Where does it say in the regs...?

[Lucien Nunes]

Is it my imagination or are we seeing a ridiculous number of threads with this kind of question? Sure, some are just trolling, but many of them look like genuine queries where people want to know a the number of the reg that says whether it's OK to install 2.5T+E clipped direct to some 4x2 to feed a socket near the sideboard at No.37 Acacia Grove on a Tuesday?

What does this tell us? That the regs need to be more prescriptive like the NEC? That courses need to teach more about understanding electricity and less about looking up facts in a book? Or has it always been like this?

Puzzled of London.

 

[Blademan_98]

I think that some people prefer to ask than look
Understanding the subject should be paramount really.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

It's sheer laziness imo and it tends to be from the inexperienced and insecure type.

 

[Octopus]

And their inability to say no to a client.....

 

[Darkwood]

It's a sad fact of modern times too that the courses, yes even the full ones has been stripped back over the last few decades so much so that you can become a spark without been able to do basic maths out of school.
This and the total mess of the bodies regulating the industry are putting profit before safety and abilities of their members and we are now as an industry, are a laughing stock. Don't get me wrong we still have some very determined excellent trainee's coming through the system who are a credit to the job but the majority now need there hand holding just to screw a saddle to a wooden joist - I kid you not we had one apprentice who stood doing nothing for 15mins when asked to fit 3 saddles to a joist because he couldn't work out which way to turn the screw :59:

 

[Deleted member 9648]

It's always been like this!
When I first joined this forum back in the middle Jurassic one of the threads which astonished me was about RCD protection to external lights.....everyone seemed to be looking for a regulation stating 'external lights must be on an RCD'....instead of looking up the regulations on additional protection and interpreting them to the scenario in question.

 

[assegayer]

I have to disagree with some of you here but agree at the same time, I believe the maths is still quite challenging through the apprenticeship route as it involves complex subjects with magnetism and all them damn formulas, sure for some that have it naturally its oright but others in the class really struggle until they are taking extra maths classes.

 

[Midwest]

Know what you mean. Some people are a bit lazy, but it is a big book.
I wouldn't profess to know ever reg' word for word, some I can't even understand! Perhaps if someone asks, you should just direct them to the relevant Chapter/Section etc, let them find the reg themselves?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Lack of maths is certainly one of the obstacles to a lot of people understanding electricity. It's the most versatile tool in the box for every branch of engineering or technical craft and I wish schools would put more emphasis on teaching maths and in particular teaching how to apply it. But what I'm worried about is the lack of any signs of individual thinking, or application of knowledge and experience, in the descent into compliance culture. Don't think it through, just read the BS to find something that complies and go with that. So it follows that people want to see a reg that tells them what to do in each individual situation, so they know they'll be compliant.

Nobody would imagine that just reading and quoting the Laws of the Game would teach you to be a great footballer, surely?

 

[Marvo]

I think between smartphone apps and the for-dummies tables in the regs and OSG's you could probably be a competent electrician nowadays without maths skills. How many times do you need to actually use a formula nowadays or have to transpose one?

I think that some people prefer to ask than look
Understanding the subject should be paramount really.

It's sheer laziness imo and it tends to be from the inexperienced and insecure type.

And their inability to say no to a client.....

Porbably a good mixture of all the three above.

I also think some confusion stems from the schemes having their own recommended figures for some things and they don't correspond to the figures in the regs. Also some of the installation regs are actually in the building regs such as socket heights etc.

 

[Darkwood]

I have to disagree with some of you here but agree at the same time, I believe the maths is still quite challenging through the apprenticeship route as it involves complex subjects with magnetism and all them damn formulas, sure for some that have it naturally its oright but others in the class really struggle until they are taking extra maths classes.

My comment wasn't aimed at the complex maths within courses but the fact I had an apprentice who didn't know 3 x 8 and he was in his final year... in our days the intro tests would have routed out those who couldn't do basic maths ... now it seems it's not essential for an industry that relies on competent math skills. .. I have witnessed it :iamwithstupid:

 

[Englishman]

The scariest thought is, for the people who come on here asking basic questions about the regs because they're either too lazy to look through it, don't know how to, or simply don't have it, what the hell is their day to day work like?

In all honesty, I don't flick through it a huge amount, but you need to know how to find things when you do.

Clarification is another matter though, because our regs aren't always the clearest.

 

[Gardner]

The scariest thought is, for the people who come on here asking basic questions about the regs because they're either too lazy to look through it, don't know how to, or simply don't have it, what the hell is their day to day work like?

In all honesty, I don't flick through it a huge amount, but you need to know how to find things when you do.

Clarification is another matter though, because our regs aren't always the clearest.

I know its been discussed before, but I think the regs should be available without charge. Considering they are the backbone of life and property safety it only makes sense.

 

[Spoon]

I have sometimes posted asking for where things are in the regs. I wasn't being lazy or anything I just couldn't find anything. I have also converted the regs to PDF so that I can to a word search on them. Even then I still can't find what I'm looking for. (Song somewhere in that last sentence ) We all have our off days.
On this point I would just like to thank all the people on here that has helped me out. You people are great.

 

[stevethesparks]

What I hate most about the regs is where one reg relates to another reg and you are constantly flicking pages from one to the other.