the difference betwwen Industrial and domestic

[Blue Fox]

is HUGE. I've worked as an industrial electrician since I was 16 doing my apprentiship in the factory of one of the big car manufacturers and have since then worked for several very big companies as an electrician working on both the site electrics and the machines, but am now trying to set myself up doing domestic self employed (starting part time) and the difference is massive. The paperwork required in domestic work especially with part p assesment is more than I have ever seen before. As an industrial electrician I can pull any fuse I want without question and as I did my high voltage authorised person can switch any high voltage switch I want and have switched up to 11Kv quite a few times BUT I can't pull out a suppliers fuse?? When working in a factory I would wire wha I wanted do a fuse tests and turn it on and that was that, no certs or anything just filled out the relevant jobsheet or timesheet etc. I've never used fused leads and have never seen them used by a site electrician with a multi meter in industrial work but you must use them for domestic work, however when speaking to domestic electricians I mention always standing on a rubber mat (which has been pretty much standard in the factories I've worked in) people look at me like I've got a second head!

I think electrically industrial work is much more complicated but paperwork wise I think domestic is far far harder and with a much greater responsibilty in many ways.

What do others who have or do both think?

 

[Blue Fox]

The other thing I have found is getting cables round a house is an art which I'm still learning as in an industrial site you tend to just put some conduait or trunking on the wall but people don't seem to like galvanised trunking in the kitchen!!

 

[Andy™]

there is a massive difference.

you shouldnt touch the suppliers cutout/meter, but many sparks do. its mostly because some are old and can fail in a bad way if you touch them

Even in industrial, you should be testing all newly installed circuitt he same as you do in a house. all tests in bs7671 are the same

very few domestic sparks have a rubber mat. i have insulated gloves for pulling fuses etc, but the other 99% dont

fused leads should be used, as per GS38 (is that right number?), whether domestic or industrial, but many people dont. for EFLI and low resistance readings, fuses can screw up your results. id have thought that in industrial, where safety for that kind of thing is a lot more controlled, you would be used fused leads end of.

it is crazy how you need more qualifications/assessments to work in a house than factory.

Paperwork should be less for a house than industrial if your doing everything by the book. if you added a new circuit in a house, you have to issue EIC and notify part p. for industrial, shouldnt you also have permit to work/ safe isolation etc paperwork to also fill out

 

[Andy™]

the wiring methods are obviously different aswell, you lot got cable tray etc... but then again id imagine it difficult to fit a 400mm

 

[Blue Fox]

The safety side of domestic to industrial I have fonud to be completely different approaches, as you said you would have thought fused leads would be a must but I've never seen them used but many places demand rubber mats, I think the big difference safety wise is in industrial work the factory will do all the things you can see or seem to produce something but don't worry so much about the things they can't see and don't try to look very hard. I think this is caused by there being no regular assesment for people in industry to make sure they are up to the task, some older guys don't even have the 16th edition let alone the 17th, however I have never been refused a peice of saftey equipment when I have asked for it no matter what the cost.

Regarding the wiring regs many of the machines don't come under wiring regs although the site work obviously does so this is another very grey area in industry.

 

[Andy™]

the machines themselves wont come under wiring regs, but the supply to them certainly does.

Good to see that they give you any equipment asked for, but maybe they should have been offering it before you had to ask?

Completely different approach to wiring from both sides. ill happily do commercial work aswell as domestic, but not really into proper industrial stuff

 

[kme]

I`ll do owt. For money, naturally

 

[Evans Electric]

I find domestic work more arduous than industrial /commercial, all that kneeling kills me and the lagging crap in lofts ,.

Deke

 

[Badger]

the one thing ive noticed about the difference between industrial and domestic is one begins with an i the other a d :^O :^O :^O

 

[Andy™]

the one thing ive noticed about the difference between industrial and domestic is one begins with an i the other a d :^O :^O :^O

Well you're a bright spark!

 

[Badger]

the wiring methods are obviously different aswell, you lot got cable tray etc... but then again id imagine it difficult to fit a 400mm

 

[SuperSwift]

too many lefties in domestic with our suein society:z

 

[Badger]

Well you're a bright spark!

i am that :^O

 

[SuperSwift]

watch your back

 

[Badger]

watch your back