Stroma assessment this year anyone?

[HappyHippyDad]

Stroma (or it may have been Napit) gave me a call a month ago to collect their yearly subscription fee. I paid and received the paperwork saying I was registered for another year. No word of any assessor coming though. I wonder if they are forgoing it this year. Has anyone else actually had an assessor visit recently or has your registration been started up again for another year automatically?

It was a little amusing during the phone conversation. She said you could choose to go with Napit from now on for roughly £500 or stay with Stroma for one more year for approx £350. Tough call!

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Maybe they are risk assessing it. If you have been registered with several adequate assessments then skipping a year is no real risk. If you are newly registered or inexperienced then maybe you will get an annual visit from the area assessor?

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Maybe they are risk assessing it. If you have been registered with several adequate assessments then skipping a year is no real risk. If you are newly registered or inexperienced then maybe you will get an annual visit from the area assessor?

You're probably right Gavin but I thought I'd see if anyone else had had the same.

 

[Wilko]

I jumped ship and Team Napit gave me the full MOT inspection in August.

 

[Vortigern]

I have jumped ship to NAPIT with a good deal/discount, I should think so too! They have extended my STROMA as trust mark had suspended me so had a little runaround on that one! They then sent me full competency cert. Assessment next Monday over phone and a quick visit apparently. Bit miffed as they had no risk assessment for commercial install, so I am having to go with a domestic install, they said they have seen my commercial and are happy with that so....yeh, bit mixed up but the covidians have covered that with the usual.

 

[Baddegg]

did mine last week....20 mom phone call on the Monday 10 min site visit on the Tuesday.....this is bearing in mind I renewed my subscription in March ?

 

[happysteve]

Renewed in September over the phone. When my diary was filling up in July/August, I'd pencilled in a couple of "slack days" at the start/end of Sept to fit in the assessment... I said, "well I'm booked up about a month in advance, can you give me any clue about when it will be to help me organise my diary?" They said, "I can't really say." After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, we got down to, "Probably December at the very earliest could well be later." Been with them 4 years now, never any issues - I leave them alone, they leave me alone; and on previous inspections always have all the paperwork nicely stacked out on the kitchen table ready, along with the Nice Posh Biscuits and the kettle freshly boiled, it's all gone very smoothly.

I feel for those waiting for their first assessment though, must be so frustrating.

 

[ipf]

About time for mine and got a call from NIC last week. They're talking about some sort of telephone or online meet up and said they'd be in touch to arrange.

Maybe they want me to take some selfies with loop tester in operation and waving certificates.

 

[SparkySy]

I renewed with Stroma back in July and they are due to phone me on thursday the 5th and site visit on the 6th. Been with them for 8 years so they know what my standard of work is like. They sent me a risk assessment form for the site visit. I'm taking mine to an agricultural barn with only cows so very low risk from covid. Not done any domestic jobs other than faults and call outs due to the pandemic! much safer on farms with animals than in houses I think!

 

[suffolkspark]

I dont get inspected every year with napit, been with them 8 years, and they inspected me with the company I was with prior to that for 5 years too, so know I'm ok, he says there a lot of people out there they have to keep a closer eye on!

 

[HappyHippyDad]

From your replies it looks like I may get a visit then, but not for a while. Thanks for all the replies guys.

Ps.. @happysteve Your kitchen table sounds like mine on assessment day. All the paperwork laid out ready so that there are no complications. I have a stroma checklist that I get out once a year before hand to make sure I don't miss anything!

 

[Vortigern]

Just summoned to send a stack of docs to NAPIT by email. Duly complied. Didn't have the log for complaints though. S'pose I could do a spreadsheet or summat unless you guys have something?

 

[Dartlec]

Just summoned to send a stack of docs to NAPIT by email. Duly complied. Didn't have the log for complaints though. S'pose I could do a spreadsheet or summat unless you guys have something?

This is the one I've had every year since I started with NICEIC and gets a tick on their list every year - maybe one year I'll have to add something to it!

 

[Vortigern]

Thanks @Dartlec just the job! Sent already to NAPIT.

 

[Vortigern]

So had the phone thing with NAPIT today. Some good questions, had to know your stuff especially commercial. One which threw me was "What is the minimum cpc csa for external bollard lighting" Any takers? Wednesday is the site visit.

