Should the IET be employing investigative journalists?

Afternoon All,

Interesting post, so will do my best to answer given I was interviewed by the investigative journalist and I was quoted in the article. I have no issues that the I.E.T via its publishing department employ any journalist, in fact are all journalists not indeed "Investigative" as they are there to report on a story and report the facts and findings etc.

I supplied the journalist copies of actual reports/letters and correspondance that I have in my posession that clearly indicated that the inspection reports issued the detail on them was false/wrong and totally inappropriate etc also proof of falsified condition reports where my work on behalf of the installation owner revealed that no inspection work had actually taken place on the premises to which the report was issued for.

I was happy for my name to be printed and quoted as I can back up everything I said and the journalist had access to those records, certificates, reports, emails etc.

Is the OP over sensitive to reading what many of us know or suspect, especially in the domestic sector and more so in the rented/landlord sector that price charged dictates  everything. If somebody says they will do an EICR for £100 a property, the letting agent/landlord seeks somebody to do it cheaper and so it goes on, there is always somebody prepared to do the "work" for whatever cost, the result being a report or cert that has detail on it that was never established or correctly looked at. Perhaps even with the very poor standards of inspection/reporting the few protective devices installed perhaps did save a fatality thru electric shock or fire, we will never know as it may never be reported.

Free standards and documents to members, the IET already offer discounts on the publications and I have obtained early bird discounts etc on many publications in advance of them being published. But people need to join end of story to get membership benefits. I do fully agree the IET should engage far far more at practitioner level, having worked my own way up the career and knowledge ladders from my own craft apprenticeship, that is why I volunteerd for and supported the Electricians Eng Tech, but that needs promoted in the industry by more organisations.

Then again the cynic in me says joining fees means more cost/overhead, that must incorporate into hourly rate and then they cant compete with those doing EICR's for £50.

We all know it, but far less people prepared to stand up or say in print, there always has been and until something changes always will be a rogue element especially in domestic and small retail properties companies and individuals not competant in the work they are undertaking and their workmanship and report/certificates  issued are downright dangerous, and if there was any contract work order in place fraudulant.

That said, Im putting a house on the market for sale that I own and been renting out since 2009, so for the Home report required in Scotland to sell a property, I had to pay a surveyor to carry out that home report at a cost of £550 paid upfront.

On receiving the draft report, which is obviously based on a template document, I picked up on the following:

1) The electrical installation was not inspected as part of the survey but it has been noted electrical installation has not been inspected recently and age would suggest it should be inspected by a competant person and a EICR issued as timescale is 5yrs between inspections.

2) Exact same comment applicable to the gas appliances.

3) There are no fire and Carbon Monoxide detectors installed in the property as required by Scottish Fire Regulations and these should be installed.

Now obviously I had no need to tell the surveyor property had previously been rented, nor what I do for a job. So I sent on Friday a email back to the surveying company with my comments on the draft report, so I indicated regards the above points:

1) Previously the property had been rented out and as such under Scottish Landlords Regs electrical inspections and any defects had been carried out and corrected, in fact if surveyor had looked the appropriate label to comply with BS7671 was affixed to the consumer unit indicating last inspection was in March 2022 and not only the copy of that EICR but all EICRs were in a clear folder next to the consumer unit.

2)  Previously the property had been rented out and as such under Scottish Landlords Regs Gas appliance inspections and any defects had been carried out and corrected, in fact if surveyor had looked in a clear pocket next to the boiler were all the annual gas appliance safety reports the last been dated february 2022.

3) Previously the property had been rented out and as such under Scottish Landlords Regs all required fixed wiring and interlinked fire detection devices and carbon monoxide monitors had been installed, in fact if surveyor had looked on the ceilings he would have seen them.

Now low and behold the final home report has been issued with all those original statements removed and given accepted compliance. Is that right? of course it isnt, was the survey carried out correctly? of course it wasnt. I have asked for money back given survey wasnt completed professionally, and I shall see if that happens, if not I will be reporting that surveyor to his professional body.

Now the surveyor may think he was just unlucky it was my property he inspected and he got caught out, but how many other incorrect/misleading reports has he issued to home owners that will then loose money on the selling price of the house or incurr expense fixing things that dont need done?

Yes, we have minimum standards BS7671 and lots of others, we have legislation but in this deregulated world we only catch the cowboy's out when there is a fire , accident or fatility, my own personal thoughts are if there is no adequate police force either HSE, Local authority then people will simply not do whats expected, the NICEIC/NAPIT etc must control and police their members appropriately ECA/SELECT. Grenfill tower is an example tragically that human beings dont follow the rules.

Investigative journalists? bring them on, maybe some people will then think twice before pulling a dodgy stunt.

