That’s why I have huge respect for you David because you are always informing sparkys about the importance of standards, regulations and RCDs and moving onwards to AFDDs - adding safety. If properly explained to the customer most customers will pay extra. One thing I have always liked is your warnings about lighting devices which are bought off the internet and have not been fully tested and certified by an independent safety lab, or even CE mark at worst. The importance of testing cannot be underestimated. Keep up the educational encouragement. Question is if you went to a public place and saw shoddy work and you wanted nothing to do with it would you be required to report to HSE or council or would you report it because of your conscience. My deepest condolences to the family it should never have happened.
"or even CE mark at worst"? You do understand that CE literally stands for "China Export" and means absolutely nothing with regard to compliance or standards, right?
@@jimmyb1451 yes agree not a quality mark it’s a conformity mark for goods sold in EEA for health, safety and environmental standards, similar to US where we have conformity to FCC. it’s better than nothing. In the USA we have private testing laboratories such as UL listed products which are fully tested for electrical safety. What about the move to UKCA marking now post brexit? assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950107/Guide-to-electrical-equipment-regulations-2016-tp.pdf I have seen David and talking about this issue in the past when installing products brought from the internet. At least PAT testing would give some assurance not sure how many electricians do that at second fix? When the focus is often only only electrical safety testing of the installation.
Erm, Sparkys as you put it, shouldn't be out working if they need to come and watch videos like this in order to realise what they should and shouldn't be doing. I was an electrician until fairly recently when I gave up my job to care for a relative but the very first thing I used to do on any job, or even going to appraise a job, was to inspect and test the Earthing and bonding. Whenever problems were found, it was a difficult job persuading customers you hadn't just made up a fault to add extra work and cost. Telling a customer you couldn't do the job because you needed to run bonding first can be a quick way to losing the work. In the end I used to combat this by providing the customer with a printed Electrical Safety Council leaflet on the subject. Even with that some still were suspicious. If that was the case I then decided they were likely to be further trouble and dropped the job anyway. The last thing you need are customers that penny pinch and question every decision.
@Flat Sign true and it can happen with pristine or corroded contacts but latest AFDD can pick these surges earlier before that stage. Moreover in the UK with the existence of ring circuits current draw is lowered reducing the likelihood of joule heating and arcing.
Exactly this, i had to watch this because ive two young children & needed to understand how the man who undertook the work in the premises wasnt liable. Theres a reason why these regulations and guidelines exist. Absolutely heart breaking. Unfathomable loss for the parents & totally preventable.
As a career sparky having served my apprenticeship in the 1970s I can say that guys of Naylor's age often became electricians in an afternoon having been a butcher or a printer or postman on the morning. There was was little scrutiny back then. Many so called Sparky's of that era have never kept up-to-date date with the regs etc and have never joined an accreditation organisation. Sadly I have come across dozens of them. Condolences to the family of the young lad. Great video report. Keep up the good work.
What was perfectly acceptable back then , is not today .In some ways a good thing in others over the top health and safety rules and regs , which keep on changing .Making it more complicated .For every install where someone gets killed 99.99% of the time no one does. If the accreditation is anything like motor trade ATA accreditation it means nothing .A monkey can get past that .Jobs for the boys in colleges
Every half arsed spark , DIY Dave and joe public who’s thinking of having work done needs to see this. Maybe then people will think twice about doing a shit job or customers will stop accepting the cheaper quote from diy Dave thinking they’re getting the same bang for their buck. Great content as always Mr Savery ! Most informative and entertaining spark on UA-cam hands down.
My condolences to the family of Harvey. Thank you David for this up. Sadly this is more common than many think. As a part time job, I am a DJ and I have been to a few pubs where the landlord has done the work themselves in regards to their electrical work. I've had to refuse work as I normally visit a venue before hand to get an idea and I will purposely look at their sockets etc. I normally ask the landlord a couple of questions to get an idea. As they don't realise that I am also a spark then when I ask them the dumb questions and acting dumb myself then I could get an idea if they did the work or they got a competent electrician in. Even though I am insured and my gear is all checked yearly etc. If something happened while I was DJ'ing then the landlord would try and pass the blame onto me for his dodgy electrics. On 2 occasions I've had to cancel work as one venue had just a 13amp socket and the land lord said that if you put more than x amount through it then the breaker would trip. Another occasions in a venue where the landlord decided to put as many sockets in as possible, feeding to a plug. On both occasions I did report the pubs to the relevant authorities.
i went to repair a cut cable that a joiner went through, cable repaired, flip back on breaker, doesnt hold, double and triple check my junction box joiner grabs the landlord, "oh yeah that one trips all the time, we need to unplug a few things first", about 5 electric heaters plugged in and about 15 tvs, plus other items most businesses are winging it from day to day i find.
A fantastic piece of work David. It really hits home how important our responsibilities are to the safety of others while we do our job which apparently anyone can do.
Well said and it reminds us all that cheap-skating on electrical work is a serious, and often tragic, business. I have a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering but there's no way I could convince myself that I'm an electrician - for the reasons you've given. I haven't devoted enough time to training and studying the regulations and, frankly, I wouldn't want to take on that responsibility.
I have just become aware of your work David through the Monday night electricians podcast which is ace. I really enjoy watching you and Nigel for the entertainment but also the great technical content. I never comment on things but I have to on this video. This video should be a mandatory what at the beginning of any electrical training program. It is put together and explained so well that is understandable to everyone and direct to the point. This is how education should be delivered. It is such a shame it has had to come from something so tragic. My heart goes out to the family. Keep up the good work and all the best.
@@sarahjrandomnumbers There's something intriguing about the way standards like BS7671 only requires that work is 'Satisfactory'. It keeps one's ego under control if you decide that satisfying all aspects of the standards is enough of a challenge, and that wishing to be 'the dog's bollocks' or 'first class' is a distraction from that goal.
To do a skilled job you need 3 things Some knowledge the tools and time .The later being the one most people are short of always being rushed , and that's where mistakes happen
Excellent presentation David, sincerely hope judge and family legal team get to see your presentation before any sentence is passed. Sincere condolences to the boys family.
Thank you for this video David, hopefully this will get a decent number of views and help the spread the word about the danger of drive by EICR's, and the criminal danger the "inspectors" are putting themselves in saving the dodgy landlord from blame.
this is why we should not treat any job as a favour for a friend or let friendship or family relationship requests to the the best we can to save them money . the wee man has paid the ultimate price for there disregard for safety the 2 guys are old and have lived their lives to the full and took harveys life and his full families enjoyment of watching him grow and enjoying his life , we all should think of harvey on every job we look at to quell any attempt of a friend or relative trying to persuade us , well presented dave thankyou
WOW...... regrettably one of my favourite videos of yours 😭 Thanks for the report and for dropping the funnies. My heart goes out the the family and the individual's in question should see the inside of a prison cell ........ disgraceful standard of work from so called professionals? ?? Brings the reputation of all sparks down and crushes trust from the public. Take care David ✌✌✌✌✌
This sounds like a pretty typical "it's only 3 wires, how hard can it be" type "electrician", without understanding the implications until tragedy struck...
