Acceptable levels of service

[David Rooney]

A N Other company gets called in to do a service on a system we installed and have been looking after for a few years - and is still currently under contract to us.....

(We used to work for the end user directly but last year they brought in am FM company to manage the building and we were then contracted through them.)

The FM company now brings in their pet very reputable fire alarm company who allegedly carry out a service (slightly prematurely) however when we check the event logs we find they have blatantly lied on their worksheets and say they have tested entire areas when in fact they've tested less than 5% of what they claim.

They also sold the customer (via the FM company) some new detectors claiming the old ones were not working which we also proved to be false.

The FM manager basically doesn't care as he has a worksheet saying it has been serviced meaning he can get paid by the client.

Obviously we are being pushed out but how would it stand up in court I wonder should there be an incident and we can show this guy and the FM company was complicit in accepting a certificate that is blatantly mis-leading?

Should we raise our concerns with the end user?

Who could we raise our concerns to regarding the falsifying of the work sheets .... would the Brigade / Trading Standards / anybody be interested?
 

[Eli]

You could go directly to the CB that certificates them, and make a formal complaint. If they aren't certificated then go to the building owner.

[Graeme]

All the gear and no idea Dave.....
 
I see it up here too.

[kurnal]

Obviously we are being pushed out but how would it stand up in court I wonder should there be an incident and we can show this guy and the FM company was complicit in accepting a certificate that is blatantly mis-leading?
Should we raise our concerns with the end user?
Who could we raise our concerns to regarding the falsifying of the work sheets .... would the Brigade / Trading Standards / anybody be interested?
 

Sorry to say Dave you are on a hiding to nothing. All you can hope to gain might be the satisfaction of saying "I told you so" if things go pearshaped.

You wont have a chance of even this unless you document your concerns in writing and in the event of a tragedy your letter comes to the attention of the court- which unless you kept impeccable records and keep in touch it probably will be lost  in the mists of time.

The brigade would not be interested as they would see it as one contractors word against another trying to look after their own vested interests. They will not be used in this way, (as they see it).

Trading standards would also not be interested unless they receive a complaint from the site itself.

But it happens to all of us in our own fields all the time. Just take comfort in your knowledge that you do a good job and give a good service. You will never have to plunge to their depths  to make a living.

[David Rooney]

What bugs me is that this is as big a company as they come - SP203 - and it's the whole "holier than thou" sales approach backed up by 2 bob engineers, crap supervision and a complete lack of personal accountability.

This "lack of service" contributes to the false alarm rate, wasting the LFB's time and giving the system a bad name etc.

The building is allowed delays and search periods based partly on the management structure in place for evacuations and partly because the system is serviced properly and regularly.

So ironically more false alarms are likely, the danger to the occupants is higher but the brigade will get less calls due to the delays on the sounders and the dialler.....  and nobody can do anything about it until maybe there is another disaster and a coroner has to sort it out.

[Fishy]

If you have good reason to believe that the system is not being safely maintained, & you are sure of your ground I'd feel an obligation to inform the end user.   And the end of the day safety 'trumps' contractual niceties & I'd feel duty-bound to let them know.  You could also point them in the direction of the Fire Authority, if they want independent advice.

[David Rooney]

We have the event logs and the conflicting service sheets and our loyalties are to the end user, not the FM company who are complicit in deceit .....