# Training a newbie



## ICE (Jun 30, 2011)

Soon, I will be taking a novice inspector with me on inspections.  45 yr. old lady in good physical condition.  She has BL, ME, PL certs.  She started as a permit tech many years ago and has been a rehab inspector for 5 years.  She is smart, motivated and a bundle of questions.

Along with teaching her about the code, I must teach her how to work safe.

How about residential electrical panels.  I always remove dead-fronts taking care not to trip the main.  Having her do it scares me just a little.  Well maybe more than a little.

What are your jurisdiction's policies regarding this?  Do you always open them? Never? Trip the main first?  Require that someone be there to open it for you?  How about various disconnects?  Do you trip the feeder breaker first?

Ladders.  Most policies state that all ladders shall be tied off.  Not many are.  Hardly ever on residential.  My usual rule is that if it makes me uncomfortable, I won't climb it.  I want to hear about how you handle it.

Any tips on training are welcome and safety procedures as well.

As an aside; I never touch anything that is conductive without first testing it with a non-contact voltage tester, not even a water heater or furnace and I wonder if other inspectors do the same.

I started doing this after I heard about a poco meter reader that was found dead next to an a/c condenser.  The cond. had no equip. grnd. and it did have a short to grnd.

Thanks


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## Darren Emery (Jun 30, 2011)

We never open a live panel.  NEVER.  Have an electrician there to do if for you.

The first thing I teach our new inspectors:  assume every conducter you ever see is hot.  Even if you know it is not.  Treat it as deadly, cuz it just might be.


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## Mule (Jun 30, 2011)

How about residential electrical panels. I always remove dead-fronts taking care not to trip the main. Having her do it scares me just a little. Well maybe more than a little.

What are your jurisdiction's policies regarding this? Do you always open them? Never? Trip the main first? Require that someone be there to open it for you? How about various disconnects? Do you trip the feeder breaker first?

We require a temporary electrical final and we perform a inspection of the internal installation prior to the panel being energized. 

Ladders. Most policies state that all ladders shall be tied off. Not many are. Hardly ever on residential. My usual rule is that if it makes me uncomfortable, I won't climb it. I want to hear about how you handle it.

My usual rule is that if it makes me uncomfortable, I won't climb it.

Ours too!

Any tips on training are welcome and safety procedures as well.

I always teach to start in the garage and work in a counterclockwise, why counterclockwise...don't know, just what I've always done! That gives you a pattern of consistency and you know that you've covered everything. If you jump all over the house you may miss an area.

As an aside; I never touch anything that is conductive without first testing it with a non-contact voltage tester, not even a water heater or furnace and I wonder if other inspectors do the same.

I just start looking and feeling without testing.. not a good idea, just what I've done for...um...since 1984!

I started doing this after I heard about a poco meter reader that was found dead next to an a/c condenser. The cond. had no equip. grnd. and it did have a short to grnd.

Looks like I need to change my ways... however I do put the back of my hand up against anything that may be energized to keep me from "locking" on to anything.

Oh... I hate checklists. I think they make you become repetitious in looking at specific items and may cause you to miss the obvious screw up!


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## FM William Burns (Jun 30, 2011)

Exceptional advice!


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## NH09 (Jun 30, 2011)

How about residential electrical panels. I always remove dead-fronts taking care not to trip the main. Having her do it scares me just a little. Well maybe more than a little.

What are your jurisdiction's policies regarding this? Do you always open them? Never? Trip the main first? Require that someone be there to open it for you? How about various disconnects? Do you trip the feeder breaker first?

If the electrician is not on site I will remove the panel front without switching off the main breaker. Not a bad policy to have the electrician there to do it for you.

Ladders. Most policies state that all ladders shall be tied off. Not many are. Hardly ever on residential. My usual rule is that if it makes me uncomfortable, I won't climb it. I want to hear about how you handle it.

I don't climb anything I don't feel comfortable with, I broke this rule a couple of months ago and almost fell - it's not worth it.

As an aside; I never touch anything that is conductive without first testing it with a non-contact voltage tester, not even a water heater or furnace and I wonder if other inspectors do the same.

Good policy, I learned the hard way on that one after checking some homeowners wiring, I always use a voltage tester now.

Good luck with your training, I would just let your trainee know that if they're not comfortable with something it's always OK to bring in another inspector to help.