@@hycron1234 I don't even think the point of this video is particularly test meters. I'd say it's just as much about having proper tools, a diligent and consciencious approach, and an constant need to improve your game. You can work under the supervision of someone who has the test equipment, and then branch out as soon as you've done the 2391 and acquired the proper equipment to measure insulation resistance, loop impedance, low resistance and RCD timings. I agree Flukes and Meggers seem overpriced, so I paid £450 for a Seaward 1557 which is perfectly adequate. You can't start up as a dentist with just a chair and some pliers either.
@@hycron1234 Dude if you think you're ok fiddling with the electrics in your own home at your own risk, more power to you. Sounds like if you're not up to the standard of a professional electrician, you are at least better than your landlord. If you were putting other people's lives on the line, that would be a different story.
@@hycron1234 omg... a voltage probe and a multimeter plus the internet and common sense is 100% not enough .. there is a reason electricians need at least 4 years of training and 3-4 years of tertiary study to obtain a licence, nothing shown youtube or the internet is training enough.. this very video highlights that. Im sure you got your lights working just great .. but its the things unseen , something that makes sense electrically for an average person , is very different to how somebody trained, looks at the same thing... Spend the effort instead pestering whoever is responsible to organise a tradesman .. Also note that insurance companies will not pay a claim if they find evidence of unlicenced electrical work , in some cases even when said work did not directly cause the issue , the case being made that evidence of unlicenced electrical work means the only electrical work that is to be covered is documented licenced work ... just saying ..
The most important wire in an installation, yet because it sits there seemingly doing nothing, it's perceived it can be discarded or it's not really required, but the lack of that one wire has changed so many lives and cost a young boy his life.
Thank you David for taking the time and effort to make this very respectful and imforative video. Especially good how you explained the importance of Earthing on the installation. I can't believe the number of times I have gone to what should be a simple job of changing or upgrading a light fitting only to be confronted with no earth continuity at the point, earth's (cpc's) not terminated or even worse just cut back out of the way! This seems to be more common on newly refurbished kitchens and bathrooms, where the guys will "do the electrics as well" Keep up the good work, stay safe, Pete 👍
Such a tragic, completely avoidable death. So easy for people to call themselves electricians and carry out totally incompetent, and dangerous standards of work. Excellent video David - appreciate the detailed explanation, and depth of knowledge.
As others have said; tragic and unavoidable. There's 1 part I'm curious of; A pub is a licensed premises under Licensing Act 2003, surely (as Paragraph 11 of the HSE Publication 'Electrical in places of entertainment' points out) the state of the electrical installation should form part of the decision to grant a license to trade, with that potentially being the case, why isn't the local council in the dock? They even state that n frequent visits the faults concerns etc weren't addressed; so why didn't they revoke the license and close until rectified?
Should also add BBPA (British Beer and Pub Association) also have a Code of Practice on Electrical Safety - beerandpub.com/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2018/02/Section-1.-Code-of-Practice-for-Electrical-Safety-in-Beer-Dispense-in-Licensed-Premises-2011-without-Appendices-4th-Ed-2.pdf - Granted it's to an older edition of BS7671, as a publican he'd know of the code of practice.
I'm watching from Australia so not up with UK regs (other than Dave and other sparks channels). Sounds like the EICR requirement should be applied to pubs etc and a condition of licencing.
@@pnxelectrical Codes of Practice have no teeth. Periodic inspection of premises open to the public, inc' shops, should be mandatory. I am not advocating this Gassafe nonsense. The readily available form should have the test results. To insert the results you need to know how the test equipment works. One follows the other.
@@johnburns4017 I'm with you, why the premises wasn't given a improvement & suspension order/noticr, forcing it's closure until it can be deemed as safe and compliant I don't know, hell I've seen EHOs close down premises for a single cockroach, why it wasn't shut down for shitty electrics I have no idea. If licensed premises aren't held to higher standards as terms of their license then something is broken.
Hi David, Excellent analysis of this tragic event. As always, huge respect for your electrical standards and regulations. Looking forward to your next upload !
Well done on relaying the reported facts of this, and congratulations on having the balls to post it. My condolences to the family for a death that really, really should not have happened. Something is wrong when people expend endless energy on relative trivia (like whether a CU needs a metal or plastic box for example), yet installations like this can persist in a public place. More power to your elbow.
Originally, this was tacked on to the last video about Part-P with exactly that sentiment - how social media gets good conscientious sparkies who follow the rules tied up in knots with each other arguing over how someone has spaced a saddle incorrectly or interpreted some grey regulation in a different way. The squabbling among those who genuinely try to do the job right and by the book sometimes seems ridiculous when you see people like this who operate as if they simply couldn't care less.
Sad story but very interesting and informative..glad you are back on the old UA-cam hope all is well with you and hope for more soon .keep the faith we love your channel
Thank you for making this video, David, there's a lot of food for thought. I consider myself to be a diligent and competent electrician, but I do have a weakness for paperwork. I carry out my work to a high standard and then test and record the results; but I must admit to being a little lax at actually getting the paperwork to clients. I definitely need to get better with all of that, thank you for making this video, it's been a bit of a wake up call!
Very brave dave for making this. applauded for sticking to the facts. Im glad to be entering the electrical world with fact proving video channels such as yours around. seems like too many supposed electrician boys, being allowed to do tradesmans work.
Naylor was eventually sentenced to 12 months & Beerman 9 years. Neither is enough for a child's life lost. RIP young Harvy, my deepest condolences to the family.
Tragedy Dave absolutely horrible. Love your videos this was different but very well done .28 years myself In the industry and just set my own business up your videos are on point keep them coming 👍🏻👍🏻
The pub's owner David Bearman, 73, was sentenced to nine years by Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday after previously pleading guilty to gross negligence manslaughter.
Bearman's 74-year-old brother-in-law Colin Naylor, was jailed for a year after he was found guilty of failing to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act following a trial. Naylor was acquitted of gross negligence manslaughter.
An honest well presented video David great job 👍 For me the fault path is the foundation of any installation. Check your CPC. Check your RCD. Your circuit protection. Your supply cable. If all is good then go from there. For even the jobbing electrician these are basics and fundamentals and the fact they are regularly overlooked is ludicrous and in this case fatal. I’ve been at this a long time. I don’t even know the answers to a lot of the industries problems. There is also a lot of elitism and stubbornness that doesn’t help. This has left such a chill up my spine that something we all do on autopilot has been missed and caused this tragedy. As wrong as it would be in the regulations, even if I’d seen just one big RCD isolator up circuit would at least (for me) have given the impression that someone seemingly in the industry for so long knew the potential disaster that could happen with unearthed metal equipment in a public place. Sad all round ☹️
Excellent video Dave, that poor family, I can't stop thinking about it as the day goes on. One would think that with 50 yrs experience a sparky would have Z's in his blood and not the pillow type either. Claiming to be a spark carries a lot of prestige within the community. Easier when just claimed than being the real Mcoy. Your video is a wake up call for everyone to be on the ball. Thanks again Dave.
