Petition for Government to allow Electricians to pull DNO Fuse

I'm not sure if you've seen this already. Napit have recently tried to get a change but it seems that It falls on deaf ears. Theres a petition for the goverment to consider this change.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/575110

We need to be allowed to work safely on installations especially where we find them to be unsatisfactory on an EICR.

The last call I did was to EON who wanted just less than £100 and a 15 or more days wait for the visit. If at least all DNO's and suppliers had to offer the same across the board we'd know where to stand.

Best practice maybe to have a paid accreditation course and then a yearly subscription to a serial number to re-seal...

TPF-Neville said:

We need to be allowed to work safely on installations especially where we find them to be unsatisfactory on an EICR.

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You've lost me. Why would you need to pull the fuse with an unsatisfactory EICR?

TPF-Neville said:

Best practice maybe to have a paid accreditation course and then a yearly subscription to a serial number to re-seal...

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Couldn't disagree more, why should we have to fork out for more courses/yearly costs.

Best practise would be for DNOs to come out and fit an isolator in a free and timely manner when one is requested. Although it's the supplier/DNO difference it should be worked out between them that it is done as standard at every meter upgrade/replacement.

Without an isolator present there shouldn't be any issue/potential issue with an electrician pulling a DNO fuse to enable safe isolation. 

TPF-Neville said:

I'm not sure if you've seen this already. Napit have recently tried to get a change but it seems that It falls on deaf ears. Theres a petition for the goverment to consider this change.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/575110

Click to expand...

As soon as I saw this  "Petition Ensure registered electricians can pull DNO fuses for work"  I thought this is another scam promoting ruse, if your registered you can pull the DNO fuse if not you can't. Given the state of CPS registration over the last few years this is bordering on dangerous practice

TPF-Neville said:

We need to be allowed to work safely on installations especially where we find them to be unsatisfactory on an EICR.

Click to expand...

The last time I found an installation that needed the DNO fuse to be pulled the DNO came and did it

Then again it was a double pole fused cutout the DNO guy used a blowtorch to warm the pitch to release the cover and then had to warm one of the fuses to pull it and even then it broke, was having a chat with the guys who changed the cut out and repaired the earth as they finished one of them said it was pointless sealing the cut out as I had other work to do and left me about a dozen seals to seal it when I had finished

TPF-Neville said:

The last call I did was to EON who wanted just less than £100 and a 15 or more days wait for the visit. If at least all DNO's and suppliers had to offer the same across the board we'd know where to stand.

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When did EON become a DNO?,  just checked and they haven't become a DNO yet so I can't think why you would call them to pull the DNO fuse

TPF-Neville said:

Best practice maybe to have a paid accreditation course and then a yearly subscription to a serial number to re-seal...

Click to expand...

Best practice may be to have proper training for electricians so they have a better understanding of what they are doing rather than paying for useless bits of paper in the hope they will be afforded some credibility

Should be a requirement that an isolator is fitted whenever the meter or DNO service head are worked on, not as if there's no meter roll outs happening at the minute...

Sidney said:

Should be a requirement that an isolator is fitted whenever the meter or DNO service head are worked on, not as if there's no meter roll outs happening at the minute...

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isolation switches should have been in these dumb meters from day 1

SSE allow CPS members to pull fuses already and have done for many years

If I hadn't have pulled the main fuse, there's 2 properties I've encountered would still have a bit of wire in the fuse holders. Confused the hell out of me the first time - big hole where the fuse should be, then I spotted the bit of wire. 

Murdoch said:

You've lost me. Why would you need to pull the fuse with an unsatisfactory EICR?

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think's he is the electric police and wants to be able to isolaote power because he's given a C1 because he doesnt look the like of something thats C3 at worst....

UNG said:

The last time I found an installation that needed the DNO fuse to be pulled the DNO came and did it

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last time i had to get DNO out to isolate was a little more complicated than pulling a fuse... the 11kv transformer had to be isolated... wonder if they would be happy giving me the keys to the substation?

Andy™ said:

think's he is the electric police and wants to be able to isolaote power because he's given a C1 because he doesnt look the like of something thats C3 at worst....

last time i had to get DNO out to isolate was a little more complicated than pulling a fuse... the 11kv transformer had to be isolated... wonder if they would be happy giving me the keys to the substation?

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Might take an extra course! 

I think it comes more to the remedials of an EICR like swapping a consumer unit. How many phone on behalf of tenants or customers the supplier and where require it, pay to have them fit an isolator if it's something they don't do for free. Then there's the day of sitting in the van hoping they'll arrive as the tenant isn't having a day off to wait...

If I add it to the cost of a DB swap I'm out priced by someone who finds the seals strangely missing... or can book it in next week without having to wait a month to be told its finally in place....

There needs to be a singular specific one policy for all suppliers and DNO's in place.

TPF-Neville said:

 Then there's the day of sitting in the van hoping they'll arrive as the tenant isn't having a day off to wait...

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The last time I booked an 'authorised person' to install an isolator, (about 14years ago) they turned up 3 days late. Fortunately I had 3 days work to do. 

TPF-Neville said:

I think it comes more to the remedials of an EICR like swapping a consumer unit. How many phone on behalf of tenants or customers the supplier and where require it, pay to have them fit an isolator if it's something they don't do for free. Then there's the day of sitting in the van hoping they'll arrive as the tenant isn't having a day off to wait...

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Some of the cupboards I have fitted consumer units in there isn't any room for an isolator and it's difficult enough to shoehorn the consumer unit in

As for waiting in the van all day you are definitely organising it all wrong you can normally get an AM or PM appointment and in some cases you can ask for the guy on the ground to give you a call to give you an ETA

TPF-Neville said:

If I add it to the cost of a DB swap I'm out priced by someone who finds the seals strangely missing... or can book it in next week without having to wait a month to be told its finally in place....

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Nature of the game unfortunately

TPF-Neville said:

There needs to be a singular specific one policy for all suppliers and DNO's in place.

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I'm confused why you keep talking about suppliers and the DNO's in the same way, would you call the energy supplier to replace the cut out or repair an earth connection or the DNO. Given you find it difficult to differentiate between the two makes me wonder what level you are at

I agree the variation in policies across the DNO's makes it difficult when working in different areas but having done it for many years it is just another part of the working day. The DNO's are all individual businesses with their own H&S, operating and working policies and I doubt any petition will alter that position

If only the specification for these new smart meter things had specified a built in isolator we would not be having this conversation.

The daft bit is SSE used to fit normal meters that did have a built in isolator.  Now these are gradually being "upgraded" to smart meters without a built in isolator.

If we can't even stop things progressing backwards, there is no hope of actually improving anything.

still see the odd one with built in isolator but not very often. and usually now when i need one either