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 30, 2011)

After a couple of days we turn the newbie loose with a pad and pencil to write up what the see wrong and take pictures in a house. We then send our "seasoned" inspector to do the same later in the day. Back at the office they compare notes and pictures. We have found the it is a big learning curve for both. The newbie, because of the time spent in the code books brings up items the "seasoned" inspector wasn't aware of or has gotten "forgetfull" of. Either way they both learn.

We do not do electrical

We carry our own ladders

Crawl spaces are a concern as we have dropped down in them only to smell bleach or glues or other chemicals. Get out immediatley.

Wear ice cleats in the winter to prevent slip and falls.

Never go onto a roof that is moist or has frost on it.


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## ICE (Jun 30, 2011)

Mule said:
			
		

> How about residential electrical panels. I always remove dead-fronts taking care not to trip the main. Having her do it scares me just a little. Well maybe more than a little.What are your jurisdiction's policies regarding this? Do you always open them? Never? Trip the main first? Require that someone be there to open it for you? How about various disconnects? Do you trip the feeder breaker first?
> 
> We require a temporary electrical final and we perform a inspection of the internal installation prior to the panel being energized.
> 
> ...


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## ICE (Jun 30, 2011)

Good luck with your training, I would just let your trainee know that if they're not comfortable with something it's always* OK to bring in another inspector* to help.

This is gonna be a ride.


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## ICE (Jun 30, 2011)

mtlogcabin said:
			
		

> After a couple of days we turn the newbie loose with a pad and pencil to write up what the see wrong and take pictures in a house. We then send our "seasoned" inspector to do the same later in the day. Back at the office they compare notes and pictures. We have found the it is a big learning curve for both. The newbie, because of the time spent in the code books brings up items the "seasoned" inspector wasn't aware of or has gotten "forgetfull" of. Either way they both learn.We do not do electrical
> 
> We carry our own ladders
> 
> ...


I seldom have a need to enter a crawl space.  I've done it a handful of times.  Here the crawls are belly crawls.  Usually not much to see unless it's a footing or a bunch of building drain and copper.  About the only thing that's going to get me crawling is the plaintive wail of an infant.  For the things I need to see, I send a camera.  A good camera and also a camera on a 21' wand.  The pictures hit an I-Pad and I've got ya.


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## ICE (Jun 30, 2011)

*I don't climb anything I don't feel comfortable with, I broke this rule a couple of months ago and almost fell - it's not worth it.*

Here's one for you.  Half way up an extension ladder when it starts retracting, the clicks came too fast to react.  When it got below eave height, it fell to the wall.  Some dummy put a window in that wall.  Ladder through the window.


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## Mule (Jun 30, 2011)

ICE said:
			
		

> Mule said:
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> ...


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## ICE (Jun 30, 2011)

If we see items that are a life, health or safety risk we require compliance. We may not require ALL items to be repaired. A lot of it is determined on the severity of the violation. Say... you see exposed romex but it is not in an area that is likely to be damaged...no problem. We mention the fact that it needs attention. Now if there are exposed wires creating an immediate hazard.. fix it! Does this make sense?

Perfect sense to me.  Here's a picture just for you.


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## Mule (Jul 1, 2011)

Hoooooooooooo Boy!

This picture looks like it came from the last jurisdiction I worked for!

At leat you don't have to worry about enough combustion air for the water heater!


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## TimNY (Jul 1, 2011)

That looks like the house where they did the nice re-roofing job.


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## Jobsaver (Jul 1, 2011)

Where does the water heater flue terminate?


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## Mule (Jul 1, 2011)

Into the attic close to the return air plenum, that also get it's return air from the attic!


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## FredK (Jul 1, 2011)

Think Mule covered most of them.

I liked to start in one room and walk around the walls then the next room.  Easier to check one at a time.  Here we wrote down what needed fixed then moved to the next.  Otherwise you may forget item(s) if you wait until later.

Never do punch lists and walk away of you doing more than a few write ups.

If it's new home construction I like the super to be walking the job with me.  I'll point out what's wrong and expect him to be checking future builds for those issues before I get there.  Train the trainer.  Make life easier.

If it's a large commercial, every time I was inspecting the sub requesting the inspection was walking the job along with the super.  Small TI's were different.


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