Good video again Dave. What really saddens me, is that this poor boy has died and his family will continue to grieve and suffer, and nothing will be done about the policing of electrical installation work. This isn’t the first youngster to be electrocuted due to negligence, but Govt. still find it easier to swerve any responsibility for policing electrical work. Far easier to let their friends set up “training” establishments and for CPS’ to continue taking the money without lifting a finger when clear breaches are pointed out. I suspect this is because they know that the moment they open that floodgate, they’ll be bankrupted by those costs. I don’t have the answer, but we all know the electrical industry isn’t policed. It is always a case of prosecution after death, similar to prevention being better than cure, in every way except you can’t cure electrocution and nobody is preventing anything. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to that family.
A horrible thing to happen that was completely avoidable. :( Very well constructed and thought provoking video David which highlights the importance of inspection and testing before and after any and ALL work. Thoughts to the family.
Excellent video. I would like to see all cases such as this properly discussed and reported in the electrical press, so we can all learn and be reminded of exactly what can and does go badly wrong.
David, thank you for your excellent inspection and dissection of this totally preventable tragedy - preventable had the two prime culprits undertaken and completed their work properly, with all the requisite inspections and tests having been carried out fully and completely. It is to be hoped that the Safety Authority will "throw the book" at the both of them for their multitudinous failings.
Well done with this video, its basic enough that if the public stumble across it that they may start to learn the importance of having things done properly, just a shame its at such a high cost
What a sad story, thank you for highlighting the importance of professional tradespeople to complete work. Common sense, one would think. Condolences to the child's family...
David, thank you for your well thought out commentary. We can only hope this will raise awareness so that some daft landlord or "want to be" sparky don't create this situation again in the future.
I'm an electrician in the states. If the guy installed a circuit and didn't ground it properly to me he is liable. We keep public safety at the forefront of what we do
Very brave and commendable video. This is precisely why, I do my CCTV job, but if any electrical work needs doing, I.e. a fused spur in a loft to power my cctv installation, I will not install until the power has been installed. Others...... might just run off the lighting, or shower feed, etc and do their cctv. I WILL NOT. I fit cctv, I am NOT an electrician. It is like asking someone who washes cars, to service your engine! Horses for courses. Brilliant video.
I am so glad you've done this video; I looked for the actual HSE report online but drew a complete blank, so you've filled a few blanks for me. I'd like to see the hse report, if it ever gets published, & I agree on your thoughts regarding the culpability of the 'electrician'. We can all read between the lines here.... Yep, just do the install (for your mate), but not doing the final connections & turning a blind eye to the bypassing of the meter, etc. We can imagine the conversation, eh?
Rest in peace Harvey, I'm no electrician but it's so sad that events like this are still happening, after looking online myself it seems that their is alot of stories like this one, keep up the hard work bud
Thanks David for the detailed video, my heart goes out to the parents, im a spark aswell and it baffles me as to why people think they know what they are doing when it comes to electrical work, 4 years I trained, and I'm still learning and training today, this guy on here looks like he couldn't Wire a plug. The industry needs more action as I'm sick of diyers and shit working sparks. Rant over Thanks again
I've been an actual Electrician for 34 years. For at least 10 years, I have been saying "Everyone thinks they are an Electrician". This is exactly what I'm talking about. Poor little boy - so sad... RIP little man. ☹
I remember seeing this in the news a few months ago. Something as you say that should have never happened. The audit trail is only as good as you can provide. I suspect the lack of paperwork was due to it being a relative, and something "I'll get around to" but even so, you would have as you say given the basic's a quick once over such as earthing etc. Installations can be old, but still "safe", although improvements can usually be made. The re-use of the luminaires could also suggest a lack of funds. Without being able to see the prosecuting evidence its difficult to say exactly where the issues were. RCD's don't cover every fault or shock scenario but they at least give you a chance.
I think what’s bollocks is that you’d go to an “eye brow raising” DB, and not perform a Ze or a Zs at DB. I’d want to know exactly what earthing system was in place before I touched it. Poor Harvey, it serves as a reminder to all us spark’s to be diligent, never assume and cover your own backside. I don’t think 230v should ever be exported outside commercially for lighting, it’s just asking for trouble.
An excellent summary on how culpability appears to have been avoided in this particular case, though the separate prosecution by HSE may in due course lead to an outcome reflecting the gravity of the negligence involved. What I find particularly troubling is, as David pointed out in his commentary, that a SELV system with LED lighting could have been used instead, removing the danger of misconnection altogether. Instead, mains power was run to second-hand external lighting units with no RCD protection and reliance on the integrity of the CPC (if it was ever fitted) - an act of deliberate choice which is so incompetent that it beggars belief. That a seven-year-old died as a result of the negligence of those involved is shameful. My heart goes out to the parents who had to watch as their child died in front of them from the incompetence of these supposedly experienced people.
Absolutely tragic case and it would be a travesty if neither of them were held to account for shambolic and dangerous work. God knows what else they have done or ignored in the past.
Great video as always Dave. More people need to see this, just shows the importance of RCD protection and proper testing and certification. There needs to be more laws so anyone can't be cocking around with electrics especially in a public place.
Such cautionary and tragic cases like this, were driven home as of day one when I started out training at college 10+ years ago. It has stuck with me ever since that...and this is as close as I remember the opening "Pep" talk to the assembled class. "Everything you do as electrical work from this point on, has to be correct, accurate and safe. You will have people lives at stake if you can't be arsed or cut corners. If you want an easy glamourless job, go sign up with the plumbers down the corridor".
I trained as a fitter in the late 90s, but we still had to learn the basics of electrics back then (broadly equivalent to the Part P stuff now); the first thing that was drummed into us was "electricity is invisible" - I will say though, that we weren't expected to start diving into electrical cabinets after... I do a fair bit of work on controls and automation now, and it's amazing how many people think that they can't / won't get a shock from a 24v system.
Great video Dave. I think this story highlights the demise of competent oversight by the local authority licensing teams. My father spent the last years of his career as an electrical engineer inspecting premises, together with building control and fire inspectors. As a team, they would regularly close down licensed premises if there was evidence of shoddy practices and/or dodgy or non-existent certificates. If landlords know they are likely to closed down following a failed inspection, I think they are less likely to bodge it themselves. Sadly, since councils outsourced many of those functions, there are neither the skilled, experienced electricians, or the budgets to do meaningful, regular inspections of licensed premises. If local authorities had properly staffed inspection teams and had the clout to close down places, it might avoid this kind of tragedy and perhaps avoid other disasters such as the Grenfell fire.
RIP Little man 😥 I've no idea how these people sleep at night. I worry constantly at the smallest of things. I may not be the neatest or the best, far from it, but I will always make damn sure it's safe!
To operate a commercial kitchen you need all sorts of food hygiene certificates ect, so why should a commercial property like that be allowed to operate without a current EICR or other certificate? Am I missing something?
