Finding and Reporting a Fault

How to properly document and report an issue discovered during your work.

📋 The Scenario

You’re completing a routine inspection at a warehouse. While checking fire safety equipment, you discover:

A fire panel showing a fault light
The fault appears to be a communication error with Zone 3
This needs to be reported and fixed, but isn’t an immediate emergency

Your job is to properly document this so it can be scheduled for repair.

🎯 What You’ll Learn

Assessing fault severity
Creating a complete fault report
Taking useful documentation photos
Linking faults to assets and jobs
What happens after you report

📝 Prerequisites

Currently on a job (logged in, timer running)
Have access to the asset where fault was found
Phone/device with camera

👣 Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Step 1: Assess the Situation (2 minutes)

Before creating a fault report, understand what you’re dealing with:

Question	This Situation
Is anyone in immediate danger?	No
Is the system completely non-functional?	No - only Zone 3 affected
Can it wait for a scheduled repair?	Yes
Does the customer know?	Not yet

Priority Decision:

Priority	When to Use	This Situation
Critical	Safety hazard, immediate danger	❌
High	Major malfunction, needs same-day attention	❌
Medium	Needs repair soon, within a week	✅
Low	Minor issue, can wait for next scheduled visit	❌

This is a Medium priority - the system is partially working, but Zone 3 won’t detect fires until fixed.

Step 2: Document with Photos (3 minutes)

Take photos BEFORE you start the report - you’ll upload them later. Essential photos for this fault:

The fault indicator
- Close-up of the panel showing the fault light
- Make sure the display is readable
Panel identification
- Model number and serial number
- Asset tag if visible
Context shot
- Wider shot showing where the panel is located
- Helps someone else find it
Zone information
- Any zone map posted near panel
- Or the display showing Zone 3 details

Photo tips:

Steady your phone against something
Avoid glare on screens (angle slightly)
Include reference points for scale
Take more than you think you need

Step 3: Create the Fault Report (5 minutes)

There are two ways to create a fault - from the job or from the asset. Let’s use both:

Option A: From the Job (Most Common)

Open your current job
Click “Report Fault” button
The form appears with job context pre-filled

Option B: From the Asset

Go to the Assets tab in your job
Find the fire panel in the asset list
Click on the asset
Click “Report Fault”
Asset information is pre-filled

Step 4: Complete the Fault Form

Fill in each section carefully:

Title (Be specific and searchable)

❌ Bad: “Panel fault” ❌ Bad: “Not working” ✅ Good: “Fire Panel Communication Fault - Zone 3”

Description (Include everything someone needs to know)

Found during routine inspection.

SYMPTOMS:
- Amber fault light illuminated on main panel
- Display shows "Comm Fault Zone 3"
- Panel beeping once every 30 seconds
- All other zones showing normal

OBSERVATIONS:
- No recent work done in Zone 3 area (confirmed with site contact)
- Weather has been normal (no storm damage suspected)
- Panel last serviced 6 months ago (no previous issues)

LOCATION:
- Main fire panel, ground floor electrical room
- Key required for electrical room (held by reception)

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TAKEN:
- Documented fault details
- Notified site contact (Sarah, Building Manager)
- Did not attempt any repairs (outside scope of today's work)

RECOMMENDATION:
- Requires qualified technician to diagnose Zone 3 communication
- May need to inspect zone devices and wiring
- Suggest scheduling within 1 week

Priority

Select: Medium Reasoning: System is partially operational (Zones 1, 2, 4 working), but Zone 3 has no fire detection until repaired.

Asset

Select the fire panel asset
This links the fault to the equipment’s history

Category (if available)

Select: Electrical or Communication

Step 5: Upload Your Photos

Go to the Attachments section of the fault form
Click Upload or drag photos
Add descriptions to each:

Photo	Description
Panel display	”Fault indicator showing Comm Fault Zone 3”
Serial number	”Panel ID - Siemens FC901, S/N 12345678”
Location	”Panel location - ground floor electrical room”
Zone map	”Building zone map - Zone 3 covers east wing floors 1-3”

Step 6: Submit the Fault

Review all information one more time
Click Submit or Report Fault
Note the fault number that’s generated (e.g., “FLT-0456”)

What happens now:

Fault is visible to your office team
It’s linked to:
- Your current job
- The fire panel asset
- The customer/location
Your team can schedule a repair job

Step 7: Update Your Current Job

Don’t forget to note this in your job progress:

Go back to your job
Add a Progress Note:

Update Type: Issue Found

Note:
Discovered fault on main fire panel during inspection.
Communication error - Zone 3 not responding.
Reported as FLT-0456 (Medium priority).
Site contact Sarah (Building Manager) notified.
Recommended repair within 1 week.

