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8th March 2009, 01:20 AM
I know this may not be the best section of the forum for this, but I wanted to get the attention of the electricians on here... :)
Question relates to a specific, simple electrical task. That of changing ordinarly 240 volt light bulbs (ES base).
The power would be intermittently on (a predictable on/off cycle lasting over a minute) whilst bulbs are being changed - this is an industrial situation not domestic lighting. You could just wait for the other lamps to switch off and then promptly change the blown one if you wanted to do it without the socket being live.
Bottom line is the employer has always held the view that it does not require a qualified electrician to change a light bulb. Whilst electricians are employed, there are also non-electrical staff and they are permitted to change bulbs (unsupervised). The rule is basically that non-electrical staff can change bulbs only, but must not attempt to repair any associated problem or remove any bulb that has shattered etc.
And what about apprentices? I'd assume that if it's OK for a non-electrical worker to be changing bulbs then an apprentice electrician can also change them without direct supervision once they have been given instruction on how to do it safely and not to attempt to fix anything else that's broken?
What should be happening here? On one hand I'm thinking it's just a light bulb - a consumer device that doesn't require any license to install and is intended for DIY replacement. On the other hand, I'm thinking that this is electrical work nonetheless so non-electricians shouldn't be employed to do it?
Underlying reason for the question is about safety and legal obligations. I'm not interested in starting any "industry protection" type debates here, I just want to know what "should" be happening in your opinion. What skills / qualifications does someone need to change a light bulb when doing so at work?
Read the full thread at RenovateForum.com... (http://www.renovateforum.com/showthread.php?t=75512&goto=newpost)
Question relates to a specific, simple electrical task. That of changing ordinarly 240 volt light bulbs (ES base).
The power would be intermittently on (a predictable on/off cycle lasting over a minute) whilst bulbs are being changed - this is an industrial situation not domestic lighting. You could just wait for the other lamps to switch off and then promptly change the blown one if you wanted to do it without the socket being live.
Bottom line is the employer has always held the view that it does not require a qualified electrician to change a light bulb. Whilst electricians are employed, there are also non-electrical staff and they are permitted to change bulbs (unsupervised). The rule is basically that non-electrical staff can change bulbs only, but must not attempt to repair any associated problem or remove any bulb that has shattered etc.
And what about apprentices? I'd assume that if it's OK for a non-electrical worker to be changing bulbs then an apprentice electrician can also change them without direct supervision once they have been given instruction on how to do it safely and not to attempt to fix anything else that's broken?
What should be happening here? On one hand I'm thinking it's just a light bulb - a consumer device that doesn't require any license to install and is intended for DIY replacement. On the other hand, I'm thinking that this is electrical work nonetheless so non-electricians shouldn't be employed to do it?
Underlying reason for the question is about safety and legal obligations. I'm not interested in starting any "industry protection" type debates here, I just want to know what "should" be happening in your opinion. What skills / qualifications does someone need to change a light bulb when doing so at work?
Read the full thread at RenovateForum.com... (http://www.renovateforum.com/showthread.php?t=75512&goto=newpost)