Absolute tragedy, there are so many old pub's that have old and dangerous wireing and some landlords are happy to just let a costomer try and fix it or install some fancy lighting in the beer garden, why oh why don't get me wrong there not all like that but there are a lot. Fantastic video David and yes our hearts go out to that young lads perants and may he rest in peace. Thank you for your heart felt opinion
David’s excellent presentation shows the breadth of knowledge that an expert witness has to have. It is not just technical knowledge and knowledge of current regulations, but also knowledge of the relevant legislation at the time work was done.
A sad but excellent video - a tragic waste of life and it should be a lesson to us all of the real danger we work with everyday and the lives we are responsible for.
The guilty go free due to incompetent prosecution yet again. Inconceivable that a 'qualified' electrician could work 380 hours in such a small building claim yet ignorance of faulty wiring or that the meter had been bypassed. Such a tragic waste.
Excellent analysis and, well done for keeping to opinion, a defence in any defamation action. It looks like a competent lawyer must have been lurking in the background. Always look forward to your remarkably informative vids, this being no exception. Thanks for posting and, for your well written, presented and researched work. 😷👀
Update, last Thursday at Snaresbrook Crown Court, the pub owner has been jail for 9 years, and the electrician has been jailed for 1 year for HSE irregularities.
Brilliant video, I think you’re doing an excellent job of bringing this to the attention of exactly the right people who need to hear this news. This topic should definitely be a regular feature, hopefully the more electricians who hear about stories such as these, the less of these stories will take place. Who knows, maybe the industry might even become properly regulated, we can all fucking dream I suppose.
The problem with electricity is that it will just "appear to work fine", unlike with plumbing and other things its obvious if something has gone wrong, unfortunately with electricity problems only become apparent when its often too late as properties have burned down and people get seriously hurt or killed/electrocuted.
I'm not saying all non-electricians should leave well alone when it comes to basic alterations, but there is an wider issue of competency. Last week, I was at a house where new sockets had been fitted, two without CPCs which had become disconnected from where each had been spurred, one with reversed polarity and a fused unit that had melted because of a loose connection. It's the last one I was called in for and checking the wider circuit uncovered the other issues. The person who put those accessories in probably thought they were competent, knew what they were doing, had the skills and found it all worked afterwards. The lady who just bought the house had no idea of the problems though, other than the smoke coming from the fused unit. From my point of view, that work was undertaken by a fiddler; someone who failed in the very basics of putting the wires where they were supposed to go and ensuring the screws were tight. A good DIY'er can change accessories - it doesn't take much to ensure the right wires go into the right terminals and are properly clamped down on the copper. I would say the basic difference between a fiddler and someone with some competence would be that the latter cares about what they're doing and what the implications could be if they get it wrong. The former is focussed just on making something work regardless of how it looks, whether it's compliant or if it's safe. The problem is, their narrow-mindedness probably also means they don't recognise their failings and keep on at it until something goes wrong.
I think you would be better off using a licenced electrician , there is a subtle difference to a good electrical connection and a high resistance joint ( which can cause a fire ) a diyer would probably not know the difference , worse still would be an poorly connected earth which would not become apparent until , unfortunately, a person completes the earth circuit
Can someone clarify the position regarding public liability insurance - I assume it’s compulsory for a public house but is some form of electrical inspection not required before the insurance is granted? Likewise, doesn’t the local council not require a safety certificate before a premises licence is issued? A tragic case where (it seems) numerous eyes were taken off the ball.
So various agencies knew or suspected the installation was dangerous a decade before, but did nothing? The place should've been inspected and condemned long ago.
I do find those claims of prior warnings to be a bit strange. There's no detail on who these prior warnings really came from, and the idea that some officials with clipboards are roaming around now saying "I knew that was gonna happen - warned 'em years ago I did" doesn't sit right. I suppose it depends on whether they had any power to act or not.
Wow, poor kid. What a screw up. Thank you for the information. By the way, have you ever testified as an expert witness or thought about it? You should, you are really good at this and should share your knowledge.
It's really surprising you don't need to be qualified to work on electrical installations in the UK. The idea of a home owner having a go should be terrifying
Really good video and some very important points. On the Romford recorder website there is a picture of the fuse board, that was used as trial evidence. I'm not sure eyebrow raising would be my descriptive.
I'm not an electrician, I have a basic knowledge but would never attempt more than changing a light switch and I have met electricians who should attempt less than me. All electricians should be to your standard David. Such a sad loss of a young life through no fault of his own but that of a jack the lad type.
No, for RCDs the rating is the maximum it is supposed to allow. Most RCD's trip somewhere over 19mA and if on a ramp test it goes above 30, then it's a fail. That's why we have the half-times test at 15mA to ensure it isn't tripping too low that it might be a nuisance. They say 50mA can stop your heart, so having an RCD trip somewhere above 30mA would reduce the margin for safety too far.
@@dsesuk on that note if you do get enough of a belt to either stop your heart or go into fibbrilation, the next time a significant shock occurs, the likelyhood of survival is drastically decreased.
That’s why I have huge respect for you David because you are always informing sparkys about the importance of standards, regulations and RCDs and moving onwards to AFDDs - adding safety. If properly explained to the customer most customers will pay extra. One thing I have always liked is your warnings about lighting devices which are bought off the internet and have not been fully tested and certified by an independent safety lab, or even CE mark at worst. The importance of testing cannot be underestimated. Keep up the educational encouragement.
Question is if you went to a public place and saw shoddy work and you wanted nothing to do with it would you be required to report to HSE or council or would you report it because of your conscience. My deepest condolences to the family it should never have happened.
"or even CE mark at worst"?
You do understand that CE literally stands for "China Export" and means absolutely nothing with regard to compliance or standards, right?
@@jimmyb1451 yes agree not a quality mark it’s a conformity mark for goods sold in EEA for health, safety and environmental standards, similar to US where we have conformity to FCC. it’s better than nothing. In the USA we have private testing laboratories such as UL listed products which are fully tested for electrical safety. What about the move to UKCA marking now post brexit?
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950107/Guide-to-electrical-equipment-regulations-2016-tp.pdf
I have seen David and talking about this issue in the past when installing products brought from the internet. At least PAT testing would give some assurance not sure how many electricians do that at second fix? When the focus is often only only electrical safety testing of the installation.
@@jimmyb1451 That's wrong, I'm afraid. A common misconception, but wrong.
Erm, Sparkys as you put it, shouldn't be out working if they need to come and watch videos like this in order to realise what they should and shouldn't be doing.
I was an electrician until fairly recently when I gave up my job to care for a relative but the very first thing I used to do on any job, or even going to appraise a job, was to inspect and test the Earthing and bonding. Whenever problems were found, it was a difficult job persuading customers you hadn't just made up a fault to add extra work and cost. Telling a customer you couldn't do the job because you needed to run bonding first can be a quick way to losing the work. In the end I used to combat this by providing the customer with a printed Electrical Safety Council leaflet on the subject. Even with that some still were suspicious. If that was the case I then decided they were likely to be further trouble and dropped the job anyway. The last thing you need are customers that penny pinch and question every decision.
