CABLEtalk April/May 2019

April/May 2019 £4.50

Fantastic journey New animation shows how the road to becoming an electrician is a long – but rewarding – one PAGES 28-29

SIGN UPR NOW FO

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Technical update on arc fault detection devices

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SELECT and BSE Skills help set new standards

CONTENTS APRIL/MAY 2019 OPINION

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Acting Managing Director Alan Wilson says the tide is turning

NEWS

06 08 10

Two more high-profile MSPs add their voices to our Wall of Support

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New survey shows a slowdown in growth and rise in essential costs

Trio of internal appointments will help our Members even further SECTT helps apprentices find new jobs after Dundee company folds

FEATURES

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AFDDs : Bob Cairney delivers another vital technical update

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Stan Johnston reveals why risk assessments are so important

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How SELECT is helping BSE Skills set new standards in the industry

FOCUS MEMBER PROFILE

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Up close with John Noble and his apprentice Kyle Macintosh

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Rudi Klein delivers the good news (and bad news) about payments Crabtree say it’s best to trust your Instinct about wiring accessories

TRAINING COVER STORY

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Animation will help others engage with the industry

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Two new health and safety courses are up and running All the goings-on from Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2019

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

40 TOOLBOX TALKS

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They’re back! Book your place at our free technical sessions

The latest innovations and musthave gadgets to hit the shelves

DIARY

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See what’s happening, enter our wordsearch and meet Diane Hales CABLEtalk

APRIL/MAY 2019

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COMMENT

The tide is beginning to turn

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s I have said both in print and at meetings many times, a great deal of the work a trade association like SELECT does goes on behind the scenes and this ‘iceberg’ approach is necessary as we always want to see tangible outcomes and progress for our Members before making any announcements. Therefore, it was very encouraging to hear positive news on a number of issues SELECT has been working on over a period of time.

First of all, the Scottish Government’s recent announcement that the threshold for using project bank accounts (PBAs) has reduced to £2 million (from £4.1 million).

SELECT, along with SEC Group Scotland, have been pressing the Scottish Government for some time to reduce the threshold and it’s good to see that they have been listening.

The change will make a real impact on many of our Members as they will begin to benefit from PBAs in future contracts.

It’s also pleasing to note that the Scottish Government will be stepping up its efforts to encourage all bodies involved in public sector procurement to implement PBAs in their contracts. The more often project bank accounts can be used, the better it will be in terms of

cash flow for everyone. Secondly, the Scottish Government also recently announced plans to take action on one of the industry’s main problem areas – cash retentions. A public consultation on the use of retentions in construction contracts will take place in spring 2019.

Like many in the construction industry, SELECT has expressed concern about the abuse of retentions in contracts. Prompt and fair payment has been a long-standing issue and

“ The more often project bank accounts can be used, the better it will be in terms of cash flow for everyone” these are undoubtedly barriers to investment, growth and improvement in productivity.

We must ensure that we keep encouraging politicians to make changes that will improve the industry and remove poor practice over

payment or retention abuse.

And finally, on the issue of regulating the profession of electricians, there are also some positive signs. The Scottish Government issued a Call for Evidence (CfE) to gauge the level of support for some form of regulatory action. This exercise came to an end on 15 February and we are awaiting the results with interest.

In the meantime, we have continued our political lobbying efforts, meeting with MSPs from all parties to consolidate their support for our campaign. This has resulted in us receiving clear support from both government and opposition MSPs for the introduction of Protection of Title, and Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP is now working with us on a Member’s Bill for Protection of Title.

From a promotional perspective, we continue to build our online Wall of Support, which contains supportive messages from bodies and individuals about our campaign.

This includes backing from consumer bodies including Electrical Safety First and a number of MSPs, including Willie Rennie, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Scotland, the Green Party’s Alison Johnstone and the SNP’s Clare Adamson, Convener of Holyrood’s Cross Party Group on Accident Prevention and Safety. Check it out for yourself at bit.ly/support_wall

Alan Wilson Acting Managing Director, SELECT CABLEtalk

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April/May 2019 £4.50

Fantastic journey

NEWS REGULATION

New animation shows how the road to becoming an electrician is a long – but rewarding – one PAGES 28-29

SIGN UPR NOW FO

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update on arc and BSE Skills 21 Technical fault detection devices help set new standards 30 SELECT

CABLEtalk MANAGING EDITOR Alan Wilson alan.wilson@select.org.uk PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Demi Armstrong demi.armstrong@select.org.uk EDITOR Iain Mason iain@connectcommunications.co.uk 0141 560 3022 PUBLISHER Connect Publications DESIGN & PRODUCTION Ryan Swinney ryan@connectcommunications.co.uk ADVERTISING David Hughes davidh@connectcommunications.co.uk 0131 561 0022 Jane Deane jane@connectcommunications.co.uk 0131 561 0020 CABLEtalk is produced by Connect Publications on behalf of SELECT

Connect Publications Studio 2001, Mile End 12 Seedhill Road Paisley PA1 1JS Tel: 0141 561 0300

The Walled Garden Bush Estate Midlothian EH26 0SB Tel: 0131 445 5577 CABLEtalk is the official magazine of SELECT and is distributed free to qualifying readers.

ISSN 1365-3288 SELECT is the trading style of the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland. The SELECT logo is a registered Collective Mark.

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MSPs add their names to our Wall of Support Clare Adamson and Willie Rennie back our ongoing campaign to regulate electricians

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wo more MSPs have become the latest high-profile figures to back our growing campaign for recognition of electricians as a profession.

Clare Adamson and Willie Rennie have both added their names to our online Wall of Support, which shows the organisations and individuals backing this vital issue.

Clare is the SNP MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, and also the Convener of

the Cross Party Group on Accident Prevention and Safety at Holyrood.

She said: “I am very aware of the importance of electrical safety.

Consumers deserve the assurance that when they engage the services of an electrician that the person is qualified and accredited to complete the work safely and to the highest industry standard.

“SELECT’s campaign to have the trade of electrician recognised as a profession has shone a light on this issue and I support the progress being made in regulation of this industry to ensure that my constituents are protected and can have confidence going forward.”

In a separate personal statement, she described how a serious failure in a kitchen fit-out led to “the whole side of the kitchen where our

SELECT welcomes new Bill to regulate electricians SELECT has welcomed the introduction of a new Member’s Bill aimed at regulating the profession of electricians.

Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston introduced the

Bill to the Scottish Parliament in March as a first step towards regulation. The politician has also met Scottish parliamentary officials to begin the process of introducing a Private

Members’ Bill. Mr Halcro Johnston said: “The Scottish Government has dithered around the regulation of electricians. It has been discussed and discussed again,

dishwasher and fridge freezer was plugged in not being earthed, despite a recurrent current device (RCD) junction or early fault detector being part of the installation work”.

She said the potentially lethal fault, which could have easily led to an outbreak of fire, was only discovered in 2016 when the dishwasher had to be replaced.

North East Fife MSP Willie, who is the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, also added his voice to the campaign. In his ‘brick’ on the wall he said: “I fully support the importance of using professionals in all aspects of construction work, be they multimillion pound contracts or small domestic works. It is vital that we ensure only properly trained, qualified and competent people carry out these works.

“I support the campaign being run

by SELECT to protect the title of electrician. As well as providing an important step forward in protecting the safety of those who use an electrician, it will also enhance the profession itself as it will ensure that only those who can prove that they have appropriate qualifications, knowledge and experience are accorded the respect that is due to such an important and safety critical profession.”

The politicians’ endorsement of the campaign adds to widespread industry backing, including the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and Unite the Union. Fiona Harper, The Secretary of

without any real commitments ever seeing the light of day.

“Electrical safety is vitally important. Every year, there are incidents of shocks and fires caused by electrical malfunctions. It is important that people carrying out electrical work are qualified and able to do so.”

See the wall at bit.ly/ support_wall

the SJIB, said: “We would like to thank Clare and Willie for backing us in such a public manner.

“The digital wall shows in a dramatic fashion the strength of feeling that exists within the construction sector about the issue of professional recognition.

“Clare’s experience is by no means unique and demonstrates why support for our Wall of Support campaign is

Mr Halcro Johnston’s move has had widespread backing across the construction industry and is also backed by the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and Unite the Union.

Alan Wilson, SELECT Acting Managing Director, said: “This is a very welcome step and

MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston

continuing to grow. Our aim is that in future no one in Scotland should have to tolerate the anxiety and upset to which she and her family have been exposed.”

Other bodies that have contributed a brick to the wall include Electrical Safety First, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Scottish Association of Landlords, the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ Group and the Energy Saving Trust.

encourages us in our longrunning campaign to make it illegal for anyone who is unqualified to call themselves an electrician in Scotland.

“More than 100 professions are currently protected in law, including gas engineers, but not electricians. Jamie is leading the way in highlighting the serious dangers that work carried out by unqualified electricians can create.”

The issue of Protection of

Title has been considered by a Working Group set up by Scottish Government, but no decision has yet been made about introducing protection.

Alan added “We recently met Jamie to provide him with an update on the last Working Group meeting and we see the work he is doing on protection of title as part of a package of measures which will be necessary to protect the Scottish public.”

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NEWS SELECT BOB DELIVERS TALK TO AESM SELECT’S Technical Standards Adviser, Bob Cairney, recently made a presentation to members of the Association of Electrical Safety Managers (AESM).

Appearing at a special electrical forum in Glasgow on 26 March, he provided a postBS 7671:2018 overview of the requirements for providing arc fault detection devices (AFDD) as additional protection against fire caused by arc faults in AC final circuits.

Bob provided clarification to AESM members on the recommendations and gave an industry perspective on where this new type of protection could be provided.

He also spoke about the amended requirements for providing overvoltage protection by surge protection devices, including what type and where they may be installed.

