Becoming a Qualified Supervisor

[Superspark230]

There's been a few changes recently at the company I work for. 2 electrical supervisors and the contract manager left towards the end of last year. Which has led to a few changes as you'd expect.

Our new contract manager has hired 1 Electrical Supervisor but whishes to trial a system of having 2 Qualifying Supervisors working beneath the Electrical Supervisor. This could change as in time we should hire more electricians and get the team back to 20—25, we currently have 10 working in 2 different work streams.

I'm a capable electrician with 10 years experience and have worked on both work streams and have a good working relationship with all the other electricians.

Im tempted to step up and become a QS, but what Is exactly involved and what pressures could I be put under? What experience have you seen happen when somone steps up?

 

[westward10]

It depends how seriously the role of a QS is taken by your company as to the extent of your responsibility. You would normally audit any reports/certification and this can be nice touch if they let you do it remotely from home but you have to put the work in. From reports (EICRs) they will probably expect you to provide remedial work quotations if that is your companies field. Site visits to audit works should be carried out although companies can be lax in this and finding problems from these audits doesn't always go down well. Oh and the annual visit from your scheme provider if someone throws that in your lap. Go for it but your pay should reflect your new role.

 

[Superspark230]

I'm set up at home for writing out larger Eicrs, somthing which started during the pandemic, to help with childcare. It would certainly benefit me being able to WFH occasionally. I've worked with the majority of our electricians and I know their qualities and standards, so the site visits shouldnt cause an issue, new staff may be different but it will give a chance to get to know them. I'm not sure how I feel about the scheme inspections, but I've had my work inspected previously by them, it's just the unknown of that. I've never done quoting of works but it would be another string to my belt.

 

[westward10]

Just make enquiries as to what is required. Scheme visits are really no big a deal but initially they can be nerve racking. If you seek alternative employment in the future saying you have been a QS can be advantageous.

 

[MDJ]

I was a QS for 30 years with the NICEIC, basically you want to get a cabinet with all the test sheets from the guys who you are responsible for and put them in order with a index which the inspecting engineer can read, make sure all jobs done and test sheets relating to the jobs are itemised and listed for him or her to check, you need calibration sheets for all test equipment to be readily available for him or her and a list of all jobs carried out by your company listed so he or her can pick at random work they want to see. I also used to have a file with all the electricians under my controls certificates so he or she could look at the fact they were qualified to test and write out certification. every job done had a number and every job done was tested and put into a file with the job so if the inspecting engineer asked to go to look at a job the paper work was easily found and all test records relating was withing the file.

this sounds a bit complicated but it is very simple once you get into a routine of recording all work carried out.