@Flat Sign true and it can happen with pristine or corroded contacts but latest AFDD can pick these surges earlier before that stage. Moreover in the UK with the existence of ring circuits current draw is lowered reducing the likelihood of joule heating and arcing.
As a dad this sort of thing gives me nightmares, it also drives me to do a good job at work and make sure everything I do is safe.
Rest peacefully little man.
This really is so sad. Being an Electrician myself and having two young children, this breaks my heart. Sending so much love to Harvey's family. ❤
Exactly this, i had to watch this because ive two young children & needed to understand how the man who undertook the work in the premises wasnt liable. Theres a reason why these regulations and guidelines exist. Absolutely heart breaking. Unfathomable loss for the parents & totally preventable.
As a career sparky having served my apprenticeship in the 1970s I can say that guys of Naylor's age often became electricians in an afternoon having been a butcher or a printer or postman on the morning. There was was little scrutiny back then. Many so called Sparky's of that era have never kept up-to-date date with the regs etc and have never joined an accreditation organisation. Sadly I have come across dozens of them.
Condolences to the family of the young lad.
Great video report. Keep up the good work.
What was perfectly acceptable back then , is not today .In some ways a good thing in others over the top health and safety rules and regs , which keep on changing .Making it more complicated .For every install where someone gets killed 99.99% of the time no one does. If the accreditation is anything like motor trade ATA accreditation it means nothing .A monkey can get past that .Jobs for the boys in colleges
Every half arsed spark , DIY Dave and joe public who’s thinking of having work done needs to see this. Maybe then people will think twice about doing a shit job or customers will stop accepting the cheaper quote from diy Dave thinking they’re getting the same bang for their buck.
Great content as always Mr Savery ! Most informative and entertaining spark on UA-cam hands down.
Such a waste of a young life. It's sad when anyone dies, but when it's entirely preventable it's heartbreaking. Thanks David for making it.
Thanks for doing this video. Really sad topic but deserved to be analysed and discussed. Hope you keep your enthusiasm for doing youtube.
My condolences to the family of Harvey.
Thank you David for this up. Sadly this is more common than many think. As a part time job, I am a DJ and I have been to a few pubs where the landlord has done the work themselves in regards to their electrical work. I've had to refuse work as I normally visit a venue before hand to get an idea and I will purposely look at their sockets etc. I normally ask the landlord a couple of questions to get an idea. As they don't realise that I am also a spark then when I ask them the dumb questions and acting dumb myself then I could get an idea if they did the work or they got a competent electrician in. Even though I am insured and my gear is all checked yearly etc. If something happened while I was DJ'ing then the landlord would try and pass the blame onto me for his dodgy electrics.
On 2 occasions I've had to cancel work as one venue had just a 13amp socket and the land lord said that if you put more than x amount through it then the breaker would trip.
Another occasions in a venue where the landlord decided to put as many sockets in as possible, feeding to a plug.
On both occasions I did report the pubs to the relevant authorities.
i went to repair a cut cable that a joiner went through, cable repaired, flip back on breaker, doesnt hold, double and triple check my junction box
joiner grabs the landlord, "oh yeah that one trips all the time, we need to unplug a few things first", about 5 electric heaters plugged in and about 15 tvs, plus other items
most businesses are winging it from day to day i find.
A fantastic piece of work David.
It really hits home how important our responsibilities are to the safety of others while we do our job which apparently anyone can do.
Well said and it reminds us all that cheap-skating on electrical work is a serious, and often tragic, business. I have a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering but there's no way I could convince myself that I'm an electrician - for the reasons you've given. I haven't devoted enough time to training and studying the regulations and, frankly, I wouldn't want to take on that responsibility.
Well said.
I have just become aware of your work David through the Monday night electricians podcast which is ace. I really enjoy watching you and Nigel for the entertainment but also the great technical content.
I never comment on things but I have to on this video. This video should be a mandatory what at the beginning of any electrical training program. It is put together and explained so well that is understandable to everyone and direct to the point. This is how education should be delivered. It is such a shame it has had to come from something so tragic. My heart goes out to the family.
Keep up the good work and all the best.
I have been following this tragic and avoidable incident and your summation is spot on. Well done Sir
This is a salient reminder that RCD's and RCBO's are *essential,* on all circuits.
Anyone who calls their own work “first class” shows it is anything but
@@sarahjrandomnumbers There's something intriguing about the way standards like BS7671 only requires that work is 'Satisfactory'.
It keeps one's ego under control if you decide that satisfying all aspects of the standards is enough of a challenge, and that wishing to be 'the dog's bollocks' or 'first class' is a distraction from that goal.
To do a skilled job you need 3 things Some knowledge the tools and time .The later being the one most people are short of always being rushed , and that's where mistakes happen
Excellent presentation David, sincerely hope judge and family legal team get to see your presentation before any sentence is passed. Sincere condolences to the boys family.
Thank you for your sober and Frank analysis and the due deference you have shown.
Thank you for this video David, hopefully this will get a decent number of views and help the spread the word about the danger of drive by EICR's, and the criminal danger the "inspectors" are putting themselves in saving the dodgy landlord from blame.
this is why we should not treat any job as a favour for a friend or let friendship or family relationship requests to the the best we can to save them money . the wee man has paid the ultimate price for there disregard for safety the 2 guys are old and have lived their lives to the full and took harveys life and his full families enjoyment of watching him grow and enjoying his life , we all should think of harvey on every job we look at to quell any attempt of a friend or relative trying to persuade us , well presented dave thankyou
WOW...... regrettably one of my favourite videos of yours 😭
Thanks for the report and for dropping the funnies.
My heart goes out the the family and the individual's in question should see the inside of a prison cell ........ disgraceful standard of work from so called professionals? ??
Brings the reputation of all sparks down and crushes trust from the public.
Take care David ✌✌✌✌✌
This sounds like a pretty typical "it's only 3 wires, how hard can it be" type "electrician", without understanding the implications until tragedy struck...
@@hycron1234 Funerals aren't cheap these days either.
@@hycron1234 I don't even think the point of this video is particularly test meters. I'd say it's just as much about having proper tools, a diligent and consciencious approach, and an constant need to improve your game. You can work under the supervision of someone who has the test equipment, and then branch out as soon as you've done the 2391 and acquired the proper equipment to measure insulation resistance, loop impedance, low resistance and RCD timings. I agree Flukes and Meggers seem overpriced, so I paid £450 for a Seaward 1557 which is perfectly adequate.
You can't start up as a dentist with just a chair and some pliers either.
@@hycron1234 Dude if you think you're ok fiddling with the electrics in your own home at your own risk, more power to you. Sounds like if you're not up to the standard of a professional electrician, you are at least better than your landlord. If you were putting other people's lives on the line, that would be a different story.