FROM LEFT: Yvonne Wilson, Diane Hales and Natalie Burke

SELECT praise as PBA threshold is reduced to £2m

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Technical Update: Page 21

Bob Cairney 8

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ELECT has welcomed an announcement by the Scottish Government that the threshold for using project bank accounts (PBAs) has been reduced from £4.1 million to £2 million.

PBAs have been mandated for use by Scottish Government bodies since 31 October 2016. From 19 March 2019, public bodies must now include a PBA in tender documents for public works contracts with an estimated value of more than or equal to £2 million, or £5 million for civil engineering projects.

SELECT Acting Managing Director, Alan Wilson, said: “SELECT and SEC Group Scotland have been pressing the Scottish Government for some time to reduce the

APRIL/MAY 2019

threshold to £2 million. Clearly the Scottish Government has been listening and industry SMEs will be the prime beneficiaries of this lowering of the threshold.”

Scottish public bodies responsible for a total of £1 billion of projects have either used a PBA, included a PBA in their invitations to tender, or indicated their intent to use a PBA. The Scottish Government is now also stepping up its efforts to encourage all bodies involved in public sector procurement to implement PBAs.

For the latest update on payments and retentions from Professor Rudi Klein, please turn to Pages 32 & 33

SKILLELECTRIC SITE LAUNCH

Internal staff changes enhance SELECT’s service to Members SELECT has improved its service to Members by making three changes to its Membership and Communications teams.

The recent internal promotions have seen Natalie Burke, Yvonne Wilson and Diane Hales all appointed from within the organisation.

Alan Wilson, SELECT Acting Managing Director, said: “SELECT has always believed in fostering the abundant talent in both the organisation and the electrotechnical sector

generally, and I know that Natalie, Yvonne and Diane will bring a great deal of skill, enthusiasm and diligence to their new roles.”

Natalie, who joined SELECT in November 2013, has now been appointed Membership Manager, while Yvonne takes on a new role as Specifier and Client Manager.

Diane, who has worked at The Walled Garden for three years as a Membership and Communications Administrator, will be stepping into Yvonne’s Membership role

as the Representative for Fife and Tayside Areas.

Alan added: “I am confident that these new changes will enhance the membership offering to our members and also raise SELECT’s profile with client and specifier bodies across Scotland’s electrotechnical industry.”

Find out more about Diane Hales in Getting to Know You: Page 42

CABLEtalk

A new SkillELECTRIC website has been launched to raise the competition’s profile.

The site – www. skillelectric.org.uk – will help with registration, which opened in March.

Training providers and employers are now being asked to enter candidates for the contest, which is run by National Electrotechnical Training, in close conjunction with WorldSkills UK.

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NEWS ROUND-UP ESTABLISHED BORDERS BUSINESS UP FOR SALE Due to retirement, a well-established Borders-based electrical business is now up for sale.

The company has been trading for more than 30 years, and its clients include a national blue-chip provider of sheltered housing for the elderly, with whom it enjoys a successful and longstanding relationship.

As well as 200 works orders since January 2018, this client provides annual opportunities to quote for the ongoing refurbishment of electrical systems across Scotland.

The seller would provide a full and detailed handover to ensure a smooth handover with this important client.

The sale would also include: ●●A fully racked-out high roof long base 08 plate van, with only 88,000 miles on the clock ●●A 53m aluminium scaffold, with full boarding, kickboards, outriggers and safety harness, which is around five years old ●●A manual conduit bending machine ●●A selection of machine tools, ladders, stepladders, working platforms, ladder and tool trays ●●Any standing stock, other than prime materials for main contracts ●●Access to the firm’s client list.

The owner would also include a comprehensive compendium of records and use of software for an evolved quoting system specifically designed for its main client’s specifications.

Also available is a small shop premises in Galashiels, complete with back office and toilet, for anyone wishing to establish a starter office in the Borders.

Currently used as a retail optician, the premises would be ideal for a central location, with an alternative lease arrangement also a possibility.

The asking price for the business is £100,000 or £185,000 with the premises.

For further details, please email SELECT on alan.wilson@select.org.uk 10

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SECTT lifeline for apprentices

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he Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) has helped a number of apprentices and adult trainees find work after contractor McGill & Co Ltd went into administration in February.

SECTT launched a massive employment drive when the Dundee company confirmed 374 jobs would go with immediate effect after the company ran into financial difficulties.

The company collapse on 1 February put the future of 40 electrical apprentices and adult

trainees in jeopardy. But companies who have local SECTT Training been able to take on Officer David Stebbings these apprentices and swung into action and adult trainees. was instrumental in “SECTT is doing finding alternative everything possible to employers for the find alternative majority of the employment for all the apprentices and apprentices and adult trainees. adult trainees Working and will Scottish with SECTT, continue Apprenticeship the local to support Week college, Skills them to Development attend Pages 38&39 Scotland and college during Dundee Council, this difficult he managed to time.” secure employment for If any Member all but three apprentices company is able to offer

by Monday 11 March. employment to the Anne Galbraith, Chief remaining apprentices, Executive of SECCT, said: please contact the “I would like to say a huge SECTT office on thank-you to all the 0131 445 5659.

Get your new vehicle sticker for free today!

SELECT is helping Members raise their profile further by giving away striking new vehicle stickers.

Featuring an updated design, the A4-sized vinyls are simple to apply and are an easy and prominent way to display your Membership.

To get your hands on your free sticker, please contact your local Membership rep or visit the SELECT store at www.select.org.uk/shop

John Noble interview Pages 14-17

£4,000 grant available to aid impact of Brexit

The Scottish Government recently announced that businesses in Scotland could be eligible for a Brexit Support Grant of up to £4,000.

The grant, administered

by Scottish Enterprise, is available to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) manage a wide range of Brexit impacts.

Previously only open to exporters, the grant is now available to SMEs in Scotland for a wider variety of Brexit preparation.

The grant can be accessed by businesses employing up to 250 staff and can be used

for activities including consultancy support, professional fees, external training and international market research.

Businesses can identify if they are eligible for the grant and find more information on how to prepare for Brexit on the Prepare for Brexit website at www.prepareforbrexit.scot The Brexit Support Grant, previously ‘International Project Support’, is now available to SMEs who do not export as well as exporters, and can be used for a much wider variety of Brexit preparation.

Adriana with John at her leaving lunch

Adriana says a sad goodbye Adriana Main recently retired after nearly 29 years with the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT).

Adriana, who is Personal Assistant to the CEO, said that she would miss the people at SECTT, many of whom are now good friends.

She said she now intends to spend more time with her family.

John Noble, Chair of the SECTT Board of Trustees, presented Adriana with gift

vouchers and flowers at a lunch with the Trustees.

Anne Galbraith, SECTT CEO, said: “Having known Adriana for more than 20 years and worked closely with her for the past eight, I and everyone at SECTT will miss her for her thoughtful way of working, her dogged determination to make things work and her tremendous sense of humour. I and all the staff would like to wish Adriana a long, happy and healthy retirement.”

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NEWS ROUND-UP

Perfect storm for engineering services in final quarter of 2018 SELECT, SNIPEF, ECA and BESA study shows a slowdown in growth, along with increased material and labour costs

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quarter of businesses reported increased turnover in Q4 of 2018, but another quarter said turnover fell from the previous quarter.

The findings come in the latest Building Engineering Business Survey, run in partnership with SELECT, SNIPEF, the ECA and BESA, and sponsored by Scolmore.

Some 74% of respondents said they expect their turnover to stay the same or fall in Q1 2019 compared to Q4 2018. In addition, 61% of engineering services organisations said their material costs rose in Q4, with 48% of respondents

reporting increased labour costs in Q4 2018.

Almost 77% said they are typically paid more than 30 days after a public sector project, and 83% are paid more than 30 days after a commercial project.

Just over half of those who took part (58%) said that up to 10% of their organisation’s turnover was tied up in retentions in Q4 2018 – a 6% increase on Q3 2018.

SELECT Acting Managing Director Alan Wilson said: “Payment remains one of our biggest issues. There has to be more transparency in the payment chain and national and devolved governments need to show leadership in making sure public bodies pay on time.”

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403

responses

% OF ENGINEERING SERVICES ORGANISATIONS HAVE SEEN THEIR MATERIAL COSTS RISE IN Q4 2018

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said they are typically paid over 30 days after a public sector project

HAVE SAID THAT UP TO 10 PER CENT OF THEIR ORGANISATION’S TURNOVER WAS TIED UP IN RETENTIONS

Security challenge heats up for engineers Electronic Fire and Security apprentices nearing the end of their training showed off their skills in a three-day contest at New College Lanarkshire (NCL) recently.

Forty third-year Modern Apprentices took part in the Security Skills Challenge at the college’s Kirkintilloch Campus.

The challenge was designed as a real-life scenario in which students used their skills and knowledge to install and commission either a fire alarm or intruder alarm to the relevant standards.

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The top four apprentices will now receive sponsored spots at the IFSEC International event in London in June to compete against the best in the UK at the Engineers of Tomorrow competition.

SELECT President Kevin Griffin, who attended the event, said “The challenge was a great showcase for this sector and I was really pleased to represent SELECT. The new hub is a great training centre and we at SELECT look forward to developing our relationship with NCL.”

NCL’s state-of-the-art hub for electronic fire and security systems currently trains around 200 Modern Apprentices and 40 students and pre-apprentices, in addition to providing upskilling opportunities for existing workers in the industry.

David Scott, Curriculum and Quality Leader, said: “The apprentices put on an amazing spectacle. Year on year, the standard of the apprentices’ work continues to improve.”

DUO SEE HEROES DELIVER THE PERFECT RESULT FOR AKD’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY

FROM LEFT: Keith Groom, Martin Boyle and Keith Miller

SELECT Member company AKD electrical contractors recently enjoyed a day out at their beloved Hibs to celebrate their 30th year in business.

Managing Director Keith Groom and CEO and founder Keith Miller were both invited guests at Easter Road for the Scottish Premiership match against Motherwell on 16 March.

