How to identify dodgy COC's

[ians]

I have just received a copy of a COC from a customer who purchased a house recently.

Annexure 1 ... filled in correctly and initial COC ticked

Turn over the page.

Test report for DB/supply blank

Additional pages yes number - 1 ... no additional pages attached

short circuit/withstand rating 3 ka ... sounds ok but we will get to why it incorrect.

then we get to section 3 on the test report and not the "additional test report"

Description .... written in pen SUB DB ONLY ... how do you issue an initial COC for the sale of a property with only a sub DB?

I will have to wait for the additional page to verify if it is for the main DB.

Section 4

All protective devices are capable of withstanding the prospective fault level .. .ticked yes

Tests - Prospective short circuit at the main switch (PSCC) ka - 3 KA ticked as calculated

So what is the issue ... all the circuit breakers are old Heinemann breakers rated at 2.5 ka ... the new din type breakers are rated at 3 ka (and higher but in case we dont need to know that) ... so straight away I ask myself ... is the inspector aware of this or did he even bother going to site ... the first thing you notice as you open the main DB.

then you start going through the test results and see the standard numbers used ... like the elevated neutral to earth voltage zero ... 25 mA for the earth leakage ... 230 V for the voltage ... 0.2 for earth continuity.

Do I even waste my time opening a job card and visiting the site or do I just reply with the contact details for the AIA ?

[ians]

I am sure someone mentioned that this is suppose to be a legal document.

Note 2 This certificate will not be valid if any corrections have been made.

Should there not be a note 3

Note 3 This is a legal document and must be filled out correctly, parts used must be marked with a tick and not used with an X and "all" the blocks should be completed with a N/A or the relevant information required.

Leaving out the block indicating what the test report is for would make the document incomplete and deemed illegal ?

[Dylboy]

I am sure someone mentioned that this is suppose to be a legal document.

Note 2 This certificate will not be valid if any corrections have been made.

Should there not be a note 3

Note 3 This is a legal document and must be filled out correctly, parts used must be marked with a tick and not used with an X and "all" the blocks should be completed with a N/A or the relevant information required.

Leaving out the block indicating what the test report is for would make the document incomplete and deemed illegal ?

For info not needed we just put NA written on the box,I mean not sure what else and having something there feel is better than nothing, like phase rotation on a single phase...


One thing the old boss and I speak of is that the signature of wireman states that he/ she did all the tests etc them selves... now how can a company be run if the wireman has to do all that! (Wireman also being colonsay owner)

Just a note i recently read that in such case now the wireman can give written responsibility to someone to undertake all testing and take responsibility of report.

I want to find out more but intresting topic..

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[ians]

Just a note i recently read that in such case now the wireman can give written responsibility to someone to undertake all testing and take responsibility of report.

OK ... I have already seen this in practise ... a fella arrives at the property to carry out the COC ... when I asked him about his qualifications ... I was told that the wireman trusts his abilities because they have worked to together for a long time ... then I asked him about the test equipment required to carry out the tests ... I was told so long as everything works .. the wireman uses the standard numbers.

Once again ... I suppose it is the customers responsibility to make sure the tes tis done correctly ... and if they don't know any better well why do you need a wireman on site ?

[Dylboy]

OK ... I have already seen this in practise ... a fella arrives at the property to carry out the COC ... when I asked him about his qualifications ... I was told that the wireman trusts his abilities because they have worked to together for a long time ... then I asked him about the test equipment required to carry out the tests ... I was told so long as everything works .. the wireman uses the standard numbers.

Once again ... I suppose it is the customers responsibility to make sure the tes tis done correctly ... and if they don't know any better well why do you need a wireman on site ?

Oh wow... that is ridiculous... People like that is also why evey job is the race to the bottom...

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[skatingsparks]

Been here 12 years and seen maybe 2 properly filled in COC's where I thought maybe they did it properly If i had R100 for everyone which I though was Bull, I'd been on holiday in the Maldeves right now.

I mean why do we bother. No one checks.

I have condemned an instalation Monday and Tuesday they have a COC for R600 and I don't get paid for my time going there, even though I issued a danger notice (live ceiling grid just for starters)

When I bought my house it was very non compliant so I disconnected everything - just left a main switch with no breakers and signed it off.

No one said anything. Point covered by this COC - DB1, number of points - zero.

Checked there was an incoming earth (there wasn't but getting that sorted is another story) - got that fixed. Signed off. Bought house, rewired front to back.

No one checks CoC's. People who issue dodgey ones are not memebrs of the ECA and don't have those guys chasing them if there is an issue and even when the ECA do chase people - never seen any action taken.

Maybe membership suspended () but other than that usually the home/business owner can do fudge all.

Beside people don't want to pay for a COC when you do a job. I always test and COC but thats another hour at least on a days work - which they don't want to pay for.

What I do now for bigger clients that we do regular work for I'll fill in a COC every 2 months for work we have done in that time. Not going to do a COC for every socket we add, I just do a COC for all the sockets/lights we have done in that time. Keep test results in note book. Sorted.

CoC's a mostly worthless bits of paper for people to lose.

Monday rant over.