Easy mistake to make - thank heaven for RCDs!

[Vicario]

My Gas Safe engineer came to fit a gas hob. The ignition for the existing one is under the kitchen units. He asked me where it was and I told him, so he bent down and unplugged. When he removed the old hob he disconnected the wire and there was a spark or two. The RCD tripped. He had unplugged the electric oven, whose plug was next to the one for the hob. I felt very bad, so my question is: was I to blame for not warning him that there were two plugs? He had bent over and unplugged the first plug that he felt under the units. (He did remove the oven first to get to the hob and of course it was completely dead). I apologised profusely for not warning him but he insisted that he should have checked properly. Would you guys use a tester in such a seemingly obvious scenario? I think he felt bad that I had to re-set half the RCDs in the board (yes, I know I should have RCBOs). Anyway, some lessons for him and me but the good news is that he's a brilliant engineer and he made a very good job of fitting my shiny new hob. (£144 including VAT for an hour's work inside the M25 if you're interested. I supplied the hob, of course.)

 

[Fred Blogs]

Absolutely not your fault. As a trained engineer he should know that his safety and everyone else where he is working his his responsibility. He should think that everyone he encounters is ignorant and he has to be absolutely sure everyone, including himself, is safe even if that means isolating everything that comes into the house at the entry point.

 

[bernardgreen]

Or simply press the ignition before cutting/disconnecting any cables. If the ignition works it it not isolated.

 

[blup]

No, not your fault because as a professional he cannot rely on an untrained householder, you weren't acting maliciously.

Blup

 

[Murdochcat]

Darwinism at its best.

He is to blame

 

[ericmark]

I have my favourite meter, so easy don't even need to get out leads, it has non contact voltage detection, the same with a volt stick, yes I know not the approved method of proving dead, one should use a tester with no dials or battery so can't in error be on wrong range or have discharged batteries, and a proving unit to show it works, but I and I am sure many others are lazy and just use a non contact voltage range on their meter, but really no excuses, he should have checked.

 

[ebee]

I am by no means against using them as an additional extra tester once you used correct test gear, that cant hurt and if it saves grief/ a life then yes good.
It just can not be relied upon as a test for dead

 

[ericmark]

I always tried to use neon screwdrivers not to test with but as a second string to my bow, very good with borrowed neutral, OK with the clamp on can now find them without disconnecting first, but before I had the option the neon screwdriver was a good second string.