The duo enjoyed pre-match hospitality in the directors’ lounge before watching their heroes’ 2-0

win from the directors’ seating area. They were also presented with a special signed shirt marking the milestone by Hibernian winger Martin Boyle.

Keith Groom said: “I was very humbled by the club I’ve supported all my days.

It was fantastic to be given the opportunity to join the boardroom guests and enjoy the game.” l Read an in-depth interview with the two Keiths in the next issue of CABLEtalk.

NEW MEMBERS

Seven firms have become SELECT Members since January 2019 Aberdeen International MLC Electrical Services Ltd, Airport, Dyce Lossiemouth Alectrical (Scotland) Ltd, Forfar East Coast Electrical, Wallyford

Paterson Electrical Ltd, Grantown on Spey

Simon Kelman Plumbing and Heating Ltd, Inverness

WJM Electrical Ltd, Inverurie

of tomorrow at NCL

Kevin Griffin (fifth from left) at the competition

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FEATURES MEMBER PROFILE

The spark is still there 14

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Pictures: Mike Wilkinson

Former SELECT President John Noble says he’s still going strong after four decades on the tools, while one of the apprentices starting out under his watchful eye has certainly had an eventful introduction to the industry

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By Stewart McRobert

John with his son Alasdair

fter spending 40 years looking after his own business, you’d be forgiven for thinking John Noble would be ready to put his feet up. Not a bit of it.

Whenever he gets the chance, he’s ready to get on the tools and help customers solve their electrical problems.

It’s that spirit that’s helped John create a thriving 15-strong firm and develop a career that saw him become President of SELECT. John’s background is more agricultural than industrial. He explained: “I was brought up on a sheep farm at Kirknewton in the Pentlands.

However, I was always a little more mechanically minded and happier driving around on the tractor than working with the livestock.

“My gran had a shop in Balerno custom-built unit in 2007. But relentless growth doesn’t necessarily mean opposite an electrical shop run by John relentless success, as John discovered.

Halliday. In 1973, when I was leaving school, she told him I needed a job He said: “In the 2000s we got very and he offered me an apprenticeship.” busy and I ended up taking on a lot of John qualified in 1976 and in 1979, people. At one point we were up to 36 when he was just 21, he made the staff. However, although we doubled our life-changing decision to set up turnover, our profit halved. So QUICK FACTS on his own. “I’d been running a we decided that wasn’t the way couple of jobs for John, to some to go. We scaled things back extent supervising guys who and now we have 11 guys on the had taught me during my books – three apprentices and apprenticeship,” he said. “I eight electricians.” found that a little awkward and It’s a real family business, thought if I could do that for with John’s wife, Lisa and son, John Noble John I could do it for myself.”

Alasdair, both part of the Electrical At the time he was still operation. John said: “Alasdair came into the business when staying at home with his BASED: he left school, serving his parents. “When I began, I had Edinburgh apprenticeship and working on around three or four weeks’ PHONE: the tools. He now does a lot of work,” he went on. “However, 0131 660 2275 the certification work but, like people started to asking me to WEBSITE: me, he still goes out on jobs. If a do jobs and after a year I took www.johnnoble.co.uk customer phones and everyone on an apprentice, Gordon else is busy, one of us will jump Craig. He ended up staying with in a van to go and help. me for around 15 years before “We pride ourselves on being a 24/7 setting up his own company and company. We have a contract with becoming a member of SELECT.” Scottish Gas which means we do jobs in Rapid expansion the evenings and have other clients who Things continued expanding. In 1980 operate around the clock. We might get John rented a small industrial unit in a call from a farmer at 5am and we’ll Dalkeith and in 1985 the firm took over still respond.” its current site in Bonnyrigg, creating a Indeed, the firm has a diverse client

“We might get a call from a farmer at 5am and we’ll still respond” base with customers including the Eastern Western Motor Group, West Lothian Leisure, an international poultry business, and the Forestry Commission. They have even worked on the island of Iona for Historic Environment Scotland.

Plenty of changes

Since qualifying back in 1976 John has seen a lot of changes in the sector, not least the increase in technology. “When I started out we would never have tackled a job like data cabling,” he said.

“Now we’re also doing integrated systems, CCTV, intruder alarms, fire alarms, Wi-Fi systems and so on. These days an electrician has to be competent in lots of disciplines.”

Other developments he highlighted are labour saving advances such as the increased use of off-site fabrication and ‘plug and play’ equipment.

John said: “Things are still changing; with the popularity of electrical vehicles we are now involved in the installation of vehicle charging points. You never stop learning and every day is a school day. You have to evolve if you want to survive. If you don’t someone else will.

It’s all about providing clients with the level of service they expect.” That service Continued on page 16 >>> CABLEtalk

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FEATURES MEMBER PROFILE HARNESSING THE POWER OF LEARNING “In this industry, any firm is only as good as its worst electrician, so training is crucial,” John says. He’s believed in the power of learning since his firm’s earliest days and it’s one of the reasons he has trained more than 40 apprentices over the years.

“You have to invest in your people and you reap the results,” he says. “I have guys who have been with me for 30 years and more.”

He went on: “Basically, we have trained an apprentice every year – this year I’ve taken on two. Around 25% of these are now running their own company, while others have managerial roles in various firms. I think we’ve had 10 SELECT Members who came up as our apprentices.”

Needless to say, John has noticed that the apprentice experience is very different these days: “In the 70s I was part of the first group that went to college. Back then it was day release, now it’s block release and there’s much more off-site training.

“When I was learning the trade, our team of four electricians and two apprentices had one electric drill between us! If you couldn’t access it you used a hand drill or brace and bit.”

John believes the changes are for the better: “Previously, if you were with a company that only worked on major power stations you wouldn’t get the chance to do domestic work.

But now we produce more all-round electricians with a better skill base.”

He is equally encouraged by the number of trainees, insisting: “We do well in comparison with other industries and countries. Per head of population we train far more apprentices than in England.

“A few years ago we were losing around 1,000 electricians a year because people were retiring and leaving the industry, yet only training around 300 apprentices. Now we’re back up to around 700. But we’re still not training enough to fill the skills gap, so we can’t rest on our laurels.”

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John helps apprentice Kyle Continued from page 15

doesn’t only depend on the quality of the work you do but how you present yourself. John emphasised: “I constantly remind our guys that 75% of our customers will never see our premises, so they are our public face. How they present themselves when they meet a client is very important. We provide branded workwear and run a fleet of vans that are tidy and washed weekly.”

Doing his duty

Part of delivering great service is being up to date with the latest developments, and the best way to do that is being a member of SELECT. But John isn’t just a Member, he enjoyed a three-year stint as President between 2011 and 2014.

He revealed: “I became Edinburgh branch chairman in my late 20s. I did two years as Vice President of SELECT, three years as President and three years as Immediate Past President. Usually you do them for two years each, but due to unforeseen circumstances I spent an extra two years as an office bearer.”

John said he loved his time in the role: “I took it on when the business was running well so I could give up enough time to do the job well. I thought there was no use in being a president who simply turns up at the odd jolly and is

not actively involved. During my time I devoted at least two days a week to the role and regularly attended quarterly meetings at our branches. I enjoyed getting to know Members and made a lot of friendships that I still have.”

He believes SELECT is vital in maintaining standards and assisting members through training, technical helplines, HR support and keeping them abreast of the latest industry news. And he said becoming a member is one of the best things any electrician can do, insisting: “You can join other certification bodies, but SELECT is our association.”

Meantime, despite reaching such a major milestone John has no thoughts of retiring: “To be honest, I enjoy being on site rather than in the office. If I had the choice I would rather be out and about solving problems.

“In particular, I like tracing faults, especially when it comes to large agricultural machinery like grain dryers and so on. Getting them up and running again gives you a great sense of satisfaction. I love doing new installations, too.

“I’m 62 this year and still relish getting up in the morning and going to work. My plan when I started out was to get to 55 and then retire. But that’s come and gone and I’m still here enjoying every minute of it.”

THE YEAR OF ALL YEARS

“After receiving a CT scan at hospital, it was discovered I had a tumour”

It’s fair to say it’s been the year of all years for John Noble apprentice Kyle Macintosh.

The last 12 months have seen him successfully complete the final year of his apprenticeship – only to endure a near-fatal seizure and major operation.

He explained: “In June, we were working at a poultry farm, one of our regular jobs. It’s a place you have to shower in and out.

“When I was showering out I had a seizure.

The guys I was with were waiting in the van and decided to come and look for me.

“When I didn’t answer they had to break the door down and found me, covered in blood, lying in the shower. They called an ambulance, and after receiving a CT scan at hospital, it was discovered I had a tumour.”

The timing of this incident and the October date for his subsequent operation posed a problem. Kyle was due back in hospital only two weeks after his final trade test. Although he could have delayed the test, he decided to go for it – and achieved 97%.

All of this has reinforced Kyle’s strong faith in his employer. He said he’s received great support from everyone at John Noble during his health problems, and, as far as learning goes, the firm’s wide client base has helped him gain experience that’s not available elsewhere.

He said: “We work across the board – industrial, domestic, commercial.

People in my college class have not had the same variety of work.

In fact, at one point our lecturer handed out a sheet with a lots of different areas and asked us to cross off which of these we’d been involved in. He didn’t believe it when I ticked them all!”

After going in for surgery Kyle was recently told that 100 per cent of his tumour has been removed.

He revealed: “I previously suffered from epilepsy and the surgery has stopped that too.

Now I have a smaller operation to go through to fix my shoulder, which was injured following falls I had because of my fits and seizure.

“I reckon I’ll be back to normal about a month after that and desperate to get back to work.”

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FEATURES TOOLBOX TALKS 2019

LOOK WHO’S Our experts will again be delivering invaluable advice

● Our FREE Toolbox Talk advice sessions return ● Includes RCD and Building Standards updates ● Fire detection and alarms also on the agenda

O

By Iain Mason ur FREE Toolbox Talks are back for 2019 – so book your place today!

