Oftec first visit

[blayedrunner]

Hi, have my first visit from my local OFTEC rep on Jan 13th. Says its a business review and have to show around to a house with a oil tank an boiler (doesn't have to be one i have worked on)
Just wondering, any of you guys had this visit recently an what does it entail???

Thanks in advance

 

[SimonG]

If he's out like the rse that came to see me be careful, he must have been a traffic warden in a previous life, real jobsworth. Not only wanted to see tank and boiler but rest of property, had a couple of nose to nose minutes arguing the toss about things not even oil related, bit difficult when it was only phase 1 completed.

Make sure you have pl insurance docs, oftec books, cd10/cd11 and a real good installation to show him. Very big on tape measure and distances of tanks, base sizes, ventilation, flue terminations, sleeved oil line and fire valve capillary, insulation. If you're showing him one you have serviced, make sure you can show evidence of notifying customer of any non conformances.

Good luck

 

[dontknowitall]

The one I had was wonderful!!

I asked him a load of questions (well, a few) he answered them and explained things to me. Helped me with my paperwork and put me on the straight and narrow. I'd explained to him before the customer visit that I'd had difficulty in setting the boiler up correctly and this was part of the reason I'd chosen this particular customer as I didn't want to show him an especially easy one. (Then, at the customer's house, he told me how to interpret the readings on my FGA and explained why the readings on the boiler were within limits!)

He was also really polite to my customer and apologised to them both at the beginning and end of the visit and told them I'd passed and had done my job properly.

Then just before he went he asked to look in my van and was well impressed at how neat and tidy it was and said he'd have no hesitation in asking me to service his boiler.

His aim was to stop me worrying and to encourage me to phone him if I had a problem, as opposed to trying to create friction. His purpose was to get people to ask instead of covering up and, therefore, create better standards.

If he were to phone tomorrow and ask to see another, I'd have no worries - apart from the papework!

 

[WHPES]

Take them to one where you know there are lots of non-conformances and you have a great long list of all of them. If you go to one which is pretty much OK they'll be more likely to nit pick for things you have missed.

 

[mike_s]

Is oil boiler installation and servicing realistic to pick up from someone experienced with gas boiler training but with none on oil. I am considering it as hate turning down work but with just 1-2 days training and assessment, it seems like a lot to take in?

 

[dontknowitall]

I would say that 1-2 days is not enough. When I did mine (admitted with no gas or oil experience) I was told to do a 5 day introductory course to learn the basics and then another 5 day course for the exams.

Presumably like gas, much of what you "learn" has nothing to do with the smelly stuff but much more to do with oil tank sites, Document J (except in Scotland, the Outer Hebrides and Guernsey, but including Jersey and the south eastern corner of the Isle of Wight but not including Shanklin), Health and Safety and working at heights (how to you wall hang an Aga?), BS numbers, CE numbers, etc, etc, etc.

 

[mike_s]

cheers, I have found 4-5 day courses which sound better.

 

[blayedrunner]

Cheers guys for the responses. Much appreciated. Will just have to see if he is a good un or bad un LOL