@@hycron1234 omg... a voltage probe and a multimeter plus the internet and common sense is 100% not enough .. there is a reason electricians need at least 4 years of training and 3-4 years of tertiary study to obtain a licence, nothing shown youtube or the internet is training enough.. this very video highlights that. Im sure you got your lights working just great .. but its the things unseen , something that makes sense electrically for an average person , is very different to how somebody trained, looks at the same thing... Spend the effort instead pestering whoever is responsible to organise a tradesman .. Also note that insurance companies will not pay a claim if they find evidence of unlicenced electrical work , in some cases even when said work did not directly cause the issue , the case being made that evidence of unlicenced electrical work means the only electrical work that is to be covered is documented licenced work ... just saying ..
Ty David ... 🙏 thoughts and prayers with Harvey’s family
The most important wire in an installation, yet because it sits there seemingly doing nothing, it's perceived it can be discarded or it's not really required, but the lack of that one wire has changed so many lives and cost a young boy his life.
Thank you David for taking the time and effort to make this very respectful and imforative video. Especially good how you explained the importance of Earthing on the installation. I can't believe the number of times I have gone to what should be a simple job of changing or upgrading a light fitting only to be confronted with no earth continuity at the point, earth's (cpc's) not terminated or even worse just cut back out of the way! This seems to be more common on newly refurbished kitchens and bathrooms, where the guys will "do the electrics as well"
Keep up the good work, stay safe, Pete 👍
Such a tragic, completely avoidable death. So easy for people to call themselves electricians and carry out totally incompetent, and dangerous standards of work. Excellent video David - appreciate the detailed explanation, and depth of knowledge.
As others have said; tragic and unavoidable. There's 1 part I'm curious of; A pub is a licensed premises under Licensing Act 2003, surely (as Paragraph 11 of the HSE Publication 'Electrical in places of entertainment' points out) the state of the electrical installation should form part of the decision to grant a license to trade, with that potentially being the case, why isn't the local council in the dock? They even state that n frequent visits the faults concerns etc weren't addressed; so why didn't they revoke the license and close until rectified?
Should also add BBPA (British Beer and Pub Association) also have a Code of Practice on Electrical Safety - beerandpub.com/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2018/02/Section-1.-Code-of-Practice-for-Electrical-Safety-in-Beer-Dispense-in-Licensed-Premises-2011-without-Appendices-4th-Ed-2.pdf - Granted it's to an older edition of BS7671, as a publican he'd know of the code of practice.
I'm watching from Australia so not up with UK regs (other than Dave and other sparks channels). Sounds like the EICR requirement should be applied to pubs etc and a condition of licencing.
@@pnxelectrical
Codes of Practice have no teeth. Periodic inspection of premises open to the public, inc' shops, should be mandatory.
I am not advocating this Gassafe nonsense. The readily available form should have the test results. To insert the results you need to know how the test equipment works. One follows the other.
@@johnburns4017 I'm with you, why the premises wasn't given a improvement & suspension order/noticr, forcing it's closure until it can be deemed as safe and compliant I don't know, hell I've seen EHOs close down premises for a single cockroach, why it wasn't shut down for shitty electrics I have no idea. If licensed premises aren't held to higher standards as terms of their license then something is broken.
PNX - you make an excellent point.
Hi David,
Excellent analysis of this tragic event. As always, huge respect for your electrical standards
and regulations.
Looking forward to your next upload !
Well done on relaying the reported facts of this, and congratulations on having the balls to post it. My condolences to the family for a death that really, really should not have happened. Something is wrong when people expend endless energy on relative trivia (like whether a CU needs a metal or plastic box for example), yet installations like this can persist in a public place. More power to your elbow.
Originally, this was tacked on to the last video about Part-P with exactly that sentiment - how social media gets good conscientious sparkies who follow the rules tied up in knots with each other arguing over how someone has spaced a saddle incorrectly or interpreted some grey regulation in a different way. The squabbling among those who genuinely try to do the job right and by the book sometimes seems ridiculous when you see people like this who operate as if they simply couldn't care less.
@@dsesuk With any luck, it will hopefully give some people food for thought. Thanks for taking the time to make the video.
Condolences to the family.
Thanks for reporting on this Dave. I've shared with all of the Electricians that I work alongside.
Sad story but very interesting and informative..glad you are back on the old UA-cam hope all is well with you and hope for more soon .keep the faith we love your channel
Thank you for making this video, David, there's a lot of food for thought. I consider myself to be a diligent and competent electrician, but I do have a weakness for paperwork. I carry out my work to a high standard and then test and record the results; but I must admit to being a little lax at actually getting the paperwork to clients. I definitely need to get better with all of that, thank you for making this video, it's been a bit of a wake up call!
Tragic and avoidable.
Yes but only in hindsight like most accidents
Very brave dave for making this.
applauded for sticking to the facts.
Im glad to be entering the electrical world with fact proving video channels such as yours around.
seems like too many supposed electrician boys, being allowed to do tradesmans work.
Liked and leaving a comment so the YT algorithm can do it's thing.
Good man David for making the video 👍
Naylor was eventually sentenced to 12 months & Beerman 9 years. Neither is enough for a child's life lost.
RIP young Harvy, my deepest condolences to the family.
This is a fantastic video, heartfelt and sincere. It highlights the importance of doing a proper job. Thanks David.
Tragedy Dave absolutely horrible. Love your videos this was different but very well done .28 years myself In the industry and just set my own business up your videos are on point keep them coming 👍🏻👍🏻
The pub's owner David Bearman, 73, was sentenced to nine years by Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday after previously pleading guilty to gross negligence manslaughter.
Bearman's 74-year-old brother-in-law Colin Naylor, was jailed for a year after he was found guilty of failing to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act following a trial.
Naylor was acquitted of gross negligence manslaughter.
Excellent presentation on a very serious and devastatingly sad subject.
💔
An honest well presented video David great job 👍
For me the fault path is the foundation of any installation. Check your CPC. Check your RCD. Your circuit protection. Your supply cable. If all is good then go from there. For even the jobbing electrician these are basics and fundamentals and the fact they are regularly overlooked is ludicrous and in this case fatal. I’ve been at this a long time. I don’t even know the answers to a lot of the industries problems. There is also a lot of elitism and stubbornness that doesn’t help. This has left such a chill up my spine that something we all do on autopilot has been missed and caused this tragedy. As wrong as it would be in the regulations, even if I’d seen just one big RCD isolator up circuit would at least (for me) have given the impression that someone seemingly in the industry for so long knew the potential disaster that could happen with unearthed metal equipment in a public place. Sad all round ☹️
Excellent video Dave, that poor family, I can't stop thinking about it as the day goes on. One would think that with 50 yrs experience a sparky would have Z's in his blood and not the pillow type either. Claiming to be a spark carries a lot of prestige within the community. Easier when just claimed than being the real Mcoy. Your video is a wake up call for everyone to be on the ball. Thanks again Dave.
