PIR 40 circuits a day is it possible ?

[dacons]

[FONT=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Hey guys was wondering if there are anyone here who does commercial PIR testing for a living only ive been offered a job by a testing company the salary is slightly low for London area but they offer £3 a test over there daily set tests the thing is they want 40 circuits tested a day is that achievable or are they setting it high enough so you never earn more but they get free OT.[/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Ive asked around already and most say 40 is unrealistic and the company in question ***** have a habit of issuing test certs covered in LIM so i was wondering if anyone who works solely as a tester has some input.[/FONT]

 

[Leesparkykent]

12mins a circuit based on 8hour day. If the DB isn't labeled correctly then game over straight away. Even if it was labelled correctly and you had a half decent previous report to work from id say you would still be pushing your luck and certainly wouldn't be inspecting each circuit properly.

 

[ruston]

Saying nothing about access and isolation.
No doubt proper records and previous reports speed things up, but I would not want that job unless I was negotiating the terms with the person requiring the work.

 

[BruceBanner]

Saying nothing about access and isolation.
No doubt proper records and previous reports speed things up, but I would not want that job unless I was negotiating the terms with the person requiring the work.

Expensive toilet paper !

 

[Leesparkykent]

Expensive toilet paper !

Exactly but most don't give a hoot as long as it comes back satisfactory. My pal does EICR's for a major sports wear retailer throughout the south and they've been trying to get him down to £5:20 a circuit......id rather be on the rock and roll.

 

[ruston]

No doubt they will get their man, then hang him out to dry if something is missed.

 

[Brightspark2]

It's possible if you don't do it correctly and just bodge it.

40 ccts in a day is a lot. Half of that would be more realistic and that would be hard work!.

Problem there is that there giving you an incentive to rush and bodge it.

 

[Jay Sparks]

Exactly but most don't give a hoot as long as it comes back satisfactory. My pal does EICR's for a major sports wear retailer throughout the south and they've been trying to get him down to £5:20 a circuit......id rather be on the rock and roll.

I hear Freddy did well with his Rock n Roll band!lol

Seriously though, that's a crap price for an EICR. I know firms in Leeds that offer £30 an EICR and they expect and have guys doing 4/5 per day. I herd one was called Billy, and the other was Butch!! They offered that to me and by the look on their face, they actually expected me to say yes! I said "you are joking? Firstly, £30 per test is a joke, even doing a 25% one. Secondly, 4/5 a day? Do I even need to turn up to work?" But as said above, someone will do it because it pays their bills. Each to their own I suppose.

P.S Just to add, it is the customers who are driving these prices as they don't really care what state their electrics are in, as long as they get a "satisfactory" report and everything still works as it has done for the last ten years!!

Jay

 

[Andy78]

Absolutely mental ! My domestic rates work out at about £20 per circuit and I wouldn't want to go any lower than that for any job, preferably a good deal higher for commercial depending on the situation and ease of isolation.

The best thing you can do for yourself and your industry is to tell them where to shove it.

Periodic reporting is becoming a joke as all these monkeys step all over each other to slit each other's throats on price, all so they can do a **** poor job for their money.

I have had to tell more than one customer in the past that I won't work for them when they tried to price match me with an £80 EICR or told me "put anything down for a cheap job, it's only a bit of paper for the insurance"

 

[Pete999]

Hey guys was wondering if there are anyone here who does commercial PIR testing for a living only ive been offered a job by a testing company the salary is slightly low for London area but they offer £3 a test over there daily set tests the thing is they want 40 circuits tested a day is that achievable or are they setting it high enough so you never earn more but they get free OT.
Ive asked around already and most say 40 is unrealistic and the company in question ***** have a habit of issuing test certs covered in LIM so i was wondering if anyone who works solely as a tester has some input.

Never worked at testing only, but 40 circuits per day, possible? not really about 10 -12 for an 8 hour day if the boards are marked up correctly, this firm is more than likely a "fill the cert in and drive off outfit" IMHO

 

[dacons]

Yeah getting this concensus everywhere ive asked so think I may take everyones advice and move onto the next one.

 

[gutterball]

EICR's are going the same way as PAT. As long as they have a piece of paper with pass on its ok.

Had a guy phone me the other day wanting some done on all his rental property's. Wasn't too pleased when I quoted him my rate per circuit. Said someone else had quoted £50 per property.