The invaluable technical update sessions will again be touring Scotland in May and June, kicking off in Edinburgh on 7 May. As always, our experts will be on hand to discuss the latest industry updates and developments and their potential impact on Members and their work.

The main topics up for discussion this year include:

Fire detection and alarm systems

Following an amendment to BS 5839-6, we’ll outline changes to standards and the enhanced fire safety requirements across Scotland’s housing stock.

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that they may have. Our Toolbox Talks have been growing in popularity every year, and it’s great to see so many Members taking advantage of our wealth of advice and guidance.”

As always, we’ll be joined by our industry partners, including the Scottish Building Standards in Scotland Joint Industry Board (SJIB), After a recent review into UK Scottish Electrical Charitable Building and Fire Safety FREE Training Trust (SECTT) and Regulations, we’ll look at many more. what changes to expect in And of course, Scotland and provide an VOUCHER Toolbox Talks are update on how Certificates for any SELECT training free to attend for all of Construction are now course for first 10 people SELECT Members. accessed and completed. at each venue (one per company) Check the map on the opposite page for this year’s RCD selection dates and venues and sign up Our experts will deliver an now – registration has already started overview of types of residual current and as always, it’s bound to be busy! device (RCD) and provide in-depth details of selection to ensure correct levels of protection, in accordance with Chapter 53 of BS 7671:2018.

BOOK YOUR PLACE! Dave Forrester, SELECT’s Head For further details about this of Technical Services, said: “We’re year’s Toolbox Talks, email looking forward to discussing these memberservices@select.org.uk issues face-to-face with Members or call us on 0131 445 5577. and answering any other questions

£50

i

TALKING

 Shetland The Lerwick Hotel Wednesday 19 June

 Orkney The Pickaquoy Centre Tuesday 18 June

 Oban The Wide Mouthed Frog, Tuesday 11 June

 Inverness Tulloch Stadium Tuesday 28 May

 Aberdeen Pittodrie Stadium, Wednesday 29 May

 Dundee The Apex Hotel, Tuesday 14 May

 Isle of Islay The Bridgend Hotel Wednesday 12 June

 Glasgow Hampden Park, Wednesday 15 May

 Edinburgh The Walled Garden, Tuesday 7 May

 Ayrshire The Gailes Hotel Wednesday 22 May

 Borders, Tweed Horizons Wednesday 8 May  Dumfries Easterbrook Hall Tuesday 21 May

*one per company

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FEATURES TECHNICAL UPDATE Thanks to BS 7671:2018, designers of electrical installations now have the chance to provide a higher level of safety than ever before, by choosing to specify the installation of arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) to protect AC final circuits

Arc fault detection devices – the designer’s choice?

What are AFDDs?

By Bob Cairney I Eng MIET Technical Standards Adviser, SELECT

AFDDs are a new type of circuit protection that utilise a different technology from the more traditional protective devices, i.e. circuit-breakers, fuses and RCDs. AFDDs detect arcing faults and disconnect the supply to the circuit before such faults can develop further and cause a fire within the installation.

However, it should be stated that it is yet to be established how effective or otherwise AFDDs will actually be in detecting such faults and reducing the number of fires that occur in the UK attributed to faulty electrical wiring and equipment in the official fire statistics compiled from Fire and Rescue Services figures.

It is not even clear whether arcing faults are actually a significant factor in any of these recorded events in the first place. However, official statistics do indicate that, in recent years, fires attributed to electrical faults, including

those from domestic appliances, remain at a fairly consistent level accounting for approximately 693 fires per year in Scotland.

If the introduction of such new technology helps to reduce even a small proportion of such incidents, they will be a welcomed advance in electrical safety and should be given the chance to prove their worth.

Of course, BS 7671 has for many years contained specific requirements for protection against thermal effects and the latest edition is no different.

Regulation 131.3.1 requires that an electrical installation shall be so arranged that the risk of ignition of flammable materials due to high temperature or electric arc is minimised as a fundamental principle for electrical safety.

To achieve this fundamental principle, it has normally been Continued on page 22 >>> CABLEtalk

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FEATURES TECHNICAL UPDATE Continued from page 21

sufficient to ensure compliance with all of the other relevant requirements in BS 7671, particularly those in Chapter 42 which provides specific measures for protection against thermal effects.

To minimise the risk of ignition from arcing, skilled persons competent in their designated roles should be used to design, construct and verify the electrical installation.

They should also ensure that equipment complies with relevant standards and is installed correctly, taking account of manufacturer’s instructions, that cables are correctly selected and erected, suitably insulated and installed to reduce the likelihood of damage, and that all connections are properly made and are tight and secure.

However, AFDDs manufactured to BS EN 62606 are now recommended in BS 7671:2018 (IET Wiring Regulation 18th Edition) as a means of providing additional protection against fire caused by arc faults, specifically in AC final circuits.

For the purposes of designing an electrical installation, the 18th Edition came into effect on 1 January 2019.

Therefore, from this date onwards, the designer must at least consider this recommendation within the scope of their design.

How do these devices operate?

According to manufacturer information, a micro-processor within the AFDD monitors and analyses the alternating current (AC) waveform of the final circuit being protected and the frequency and duration of arcing events are constantly monitored and assessed, i.e. the device looks for signs of irregular arcing patterns in the AC waveform.

The device will then operate, opening the circuit should it detect an arcing fault, and should be able to differentiate

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between arcing events that occur under normal operating conditions and a specific arcing fault.

What is normal arcing?

Arcing normally occurs when a switch is operated under load conditions and can also occur during the operation of some types of electrical equipment, particularly those which incorporate electric motors.

When operating a switch, the arc produced will be of a fairly short duration. In the example of electrical equipment which incorporates a motor, e.g. a washing machine, the patterns of arcing produced by the electric motor would be expected to result in a regular arcing waveform pattern and so should not result in an AFDD operating.

However, it is not certain how sensitive or otherwise AFDDs may be as they are a

fairly unknown entity, so they may operate if switches or equipment are damaged, defective or are operated excessively for a period of time.

Arcing faults that should be detected

The types of arcing faults that will be detected are series and parallel arcing faults.

Series arcing can occur in either or both the line and neutral conductors, perhaps because a cable has been accidently pulled resulting in the conductor being stretched, due to the loosening of a connection.

This could be due to poor workmanship where the cable has not been properly clipped, supported or connected in the first place during its initial installation.

“Some types of installations see an increased risk of arcing faults because cables are damaged by vermin biting or chewing cables” In some types of installations – such as in agricultural premises – there could also be an increased risk of series or parallel arcing faults where cables are damaged by vermin biting or chewing cables.

Parallel arcing faults are different in that the damage occurs between line and neutral or between line and earth or neutral and earth.

Typically this could be caused by crushing of cables where they have not been provided with adequate mechanical protection, or due to an inappropriate clipping method having been used to support them or an excessive bending radius being applied.

Where the requirements for mechanical protection of the fixed wiring is in accordance with BS 7671, the likelihood is that the flexible cables connecting equipment will be more susceptible to such damage, particularly where the length of flex supplying the equipment is excessively long.

In addition to the fixed wiring, equipment and flexible leads supplying them will also be protected by an AFDD protecting a final circuit.

It is also worth highlighting that equipment that contains electronic components could also be a more likely source of arcing faults where they may become contaminated due to ingress of water or dust in a particular environment or become overheated, e.g. ingress of moisture into the electronic circuit board of a bathroom extract fan, resulting in initial arcing.

Why are AFDD recommended?

Protective devices such as fuses and circuit-breakers do not provide protection from arcing faults as they require a certain amount of fault current to flow to cause them to operate.

During the initial development of arcing faults, there would not normally be sufficient current flow to cause such devices to operate.

RCDs do operate at low levels of current and therefore provide a certain amount of protection against arcing faults and fire, but only for parallel arcing faults occurring between line and earth and neutral and earth.

They do not provide protection against series arcing faults or arcing faults occurring between line and neutral conductors.

What level of current flow is required to operate a circuitbreaker, an RCD and an AFDD?

The overcurrent protection provided by a Type B, BS EN 60898 circuit-breaker requires at least a current of 1.45 times the rating of the device over a period of time (typically one hour) to operate on overload. For instant disconnection during a short circuit or earth fault, they could operate at current flows of three to five times the device’s current rating.

An RCD, which only operates when residual currents are detected, would typically operate at a current above 50% of its rated residual operating current, i.e. 15mA for a 30mA RCD. AFDDs operate differently from circuit-breakers and RCDs and, as mentioned previously, they monitor the waveform and analyse the patterns and frequency typical of such faults but will typically disconnect from around 2.5A. To provide the range of protection that the designer may want to specify for particular circuit arrangements, manufacturers have therefore produced four different versions of AFDDs: ●●Standalone – can be located in a separate enclosure for a specific circuit in addition to the existing circuit protection ●●Integrated with an RCBO – combining overcurrent, residual current and arc fault protection in one device ●●Integrated with a circuit-breaker – combining overcurrent and arc fault protection in one device ●●Add-on – for addition to an existing circuit-breaker.

Continued on page 24 >>>

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FEATURES TECHNICAL UPDATE Continued from page 23

Where are AFDDs recommended?

The recommendation for using AFDDs appears in BS 7671:2018 within Chapter 42 Protection against Thermal Effects in Section 421 Protection against fire caused by electrical equipment.

Specifically, Regulation 421.7 recommends the use of AFDDs as a means of providing additional protection against fire caused by arc faults in AC final circuit.

Regulation 532.6 of Chapter 53 also requires that, if specified, the device shall be placed at the origin of the circuit to be protected.

The regulation does not stipulate the specific circuits to be protected.

