School testing.

[bigdavs83]

Ha ha nonsense!! We have the schools for a 30 year contract so they are our schools to maintain and we have targets to meet, if we don't we get penalised! Cutting corners gets us nowhere and we lose big contracts. Calm your beans just because you do it one way doesn't mean that applies to all situations. The OP was after advice I therefore stated that in our area of work it's a 100% test

 

[Guest77]

Ha ha nonsense!! We have the schools for a 30 year contract so they are our schools to maintain and we have targets to meet, if we don't we get penalised! Cutting corners gets us nowhere and we lose big contracts. Calm your beans just because you do it one way doesn't mean that applies to all situations. The OP was after advice I therefore stated that in our area of work it's a 100% test

A load of Bollox, the school is the customer, you do not own the building, if they tell you not to test a computer suite you bloody well do as you are told, I am done with you, one word=numpty.

 

[UNG]

Ha ha nonsense!! We have the schools for a 30 year contract so they are our schools to maintain and we have targets to meet, if we don't we get penalised! Cutting corners gets us nowhere and we lose big contracts. Calm your beans just because you do it one way doesn't mean that applies to all situations. The OP was after advice I therefore stated that in our area of work it's a 100% test

So your a PFI contractor having seen and worked in some of the schools built under these contracts I'm not surprised you do 100% test

 

[bigdavs83]

I've stated the deal we have in place and it's actually with the local authority which covers 6 schools and two leisure centres. We test it all as an arse covering exercise. Canny do night shift cos it's dark doesn't quite cut it these days

 

[Guest77]

I've stated the deal we have in place and it's actually with the local authority which covers 6 schools and two leisure centres. We test it all as an arse covering exercise. Canny do night shift cos it's dark doesn't quite cut it these days

Well that is fair enough, if you have a contract which says 100% must be tested then that is what you do, the question was what amount do you test, the answer is whatever the customer wants, not 100% and if they don't like it they are hiding something, jack the lad.

 

[bigdavs83]

UNG the schools are left in a midden for us to take over and trying to get them back on a snag issue is an interesting conversation. It's just not worth not testing it and leaving it for thirty years after the initial install.

 

[davesparks]

well I suppose if your prepared to work nights and the school can afford the costs then I agree with you, it still comes down to the customer agreeing potential limitations though Dave, please don't start the numptey behaviour, you are better than that.

What numpty behaviour?

I have no issue with agreeing limitations with a customer for good reasons. but limitations should be the last resort for dealing with more difficult to test areas not the automatic go-to response for anything the tester can't be bothered to think about a solution to.

I don't get why you say about being prepared to work nights? What is so special about working nights? Apart from being a bit darker outside and there being less distractions around (plus being a damn sight cooler at the moment) what's the difference?
Personally I'm just thankful that I've got a job doing something I enjoy, whatever time of day it is.

 

[bigdavs83]

Agreed MDJ it is whatever the customer wants and that is what the limitations sections are for but as I say in my experience it's a circuit that is left for thirty years after the initial install without a test. Just not worth it mate

 

[davesparks]

Back to the original point of this I would say it has to depend also on the quality of the previous testing.
If you have good test records and certs for all alterations made then you test a sample of the installation and compare it to the previous tests and record which parts were tested. Next time a different sample gets tested and so the process goes on.

If the installation is 50years old with no previous test records and every Tom , dick and Harry have been there altering it then you inspect and test as much as you can.

 

[ipf]

Agreed MDJ it is whatever the customer wants and that is what the limitations sections are for but as I say in my experience it's a circuit that is left for thirty years after the initial install without a test. Just not worth it mate

In a school, the odds are that if a circuit has been installed correctly and NOT interfered with in any way for thirty years, it will be perfectly OK. Thirty years ago it would have been wired to spec in conduit, etc. The problems generally occur due to alteration, addition or interference, sometimes during EICR/PIR's.

 

[bigdavs83]

Davesparks sound advice however can you always trust previous test results? Especially if it's done by some other company of which you know nothing about.

 

[Guest77]

Agreed MDJ it is whatever the customer wants and that is what the limitations sections are for but as I say in my experience it's a circuit that is left for thirty years after the initial install without a test. Just not worth it mate

Fair enough

 

[bigdavs83]

ipf as your post says chances are it will be fine but you're relying on the install guys there and as you say IF a circuit has been installed properly. Personally I'm not relying on them possibly installing it properly.

 

[UNG]

I've stated the deal we have in place and it's actually with the local authority which covers 6 schools and two leisure centres. We test it all as an arse covering exercise. Canny do night shift cos it's dark doesn't quite cut it these days

So is it the PFI contractor that's covering it's arse or just you covering yours

There is no problem with night shifts providing a proper risk assessment is in place

UNG the schools are left in a midden for us to take over and trying to get them back on a snag issue is an interesting conversation. It's just not worth not testing it and leaving it for thirty years after the initial install.

Who said anything about not testing it for 30 years

 

[ipf]

ipf as your post says chances are it will be fine but you're relying on the install guys there and as you say IF a circuit has been installed properly. Personally I'm not relying on them possibly installing it properly.

Aye, but with some visual, checking a few connections and a bit of nouse, you can be pretty sure it falls on the good side....testing at circuit source