So i get an inquiring to do some work for a friend of a friend.

I setup a meeting with the customer on site ...i get to site early and walk around the property.

It is noted that DB covers are missing ...lights dont have covers ...so the wires are exposed.

Outside lights are not weatherproof... no labeling on any of the DB's ...there are actually so many things i am not gona list all of them.

I tell the customer that i cannot do any work on the site because the electrical installation is not up to standard and i would require a COC for the building before i start doing any work.

We walk through the building and i point out a few of the important issues like no cover on the main DB and exposed 3 phase buss bars.

Customer contacts me to start work... he indicates that he has a valid COC issued by the property managements approved installation electrician.

I put my blinkers on because i can see simple things that are not done ...but not life threatening... i have a deadline to meet and i have too much work to fuss with shyte like fraudulent COC's they are as common as hookers Glenwood.


So i start ...the very first job is to replace the metal light as you walk in the front door... with another metal light... imagine that no earth wire ... anyway i move on ...get to the next metal light ...no earth wire... and i mean no earth wire ...not just not connected ...NO EARTH WIRE... by the 6 th one i have had enough and request the COC ...get the contact number from the COC and call the person who signed the COC (done on the 15 November 2019)

I ask the person about the lights and why he didnt test for earth continuity ...he tells me the lights where all plastic at the time of the test ...and that he heard that someone had changed the lights ...no actually i am on site to change the lights.

Here's the part that really got me in stitches ..."I spent a whole week on site doing repairs" so the COC must be compliant ...really ...i must remember that the next time i issue a dud COC ...but i spent a week doing repairs so the it must be valid.

A tip for anyone issuing a COC ... you can work for a year on site doing repairs doesnt mean the COC is valid... until you actually carry out a visual inspection and tests using the correct test equipment...which includes earth continuity to metal lights and metal light switch covers... and it passes... is the COC actually valid.

Before you start working on a site which is not compliant... makes sure you make the customer aware that ther eare visible faults and they might require a COC for the property.

This is why i took pictures of everything as i was going ...called the customer and a witness and contacted the property management agent ... I can tell you right now as i sit here that when the person who signed over the COC arrives on site ...the first thing he is going to say is that his COC is no longer valid because i am working on the site ...let me put you in the picture... it doesnt work like that... what is going to happen ...i will complete my work and add a supplement COC (which i cant issue until he issues a valid COC) to his COC for the work i did only ...his COC is still the main COC for the rest of the property....this is why it is extremely important to detail exactly what you do on site and take pics.

I noticed the dimmers are not compatible with the LED lamps ...so they flicker... imagine that i open the switch to find that all the returns are black wires... some of the black wires have been used to connect to the red live... earth wires hanging loose (not connected to anything) in the switch boxes... it just gets worse as i open up and expose the crap.

The real scary part is this building is managed by a very well known property management group... it seems these property management companies dont have a good record for using legit companies for inspections... still waiting 2 years later for the company which signed over the COC to complete the fault list... for a building one of my customers is renting..