However, an informative note to the regulation does provide a list of examples of premises where such devices can be used: ●●Premises with sleeping accommodation – this will include dwellings and hotels ●●Locations with a risk of fire due to the nature of processed or stored materials – this will include barns, woodworking shops and stores of combustible materials ●●Locations with combustible constructional material – this will include wooden buildings or sheds ●●Fire propagating structures – this would include high rise buildings ●●Locations with endangering irreplaceable goods – this would include museums and art galleries.

This is all well and good. However, regulation 421.1.7 is proving to be a grey area for some designers and there has been much discussion in the industry regarding the application and interpretation of the requirement regarding whether or not these devices have to be installed, in which type of premises, and on which final circuit.

The specific wording that is used in the regulation does not help. However, referring to the BS publication Rules for the Structure and Drafting of UK Standards 2009 it is made clear that where the word ‘recommended’ has been used in a standard, it identifies that there is scope for a choice in 24

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relation to whether or not to comply, however a decision not to follow the advice given should be justified by the user of the standard.

Such justification appears to have been considered for example in regulation 710.421.1.201 which

concerns electrical installations in medical locations for Group 1 and 2 locations, where failure of the supply can cause danger to life or could lead to the disruption of a medical procedure, therefore AFDDs are not required to be installed.

TO CONCLUDE The provision of arc fault detection on final circuits is something that will have to be carefully assessed and consideration should be given to the likelihood of arcing occurring within the final circuits of the particular type of installation.

A risk assessment approach should therefore be adopted where the designer, in consultation with the client/customer, considers the benefits of installing these devices, as well as any disadvantages.

This typically should include consideration of the type of building and its intended use, fire safety considerations, including the consequences of loss or damage in the event of a fire, the number of final circuits to be protected and type of equipment being supplied, and consideration of the legal implications in the event of a fire incident which is subsequently attributed to being caused by an arcing fault within the electrical installation.

It is recognised that the cost associated with these devices should not really be a factor in any decision to specify them or not, given that BS 7671 is primarily a safety standard! However, as we are all at a fairly early stage of understanding and implementing the new regulation, the reality is that cost will inevitably play a part in the decision for some clients/customers who in this age of austerity may have to manage limited budgets.

The specification of these devices is therefore, at the moment, the designer’s choice. However, as manufacturers develop the range of products available – perhaps reducing the size of AFDDs to single module and developing a three-phase final circuit version and also no doubt reducing the costs associated with specifying them – they may become the normal specification for circuit protection as designers, clients and customers begin to see the benefits of providing this higher level of safety.

FEATURES RISK ASSESSMENTS

Risky BUSINESS

Making staff aware of the dangers lurking in the workplace is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to safety– so it’s vital for employers to take a more active role and ensure health and safety rules are followed

By Stan Johnston SELECT Registration Board chair and independent Expert Witness

W

hen we first started hearing the term ‘risk assessment’ about 20 years ago, we tended to think it was some vastly complex process that would need very specialised expertise to deal with.

We pretty soon realised that this was not the case, and the publication of various standardised tools to crunch the assessment numbers made it even easier. Or did it?

I spend most of my time providing expert

evidence in the Court of Session in respect of industrial accidents and the litigations that flow from them. This is a fascinating thing to be involved in, and I am forever amazed at how badly things can go wrong, despite the presence of sheaves of risk assessments.

On most of my cases, I spend a chunk of time analysing the risk assessments provided by the employers and usually conclude that they are not worth the paper they are printed on. Why is this? The first, and perhaps most common, failing is that Continued on page 26 >>> CABLEtalk

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FEATURES RISK ASSESSMENTS Continued from page 25

the assessments were dutifully carried out by the employer’s health and safety team and then posted on the wall of their office for no-one but themselves to ever see or read.

Worse still is where they are neatly filed away for future reference and only pulled out again at the due date for review. And then filed away again.

Staff should follow rules even when performing the simplest tasks

Employees need to know

The first and most important purpose of a risk assessment is to tell the employees carrying out a task what the risks are, and how they need to be controlled. If the employees were shown a copy of a bunch of risk assessments during their induction process to the job, is that sufficient?

Or if they are stuck to the wall of the manager’s office? Of course not!

The assessments need to be issued to everyone involved in the task, either directly or indirectly, and they need to be kept up to date and referred to regularly when carrying out toolbox talks and other such forums. If the employees are not totally aware of the contents of the assessments, how can an employer expect them to work in ways that avoid the risks identified in the assessments?

When an electrical contractor takes on a new project, he will obviously pull together whatever correspondence, quotations, costing schedules, drawings and specifications will be needed by the site team to let them progress with the work. All relevant risk assessments should be a part of that package and copies should be provided to everyone who will be exposed to the risks identified.

Using toolbox talks to go over the assessments and making sure that everyone is aware of the risks and mitigations is a crucial first step. If you want to ensure that somebody like me can’t criticise your attention to health and safety, make sure that 26

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“Be in no doubt that the employer would be held liable for the consequences of an ensuing accident” Stan Johnston

every employee has been issued with a copy of the assessments, and any revisions, and make sure you keep records of that fact.

Follow the regulations

The next step in proper management of risks is to make absolutely sure that you, as the employer, ensure compliance with all of the requirements of the assessment. This means not only to say that employees are to take care for their own safety, but for the management team to ensure that no employee is ignoring the safety mitigations.

An employee just popping up a ladder to change a lamp, without anyone to foot

Discarded needles can sometimes be an on-site hazard

Supply the right equipment

GET HELP WITH YOUR ASSESSMENTS

SELECT has set up a new scheme for Members via the Building Safety Group to help them prepare their own risk assessments.

This free service is a great opportunity, especially for smaller businesses, who aren’t

that used to providing risk assessments.

More than 80 Members are now signed up and I would encourage you to look at how this might help your business, with the reminder that you need to make sure that

the ladder because it was nearly lunchtime and nobody was available to help, is a classic failure of management.

While there may be an element of contributory negligence on the part of the employee, be in no doubt that the employer would be held liable for the consequences of an ensuing accident.

In a recent case, I discovered that the operator of a piece of plant had not renewed his operator’s certificate for nearly two years. The case against the employers changed from being a case of one man’s word against another’s to a simple matter of liability placed entirely upon the employer because all of the risk assessments stated that only certified

any risk assessments are appropriate, communicated to the right people and are reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

Contact SELECT on 0131 445 5577 or email alan.wilson@select.org.uk for more details.

operators should be allowed to operate the plant. This failing was created by indifference on the part of the operator and inattention on the part of the employer, but the employer pays out the compensation.

By far the most common failing of risk assessments, however, is the reliance on generic assessments that simply do not cover the circumstances of the accident.

In a perfect world, the assessments would cover every stroke of the saw blade and every hole to be drilled. The realities of a construction site make this well-nigh impossible, but an employer has to do as much as he can to cover all of the obvious risks.

One example I come across regularly, is the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and particularly safety gloves.

The EN388 standard defines an array of resistance criteria for various risks – such as cutting, abrasion, puncturing, etc – and the majority of risk assessments state that employees should wear “appropriate PPE”.

It is difficult to accept that an employee, other than a health and safety specialist, will be aware of the differences between the various types of gloves that are available.

In another recent case, where an employee received a puncture injury, he had been issued with “better, thicker” gloves than previously, but these new gloves offered minimal protection against puncture injuries and did not comply with the mitigations defined in the employer’s risk assessment.

Another example I have often seen repeated, is the generic risk assessment issued to employees who are to go to a site and carry out a task, without anyone having actually been to the site to carry out a risk assessment.

When the employees arrive at the site, they find an access route strewn with rubbish including discarded needles.

What should they do?

Some employers state that the employee should make their own assessment and act in accordance with that, but this places a responsibility on the shoulders of an employee who is probably not qualified to take on that responsibility.

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FEATURES SELECT & SJIB ANIMATION

n i r e e Car e m a r f the ...and reveals how he’ll then end up in the talent pool, ready for work.

The animation starts with our young school-leaver considering his options...

As he develops, our apprentice pick up valuable experience...

Hitting the CPD trail means that he can keep learning and improving...

...until he becomes a vital part of Scotland’s electrical industry...

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A fun new animation

by SELECT and the SJIB shows what it takes to become a fully qualified electrician – and the many twists and turns along the way

T

By Iain Mason

...it then shows the two routes he could take...

Watch the animation at

select.org.uk

...passing his FICA and other important milestones as he continues his journey.

...and helps others begin their journey too!

Fiona Cornwall

he journey to becoming a fully-qualified electrician is a long one – and a new animation for would-be apprentices shows exactly what they can expect.

Developed in partnership between SELECT and the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB), the film shows the journey of a typical electrician, from leaving school right through to being a fully-qualified company owner.

Along the way, it explains the many choices and milestones – including climbing the fearsome FICA mountain – and highlights the opportunities for learning and development.

The film was developed from an original idea by Fiona Cornwall, SELECT’s Employment Affairs Operations Manager, who worked with animators at Connect Communications to bring it to life.

Hosted on the SELECT and SJIB websites, as well as the SELECT YouTube channel, the animation is designed to be screened at events and conferences to explain the career choices available in the electrotechnical industry.

Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB, said: “We are always looking at new ways to make the industry attractive to would-be apprentices and trainees, so Fiona had the excellent idea to show a typical career as a road journey.

“Together, we’ve created an informative and engaging communications tool that can be used to attract apprentices to the industry.

“We want to show them that the journey is a long one – but that it’s open to everyone and is very rewarding too.”

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FEATURES BSE SKILLS LTD

T

By Stewart McRobert he new venture between SELECT, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) is already pointing the way ahead for skills development.

BSE Skills Ltd has been appointed to manage and develop apprenticeships, qualifications and National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the building services engineering sector across the UK. After completing its first contract, the venture is breaking new ground as it’s the first time trade bodies have received a government commission to carry out this work.

Until 2017, the managing body was the government-sponsored sector skills council, SummitSkills. Now Skills Development Scotland (SDS) – who has the responsibility on behalf of the UK to maintain and update NOS – has awarded BSE Skills a contract as a delivery partner to oversee and manage the review and updating of the sector’s occupational standards, on which sector qualifications are based.

