FAQ's- Myths and Misconceptions

[bill addiss]

Re: FAQ's- Myths and Misconceptions

Bob,

In the event that there is an Electrical related Fire or Injury in the area where work was done wouldn't the Contractor be in a better position to prove they did the right thing if the work was inspected?

In our area the Electrical Inspectors belong to private agencies which carry big insurance policies. It was my understanding that contracting/paying them to Inspect work that was done meant they would then be sharing Liability.

Bill

 

[petersonra]

Re: FAQ's- Myths and Misconceptions

You are making a big jumper from AHJ inspection approval and that such approval by itself means the work was done correctly.

Since most inspections are cursory in nature, the chance of them finding everything that could be wrong is miniscule.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: FAQ's- Myths and Misconceptions

Here in Colorado, there are private inspection agencies like what you describe, and they are extremely difficult. Basically they can't officially "fail" a house, but the owner would refuse to continue until issues are resolved. Due to the intensity of their inspections, chances are (I'm guessing) they insure their inspections. But here, the government AHJ has absolutely no liability and all the authority.

 

[rbalex]

Re: FAQ's- Myths and Misconceptions

Bill,

Your point is well taken and it may be the difference between inspectors who receive their authority by statute and those who receive it by contract.

In the first case they are government agents and, in my experience, they and the agency they work for are exempt from liability from virtually anything short of taking a bribe. In the latter, they actually represent insurance agencies; in which case, I suspect they are indemnified.

In either case, "...any party owning, designing, operating, controlling, or installing any electric equipment..." is still fully liable but may also be indemnified; i.e., they were insured against the liability.

In theory, I was indemnified by my previous employer. I had a letter from my employer stating that any work I did in "good faith" and "within my scope" as a PE, would be "covered" to 100% of any fines or court costs.

I had a Project Manager come to me with drawings from an out of state source that needed a local PE seal. It was an "emergency" and he stood there waiting for me to stamp them. I told him the review would take at least a week. When I didn't seal it immediately, he went to my division boss and complained. When my boss reminded me of the letter of indemnification, I asked if the company would guarantee I'd still have my license and someone would do the jail time for me, if necessary. No PE in that office was ever placed in that position again.

 

[hurk27]

Re: FAQ's- Myths and Misconceptions

Here is a good Myth:
The NEC is the only set of rules we have to go by when we are doing electrical work.

There are many in the trade that do not have the understanding that there are other codes and laws that must all be applied to any instalation or repair of electrical equipment. I have even had inspectors that do not know this.
One example can be found in another thread here:

Code Challenge

There are many code and rules and laws that have to be known. And in each case it will depend upon what kind of work is being preformed.

Maybe we can start a list, Like local adopted codes, State adopted codes, OSHA codes

 

[George Stolz]

Re: FAQ's- Myths and Misconceptions

Maybe we can start a list, Like local adopted codes, State adopted codes, OSHA codes

I'm not sure what scope you're talking about, but my boss attempted to build a chart on what each local AHJ's pet peeves were. He lost his mind. Just within the towns that we service, (Maybe 12?) there are the 12 AHJ's, probably 5 power companies, whose boundaries are dissimilar to the AHJ's and all requirements are small in their size but big in their "fail the house on it" factor. If you use the wrong metermain, REA fails it.

If you drive a ground rod between the street and the meter, fail. The City/Loveland Power folks don't like digging around the ground rod, so now it's city code in Loveland, CO. Risers for residential up to duplex must be 2 1/2 pipe, but anything bigger can be sized per NEC... Huh?