NIC assessment this week.....

[Hellmooth]

Hi guys, got my assessment on Thursday, was wondering how stringent they are on safe isolation etc, do they want the board turned off before opening etc, and I take it I'll need to lock off all the time, I never do it if I'm in a house on my own, and I will be for my 3 jobs! Proving unit every time as well?

Any other advice welcome, even which bank to rob for the fees!

 

[Leesparkykent]

It all really comes down to which assessor you have. some will be happy just to see you have a lock of kit, proving unit, approved voltage indicator and can explain the process. Down load and print off a free copy of the electricity at work regulations if you haven't already done so, generic risk assessment, complaints procedure. you will be asked some questions based on the regs throughout the day obviously answer the best you can and anything your not sure on say you would have to refer to the BYB. I know your initial assessment can be daunting but at the end of the day they don't really want to fail you as your worth more to them being on the books. most assessors I've come across aren't that bad, make you feel at ease and once they've worked out in the first few minutes that your not a complete chancer then its a pretty easy day tbh. If your paper works in order, jobs are to a good standard and you can carry out the required tests then you don't have anything to worry about.

 

[Pete999]

Do it as per best practice IMO and you can't go wrong.

 

[uksparks]

What I usually do is talk through what im doing, for example I'll lock the main switch off after removing the cover as it can get it the way, I may add something like if it was a 3036 board, the switch needs to be half cock to get the cover off so it's going to have to go on afterwards, maybe add that sometimes the terminal covers are missing so at that point you would say it's a little dangerous to work with such exposed terminals or something I don't know.

do long as you explain everything you are doing and why you can't really go too wrong

 

[Hellmooth]

Cheers guys, I'm sure it will be fine, got everything there that's needed, it has crept up though so got a couple of jobs to finish off certifying. Do they ask how the seals are gone and how I managed to pull the fuse to do a board change lol?

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Like Lee said, it depends which assessor you get, although understanding basic safe isolation is probably going to be something they look at.

I realise we may not follow the correct procedure every time when working alone in a domestic situation but that is even more reason for you to write out the steps for safe isolation and get them ingrained into your head now, before the assessment. I remember getting into a bit of a fluster one year on safe isolation, so for the next year I wrote it out, memorised it and practised it until it was second nature so that even if I got flustered it would be so ingrained that I couldn't go wrong... It worked

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Cheers guys, I'm sure it will be fine, got everything there that's needed, it has crept up though so got a couple of jobs to finish off certifying. Do they ask how the seals are gone and how I managed to pull the fuse to do a board change lol?

I remember feeling worried about that for the first job Hellmooth, so I did it properly and got the DNO to fit an isolator. The assessor didn't even ask, although I mentioned it just so I could show off a little! ;-)

In the other 2 years since that they have never asked. Now that I have a little bit of a relation with them I feel able to ask them questions like this, and my assessor was quite sensible and said something along the lines of it being a known problem. He couldn't outright say it was OK to pull it (as he is a professional) but he made it clear he wasn't going to fail me for it. He knows it has to be done and that's that.

Still, I don't think its something to be blasé about, especially if its an old cutout which could be dangerous to pull and should not be touched. Perhaps do a little research about which cutouts could be dangerous.. Cast iron, fused neutrals etc, to show some understanding.

 

[Hellmooth]

[/B]
I remember feeling worried about that for the first job Hellmooth, so I did it properly and got the DNO to fit an isolator. The assessor didn't even ask, although I mentioned it just so I could show off a little! ;-)

In the other 2 years since that they have never asked. Now that I have a little bit of a relation with them I feel able to ask them questions like this, and my assessor was quite sensible and said something along the lines of it being a known problem. He couldn't outright say it was OK to pull it (as he is a professional) but he made it clear he wasn't going to fail me for it.

I have a rewire I'm showing, I got Scottish power out to fit an isolator for that so all good, showing a board change at my house though that I pulled myself, and another board change over the road that I pulled myself, hopefully they don't mention it until we get to the rewire as that's the last job, I will then point it out lol!

I am going over safe isolation at the moment mate cheers, as you say it is easy to do when you are on your own, but when being assessed it can cause a bit of flustering under pressure!

Thanks for the info it's appreciated!

 

[uksparks]

They don't care if you pull the fuse because the point in pulling a fuse is one for more of a theft of electric and interfering with metering equipment issue which is nothing to do with them.

 

[Piratepete]

Just had a NICEIC assessment. It's the same every year. Check Insurance, Calibration, Safety Policy, Copy of Building Regs Part P, Electricity at Work Regs, BYB and OSG, Complaints form, [FONT=&quot]Test Instrument Accuracy Record [/FONT] and now CDM record - all present and up to date. Then examines your certificates. I always have this lot sitting out before he arrives.

Go to site - needs to be a notifiable job that you've done since your last test. Checks isolation procedure on CU (you don't need proving kit!) I use a contact voltage probe. Then Ze and Ipf for the CU, Zs for a circuit, R1 and R2 on a ring. RCD test, Earthing and Bonding.
Question time - you can refer to the BYB or OSG but it helps to remember max IR values for 230V circuits, max Zs values for 6Amp and 32Amp type B circuits, max RCD tripping times.

MOST IMPORTANT - DON'T RUSH! YOU MAY BE NERVOUS - I ALWAYS AM! He knows that and would rather you took your time and get it right. He doesn't want to fail you!

Cheers

Pete

 

[Risteard]

LOL. During my assessment the Area Engineer said at one point, "I could ask how you replaced those tails but I'm not going to."

Suffice to say everything had been resealed (but I decline to state here by whom or who had withdrawn the service fuse). Might have been NIE for all I can remember...

 

[sparksburnout]

Blimey I'll be glad when it's Friday.