BMA MATTERS

STOP SCALDING INJURIES FOR GOOD WITH TMVs

At the Bathroom Manufacturers’ Association, we aim to play an active role in educating the consumer about the importance of reducing the chances of injury from scalding accidents.

According to the Child Accident Prevention Trust, everyday in the UK, nine children are admitted to hospital with burns and scalds, 95% of which happen at home.

The effect of scalding accidents changes lives forever, not just for the individual, but their families too. The incidents are sudden and the effects are devastating. The last place anyone expects deadly accidents to occur is in the bathroom or kitchen of their own home, but the shocking truth is that people do die in their homes from scalding accidents, due to uncontrolled hot water.

Scalding is an extremely serious injury and in the majority of cases, it is the most vulnerable – namely children and the elderly – who are effected, due to their thinner skin. As a result, they sustain scalds more quickly, at lower water temperatures, and often with a greater depth of burn.

Furthermore, those with reduced ability to perceive risk or react to hazardous situations – such as those with mental or physical disabilities – are also at greater risk of scald injuries.

While the incidence of these injuries remains high, never has it been more vital to educate consumers on the importance of TMVs. These simple, effective and relatively inexpensive products you can install, can prevent devastating and lasting injuries.

By using TMVs to easily regulate water temperature, your customers can easily prevent scalding by hot water from the water outlets in their homes. And due to their easy installation, it has never been easier to make the home a safer environment.

Every year, tragically 20 people die as the result of scalds caused by hot bath water, and a further 570 suffer serious scald injuries. The very simple measure of installing TMVs can prevent deaths and injuries as a result of scalding.

Altecnic Mixing Valves

As installers, we encourage you to continue highlighting the benefits of TMVs to your customers. In particular, we recommend the use of TMVs in hospitals, care homes, schools and the homes of your friends and families. We need to spread the message to help reduce the potential of scalding accidents, and the devastating effects these it can have on lives.

Need more information? Visit the Hot Water Burns Like Fire section under the Education tab on the website.

FACE-TO-FACE BUSINESS

Trade shows provide the perfect opportunity to build relationships with suppliers and

manufacturers, as well as learn about the latest products and developments.

In the modern world, there are plenty of ways to do business including email, telephone, online etc. But for the plumbing industry, few work better than actually meeting customers. In a recent survey about how businesses operate, 90% of participants agree that a person is more likely to trust people/companies met face-to-face than people only communicated with via email and phone.

In this regard, installers already rely heavily on face-to-face interaction for building relationships both with the merchants they buy from, the suppliers they work with and the customers they carry out installations/projects for (who will rarely hire someone that they don’t like on first meeting).

However, an area where installers might struggle to foster successful relationships is with the manufacturers themselves, potentially only meeting representatives at in-branch merchant events or manufacturer-led training sessions.

For this reason, exhibitions and trade shows offer the perfect opportunity to not only cement relationships with manufacturers but also to get a better insight into products, services and technical developments.

Getting to grips

opportunity to discover this because the products are on display and experts are on hand to field any questions and provide additional information. Another area where trade shows can really benefit visitors is through seminars, workshops and Q&A sessions. Focused on key topics and issues, a well-organised programme can really help installers to better understand new regulations and legislations as well as highlighting potential areas of business growth, such as underfloor heating or wet rooms.

'Installer2017'

After two successful events, 'Installer2017' will return again to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. With a genuine focus on the practical elements of this industry, installers are able to take full advantage of every opportunity available in order to ensure that they get maximum benefit for their businesses. From practical demonstrations by leading manufacturers to valuable insight from industry experts, a visit to 'Installer2017' is a worthwhile experience.

'Installer2017' returns to Ricoh Arena in Coventry this year (9-11 May) and is free to attend. Visit the website to register.

www.installershow.com

While websites and brochures are perfect for setting the scene about how a product might look, in a sector that deals primarily in ‘hands-on’ there is nothing better than finding out how a product feels. Every bathroom installer wants to know that the appliances, fittings or sanitaryware that they are recommending and installing are 100% up to the job, and trade shows inevitably provide the perfect