Fair points, the training takes about a week....BUT
Each operative has to be issued with a full set of safety rules, a continuingly updated copy of the relevant Codes of Practice to continue to be able to spot those cutouts that are not to be worked on.
Those that we need to know about to have changed
I'm sure that any electrical contractor that is willing to pay to be included would be exceptional.
Of course they would also need the equipment to comply with this lot: -
7. SHROUDING OF LIVE TERMINALS
7.1 When a cut-out fuse carrier is removed the live fixed contact must be shrouded as soon as
possible.
7.2 Wherever possible the shrouding of the live fixed contact should be done using a proprietary shroud. Where a proprietary shroud does not exist it may be possible to manufacture a device by cutting a cut-out fuse carrier in half and blanking the cut end in such a way that when the half carrier is inserted in the live fixed contact the half carrier completely shrouds the live metalwork. This would be acceptable for the majority of cutouts in service.
7.3 Where this is inappropriate the live fixed contact may be shrouded using rubber insulation strip which should be fixed in a secure manner and must completely shroud the live metalwork. This method of shrouding may only be carried out by a suitably trained competent person or craftsman of higher grade and is only to be used on single phase cutouts.
7.4 The temporary shrouding of live metalwork should not be removed unless this is necessary for permitted work on the bottom contact or until immediately before the cut-out fuse
carrier is replaced
7.5 Any metalwork which will be made live when the cut-out fuse is replaced should be permanently covered before the circuit is made live.
7.6 Approved insulated tools must be used.
7.7 When shrouding on three phase cut-outs only one live fixed contact at a time should be exposed and this should be shrouded as quickly as possible. However, this does not
preclude the simultaneous exposure of all three fixed contacts prior to fitting of a proprietary shroud which can only be fitted with all three fuses removed (e.g. fitting of the ncomb type shrouds used for metal clad Lucy cut-outs).
8. POLARITY CHECKING
Whenever a supply is connected or any connections are disturbed at the service termination, the polarity at the cut-out must be checked in accordance with Procedure G16 in CP606.
Not forgetting the PPE (the coveralls are about £150 per pair!)
I would suggest that saying that DNO's are unreasonable in applying both statutory and their own Safty Rules to their property, by not permitting unauthorised persons to withdraw their (the DNO's fuse) would be on a hiding to nothing. I was stating the meaning of those rules in ESQCR and that they did not apply in this case!
Whatever the arguments the rules are there and have not changed for many years. If the electrical contractors are unhappy perhaps their trade bodies need to take this up at the appropriate levels in government.
At present it is simple
The cut-out is DNO property, they decide who works on it and under what conditions.
Trying to say that by carrying out a possibly unsafe act that is in breech of EAWR by exposing live terminals,to make things safer is a poor excuse and in the event of a death/injury would be laughed out of court.
The processes are there with both the DNOs and the Suppliers to withdraw the fuses for CU changes so it is up to electrical contractors to use them and not take the "we know better" attitude.
Frankly, to me, it shows a poor attitude to safety by tryijng to ciircumvent the process FOR WHATEVER REASON!
The decision of competance by the DNO's is made by reference to our internal safety documentation that dictates qualifications, level of experience (how many times has a person carried out this activity in controlled and supervised conditions), amount of training, even the persons demeanour and finally passing a very detailed interview.
All these proceedures are well discussed with the HSE who accept they are as good as can be.
In reality a freshly joined employee un-authorised would not recieve any authorisation for at least 6-9 months until a lot of training and all the above took place
Once initial authorisation is given it has to be held for 6 months until it can be upgraded.
It is not done on a whim and in fact here there are only 4 persons who can reccomend authorisations.
On top of that there is annual refresher training, first aid training requirements, auditing,
need I carry on?
I accept that there are a lot on here who are unaware of what is actually done. But if anyone thinks that to be authorised to work on or near live equipment is easy and can be decided at a whim and without any proceedure or specific training they a far, far wrong!
P.S. and if an individual ets it wrong we lose out authorisation immediately until the matter is investigated. Following that there is then often a period of only being allowed to operate supervised.