Good video again Dave. What really saddens me, is that this poor boy has died and his family will continue to grieve and suffer, and nothing will be done about the policing of electrical installation work. This isn’t the first youngster to be electrocuted due to negligence, but Govt. still find it easier to swerve any responsibility for policing electrical work. Far easier to let their friends set up “training” establishments and for CPS’ to continue taking the money without lifting a finger when clear breaches are pointed out. I suspect this is because they know that the moment they open that floodgate, they’ll be bankrupted by those costs. I don’t have the answer, but we all know the electrical industry isn’t policed. It is always a case of prosecution after death, similar to prevention being better than cure, in every way except you can’t cure electrocution and nobody is preventing anything. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to that family.
A horrible thing to happen that was completely avoidable. :( Very well constructed and thought provoking video David which highlights the importance of inspection and testing before and after any and ALL work. Thoughts to the family.
Excellent video. I would like to see all cases such as this properly discussed and reported in the electrical press, so we can all learn and be reminded of exactly what can and does go badly wrong.
Good worthwhile video David. Very respectfully done. 👍
David, thank you for your excellent inspection and dissection of this totally preventable tragedy - preventable had the two prime culprits undertaken and completed their work properly, with all the requisite inspections and tests having been carried out fully and completely. It is to be hoped that the Safety Authority will "throw the book" at the both of them for their multitudinous failings.
Well done with this video, its basic enough that if the public stumble across it that they may start to learn the importance of having things done properly, just a shame its at such a high cost
Unfortunately many more accidents waiting to happen.
And not just with electricity
Condolences to the Harvey family 💕
and thanks David for bringing light to matters like these
What a sad story, thank you for highlighting the importance of professional tradespeople to complete work. Common sense, one would think. Condolences to the child's family...
David, thank you for your well thought out commentary. We can only hope this will raise awareness so that some daft landlord or "want to be" sparky don't create this situation again in the future.
I'm an electrician in the states. If the guy installed a circuit and didn't ground it properly to me he is liable. We keep public safety at the forefront of what we do
Very brave and commendable video.
This is precisely why, I do my CCTV job, but if any electrical work needs doing, I.e. a fused spur in a loft to power my cctv installation, I will not install until the power has been installed.
Others...... might just run off the lighting, or shower feed, etc and do their cctv.
I WILL NOT.
I fit cctv, I am NOT an electrician.
It is like asking someone who washes cars, to service your engine!
Horses for courses.
Brilliant video.
Good to see you David. Just such sad and totally avoidable circumstances.
Your explanations and examples are second to none Dave.
I am so glad you've done this video; I looked for the actual HSE report online but drew a complete blank, so you've filled a few blanks for me. I'd like to see the hse report, if it ever gets published, & I agree on your thoughts regarding the culpability of the 'electrician'. We can all read between the lines here.... Yep, just do the install (for your mate), but not doing the final connections & turning a blind eye to the bypassing of the meter, etc. We can imagine the conversation, eh?
David this is a great piece of work well done YOU!! I feel for the Family.
The most important termination & part of any circuit is that of the CPC or earthing connections. My heart goes out to the family of the young lad.
Rest in peace Harvey, I'm no electrician but it's so sad that events like this are still happening, after looking online myself it seems that their is alot of stories like this one, keep up the hard work bud
Thanks David for the detailed video, my heart goes out to the parents, im a spark aswell and it baffles me as to why people think they know what they are doing when it comes to electrical work, 4 years I trained, and I'm still learning and training today, this guy on here looks like he couldn't Wire a plug.
The industry needs more action as I'm sick of diyers and shit working sparks. Rant over Thanks again
I've been an actual Electrician for 34 years. For at least 10 years, I have been saying "Everyone thinks they are an Electrician". This is exactly what I'm talking about. Poor little boy - so sad... RIP little man. ☹
I remember seeing this in the news a few months ago. Something as you say that should have never happened. The audit trail is only as good as you can provide. I suspect the lack of paperwork was due to it being a relative, and something "I'll get around to" but even so, you would have as you say given the basic's a quick once over such as earthing etc. Installations can be old, but still "safe", although improvements can usually be made. The re-use of the luminaires could also suggest a lack of funds. Without being able to see the prosecuting evidence its difficult to say exactly where the issues were. RCD's don't cover every fault or shock scenario but they at least give you a chance.
I think what’s bollocks is that you’d go to an “eye brow raising” DB, and not perform a Ze or a Zs at DB. I’d want to know exactly what earthing system was in place before I touched it. Poor Harvey, it serves as a reminder to all us spark’s to be diligent, never assume and cover your own backside. I don’t think 230v should ever be exported outside commercially for lighting, it’s just asking for trouble.
An excellent summary on how culpability appears to have been avoided in this particular case, though the separate prosecution by HSE may in due course lead to an outcome reflecting the gravity of the negligence involved.
What I find particularly troubling is, as David pointed out in his commentary, that a SELV system with LED lighting could have been used instead, removing the danger of misconnection altogether. Instead, mains power was run to second-hand external lighting units with no RCD protection and reliance on the integrity of the CPC (if it was ever fitted) - an act of deliberate choice which is so incompetent that it beggars belief. That a seven-year-old died as a result of the negligence of those involved is shameful. My heart goes out to the parents who had to watch as their child died in front of them from the incompetence of these supposedly experienced people.
Absolutely tragic case and it would be a travesty if neither of them were held to account for shambolic and dangerous work. God knows what else they have done or ignored in the past.
Great video as always Dave.
More people need to see this, just shows the importance of RCD protection and proper testing and certification.
There needs to be more laws so anyone can't be cocking around with electrics especially in a public place.
So sad that this kind of thing largely goes unpunished in the right way. Excellent production of facts and opinions in a sensitive manner.
The times I've heard "works don't it?" .
Saw this in the paper a while ago and wondered what could have happened to cause the, glad you've made a vid on this!
Such cautionary and tragic cases like this, were driven home as of day one when I started out training at college 10+ years ago.
It has stuck with me ever since that...and this is as close as I remember the opening "Pep" talk to the assembled class.
"Everything you do as electrical work from this point on, has to be correct, accurate and safe. You will have people lives at stake if you can't be arsed or cut corners. If you want an easy glamourless job, go sign up with the plumbers down the corridor".
I trained as a fitter in the late 90s, but we still had to learn the basics of electrics back then (broadly equivalent to the Part P stuff now); the first thing that was drummed into us was "electricity is invisible" - I will say though, that we weren't expected to start diving into electrical cabinets after...
I do a fair bit of work on controls and automation now, and it's amazing how many people think that they can't / won't get a shock from a 24v system.
Great reporting. Good honest professional are always worth their fees. Thanks for highlighting the issue.
Same thing happened in Las Vegas by an ungrounded light pole with a ground fault. Since then all light poles are required to be grounded.
Great video. Tragic for such a simple and even a probably low cost upgrade.
Thanks for this video.
