Temporary installation advice please...

[George]

Hi There, it's nice to see a forum packed with so many knowledgeable people, I wonder if anyone can help.

I work for an event structures company who are considering taking me on in a new role to do their power distribution etc.

One of the main services they want to be able to offer is a 'mains tap' at the smaller domestic jobs. This would probably be a couple of 16a ceeforms straight from the consumer unit in most cases.
These would be temporary installations in place over a weekend. I'd like to be able to sign the install off myself so it can be used immediately.


What courses/certificates will I need to do in order to carry this work out legally?
Will I need to register the changes with the local authority after the installation of the sockets and again once they are removed?


Thanks in advance!
George

 

[malcolmsanford]

You will need an above average grasp of section 740 of the regs for a start.

As for qualifications what do you have now?

I would not expect any of the work you do would be notifiable under the Part P scheme

 

[George]

Ok, I'll look into that then...

I have no electrical qualifications at the moment, I couldn't have foreseen being in this situation really! I have a pretty good knowledge of electrical systems that could be built upon with the right course I guess?

What are you working on in Riyadh? I was over there last week, my Dad works there. Bloody hot!

 

[thebigcheese]

The requirements of BS7909 will apply too (not just 7671) - and if you google for '7909 completion certs' you will see the level of detail that is required when inspection and testing.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Hot son it's chilly now..............................lol

I work on infra structure projects mostly for government/military. Is your dad a Salwa village man??

For all intent and purposes you don't need any qualifications to carry out electrical work, but qualifications is an indication of competency and in the case of anything going wrong, lack of qualifications can put someone in a tight spot.

Being old school I suggest you going down the longer route of training ie 2-3 yrs etc etc. But I guess that is not what your looking at. I suppose you do have an option of the dreaded 17day wonder course and that is something you could look at.

I would advise though that you think about what your going to do. Are you happy with what your company are asking you to do? Are they expecting to much of you? Are they hoping to get you to do a bit to save money?

 

[George]

Yeah, I cant wait to visit in the winter, apparently its more pleasant then... I just wanted to move from one lot of aircon to the next when I went! He lives on Barada Village / Arabian Homes, what ever you want to call it, down near the women's university.

I agree that the old school route is the best way, and if I was employing someone to rewire my house, I would expect them to have gone through that process! However, I'd be fitting a few sockets once a week and thats as involved as it would be. I'm not looking to be an electrician, I want to work in the events industry and this could be a good opportunity to utilise my existing skills and move further up the food chain.

I dont think they are interested in saving money as such, they are mostly interested in having the reliability of someone on the crew that can handle the work instead of having to rely on a number of companies who have let down our reputation in the past.

 

[kingeri]

BS 7909 is worth getting hold of if you're doing a lot of temp outdoor work. It's not cheap to buy though, think it's £80 ish!

 

[imago]

I agree that the old school route is the best way, and if I was employing someone to rewire my house, I would expect them to have gone through that process! However, I'd be fitting a few sockets once a week and thats as involved as it would be. I'm not looking to be an electrician, I want to work in the events industry and this could be a good opportunity to utilise my existing skills and move further up the food chain.

But as you said you WILL be working on someone's house, how do you think they would feel if they read/knew that?

Also, consider what would happen to you and the company if something went wrong. ' Where there's blame, there's a claim.' would come into play. So thake the above quote and alter it for a different circumstance and you get :-

No your honour, I don't have any formal qualifications as an electrician. However, I was only fitting a few sockets once a week and thats as involved as it got. I didn't want to be an electrician, I want to work in the events industry and this seemed a good opportunity to utilise my existing skills and move further up the food chain. I didn't realise that could happen when I ........

One final thought, what do your firm's insurance company require for the persons working on electricity? I will bet a large sum that they won't cover someone who's not qualified doing the work.

 

[George]

At no point did I say I was intending on doing any of this work unqualified. If you read my original post you will see I was looking for recommendations for a course that would be allow me to undertake this kind of work, preferably one that doesn't take years to complete as this is only a small percentage of the job.

 

[imago]

At no point did I say I was intending on doing any of this work unqualified. If you read my original post you will see I was looking for recommendations for a course that would be allow me to undertake this kind of work, preferably one that doesn't take years to complete as this is only a small percentage of the job.

I'm not looking to be an electrician

Yet that's what you need to be in my opinion, sure that's all it is, my opinion. You will be expected to asses the installation from the service head onwards to be able to make a decision on what you can or cannot do. You will be expected to ensure the integrity of the parts you alter/add, and ultimately you will be responsible for the outcome good or bad.

There's a very good reason why it takes time to learn a trade.

As I said though, just my opinion.

 

[Guitarist]

Many people have completed quick courses to become "qualified", but as I'm sure you are aware, apprenticeships were and still are there for a reason. In my opinion, for what it's worth, either get your firm to provide you with proper long-term training, or else tell them to continue using qualified electricians. Anything else could be potentially fatal, how ever much it may be a "pain" for your firm.

 

[Knobhead]

I get the impression our OP is of the impression. “It’s only a temporary job, just dob a bit of flex in to a CU nailed to a plank. It’ll be alright!” Unfortunately the Grim Reaper doesn’t understand or care that it’s a temporary set up for a happy event that will only last a couple of hours, or until the ambulance shows.
You think you can just stroll in and perform a task that you don’t have the basic training for, never mind any comprehension of the complications of portable equipment.

You say your company has been let down by outside electricians. If they contract Joe Bloggs, Housebashing&Co to do the work what do you expect? If you approach reputable companies with your Gung Ho attitude they will rightly shun you.

Speak to your companies insurance underwriters, see what requirements they require for your temporary installation.

 

[amlu]

bit concerned about the business plan. if some sparks are doing a "small domestic job" meaning a rewire they keep a small fuseboard handy in the van to use on the job... takes 20 minutes fitting it, not sure if anyone will have spare cash to spend.

it may work on bigger sites when combined with a 110v distribution around the site.

if you have no qualifications at all you should get at least 17th editon... have a look in the big green book.
go work as a mate for some amount of time.

 

[George]

I get the impression our OP is of the impression. “It’s only a temporary job, just dob a bit of flex in to a CU nailed to a plank. It’ll be alright!” Unfortunately the Grim Reaper doesn’t understand or care that it’s a temporary set up for a happy event that will only last a couple of hours, or until the ambulance shows.
You think you can just stroll in and perform a task that you don’t have the basic training for, never mind any comprehension of the complications of portable equipment.

You say your company has been let down by outside electricians. If they contract Joe Bloggs, Housebashing&Co to do the work what do you expect? If you approach reputable companies with your Gung Ho attitude they will rightly shun you.

Speak to your companies insurance underwriters, see what requirements they require for your temporary installation.

I am by no means under any such impression, do you think I'd be asking for advice if I was? I think I'd just be using a 13amp plug with a solid copper fuse.

We have used professional event electricians and the work they do really isn't to the same standard as our structures, hence the urge to move things in house. Thanks for your insulting input though.

 

[Knobhead]

I am by no means under any such impression, do you think I'd be asking for advice if I was? I think I'd just be using a 13amp plug with a solid copper fuse.

We have used professional event electricians and the work they do really isn't to the same standard as our structures, hence the urge to move things in house. Thanks for your insulting input though.

I'm renown for speaking my mind!