These NOS will be used by devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the Westminster government, and BSE Skills has the responsibility to make sure there’s a secure future for vocational training in these crucial sectors.

A close relationship

During the bidding process, the associations were able to demonstrate close links with employers as well as UK-wide capacity through an established network of key partners, including the Electrical Contractors’ Association and the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors.

Fiona Harper, Head of Employment Affairs at SELECT and The Secretary of the SJIB, said: “We have a long history of working with SNIPEF and BESA, and wanted to continue and develop our relationships. We saw an opportunity so began looking into becoming a delivery partner. The whole reason for doing this is that we want self-determination for 30

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Pointing the way ahead As a key player in BSE Skills Ltd, SELECT has already helped the new joint venture complete its first contract as it embarks on its mission to set the standard on skills our industries. We know our sector and members’ needs and each organisation has very strong relationships with employers.”

Consistency is key

Regulators are keen to see consistent standards across the UK. Likewise, SELECT, SNIPEF and BESA have identified a need to establish mutual recognition and transportability of all BSE qualifications across the UK and to recognise the needs of each industry and each region.

Accordingly, BSE Skills has been specifically designed to be a lean organisation. It has just three directors – one from each body – and employs Alan McDonald as an Operations

“We’ve received good feedback on the work we’ve done so far” Fiona Harper, SELECT & SJIB

Manager on a consultancy basis. Among other things, Alan has the task of preparing BSE Skills documentation, leading the review and development work and interfacing with government departments, such as the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), SDS, Qualifications Wales and the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy.

He said: “The main thing is to make sure industry has its say. The best people to ask about the qualifications are the users, that is the employers, apprentices and providers who know these things more intimately than most.

During our work we’ve communicated directly with more than 250 separate

C COM

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

31 March 2019. Fiona emphasised that the next challenge for the organisation is to win the follow-up contract. This will move things on, looking at qualifications and is likely to focus specifically on the devolved nations – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“We think we have a good chance to win this contract,” she said. “We have been receiving good feedback on the work that we have done so far.”

Increasing engagement

CREATIVITY & MMUNICATION

TECHNICAL & INFORMATION

“BSE Skills is working well... it has a really good structure” Duncan Wilson, SNIPEF

organisations across the UK. We wouldn’t have been able to do that without the partnerships we have.

“We keep a very tight grip on project control and are very focused on NOS, qualifications and the apprenticeships frameworks.”

BSE Skills received its first contract on 31 August 2018 to review 44 national occupational standards to make sure they were up to date, accurate and complete in accordance with the requirements of industry. This work was successfully completed on schedule on

Meanwhile, Duncan Wilson, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Training at SNIPEF, said: “BSE Skills is working well, it has a good structure for employer engagement and key stakeholder involvement covering all four administrations of the UK. “This enables it to piggyback on existing meeting and employer engagement structures, making it much easier for our members to contribute.

“It has a long-term future as the guardian of NOS and their related qualifications and apprenticeship frameworks with the sector as a whole across the UK, built on employer and key stakeholder engagement.”

Iain McCaskey, Head of BESA Scotland and Northern Ireland, added: “We are grateful to the UK governments for recognising the value that industry bodies can bring to vocational training.

It has been extremely heartening to see three complementary bodies working closely together to address the skills shortages in our industry.”

Significantly, employers who are not members of the three trade bodies regularly have the opportunity, through the industry training providers, to provide comment and feedback on issues relating to skills and apprenticeships. This approach means BSE Skills has access to all relevant employers across the UK who have an interest in the NOS, qualifications and apprenticeship frameworks.

There is general agreement that establishing BSE Skills was a wise move.

“It serves the industry well,” said Fiona.

“In the long run, our members are going to be more engaged. We all want to develop standards, qualifications and apprenticeships that deliver the type of skilled people employers are looking for and the future of the industry will need.”

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FOCUS PAYMENTS

Good news ● Threshold for project bank accounts reduced to £2million ● Firms will be paid sooner and payments will be protected all firms should be paid simultaneously out of the one ‘pot’.

However, it’s vital that we know how well the new system is working, so SELECT Members involved in PBAs are now invited to contact SELECT about their experiences. Email alan.wilson@ select.org.uk with your first-hand stories of PBAs in action.

Update on retentions

By Professor Rudi Klein SEC Group CEO and Barrister

O

kay, first the good news. The Scottish Government has just announced that the threshold for the mandating of project bank accounts (PBAs) has been reduced from £4.1 million for building works to £2 million.

All Scottish Government bodies – covering prisons, hospitals, transport, fire and rescue, airports etc – must now use PBAs for their construction procurement.

This reduction in the threshold will mean that more small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will benefit from the use of PBAs. In other words, they will now receive their payments within short timescales – typically between 10 and 18 days – and their monies will be protected while in the PBA from Tier 1 contractor insolvency.

This threshold reduction was due to intense lobbying from SEC Group Scotland and SELECT and means that 32

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In the last issue of CABLEtalk, I mentioned that, again due to SEC Group Scotland lobbying, the Scottish Government has initiated its own consultation on the subject of retentions.

It appointed Pye Tait to carry out the consultation and I now understand that the company is about to deliver a draft report to Scottish Government.

Meanwhile, at Westminster, the Construction (Retention Deposit Schemes) Bill laid by Peter Aldous MP is still due its second reading. While this Bill remains in play, it’s putting pressure on the UK Government to act and resolve the issue of lack of security for cash retentions.

In London, the Business Department has been meeting industry representatives to establish whether there is a viable way forward, with the final meeting scheduled for May. It seems we’re now edging towards having a retentions deposit scheme as The best payers in the UK’s largest construction companies 1= Willmott Dixon/Clugston 3 .Vinci 4. Canary Wharf Contractors 5. Mace

32 days 33 days 34 days 34 days

the default option. If clients don’t want to deduct cash retentions or wish to use something else – such as bonds – that is a matter for them. But if cash retentions are demanded they must, by statute, be put in a separate account or scheme.

SEC Group has been working closely with other organisations such as Barclays Bank, software developers BJSS and insurers Willis Tower Watson to develop a scheme using the latest digital technologies.

The aim is to develop a platform similar to online banking that would be able to ringfence the cash and ensure it is released on time.

● Plenty still needs to be done to improve payment landscape ● Only 8 Scottish councils comply with new procurement act

N

ow the bad news.

In recent years, measures have been introduced to promote fair payment, although most apply generally rather than to just construction.

As part of this, the Scottish Government has been promoting the Scottish Business Pledge to encourage all businesses to pay their suppliers within 30 days. (Interestingly the Scottish Government claims that it pays its invoices within 10 days, although it must be said that this

is unlikely to be replicated along the supply chain.)

There were high hopes that the picture would change with the introduction of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. Section 15 of this Act requires all public bodies to include in their procurement strategies how they will ensure that all suppliers – including sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors – will get paid within 30 days from application.

Unfortunately, the impact of this has been very limited. Last year, SEC Group Scotland used the Freedom of Information Act to carry out a survey of payment practices within the local authority sector. The results were extremely disappointing and showed that Scottish councils are failing to implement fair payment along the supply chain.

The survey results indicated that out of the 31 respondent councils (one council, Inverclyde, did not respond) only eight fully complied with the Act. These eight councils required their Tier 1 contractors to insert 30-day payment clauses in all their subcontracts and were carrying out some monitoring to ensure that payments were, in fact, being made within the 30 days.

However, these measures were not being applied by the other councils. In fact, one council seemed to think that this bit of the Act did not apply to them.

The only comfort was that Clackmannanshire had already used a PBA and Edinburgh City

The worst payers in the UK’s largest construction companies 1. Engie 2. Murphy Group 3. John Sisk & Son 4. Kier 5. Galliford Try

61 days 57 days 53 days 52 days 50 days

Council was intending to use PBAs on its major projects.

We asked some questions on retentions, with all councils saying they use them – and one admitting they use them to invest on the overnight money markets! A significant number (32%) also said they use them to bolster working capital, so unsurprisingly they weren’t proactive in ensuring that supply chain retentions were realised on time or at all.

A call for action

Acting on behalf of SEC Group Scotland, Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director of SELECT, has now written to the Scottish Government calling for tougher measures. These include: ●●Excluding bad payers from bidding for public sector contracts ●●Applying more pressure on councils to use PBAs ●●Appointing a Procurement Regulator to fine public bodies if they fail to comply with their statutory obligations.

We’ll keep you updated with any progress, but in the meantime, if you have any examples of bad payment practice, please email alan.wilson@ select.org.uk

Bad news CABLEtalk

APRIL/MAY 2019

33

FOCUS WIRING ACCESSORIES

Choosing wiring accessories?

Trust your Instinct Chunky white wiring accessories are a thing of the past. But with so many providers offering various finishes and styles how does a range set itself apart from the rest? Here Michael Simms, Product Manager for wiring accessories at Crabtree, discusses the innovation behind the façade

W

hen it comes to wiring accessories, design and functionality are equally important.

Filled with innovative and practical advancements, the Instinct range from Crabtree gives specifiers and installers the solutions they are looking for. It allows them to remain competitive while maintaining the quality, reliability, style and functionality required in today’s highly competitive commercial buildings market.

In terms of breadth of selection, the Instinct range has it covered. But true to its Easier Safer Faster mantra, Crabtree has designed a range with more than 300 new wiring accessories, 34

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packed with innovations including full contact cable clamps, integrated LED indicators, and twin action safety shutters.

When it comes to installation, the upward-facing inline terminals make the entire range simple and reliable to install. It’s a design that’s sure to save time for the contractor as well as delivering peace of mind. When it comes to safety, Instinct meets all the relevant standards giving a contractor total confidence in the product when it’s specified.