This creates a complete record linking your job to the fault.

⚡ Pro Tips

Writing Good Fault Reports

Do	Don’t
Be specific about symptoms	Use vague terms like “broken”
Include what you tried/observed	Guess at the cause
Note who you told on site	Assume someone else will tell them
Mention previous history if known	Leave out relevant context
Recommend next steps	Just list symptoms

Taking Useful Photos

Good Practice	Why It Matters
Include the display/indicator	Shows exact error state
Capture model/serial	Helps order parts
Show the location	Others can find it
Take before AND after	Documents changes

Priority Decisions

Ask yourself:

Could someone get hurt? → Critical
Is safety equipment completely non-functional? → High
Is it degraded but still working? → Medium
Is it minor/cosmetic? → Low

When in doubt, go higher. It’s easier to downgrade than to explain why you didn’t escalate.

🔄 Variations

What if you find multiple faults?

Create separate fault reports for each issue. This allows:

Individual tracking and resolution
Different priorities
Assignment to different technicians
Proper asset history

What if the fault is critical?

Ensure immediate safety first
Call your supervisor/office immediately
Then create the fault report (marked Critical)
Stay on site if required
Don’t leave until you have guidance

What if you can fix it yourself?

If it’s within your scope and authorization:

Create the fault report first (documents the issue existed)
Fix the problem
Update the fault with resolution
Mark fault as Resolved
Add before/after photos

What if the customer doesn’t want you to report it?

Always report. Explain:

“It’s for your protection - creates a record”
“Helps us track equipment health”
“Needed for compliance documentation”
If they insist, report anyway and note their response

❓ Common Questions

Q: Should I report minor issues or only major ones?

Report everything. Minor issues become major ones. Small patterns reveal bigger problems. Let the office decide priority.

Q: What if I’m not sure what’s wrong?

Report what you observe - the symptoms. You don’t need to diagnose the cause. That’s for the repair tech to figure out.

Q: Does reporting faults make me look bad?

No! Finding and reporting issues is your job. It shows you’re thorough. The problem existed whether you reported it or not.

Q: What if I don’t have phone signal to upload photos?

Save photos to your phone. Create the fault report with text details. Add photos later when you have signal.

Q: Should I tell the customer about every fault?

Yes, inform the on-site contact of anything safety-related. For minor issues, use judgment - at minimum, it will be in the job report they receive.

✅ Fault Report Checklist

Before submitting, verify:

Clear, searchable title
Detailed description of symptoms
Correct priority level
Linked to correct asset
Photos attached with descriptions
Location details included
Customer contact notified (for safety issues)
Your job has a progress note referencing the fault

What Happens Next?

After you submit:

Notification sent - Office team sees new fault
Review & triage - They confirm priority
Job created - Repair job scheduled
Assigned - Technician dispatched (could be you!)
Repaired - Fix implemented
Documented - Fault marked resolved
History kept - Record stays on asset

Your thorough report makes all these steps faster and easier.

← Previous: Emergency Callout | Back to Examples | Next: Multi-Asset Jobs →

​Finding and Reporting a Fault

​📋 The Scenario

​🎯 What You’ll Learn

​📝 Prerequisites

​👣 Step-by-Step Walkthrough

​Step 1: Assess the Situation (2 minutes)

​Step 2: Document with Photos (3 minutes)

​Step 3: Create the Fault Report (5 minutes)

​Option A: From the Job (Most Common)

​Option B: From the Asset

​Step 4: Complete the Fault Form

​Title (Be specific and searchable)

​Description (Include everything someone needs to know)

​Priority

​Asset

​Category (if available)

​Step 5: Upload Your Photos

​Step 6: Submit the Fault

​Step 7: Update Your Current Job

​⚡ Pro Tips

​Writing Good Fault Reports

​Taking Useful Photos

​Priority Decisions

​🔄 Variations

​What if you find multiple faults?

​What if the fault is critical?

​What if you can fix it yourself?

​What if the customer doesn’t want you to report it?

​❓ Common Questions

​✅ Fault Report Checklist

​What Happens Next?