 

[westward10]

6mm if on TN-C-S no I didn't look it up.

 

[Dartlec]

6mm if on TN-C-S no I didn't look it up.

Where would I find that to look it up, out of interest?

 

[westward10]

One of the special locations for street furniture, not got the book to hand.

 

[Vortigern]

Not 6mm, tell ya tomorrow.

 

[dodger421]

Where would I find that to look it up, out of interest?

One of the special locations for street furniture, not got the book to hand.

714.411.203

 

[westward10]

Not 6mm, tell ya tomorrow.

Really I thought it was unless bollards differ to columns.

 

[Dartlec]

One of the special locations for street furniture, not got the book to hand.

Ah, 714.411.203. 6mm for neutral up to 10mm?

But only for outdoor lighting covered by the scope, which doesn't include domestic, right. Had me worried I'd be running a fat cable to any bollards in a private garden or drive for a minute

 

[westward10]

Ah, 714.411.203. 6mm for neutral up to 10mm?

But only for outdoor lighting covered by the scope, which doesn't include domestic, right. Had me worried I'd be running a fat cable to any bollards in a private garden or drive for a minute

The 10mm will be your PEN so 6mm will nearly always be the minimum on TN-C-S. (Not got the book to hand).

 

[ipf]

Ah, 714.411.203. 6mm for neutral up to 10mm?

But only for outdoor lighting covered by the scope, which doesn't include domestic, right. Had me worried I'd be running a fat cable to any bollards in a private garden or drive for a minute

I've been looking at that one, having come across a situation at a sports club with about twenty bollard lights, lighting up a 100metre drive in. They're cheap things wired disgracefully and some idiots decided to use a bit of nice footwork on half a dozen of 'em. So much for accessible with key or tool........'Tools' in this case.

Rubbish job, done about 3 years back but would cost a fortune to re do. It's complicated with the builders/ land purchasers.

 

[Vortigern]

10mm the guy told me. He had a book which I do not have, not quite sure what book. I just had to outright say I do not know the answer to the question. We got there in the end though. I think it is somewhere in Ch. 54 around page 202, but the line was really bad and I was struggling to hear him. Will check tomorrow with him on the visit to site, it is bugging me where he got that from.

 

[Vortigern]

I asked the guy on the assessment and he could not remember. I said people on the forum are waiting for the answer, he said they will have to wait then. Passed the assessment by the way. Went through most of the tests you would routinely do. Questions on the way like max Ze for TNS etc. nothing difficult. It made me chuckle as he said he has failed people for doing dangerous stuff, but also one was asked to do Zs and hemmed and hawed asking if he could just pop on you tube! Fail!

 

[Baddegg]

Just got my non conformities back for my assessment, only one and that’s to clip these tails....

That I didn’t install in the first place the DNO did when they installed the isolator ?‍

 

[SparkySy]

Had my assessment yesterday and today with Stroma, yesterday was the office and paperwork phone call that lasted about 30mins, all went well there as everything was in order. This morning I had my site visit with a very knowledgeable chap who was very happy with what I had done, he asked a few questions and got me to isolate and prove dead then do a Ze, PFC and RCD tests. He was with me for about an hour in total, but we spent more time talking than doing anything practical. So that's me for another year thank jeebus, always worry about these things every year and am glad it's over! I've not had a non compliance before @Baddegg I would be making a complaint about that to Stroma as it is clearly not your work!

 

[Baddegg]

Nah the fella does em is a smashing bloke, really knowledgable and helped me no end at the beginning, the place is also a friends house so I just pop some p clips on and keep the peace man ?, glad yours went well @SparkySy its always a PITA trying to fit em in!...only problem I’ve found at present with Stroma is communication ?

 

[SparkySy]

Fair enough @Baddegg, to be honest I have never had a bad assessor from Stroma they have all been electrical contractors and all very knowledgeable guys and pleasant too. It's nice to have another spark look at your work as they appreciate how it is in the real world and not just some paper jockey that hasn't a clue and only knows the BBB. Ah the communication has always been an issue with them, I have waited months for assessment dates after paying my yearly subscription, I just go with it now.
As an aside below is the cut out at mine today and nothing was said about the DNO tails there, it's an agricultural grain storage barn supply. When I go back I will put some clips on them too I think!
Sy