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Thread: SANS 10142 - Construction sites

  1. #1
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    SANS 10142 - Construction sites

    I am constantly amazed at the amount of time I seem to spend arguing with Building contractors over our prices for temporary site set up

    There is a complete section 7.4 Construction and demolition site installations that Electrical Contractors do not seem to be aware of

    The extra expense is generally around
    7.4.6.2 - Earth leakage units not exceeding 500mA shall be fitted to supply cables from the origin of supply to sub DB's ( summarized )
    These are expensive little units especially on 3 phase systems

    7.4.4.1 - equipment installed shall have a degree of protection of at least IP32
    7.4.6.1 - All distribution boards shall comply with SANS 60439-4
    7.4.6.5 - The metalwork shall be protected against corrosion and the damage expected under site conditions. The final finish shall be orange
    7.4.6.7 - The distribution board shall contain a) robust LED indicator lamps per phase

    I have always read the section's on DB's as meaning steel work and that fibreglass kiosk could not be used as they would not be suitable for site conditions - I am yet to see a fibre kiosk last on site -

    7.4.6.7 d - switched socket outlets (16A) , connected in pairs to individual single pole 20A combined circuit breakers and 30mA earth leakage protection
    7.4.6.8 - again stresses that the earth leakage units shall be combined units

    This means that every double socket needs it's own 20amp overload protected earth leakage
    Install 6 double sockets then you need to install 6 combined 20Amp Overload Earth leakage units -
    These overload type units are expensive little units

    We are the nominated contractor on site and the builder gets some other sucker out to do the temporary site power at a tenth of the price - sucker contractor does the job installs no main 500ma earth leakage and installs one isolator type earth leakage for the 6 double sockets and issues the coc for the health and safety file.
    We are then requested to sign off the monthly register for the electrical on site and along comes month 1 - we fail the complete installation - Builder hops up and down - sucker contractor now has a problem as he needs to make the installation comply which we refuse to accept.
    Builder tells sucker contractor to rectify so that it complies or he will not be paid - Sucker contractor runs away as it is going to cost more to repair than what he has already spent.

    We then strip out and redo the installation at the price we originally quoted for, and wonder why we seem to be one of the few electrical contractors that have section 7.4 in our copy of SANS 10142-1

  2. Thank given for this post:

    AndyD (17-Apr-18), Dave A (18-Apr-18), Lourens.dL (17-Apr-18)

  3. #2
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    As always, lack of enforcement means if the customer shops around they'll nearly always find someone to do the installation to suit their budget even if it means bending or ignoring a few of the more expensive and pesky little regs. It is biting them in the ass more and more though but alas not from within the electrical industry itself, more often than not as per your case above it's from the H&S safety file requirements side.
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    Think the biggest problem is that we as contractors are to quick to take the phone call , prepare the quotation , carry out the work and when the argument starts go look in SANS to justify why we did what we did .

    Instead we should be looking at SANS , understand the regulations around what we are about to quote on and quote accordingly.That way we would be covered.

    It is interesting that later , PSIRA , which controls the security industry, is laying fraud charges at SAPS against anybody that does incorrect work or consults/installs without the correct qualifications

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    Gold Member Sparks's Avatar
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    They should never have gotten rid of the Onbudsman. Quick response,assistance and action. A contractor did it right or he paid the price, no escape. He also recommended sentencing in court.

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