 

[ackbarthestar]

Yeah getting this concensus everywhere ive asked so think I may take everyones advice and move onto the next one.

I suppose its just possible to test 40 circuits in a long day, but I know there will be short cuts taken if its done by one person.
As I understand it for a EICR you could probably get away with verification of Ze and PSC, RCD/RCBO tests, EFLI for each circuit, Polarity, IR and VD, but that will include having previous test results and correctly labeled circuits....... and then there are all those inspection tick boxes when you climb up into the rafters checking terminal boxes, lighting and tray fixings......
We did a 12way 3-phase board loaded with single phase circuits and it took two of us all day to get all the results and then there was the paperwork. So you'll be knackered and probably disillusioned after a 50 hour week / 200-250 hour month.....a little like stationary PAT

 

[Paul.M]

The last big testing job I did was on a block of new apartments, 6 circuits in each, every apartment the same. Ok I had to fix any snags (mostly 2 way switching incorrect or bathroom fan Iso switch wired wrong due to two sparks using different colours for SW/L).

On a good day with not many snags I could complete 8 apartments in a full 8 hour working day (48 circuits). This is only because they are all new installations and all exactly the same, we knew where the end of each circuit is etc etc. So yes it s possible but only when everything is going your way. I had full control of the floor I was working on, all other trades moved out of my way when asked, one of the best sites I've been on. Every trade got on with each other and we all had a good bit of banter.

Possible but only if it is a perfect site.

 

[dacons]

So I decided to ask some questions from them to clarify a few things and this was the response.

Me.What was the setup regarding tests is it just a sample test done or a full inspection are previous test reports normally available.

Company.It is a full test and inspection of 100% unless we state otherwise i.e 20% test over 5 years, I would say 50% of jobs previous reports are provided, as you can imagine some clients have lost their previous reports or have never had it tested.


Me.What is the situation if im unable to do the required 40 tests in a day for instance im sent to a property there is 40 circuits to test but du to the property being occupied or certain restrictions I can only do 30 would I be allotted time another day to complete would it go as a general limitation and id move on or would it be a case of I need to get it done no matter how much of my time it takes I only ask as to do 40 id be looking at 12 minutes a test assuming all 40 are on one site and that’s a lot less the the NICEIC state 30 minute average I only ask as I don’t want to cut corners and jeopardise myself or the company as ive looked down the barrel of the HSE blame gun I was completely innocent but its scary stuff and can end careers and crush even the biggest of companies...

Company.We spend 15-20 minutes to verify a circuit, if the circuit is not found after this time it will be marked as unverified. If the job was bad and 40 was not accomplishable (Some jobs like old factory’s are like this as all the wiring is old) we would send you back the next day if needed. Most engineers would work on to finish as it would be cutting into the bonus for the next day.


Me.On average how long are the guys on site so start in the morning and finish in the evening excluding travel to get the base 40 done and using your example what sort of hours are guys doing to get 60 done.

Company..Engineers usually work 8am-4:30pm, this can vary though. Depending on the type of job depends on how many circuits will be complete on that day.


Me.What is the situation regarding the test are full tests expected or only sample tests done.

Company.We always do full tests if full access is available, If not there will be certain limitations agreed with the client beforehand.

 

[Leesparkykent]

IMO you would be absolutely knocking your socks off every day to try and get any where near the required target and even then corners would be cut and hardly any inspection would be taken place. There's easier ways to earn money

 

[ruston]

You would end up playing catch up every day , or having the kids calling you uncle daddy.
That interview is loaded.

 

[dacons]

yeah definitely out

 

[ackbarthestar]

yeah definitely out

Yes, but you're having doubts, aren't you? You want somebody to convince you that E1.95 per circuit is Ok or even could be justified by a clever accountant to be above the minimum wage.
Think of it, its money in your pocket, its money to spend down the pub, its an honest wage...............


Don't fall for it... its worth taking a couple weeks off the pop to find something more fulfilling, possibly self employment ?

Those bloody agencies ...... a bunch of scheming blaggers

 

[gnselectricals]

Doing a hotel at the moment priced off old Certs at 40% of 72 bedroom hotel. Gotta go back tomorrow after day 1 as previous test was only worth about 4% found loads of extra db's. Done about 40 circuits between 2 today after a 3 hr drive finished at 9 just back from pub. Not worth it in the op's case imho