Ideas for a toolbox talk

C

CMairiD

Each year our quality control auditors provide a toolbox talk to our gas engineers (repairs, servicing and installs). The idea of the toolbox talk is not to wag fingers or teach engineers to suck eggs ('specially since they have to sit exams very five years!). We generally hit hot topics in the industry (flues in voids), changes to standards (BS 6798, 2009) and any topics they themselves have asked to be covered.

This year I can't think of any tremendous changes to standards, current hot topics and no one has come forward with any topics they'd like addressed.

So, if you guys had to sit through one of these talks, can you think of any topics that might interest you and not bore you to tears?
 
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do you do flueless fires? cookers in multi occupancy dwellings requiring an FSD, cookers in mid kitchens with no window or door, requirements when relighting appliances after gas re-instatement (quantum meters spring to mind OH NO don't go there C) all are available as GSR TB's let us know if you dont have access to them, will have a wee think of anything else that would be suitable
 
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No flueless fires!

FSDs in HMOs we've done.

Gas re-instatement: can.of.worms 😛

Got access to the TBs and trawling through them now.

Thinking about bits of CPA1 as some of our void gas engineers don't yet have it and reminding them that they will need it by 1/4/12. Had one instance this year where an engineer wanted to ID a RS natural draught within 150mm of a window, with no FGA readings to prove danger.

We've been fitting CO detectors for the last year and we have had a few go off (false positives). So I'm thinking of covering the procedure for CO room tests.

Considering upcoming changes to Part L, then again not read it yet and only aware to no more band B.
 
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CMairiD said:
No flueless fires!

FSDs in HMOs we've done.

Gas re-instatement: can.of.worms 😛

Got access to the TBs and trawling through them now.

Thinking about bits of CPA1 as some of our void gas engineers don't yet have it and reminding them that they will need it by 1/4/12. Had one instance this year where an engineer wanted to ID a RS natural draught within 150mm of a window, with no FGA readings to prove danger.

We've been fitting CO detectors for the last year and we have had a few go off (false positives). So I'm thinking of covering the procedure for CO room tests.

Considering upcoming changes to Part L, then again not read it yet and only aware to no more band B.
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so basically you are saying my ideas are rubbish, fair enough🙂
on the CO alarm activation, and at the risk of getting another boot!! the procedure/management for attending calls to a CO activation could also be a can of worms
i remember a good few years ago when i took over as a gas manager something cropped up because a gas plumber was moaning that a spark had managed to sweet talk one of the call out call handlers into passing CO activation calls to him first, the gas plumber had no interest in safety merely the fact that the spark was 1 getting more cash than him, and 2 that he and the call centre operator were more than just good friends, i nearly had an epilectic fit when i found out the story, and couldnt believe they could be so stupid, it turns out that the spark would attend, change the CO alarm if he had one, and if he didnt have a spare HE MADE THE NOISY ONE SAFE BY DISCONNECTING IT🙁 no checks at all were made on the appliances "cause these alarms are rubbish missus, we need to change loads of them" it led to everyone of the call centre operators getting a toolbox talk (although it would appear one of them was getting more than her fair share of toolbox action) a full written procedure being produced for them, then all the sparks and gas plumbers getting a toolbox talk to ensure we were sending the gas guy first to check out the appliances and change the faulty alarm if that was deemed to be the corrective action, it showed us a valuable lesson in that sometimes things can be going on that go unnoticed due to volume of works orders, being in different offices etc (no excuse but too easy to happen)
 
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Im currently gas foreman for the firm i work for and do a 'Tool Box Talk' every two months.
The last one i done, we talked about the safe electrical isolation of appliances and i invited along our top spark to do a demonstration on this. We all have Voltage testers but it was made clear that a Proving Unit is also an essential bit of kit. The technical bulletin on this is pretty good and our spark knocked up a few small laminated cards with the procedure for ease of keeping with your books.
 
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Mark Moss said:
Im currently gas foreman for the firm i work for and do a 'Tool Box Talk' every two months.
The last one i done, we talked about the safe electrical isolation of appliances and i invited along our top spark to do a demonstration on this. We all have Voltage testers but it was made clear that a Proving Unit is also an essential bit of kit. The technical bulletin on this is pretty good and our spark knocked up a few small laminated cards with the procedure for ease of keeping with your books.
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i have done the same thing, and our spark clarified you dont need a proving unit for domestic, it is acceptable to confirm tester is still working by testing on another known live supply in the room you are working in, (assuming you are isolating an appliance with its own spur, it is acceptable to test on adjacent socket), he got us a little orange cap (like a socket safety cover, but with slots at L & N ) as it has pins it pushed into earth opening shutters on L&N allowing us to insert test lamp to see if it was still working, the cap was about £0.80 as opposed to a right few quid for a proving unit
 
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kirkgas said:
so basically you are saying my ideas are rubbish, fair enough🙂
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Now, now, Kirk, I'd never call your ideas rubbish! We just have no flueless fires and have done FSDs. Re-connection of gas and purge/re-light is a great one, actually, because I get the impression that it can be somewhat lax (not just what happened with the BBU, but other things I've stumbled across). There are some points on this I'd like to clarify with the auditors and I may be pestering you guys for your thoughts a bit later on too.

As newbie sticking my hands in boilers, electrical isolation is rather near and dear to my heart. Mark, do you by chance have a copy of your spark's card that you'd be willing to share?
 
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