d/b that had obviously been moved, no sign of test (stickers etc...) all wiring in new colours where suspect ring arrived upstairs in old colours !! So clearly some joints along the way.

Upstairs the ring was terminated in a jb then spurred off in new colours to a double socket then spurred again off the spur to another double socket.

I couldn’t knock the dB off for proper test but I did ir test from jb out along spur to sockets which found nothing.

I was meant to be going back after shop hours so I could isolate dB and have a proper look inside (board was rammed full so I declined to investigate inside whilst live)

I’ve had a message in meantime saying its all sorted. I asked what was found and they weren’t too sure but thought it was a cable that had been put into one of the sockets I tested shorting on something.

I’m gutted I missed this cable on inspection but would’ve thought the ir test would pick the short up?

My question, however, is this.....

The spark who went in after me has obviously ignored the spur on spur and just fixed the issue? I thought that any circuit we were working on needed to be shown to meet regs? Am I wrong? Should I just be fixing what’s in front of me?

Glad of any advice

 

[Nickzx6]

If you repair a specific fault then you can use a Minor Works as this is a record of what you have done. There is a section on the Certificate for commenting on the existing installation as to whether it is safe for continued use.

Would this still be the case if something like the main earth bonding was missing? (Again, genuine question there, not a veiled attempt at an argument)

Appreciate your advice
Nick

 

[westward10]

See Regulations 132.16 and 644.1.2

 

[Pete999]

Thanks Pete,

That was pretty much how I handled it, only without completing the full eicr at the point I got to. I fedback my initial findings and advised i'd need to do further tests and then make recommendations for improvements to the circuit before moving forward. Obviously all they wanted was for their rcbo to strop tripping. Not a lot of care for anything else i was pointing out.

Agree with Spins post following this one, unfortunately what you describe is the way of the World, "don't want to know about all that carp" just fix what I asked for, head buried in the sand springs to mind, but as Spin says it's your duty of care to explain in writing of any problems you find, copy to client copy for you, CYA I think it's called.

 

[rolyberkin]

In the real world if you told every customer to have a full EICR every time you go to look at a fault you will not be getting much work! I tend to concentrate on the fault as reported, if I see anything along the way I bring it to their attention there and then, note it on the MWC and or issue a danger notice if required.