OLEV Installation Auditor problems

What can you do about it?
Lightning has a nasty habit of blowing semiconductors and low voltage components to bits. It can also degrade chips and cause intermittent faults.  I have seen circuit cards with flame marks across them and components blown off the board and this was not a direct hit, but induced voltages in an external cable!
Do not be under the allusion that the lightning protector in master sockets will be your saviour - it won't. This is because the device acts as a short circuit and not a shunt. Power can still get through!
If you have a Network Termination Equipment No. 5A (shown to the right), as fitted to many customer lines, then the Gas Discharge No. 11B which is fitted this socket is a waste of time.  The socket can be modified by connecting a good earth to the E terminal and installing a Gas Discharge Tube No. 21A in place of the 11B (the backplate of the socket has to be removed to expose the line terminations and discharge tube).  Even so - lightning can still get through if it is a nearby strike.

In problem areas I suggest the fitting of a fuse barrier (cheap - low current 10 ohm resistors will do) and specialist lightning arrestors or Discharge Tubes No. 21A.  Better still disconnect your equipment during storms (power and telephone lines) remembering that lightning can jump distances if it sees a better earth path (this is why you should not stand under trees)!

I know of one site where the system processor blew at every storm.  The building was metal clad and acted as a conductor for the lightning and in one storm the lightning discharged from the apex of the roof (25 ft approx.) to the floor.  Two employees in that area were taken by surprise as they watched the discharge 15 foot away from them, inside the building!
The system was eventually covered by an earthed wire mesh cage (a Faraday cage) and since then does not fail every time.

It's generall

Both the NICEIC and NAPIT have used local contractors registered with them to undertake assessments, I was assessed a couple of times by “one of my competitors”.

I did not have an issue with this, he is a sensible guy and we got on quite well, to be fair he actually wanted to become a full time assessor for NAPIT and if he had he would not have then been one of my competitors.

But I know some electricians got really uppity about having a competing electrician to assess them and see how they operate including looking at business sensitive documents such as invoices and certificates.

It strikes me that any notion of neutral impartiality goes straight out of the window under those circumstances. One would have thought that a wholly independent assessor would have been appointed from a public body rather than someone from a competing business.

How well calibrated is that blob of solder?

I thought the blob of solder was just to disconnect the SPD element (and operate the out of service flag) if it fails to short-circuit and overheats - the actual surge killing is usually done by a separate MOV.

  - Andy.

If an electrician fails an audit does that trigger a requirement for more auditing of the electricians work on other job sites, how many fails are allowed before the electrician is suspended?

whjohnson said:

And who sits on the JPEL/64 committee and in what capacity? Moreover, who else do they represent in their 'day jobs'?

Have a look in the front of BS 7671.

Whilst agreeing with the substance but not wishing to appear as a Mother Grundie, there are a few instances of +ve and -ve company advertising in this post, is that allowed now on this IET website? Alternatively, do moderators on this IET Forum have sufficient knowledge and experience to determine otherwise ?. 

Jaymack   

I think your fears are ill-founded, unless of course this thread has influenced you to contact one of these companies directly in order to engage their services, but seriously, I don't think you have any intention of doing that do you?

I phoned an order into my local wholesaler, the same one that I said the guys mentioned above use, the wholesaler has five branches and is of a significant size.

Along with the SWA I asked for fire rated clips to fix them, only to be told they don’t sell them, they do however have a pallet of EV chargers behind the counter.

Is it me or the rest of the world?

Same at mine too  -I had to fight tooth and nail to get them to stock some fire clips. They said they didn't want £100's worth of dead stock on the shelves because at £10+VAT per box of 100 no one would buy them. They have no interest in sticking AFDDs either. No one around here is prepared to either buy nor fit them.