Teaching

[Hardi]

I have a friend who works for an outward bound/schools organisation,part of the brief is to teach basic electric to post A level students:- How to wire a plug, pendant light, changing fuses, recognising a consumer unit and knowing how to turn off and or isolate circuits.
The demo board is mounted on a plywood stand and has a basic consumer unit, a pendant light fitting and 13 amp socket, the students are taught how to wire a socket etc then they get to plug it in and see if it works. This board is usually outside under a tent along side other different activities, the problems I see are:
1. The instructor has no electrical qualifications
2. The demo stand has not been assembled by a certified electrician
3. They have 240v outside, although I think I have persuaded them to use a 110v transformer.
Any comments?

 

[breezer]

1 says it all really.

ok so you dont need to be qualified to change a plug top, but if he gets asked how / why does this do that or why did this just go bang, he can not answer.

also there is the issue of testing before it is connected, you do not mention he does / will / knows how

I suggest you suggest they scrap this bit, but do show how to change a plug top (assuming he knows how) and what a CU is (but not how to wire it)

 

[JohnD]

"How to wire a plug, pendant light, changing fuses, recognising a consumer unit and knowing how to turn off and or isolate circuits"

All this is basic householder stuff. I don't see you need a qualified electrician to do it or teach it. But I can't tell how much knowledge the trainer has. He may or may not be able to explain it. Not all electricians are good teachers and not all teachers are good electricians.

Wiring a ceiling rose is more complicated and amateurs usually get it wrong, but most people can get through life without knowing how to do it.

I would have wanted to see an RCD protected suppy (if they are live and outdoors in a tent). Wouldn't bother with 110v transformer myself.

However the work you describe could be carried out on a dead circuit (and in real life, you would isolate the circuits before doing the work).

edited: p.s. I think anyone going into adult life ought to know how to wire a plug, pendant light, changing fuses, recognising a consumer unit and knowing how to turn off and or isolate circuits. Having it taught is probably better than expecting them just to look at the diagram on the back of the packet.

 

[Hardi]

The instructor knows how to do it, and has a teaching qualification but not electrical

 

[JohnD]

Sounds OK to me. He could always go through the spiel and any handouts with a qualified electrician to have it reviewed for content (may have already done that).

the scope is very simple so surely not much room for disagreements on preferred methods.

 

[Adam_151]

My college has a 24v selv supply to the work benches for this type of thing, I can't see that you could really justify anything else unless there was a lockable isolator and someone was there to supervise that covers were replaced before powering things up.

If was outside, I'd be tempted to have it run off a car battery (be aware of fault current issues!) and mount a 5A BS3036 upside down in a metal box* with a clear plexiglass lid, so if the fuse blows it can be seen! (would still have it locked off and someone overseieng it tho), but thats just me tho

*Make sure the wire can still be replaced pretty easily tho!