The joys of being a bloody sparky!

[brizospark]

What a day

Monday mornings are bad enough without this!

have being testing an industrial site for a while now and nearing the end

So I'm testing low bay light fittings about 20 metres in the air

No probs I though and proceeded to take the genie bom up to the last fitting in the circuit

So I'm at the light fitting just away to undo the Klix when all of a sudden the fire alarm goes off in this factory where they run continuous production

So I'm 20 metres up in the air and my paranoid sparky instinct that kicks in every time a fire alarm sounds tells me "I hope that was nothing to do with me"

So I have a look around and notice this bloody laser beam at the end of the building staring at me, I turn around and see the reflector behind me

Bloody great!

It was a beam sensor smoke detection system right at the top of the factory where the light fittings are.

Now nobody had ever mentioned these things to me and there was no signage anywhere in the building informing contractors of the setup

So after about 2 minutes I finally manage to negotiate myself back down to the ground and exit the part of the factory towards the main gate where the entire workforce is waiting and I'm walking towards them harness and all.

By the time I get there there are two fully loaded fire engines on their way into the building.

So the factory manager approaches me and asks if I was up the Genie boom to which i just told the truth

So typical factory manager blames me to which i had to stand up for myself and declare that it was not my fault but in fact the health and safety officer who had originally inducted me first day on site and I stressed that this should have been part of his induction (instead of spending 10 minutes going on and on about how mobile phones aren't allowed on site!)

So anyway fire alarm finally stops, fireys leave, everyone back to work

Later in the day I hear through the grapevine that the factory hierarchy are going bananas because they have to pay a ridiculous amount for the fire service since it was a false alarm, and on top of that they have lost production time

What is you guys take on this?

 

[mogga]

same thing happened on a night shift at a biggish shopping center all store staff out due to HnS guuy not having anything in induction about lasers above celings even though he knew the job was above celing

Had full city center shopping mall in Aberdeen evacuated at 11am due to security not isolating as requested cos he was distracted by a shoplifter I set alarm off full evac public n everything 8unit turn out and 2 turntables Big Big chief fire officer happened to be round the corner and "popped round " to see he asked center amnager what happened then asked if every store had done as per fire risk assesment YES then asked senior fire officer if units arrived as they should and had full center coperation YES he then turned to a WHITE Shaking center manager n said " Good drill wasnt it I dont expect another one this year !!!" to which the center manager replied NO and vissably wobbled

 

[baldsparkies]

NOT YOUR FAULT. Did the same thing once whilst working in a supermarket at high level. No signs no warnings verbal or otherwise. When the brass shouted I shouted louder with good reason, how the hell was I to know ??
They backed down in the end, but trust me don't let them try to talk you down on this one. Stand your ground, white coller workers aren't use to that, they expect you to lick botty and wimper apoligise, DONT.