Instinct is the first range of wiring accessories to use full contact cable clamps. These ‘no-miss’ terminals offer a more secure and efficient method of connection. The proven technology meaning there is no chance of incorrect cable positioning and this terminal

design eradicates the risk of cable core damage that occurs with screw terminals.

Crabtree has also created upward facing terminals throughout the range, all accessible from one orientation, all with an instantly recognisable terminal layout including segregated inline supply and load terminals, nested for convenience.

This improves installation time.

It’s easier and faster to connect.

Cables can be cut to the same length and use less of the interior space.

It gives safer and more reliable installation – no twisting or turning of the plate means no loosening of cables that were just terminated.

The range features a twin operation multipin safety shutter. Crabtree has developed a shutter with a two-piece mechanism that requires multiple pins to fully operate the mechanisms. The live and neutral pins do not open unless the earth pin is operated. Live and neutral shutters are fully locked until the earth pin is inserted. It ensures that live and neutral remain closed even with earth pin engaged. This meets and exceeds British Standards, is incredibly difficult to defeat, and minimises potential misuse.

Crabtree’s fused connection units and 20A switches now have an improved, unobtrusive, integrated

“In terms of breadth of selection, the Instinct range has it covered” LED switch indicator within the switch dolly and feature full contact clamps, helping to improve cable positioning and retention.

Improved keystone modules are safer and sleeker, offering flexibility and cable security, with less bend to cables. The variety of modules caters for data, HDMI, USB, TV, phone and satellite applications.

Also forming part of the range are a series of integrated USB sockets. The 13A sockets are double pole switching and have integrated USB charging outlets that meet the latest product standard (BS1363-2:2016+A1). They also include automatic charge optimisation to match the corresponding device.

While incorporating all of these advances in technology, the Instinct range also looks great. It features slimline plates with soft curves, smooth lines and contoured profiles.

These carefully considered design details ensure they fit naturally into any environment with a classically timeless look that will serve gracefully.

While the operation of every switch gives a satisfying feel of quality and class – the kind of finishing touch that leaves clients happy and impressed with their contractor.

99 YEARS AND 5,000 PRODUCTS Crabtree has been supplying the UK market with electrical installation products for 99 years, and the brand continues to innovate and grow with more than 5,000 products across all the ranges. The Crabtree Instinct Range, Crabtree’s new wiring accessories range, is the brand’s biggest product launch in more than 30 years.

As a market leading brand, Crabtree provides enviable breadth and depth in its wiring accessories offers and this gives specifiers and installers plenty of options for all of their wiring accessory needs.

They are designed to satisfy the needs of specifiers, installers and end-users in all commercial and industrial markets.

Find out more at www.crabtreecommercial.co.uk CABLEtalk

APRIL/MAY 2019

35

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

New law on prescription of claims: More time to claim?

By Jennifer McKay Partner, MacRoberts LLP The law in Scotland currently states that if a party (“the creditor”) is owed money for a number of reasons – for example non-payment of invoices, loss from a breach of contract, or damage to property – they have five years from the date the debt fell due to claim that sum in court. It does not matter if the creditor was aware of the debt, as soon as the debt falls due the clock starts to tick.

In many circumstances, this doesn’t have a big impact on creditors. Creditors will generally know if an invoice has gone unpaid or if some damage has occurred to their property. But imagine this scenario: Contractor A carries out works for you. One year after practical completion, you notice that there is a small crack in the floor slab, but you don’t think it is anything serious so you take no further action. Six years and one day after practical completion, you realise the floor slab is seriously defective. Under the current law, any loss would be deemed to have occurred when the defect was first discovered, i.e. one year after practical completion, notwithstanding that at that point you did not know that the defect in the floor slab had been caused by a negligent act.

Clearly it is not uncommon for defects to materialise years after completion and the decisions of the Scottish courts which held that time might start to run before it was known who had caused the loss has caused some controversy.

It has been suggested by some commentators that such a system could produce harsh and potentially unintended results, particularly in 36

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the construction law field.

Accordingly, it was agreed that a new law was required to address this issue.

In recognition of these issues, the Prescription (Scotland) Act 2018 (the “2018 Act”) was passed late last year.

Under the 2018 Act, the five-year clock will start ticking on the day on which the creditor becomes aware of the debt. The creditor would have to become aware of i) the debt, ii) that this debt had been incurred because of an act or omission by a person, and iii) the identity of this person. However, a creditor cannot simply plead ignorance – the clock will also start to tick if it can be shown the creditor ought to have known about the debt or could have discovered it through reasonable enquires.

In the scenario above, if the creditor knew there was a potential problem with the works but simply failed to investigate until five years later, they would still be without a remedy. Overall, it is considered that this will lead to greater clarity and certainty which is in the interests of all parties.

The 2018 Act has not been brought into force yet so the previous position is still the law of the land. However, do watch this space as the changes above are expected to be introduced quite shortly.

● MacRoberts advises on payment disputes arising from construction contracts. Email jennifer.mckay@macroberts. com or call 0131 229 5046.

TRAINING NEW COURSES

On course BS 7671 TRAINING

209* I nitial Verification

214* P eriodic Inspection Course

218* R equirements for Electrical Installations

208* T ailored Award in Design & Verification

HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING 101 Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)

102 E CS Health, Safety & Environmental

211 I nternational Powered Access Federation (IPAF)

211 P asma Towers for Users 217 S afe Isolation 324 S SSTS

TECHNICAL TRAINING

207 I n-service Inspection & Testing (PAT Testing) 216 S cottish Building Standards 221 E mergency Lighting 324 Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation

for improved safety for all DURATION

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Aberdeen

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Paisley

10&11

Two new health and safety courses are up and running as the SELECT Training team prepares for a busy April and May

By Iain Mason SELECT has successfully launched two new training courses in partnership with Training Plus.

The first Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course was held in Glasgow on 22 March, followed

by Manual Handling training, also in Glasgow, on 28 March.

Further dates are now scheduled for Glasgow every month. The courses are also available in Edinburgh for a minimum of four delegates.

The new courses are part of a packed programme of SELECT training over April and May, which covers BS 7671, Health & Safety and Technical training.

Venues range from Aberdeen and Inverness in the north to Perth, Dundee and Ayrshire, as well as locations right across the Central Belt.

Jenny Cryans, SELECT Training

Coordinator, said: “We are expecting a very busy time in April and May, so it’s essential for Members to book early for their chosen courses.

“We have plenty more courses planned throughout the year and are happy to help Members with any enquiries.”

We advised last in the last issue of CABLEtalk that SELECT now offers short courses in fire and security thanks to a partnership with New College Lanarkshire.

For further information about the EFAW course, and to find the next available dates in Glasgow, please see the Training section of the SELECT website at www.select.org.uk or contact the Training team on 0131 445 5577. The SELECT website also provides details of all other upcoming training courses.

CABLEtalk

APRIL/MAY 2019

37

TRAINING SCOTTISH APPRENTICESHIP WEEK

The future looks bright Once again, SECTT played a vital role in this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week, as MSPs met the electricians of tomorrow and learned how our industry is in safe hands

By Anne Galbraith Chief Executive, SECTT

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S

cottish Apprenticeship Week 2019 was a huge success, giving the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) the chance to showcase its wide range of work.

The event recognises the high-quality training we manage on behalf of the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB), and I was delighted to organise a number of MSP visits on behalf of the Scottish Government through Skills Development Scotland.

One such visit saw the SNP’s Gil Paterson visit Dieselec Thistle Generators in Glasgow, where Head of Training and Development David

McDougall introduced him to the pre-apprentices recruited prior to being placed on the Electrical Installation Modern Apprenticeship.

Mr Paterson said: “I was very impressed with the opportunities presented for the apprentices at Dieselec Thistle. The future for apprentices in the company looks extremely rosy indeed, with very high skilled jobs in a very technical orientated sector.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with my visit and seeing for myself the great work that’s being done by all involved,

“Apprenticeships make a vital contribution to skills training in Scotland”

MSP Gil Paterson (centre) meets the apprentices at Dieselec Thistle

from the training to the employers to the providers.”

David added: “It’s good to see likeminded people looking to the same goal for our youth and Scottish business.

We’re also looking to the future and know we must grow our talent pool.”

Another MSP visit saw the SNP’s John Mason meet youngsters at McArthur Renewables & Marine Technologies Ltd in Glasgow.

CEO Richard Oswell showed him around, revealing that he felt a great sense of accomplishment when apprentices passed their FICA and became graded electricians.

He also said that despite McArthur Renewables’s specialist work, the

apprenticeship framework gave a good grounding on which to build.

The third MSP visit of the week saw Conservative politician Adam Tomkins drop in to Kelvin Controls, who are also based in Glasgow.

Managing Director Chris Kelly, who accompanied the MSP during his visit, told him: “Apprenticeships help our business in creating skilled labour for the future.”

The MSP also met trainee Connor Hogg, who said he was really enjoying his apprenticeship as it was a great opportunity to learn a good trade.

Afterwards, Mr Tomkins said: “Apprenticeships make a vital contribution to skills training in Scotland. Skilled labour is essential to drive the economy forward and we certainly could not do that without Modern Apprenticeships.”

On a personal level, I’d like to thank all the employers and apprentices that took part in Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2019. Roll on 2020!

For further information about SECTT and its work, visit www. sectt.org.uk call 0131 445 5659 or email admin@sectt.org.uk

ABOVE: John Mason with the team at McArthur Renewables LEFT: Kelvin Controls welcomes MSP Adam to its Glasgow HQ

CABLEtalk

APRIL/MAY 2019

39

LUCECO PLC SPONSORED EDITORIAL

PRODUCT SHOWCASE Our guide to the latest

Luceco launches range of site lighting solutions A new range of site lighting has been created by experts Luceco, in partnership with industry professionals.

The range of robust, high-performing and efficient 110V site lights has been developed based on feedback from those using similar products across a range of environments.

The new work lights further expand Luceco’s arsenal of lighting options, joining an already broad range of lighting products aimed towards the day-today tradesperson.

