MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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I am in two minds if I should tell my bosses what problems and faults one of my workmates is leaving on jobs. I know on one hand that it is not a nice thing to do but on the other hand it could lead to an accident.
I am an electrician and work for a small company (5 workers and 2 bosses). One of our workmates is doing a rewire on a cottage and has a fault on a ring circuit he has put in. Instead of finding and fixing the fault, he has turned it on but disconnected the earth so it doesn't trip the RCD! He has done this so the workmen can have some power on to finish off the job.
It's not the first fault he has left behind either. There has been plenty but we usually go and find and fix the faults and cover it up between ourselves. Only thing is he has tried to drop almost all of us in the deep end, saying faults were ours and he fixed them. He did have an apprentice working with him but got him the sack for not being good enough. We think he was using him now as a scapegoat for his faults.
We all get on well and this could upset the apple cart but it could also lead to a nasty accident.
What should I do?
He's not doing the job he's paid to do.
He's putting people at risk.
If something goes wrong and you knew about all his concerns and never did anything you may well be held accountable.
If something goes wrong it could finish the company meaning you all out of a job.
Does that make it easier?
It's an awful thing to have to do, you will look a nob, some will support you others even close friends will carry a grudge years later even though they also had concerns. It's a long slow process, the guy will hate you, his family will loathe you.
Been there and took along time to get over the regrets, stress, worry and anger. I know it still causes some friction but I'm passed caring.
Just find a reason to check a Zs from said circuit. As there won't be one..., Bingo. It can be reported as a genuine fault. Either he finds it, or you get brownie points for pointing it out to your boss.
They wouldn't want their company name associated with dodgy work.
It's likely to be a N/E fault if it's only tripping the RCD, and if it's a new ring it will be easy enough to trace the fault and rectify.
I hardly work with him. He usually works alone and he does the tests as well on his own installations. Saying that, he tested a fault on a circuit by checking the voltage between earth and live. Missing the fault which was no neutral, which he would have found by checking live to neutral as most of us would. He also left a live flex hanging in a church which subsequently touched the scaffolding that was being erected at the time. You can guess what happened to the scaffolder after that. That was a very close one!
I have talked to a couple of the others that work with him more, as to what we should do. They have no balls to go before the bosses and say it's a hard call.
Maybe nudge the boss towards implementing some kind of QA activity? Something like ISO9001 would mean that testing procedures etc. have to be codified (but I expect they already are for the electrical regs?). Or you could suggest he implements random spot checks?
so he has wired it up wrong, bypassed the safety procedures and let people use it do you really need to ask?
You have an obligation under Health and Safety to report seriously someone could get killed here you have onlu one option...the fact he lies and drops you in it means they know what they are doing and will lie to cover their ineptitude at work. Make sure the rest will back you but seriously someone could get killed.
Would you be happy to use anything he had fitted ? How would you fell if someone got hurt? Wont be easy but do the right thing and report
His work sounds dangerous. Would you let your family live in the place. If not, you *need* to report it. Your bosses would not be happy to get the reputation as cowboys. How about an anonamous note voicing your concerns. No names, just events times and genuine test results.
The company would be 100% liable for his negligence.
Yep, I see all your points and how dangerous his work has been and that is why I should go to the bosses and let them in on it. The company I work for are great and I owe them a lot personally, thats why I feel obliged to tell them let alone the safety aspect of it. If I tell them though would the others still want to work with me? I don't want to work somewhere I am disliked. But then I don't want to work somewhere that has a shoddy and dangerous reputation.
Your workmates don't have to know. If your boss has any kind of common sense then he'll guarantee anonymity for you.
Unfortunately, you'll get the answer to your moral dilemma quite quickly if someone gets electrocuted from a job your colleague has completed badly.
Can't believe you are asking for advice! Tell the boss it's shocking and not acceptable, frankly who cares what people think when it's dangerous!!
Now we all have a moral dilemma. You've told us of a faulty circuit, which is in use, and which you may or may not be going to report. Is it our duty to find your employer and report the problem, since you don't appear to have developed the courage yet?
I'm with Drac, it's a bit more serious than most shortcuts.
Beat him up, that always works. :-)Doesnt it.
[i]Tell the boss it's [b]shocking[/b] and not acceptable[/i]
😉
If you know and don't tell and someone finds out, you will be sued for neligence as well as him...
"If by your action or omission..."
Screw him, he's a liability. Next question.
If we're going to start with the puns - Doesnt sound like the brightest of sparks that lad. Needs brought down to earth too.