Cheers GTB   

Afternoon All,

Interesting post, so will do my best to answer given I was interviewed by the investigative journalist and I was quoted in the article. I have no issues that the I.E.T via its publishing department employ any journalist, in fact are all journalists not indeed "Investigative" as they are there to report on a story and report the facts and findings etc.

I supplied the journalist copies of actual reports/letters and correspondance that I have in my posession that clearly indicated that the inspection reports issued the detail on them was false/wrong and totally inappropriate etc also proof of falsified condition reports where my work on behalf of the installation owner revealed that no inspection work had actually taken place on the premises to which the report was issued for.

I was happy for my name to be printed and quoted as I can back up everything I said and the journalist had access to those records, certificates, reports, emails etc.

Is the OP over sensitive to reading what many of us know or suspect, especially in the domestic sector and more so in the rented/landlord sector that price charged dictates  everything. If somebody says they will do an EICR for £100 a property, the letting agent/landlord seeks somebody to do it cheaper and so it goes on, there is always somebody prepared to do the "work" for whatever cost, the result being a report or cert that has detail on it that was never established or correctly looked at. Perhaps even with the very poor standards of inspection/reporting the few protective devices installed perhaps did save a fatality thru electric shock or fire, we will never know as it may never be reported.

Free standards and documents to members, the IET already offer discounts on the publications and I have obtained early bird discounts etc on many publications in advance of them being published. But people need to join end of story to get membership benefits. I do fully agree the IET should engage far far more at practitioner level, having worked my own way up the career and knowledge ladders from my own craft apprenticeship, that is why I volunteerd for and supported the Electricians Eng Tech, but that needs promoted in the industry by more organisations.

Then again the cynic in me says joining fees means more cost/overhead, that must incorporate into hourly rate and then they cant compete with those doing EICR's for £50.

We all know it, but far less people prepared to stand up or say in print, there always has been and until something changes always will be a rogue element especially in domestic and small retail properties companies and individuals not competant in the work they are undertaking and their workmanship and report/certificates  issued are downright dangerous, and if there was any contract work order in place fraudulant.

That said, Im putting a house on the market for sale that I own and been renting out since 2009, so for the Home report required in Scotland to sell a property, I had to pay a surveyor to carry out that home report at a cost of £550 paid upfront.

On receiving the draft report, which is obviously based on a template document, I picked up on the following:

1) The electrical installation was not inspected as part of the survey but it has been noted electrical installation has not been inspected recently and age would suggest it should be inspected by a competant person and a EICR issued as timescale is 5yrs between inspections.

2) Exact same comment applicable to the gas appliances.

3) There are no fire and Carbon Monoxide detectors installed in the property as required by Scottish Fire Regulations and these should be installed.

Now obviously I had no need to tell the surveyor property had previously been rented, nor what I do for a job. So I sent on Friday a email back to the surveying company with my comments on the draft report, so I indicated regards the above points:

1) Previously the property had been rented out and as such under Scottish Landlords Regs electrical inspections and any defects had been carried out and corrected, in fact if surveyor had looked the appropriate label to comply with BS7671 was affixed to the consumer unit indicating last inspection was in March 2022 and not only the copy of that EICR but all EICRs were in a clear folder next to the consumer unit.

2)  Previously the property had been rented out and as such under Scottish Landlords Regs Gas appliance inspections and any defects had been carried out and corrected, in fact if surveyor had looked in a clear pocket next to the boiler were all the annual gas appliance safety reports the last been dated february 2022.

3) Previously the property had been rented out and as such under Scottish Landlords Regs all required fixed wiring and interlinked fire detection devices and carbon monoxide monitors had been installed, in fact if surveyor had looked on the ceilings he would have seen them.

Now low and behold the final home report has been issued with all those original statements removed and given accepted compliance. Is that right? of course it isnt, was the survey carried out correctly? of course it wasnt. I have asked for money back given survey wasnt completed professionally, and I shall see if that happens, if not I will be reporting that surveyor to his professional body.

Now the surveyor may think he was just unlucky it was my property he inspected and he got caught out, but how many other incorrect/misleading reports has he issued to home owners that will then loose money on the selling price of the house or incurr expense fixing things that dont need done?

Yes, we have minimum standards BS7671 and lots of others, we have legislation but in this deregulated world we only catch the cowboy's out when there is a fire , accident or fatility, my own personal thoughts are if there is no adequate police force either HSE, Local authority then people will simply not do whats expected, the NICEIC/NAPIT etc must control and police their members appropriately ECA/SELECT. Grenfill tower is an example tragically that human beings dont follow the rules.

Investigative journalists? bring them on, maybe some people will then think twice before pulling a dodgy stunt.

Cheers GTB