chandalier disaster

[JOHNNYCLARKE]

Had a disaster few weeks ago.
DAY 1.
One of my tilers was told not to turn a light switch on that lit chandalier in entry hall coz client had covered it with a dust sheet to stop it getting dusty when we dug a stone floor up!
DAY 2.
My foreman turns up and turns light switch for chandalier on having not been told by my tiler from day one that he should not do it.
Chandalier catches alight in 20seconds and ruined.
Foreman tells client that anyone could come in at any moment and do what he did and client should have disconnected that switch/or taped it over and put notice to say dont switch on.
He doesnt apologize . Client seriously pi***d off coz he thinks my company was warned and foreman very rude for not even saying sorry.
Chandalier comes from Harrods .Ouch £3200.00 !!!
Who do you think is to blame or should I take some blame and costs?
I thought to offer their excess if went through their home insurance and any increase for next years insurance coz of claim.
Dont think my public liability would cover this would it if chandalier was a fire hazard as soon as client put dust sheet over it.

How much blame should I take if any?

johnny

 

[tiler tom]

If you offer excess you are admitting guilt. Who is to blame the person who placed the dust sheet on the light or the person unknowingly swiched the light on. Ask any electrician if you do not want power to something you isolate. This you do yourself to make sure. As you said in your post the swich should have been isolated. You cannot tell a tiler not to do something and leave the responsibility with them to inform everyone else. Tell him to swivel.

 

[DHTiling]

I agree with tom...not your problem......pass it onto your liability and they will just laff at the customer and tell them where to go....you should have legal advice with your liability..so they will tell what to do.....

 

[Fekin]

A funny one really.

In all fairness the customer had warned not to use the light and in your foreman using it he really is to blame, and as your his boss, your to blame really, though if I had been the customer I would have tapped over the switch at a minimum so no mistakes could happen.

But really, I'd be looking at standing the entire cost for my foreman causing the damage, as the customer had warned not to use it, though he only warned one of the tilers.... I don't know.. it's a funny one.

If the tiler says he was told not to use it and didn't pass on this information to the foreman, then it would have to go to legal advise I guess really.

 

[GazTech]

If you offer excess you are admitting guilt. Who is to blame the person who placed the dust sheet on the light or the person unknowingly swiched the light on. Ask any electrician if you do not want power to something you isolate. This you do yourself to make sure. As you said in your post the swich should have been isolated. You cannot tell a tiler not to do something and leave the responsibility with them to inform everyone else. Tell him to swivel.

This is the customers negligence for not taking appropriate precations himself, or for not issuing clear instructions to others to prevent such an event....Gaz:lol:

 

[Yorkie]

Is it me or does an episode of only fools and horses spring to mind:lol:

I agree with post above

 

[Raja]

If it was me in ur place i would say the ENTIRE blame lied with me. Sorry if a bit harsh but just my opinion.

Business should be run by an iron fist and as for ur foreman maybe he should of said sorry rather than tell the customer she need to put sign up. Sorry is a word consisting only of 5 letters but goes a long way.

Sadly we live in a society where i have witnessed first hand though the time i got knocked off my motorbike last year by a 18 year old blonde girl in a renault clio that at the road side she was very apolagetic and sorry said she wud pay for the damage but soon as i rang her with the bill she said am not paying that not my fault can i have ur insurance details here are mine. I got my money in the end without my insurance being affected but MORAL of story is Some times it is best to accept fault.

My philosophy is mistakes do happen but the man at the top has to b responsible for his men. Best of luck hope my words dont upset u sleep on it and think how u wud feel it it was ur chandalier. Best of luck

 

[Holohana]

Sorry Johhny but i have to say i agree with Don Vally.

Turn it round and if it was yours you would

a, be gutted

b, peed off that the tradesmen that you'd employed didnt give a ****e

c, thought that by asking the tradesman not to do something and him not saying, well disconnect it, then it would have been communicated to all his other wokers and threfore nowt to worry about

How would you feel?

Your already feeling your slightly guilty cos youre thinking about offereing excess etc, thats the right thing to do although its an expensive pain in the arse if they dont go for it and want it all. Just need to see how far you need to go with em.

Hindsight eh matey.

As Din says sleep on it and see how you feel. Good luck.

 

[JOHNNYCLARKE]

don

I agree with you that accidents do happen and my main gripe with my guys is that he should have said sorry and maybe this problem would not have got to this.
I have a responsibility as employer to take blame for my employees whatever happens. Was on holiday so missed it all but im not missing now so have to deal with it .
I personally think there is a degree of responsibility to be borne by both parties
and I hoped to make an offer to show goodwill but do not want to implicate myself as being soley to blame.

Johnny

 

[Turkish]

Def go down the route of legal advice first i reckon. Admission of guilt no matter how small could be costly:hang:

Turkish