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Unit: Preparing for installation

Supporting: LMFKB2001A Prepare for cabinet installation

Section 2: Going to the site

Arriving at the site


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Once you arrive on-site, the first thing you should do is introduce yourself to the person in charge.

If your contact person is the homeowner, let them know what you plan to do is and how long you're likely to be there.

If the installation job is on a large building site, you'll need to see the supervisor or site manager before you start.

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By this stage you should have already checked that any required preliminary work has been completed.

But you'll still need to make sure everything is in the correct position - such as plumbing outlets and electrical wires.

If something's not right it may affect your installation, or even hold you up completely until the problem is fixed.

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Once you've established that you're ready to proceed, have a good look around the area and decide where the best place will be to carry out dusty jobs, and where you should put the cabinets, tools and other items.

You may need to clean up the work area and put drop sheets down on the floor to protect it.

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Coping with weather extremes

Very hot or rainy conditions can cause extra headaches when you're unloading and storing items. Laminated bench tops, in particular, should never be left out in the direct sun on a hot day because the laminate may start to lift or the top could develop a bow. All veneered products should be kept out of the rain.

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If you're unable to unload and carry the items straight into the room they need to go in, try to find a sheltered area such as a carport or verandah.

Also cover the units with a tarp or some other protective material, such as cardboard or plywood, to keep dust and other particles off the surfaces.

Make sure the area you've chosen isn't going to become a passageway for other tradespeople or workers.

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Room access

On some jobsites you might find that getting the cabinets and bench tops into the kitchen proves to be difficult. This might be because the room is up a flight of stairs, or the doorway is around the corner from the hallway.

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Ideally, this sort of problem would already have been identified when the site assessment was carried out, so you would have worked out a solution in advance.

But it could mean that you need to pass the bench tops in through an open window, or remove a glass sliding door to get access.

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Room layout

If you're installing cabinets in more than one room, you'll have to be careful that the right items go into the right place. This is especially the case in new apartments or villas, where all the kitchens and bathrooms in the block can look much the same. Sometimes there are minor variations in colour schemes or options between the different apartments, so you need to know exactly which set of cabinets go where. The layout plan for each room should have these details marked.

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Setting up extension leads

If the power source is not close to the area you're working in, you may need to run an extension lead some distance. Always make the effort to keep extension leads safe, because they can be a serious hazard to your own team as well as other workers on-site if you don't.

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Here's some tips on using extension leads safely:

  • Make sure you unwind a long lead fully before you use it. Leads that are left coiled up can generate a lot of heat when there's a current passing through them.
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  • Check the plugs at each end to make sure that the wires aren't starting to pull out. If the plugs or lead are not in good condition, tag it and take it straight back to your supervisor for repairs.
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  • Never pull a plug out of a socket by tugging on the lead. Always hold the body of the plug when you remove it.
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  • Keep leads clear of wet patches on the ground or floor. This especially applies to any joins in leads.
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  • As a rule of thumb, use leads rated at a minimum of 10 amps for power tools, and 15 amps or more for large machines.
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  • Try to keep the lead as short as possible for the job you're doing. The longer a lead is, the higher the voltage drop will be from one end to the other, so the higher its amp rating will need to be.
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  • Don't drape leads across walkways, access-ways or vehicle paths. If there is no alternative to running a lead across a thoroughfare, make sure the lead is very obvious, and either protect it from vehicle and pedestrian traffic or put it overhead.
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Learning activity

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One alternative to using 240 volt power equipment is to get an equivalent tool that's battery operated. The problem is that they're often not as powerful, and of course they need to be recharged regularly. Nonetheless, as batteries continue to improve in performance and power output, an increasing variety of cordless tools is coming onto the market, including circular saws, planers, and even chainsaws.

What cordless tools do you use on-site? List the brand names and sizes or models.

Share your answers with your trainer and other learners in your group.

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