Preparing a disconnection brief before equipment is sold
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Give competent contractors a clear information brief before asking them to quote for disconnecting equipment. Identify the asset, known connections, available drawings and unresolved questions. Do not turn assumptions about services into instructions for how the work should be done.
This guide covers the seller's input to the enquiry. It does not provide isolation, disconnection or dismantling steps.
Assemble the enquiry brief
| Brief section | Information to supply |
|---|---|
| Asset identity | Sale ID, manufacturer details and accessible photographs |
| Current location | Building, floor or area, with relevant site contact |
| Known services | Records of electrical, air, water, extraction or other connections, marked by evidence level |
| Drawings and manuals | Available documents, versions and their relationship to the current installation |
| Shared dependencies | Other assets or site systems believed to be connected |
| Last required use | Confirmed date or condition before work may be considered |
| Access constraints | Known restrictions and information needing verification |
| Proposed outcome | What the seller needs handed over, for specialist confirmation |
| Open questions | Unknown connections, modifications or missing records |
Write 'unknown' where appropriate. A guessed connection detail can be more troublesome than a clearly identified gap that the contractor knows must be assessed.
Explain the wider site programme
Use the service-dependency guide to identify activities still requiring power, lighting or other services. The contractor needs to know about the continuing operation and shared systems, not just the asset being sold.
HSE's contractor guidance provides a basis for discussing the job, information and coordination in Great Britain. The responsible parties should establish the actual scope and safe arrangements from the site circumstances.
Keep measurements and drawings qualified
State where a measurement or drawing came from and whether it has been verified against the installation. An old layout may be useful background while no longer showing later modifications.
Use the removal information sheet for the physical access facts. If the asset is moving to another business site, the new-site fit questions can identify separate information needed at the destination. Do not assume a disconnection quotation covers either transport or reinstallation.
Ask for a defined scope back
The response should identify what has been assessed, what remains conditional and which work is included or excluded. Refer unresolved technical questions to the appropriate specialist rather than filling quotation gaps with informal site assumptions.
Use the departure responsibility matrix to allocate the agreed commercial responsibilities after the scope is clear. That matrix is separate from the technical method.
Share the confirmed availability and relevant constraints with UK Auction Group. The sale description and collection assumptions should reflect the agreed preparation, with unconfirmed work visibly outstanding.
Explore the sale preparation guides.
Sources
- UK Auction Group: asset disposal Checked
- HSE: using contractors Checked
This guide gives general information. Equipment-specific, legal, tax and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser or competent specialist. The guides do not promise sale prices, fees or results.