Kiwi,
Trumpy, your Certificate Of Compliance should have raised alarm bells somewhere in the beaurocracy. Why wasn't it acted upon ?
It would be nice if the Ministry actually read and took action on these certificates instead of just fining those that failed to submit them.
In regards to your first question, the CoC is only a document between the Electrician and the customer.
Sure, I've been audited (as a standard course here) but the Inspectors only check that there is an MEN connection and that it has been done properly.
And that there is an Earth Electrode and that that has been connected properly.
I've spoken to a few customers I've been audited for and they have said that the Inspectors NEVER get up in the roof space, or under the floor, which in my personal experience, is where most shoddy electrical work occurs.
To state a fact here, I could be doing non-compliant work all over the place, with this sort of lax regime, who would catch me??.
Don't get me wrong though, I am up with the play, I test and certify ALL of my work.
All I have to say is, bring back the Power Board Inspectors, they are reasonable folks and they thoroughly inspect what they are asked to.
Ray,
I would do exactly the same, isolate the cct, put all work done temporarely on the COC and tell a local inspector.
That actually was one of my downfalls, according to the twisted logic of my former employer, I was NOT to contact any outside sources with respect to guidance on safety matters, he would decide.
You can imagine how that went down and when the customer wanted to be re-imbursed for the time taken to disconnect and make the wiring safe, I hit the roof.
I didn't come down in the last shower.
Ray,
By the way Trumpy I'm a station officer in Titirangi.
You're an SO at Tatters?(I'm not using the real name for it, Paul'll kill me!)
Tell me is your helmet Yellow or White, like
this guy's ?.
[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 12-20-2005).]