Great video Dave. I think this story highlights the demise of competent oversight by the local authority licensing teams. My father spent the last years of his career as an electrical engineer inspecting premises, together with building control and fire inspectors. As a team, they would regularly close down licensed premises if there was evidence of shoddy practices and/or dodgy or non-existent certificates. If landlords know they are likely to closed down following a failed inspection, I think they are less likely to bodge it themselves. Sadly, since councils outsourced many of those functions, there are neither the skilled, experienced electricians, or the budgets to do meaningful, regular inspections of licensed premises. If local authorities had properly staffed inspection teams and had the clout to close down places, it might avoid this kind of tragedy and perhaps avoid other disasters such as the Grenfell fire.
Whether or not Bearman is (or has been) an electrician ought to be a matter of record. How come it is still an open question?
RIP Little man 😥
I've no idea how these people sleep at night. I worry constantly at the smallest of things. I may not be the neatest or the best, far from it, but I will always make damn sure it's safe!
To operate a commercial kitchen you need all sorts of food hygiene certificates ect, so why should a commercial property like that be allowed to operate without a current EICR or other certificate? Am I missing something?
Absolute tragedy, there are so many old pub's that have old and dangerous wireing and some landlords are happy to just let a costomer try and fix it or install some fancy lighting in the beer garden, why oh why don't get me wrong there not all like that but there are a lot.
Fantastic video David and yes our hearts go out to that young lads perants and may he rest in peace.
Thank you for your heart felt opinion
Really hope they had a real electrician in court to explain this
I'm certain they would of had an electrician as their expert witness. I would guess somebody that teaches electrics.
David’s excellent presentation shows the breadth of knowledge that an expert witness has to have. It is not just technical knowledge and knowledge of current regulations, but also knowledge of the relevant legislation at the time work was done.
Yes they had expert witnesses for the prosecution. Reported in the Romford Recorder.
Thanks David , it’s good to remind us electricians the first rule is safety first before any work starts
Thanks David for taking a sensitive approach to this video
A sad but excellent video - a tragic waste of life and it should be a lesson to us all of the real danger we work with everyday and the lives we are responsible for.
Had the landlord disconnected the incoming earth as part of him fiddling the meter ?? Just a thought
The guilty go free due to incompetent prosecution yet again. Inconceivable that a 'qualified' electrician could work 380 hours in such a small building claim yet ignorance of faulty wiring or that the meter had been bypassed. Such a tragic waste.
Excellent analysis and, well done for keeping to opinion, a defence in any defamation action. It looks like a competent lawyer must have been lurking in the background.
Always look forward to your remarkably informative vids, this being no exception.
Thanks for posting and, for your well written, presented and researched work. 😷👀
Update, last Thursday at Snaresbrook Crown Court, the pub owner has been jail for 9 years, and the electrician has been jailed for 1 year for HSE irregularities.
Brilliant video, I think you’re doing an excellent job of bringing this to the attention of exactly the right people who need to hear this news. This topic should definitely be a regular feature, hopefully the more electricians who hear about stories such as these, the less of these stories will take place. Who knows, maybe the industry might even become properly regulated, we can all fucking dream I suppose.
Excellent analysis David, what a tragedy.
The problem with electricity is that it will just "appear to work fine", unlike with plumbing and other things its obvious if something has gone wrong, unfortunately with electricity problems only become apparent when its often too late as properties have burned down and people get seriously hurt or killed/electrocuted.
Would you class replacing light fittings and sockets as 'fiddling'?
I'm not saying all non-electricians should leave well alone when it comes to basic alterations, but there is an wider issue of competency. Last week, I was at a house where new sockets had been fitted, two without CPCs which had become disconnected from where each had been spurred, one with reversed polarity and a fused unit that had melted because of a loose connection. It's the last one I was called in for and checking the wider circuit uncovered the other issues. The person who put those accessories in probably thought they were competent, knew what they were doing, had the skills and found it all worked afterwards. The lady who just bought the house had no idea of the problems though, other than the smoke coming from the fused unit. From my point of view, that work was undertaken by a fiddler; someone who failed in the very basics of putting the wires where they were supposed to go and ensuring the screws were tight. A good DIY'er can change accessories - it doesn't take much to ensure the right wires go into the right terminals and are properly clamped down on the copper. I would say the basic difference between a fiddler and someone with some competence would be that the latter cares about what they're doing and what the implications could be if they get it wrong. The former is focussed just on making something work regardless of how it looks, whether it's compliant or if it's safe. The problem is, their narrow-mindedness probably also means they don't recognise their failings and keep on at it until something goes wrong.
@@dsesuk very well explained, thanks.
I think you would be better off using a licenced electrician , there is a subtle difference to a good electrical connection and a high resistance joint ( which can cause a fire ) a diyer would probably not know the difference , worse still would be an poorly connected earth which would not become apparent until , unfortunately, a person completes the earth circuit
Good coverage of this case
Can someone clarify the position regarding public liability insurance - I assume it’s compulsory for a public house but is some form of electrical inspection not required before the insurance is granted? Likewise, doesn’t the local council not require a safety certificate before a premises licence is issued? A tragic case where (it seems) numerous eyes were taken off the ball.
So various agencies knew or suspected the installation was dangerous a decade before, but did nothing? The place should've been inspected and condemned long ago.
I do find those claims of prior warnings to be a bit strange. There's no detail on who these prior warnings really came from, and the idea that some officials with clipboards are roaming around now saying "I knew that was gonna happen - warned 'em years ago I did" doesn't sit right. I suppose it depends on whether they had any power to act or not.
I have no words to describe how furious I am.... Rest in peace little man.
Wow, poor kid. What a screw up. Thank you for the information. By the way, have you ever testified as an expert witness or thought about it? You should, you are really good at this and should share your knowledge.
If you ever find me in a courtroom, I suspect it'll be for all the wrong reasons!
@@dsesuk Well, it was just an idea but I understand your reasons.
@@dsesuk drunk whilst in charge of a motor.... In a washing machine, whilst in charge of a screwdriver?
It's really surprising you don't need to be qualified to work on electrical installations in the UK. The idea of a home owner having a go should be terrifying
Really good video and some very important points. On the Romford recorder website there is a picture of the fuse board, that was used as trial evidence. I'm not sure eyebrow raising would be my descriptive.
I'm annoyed with myself for missing that Paul!
Excellent presentation David.
Many thanks.
I'm not an electrician, I have a basic knowledge but would never attempt more than changing a light switch and I have met electricians who should attempt less than me. All electricians should be to your standard David.
Such a sad loss of a young life through no fault of his own but that of a jack the lad type.
David at 15:00, re. RCD operation, don’t you mean an imbalance above 30mA not up to?
No, for RCDs the rating is the maximum it is supposed to allow. Most RCD's trip somewhere over 19mA and if on a ramp test it goes above 30, then it's a fail. That's why we have the half-times test at 15mA to ensure it isn't tripping too low that it might be a nuisance. They say 50mA can stop your heart, so having an RCD trip somewhere above 30mA would reduce the margin for safety too far.
@@dsesuk on that note if you do get enough of a belt to either stop your heart or go into fibbrilation, the next time a significant shock occurs, the likelyhood of survival is drastically decreased.