One of the stand-out products within the range is the Open Area Work Light, a portable dynamic light consisting of three individual LED light bars, which produces a total output of 3,600 lumens. Arranged in a single column on a foldable tripod, the light bars can be easily manoeuvred on site allowing light to be distributed in either a 360or 180-degree arc, offering a complete solution for many on-site tasks.

Available from April 2019, the range provides a variety of site lighting options, certified to a minimum IP rating of IP44, with the bulk of the fittings tested to IP65, with the plug being IP44.

Craig Wood, LED Product Manager at Luceco, said: “We wanted to offer the UK market a competitive and comprehensive site lighting range that addresses the needs of those using them.

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“As part of the design process, we worked with tradespeople operating across different sectors and we feel we’ve really been able to create a range of products that will boost users’ lighting options. We listened to them and developed a clear understanding of where the lights would be used and designed the range accordingly.”

The range is completed by a number of tripod work lights. It includes options for single or twin heads, a plasterer’s work light, festoon kit, a portable work light and non-corrosives in both two foot and five foot. All lights in the range come complete with 110V plugs and cable, meeting current standards.

Luceco’s 110V site offering is backed up by their current rechargeable Work Light and Inspection Torch range which offer tradespeople comprehensive task lighting solutions.

● For more information on Luceco, please visit www.luceco.com/uk

APRIL/MAY 2019

1 SNICKERS’ CLIMATE CONTROL FLEECE PROVIDES A HOT LOOK AT A COOL PRICE

The new 37.5® Technology Fleeces from Snickers Workwear deliver all-round work warmth and cooling comfort. Not only will you stay warm, you’ll look and feel cool too.

With styles for both professional tradesmen and women, they excel at ventilation and moisture transport to keep you working comfortably, wherever you are on site.

The quick-drying material captures and releases moisture vapour – like your sweat - for superior coolness and dry working comfort.

After all, keeping a balanced work temperature isn’t just about staying cool and in great shape, it’s a matter of your wellbeing and job safety. So to make sure you get the right protection, visibility, flexibility, durability and ventilation, check out the new Snickers Workwear 37.5® Technology Fleeces to fit your work day. For more information, visit www.snickersworkwear.co.uk

2 SOLID GEAR OCEAN SAFETY SHOE PUTS YOU ONE STEP AHEAD Solid Gear continues to modernise Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) footwear with a safety shoe that looks and feels more like a trainer. Combining a lightweight athletic look and superb safety features, the new OCEAN safety shoe is ideal for workers on the move.

The shoe’s midsole is made of a poured Polyurethane (PU) rather than a traditional injected PU to give a more cushioned feel underfoot, while the thick rubber outsole provides a high level of anti-slip protection and durability.

With an eye-catching style, Boa® comfort fastening delivers a better overall fit, making it easy to take the shoe on and off. The shoe’s fibreglass toecap and ballistic midsole combine with the other protection features and anti-static properties to deliver S3 protection.

For more information visit www.solidgearfootwear.com Alternatively, call the helpline on 01484 854 788.

CONTACT OUR TEAM TO SHOWCASE YOUR GREAT NEW PRODUCTS HERE

industry solutions 3 TWICE-AS-FAST CHARGING WITH SCOLMORE’S TWIN USB CHARGING PORT Scolmore has upgraded its 13A 2-Gang USB socket which now features two USB charging ports capable of delivering 5V 2.1A simultaneously. This allows for optimum charging of two devices at the same time, without fear of fluctuations in the power supply interfering with the charging process. The total power available is 4.2A, allowing both ports to deliver 2.1A at the same time, so you are guaranteed optimum charge every time, regardless of the devices being charged.

The new-look, upgraded 1 and 2-gang USB sockets are available in all Click ranges – Mode, Polar, Deco, Deco+, Definity, Define and Metal Clad. Mode, Deco, Deco+ and Polar USB sockets can be fitted into a 25mm back box, while Definity and Define USB sockets require a 35mm back box, and Metal Clad USB sockets are supplied complete with a 40mm back box.

They are all fully compliant with the most current and up-to-date set of USB test standards including BS 1363: 2016+A1: 2018, BS EN 62890-1-1: 2015 and BS EN 62368-1: 2014.

For further information, contact Scolmore on 01827 63454, or visit www.scolmore.com

4 ESP REVEALS ITS NEW TWO-WIRE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM ESP is expanding its range of fire protection products with the launch of the new MAGDUO Two-Wire Fire Alarm System range. It offers a highly flexible and adaptable system that will save time and money on the installation process.

The system is ‘Two-Wire’, meaning that all system devices can be installed on the same circuit with the capacity for up to 32 devices per zone.

ESP’s new range comprises 25 separate products including two, four and eight-zone fire panels, as well as repeater panels, with the four and eight-zone panels able to support up to eight repeater panels. A FlexiPoint detector is programmable to seven different modes, including smoke and heat detection with various sounders, strobes and call points in the range.

MAGDUO provides an ideal fire alarm solution for a range of small- to medium-sized projects such as restaurants, retail outlets, schools, offices, apartments and hotels. ESP is offering full training on the new system to all wholesalers and installers.

For further information, call 01527 515 150, email info@espuk.com or visit www.espuk.com

CEF SPONSORED EDITORIAL

CEF publishes Get Smart, Get Connected guide to smart home products CEF, the UK’s leading electrical wholesaler, has published its new guide to smart home technology to help simplify smart home product selection for professional installers and buyers.

Get Smart, Get Connected is a comprehensive product directory and microsite featuring the latest products and innovations as well as insight, installation advice and guidance to help electricians take advantage of the smart home revolution.

It’s estimated that some £10.8 billion* will be spent on smart home devices in the UK this year alone, with an increasing number of those products now requiring professional installation. The smart home market presents a huge opportunity for electrical contractors – but understanding the range of products available isn’t always easy.

CEF’s Get Smart, Get Connected outlines the possibilities of what can be automated in a home as well as the individual devices that make it all happen, enabling electricians to grasp the

smart home opportunity and access the commercial potential of this lucrative market.

Andrew Moseley, Commercial Director at CEF, explained: “The adoption of smart technology continues to grow and this presents a great opportunity for tradespeople who are one step ahead – equipped with the right product knowledge and ready to advise their customers with market insight.

“With Get Smart, Get Connected, CEF are helping electricians to navigate the smart home landscape and ensure that they can take full advantage of this evolving market.“ The Get Smart, Get Connected product directory is now available to pick up in CEF stores nationwide.

A digital, interactive copy is available to download at www.cef.co.uk/getsmart, where electricians will also find the latest smart home news and technical product information.

● To find out more about CEF go to www.cef.co.uk * PWC Connected Home 2.0 Survey 2018

David Hughes: 0131 561 0022 davidh@connectcommunications.co.uk CABLEtalk

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41

DIARY MEMBERS / EVENTS / COMPETITION GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Diane Hales Membership Representative Hello Diane. How long have you been at SELECT? I’ve been here for just over three years now.

What were you doing before you joined SELECT? Tell us a bit about your background.

I’ve had a variety of admin roles in my time, spending 19 years with the MoD, followed by six years working for myself, organising business networking meetings in the East Midlands. After moving to Edinburgh I went to work at Arthur McKay Building Services for four years as their Training Advisor, before moving to the Membership and Communications Team here at SELECT. So what does your job actually entail? Tell us a bit more about what you do.

I’ve only been in my new role as Membership Representative for the Tayside & Fife area for a couple of weeks, so I’m still finding my feet a wee bit. But essentially I’ll be keeping in contact with SELECT Members in my area, letting them know about

LOCAL EVENTS Open breakfast Borders College, Galashiels, Friday 26 April. 8.30-11am Toolbox Talk – Edinburgh The Walled Garden, Tuesday 7 May 42

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Quickfire Questions Cheese or chocolate?

Chocolate – I detest cheese!

Dog or cat?

Dog. I have a beautiful young Sprocker called Sam First car owned?

Rover 216 Favourite film?

Ghost, The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption – there are so many to choose from!

Favourite TV show?

I don’t really have one, but I do enjoy Outlander Favourite holiday spot?

The Maldives Dream date?

Sean Bean One thing people might not know about you?

I’ve completed two London Marathons and didn’t walk once!

what’s happening and keeping them up to date with SELECT activities, such as the campaign for the protection of title for electricians. I’m also very busy dealing with prospective member enquiries and raising the profile of SELECT wherever I go through visiting electrical wholesalers and local colleges.

What’s a typical day like for you at work?

I normally start by checking emails and dealing with any admin, before heading out to various appointments such as member visits, invigilating ECS tests and dealing with membership enquiries. A lot of time can be spent in the car so it’s a good job I like driving!

I’m still learning about my new role so I’m looking forward to getting to grips with the full variety of work involved.

Do you get the chance to meet SELECT Members?

As a Membership rep I’m lucky because I’m out and

about meeting our Members most days. It’s a part of the role that I thoroughly enjoy.

What do you know now that you didn’t before working at SELECT? Did you know much about the electrical industry beforehand?

Before SELECT I knew very little about the electrical industry, so it was a shock to learn that it’s not illegal to work as an electrician even if you have no formal training.

It’s good to know that SELECT is working hard to get the Scottish Government to regulate the industry and stop unqualified people carrying out electrical work.

What do you find most enjoyable about your job?

It’s still early days, but I enjoy meeting Members and dealing with membership enquiries.

Plus I really love the variety of people I meet and the places I go to. ● You can email Diane on diane.hales@select.org.uk or call her on 0131 445 5577 or 0781 800 2345.

Toolbox Talk – Borders Tweed Horizons, Wednesday 8 May

SELECT President’s Cup 2019 Dunblane New Golf Club, Monday 20 May

Toolbox Talk – Inverness Tulloch Stadium, Tuesday 28 May

Toolbox Talk – Dundee Apex Hotel, Tuesday 14 May

Toolbox Talk – Dumfries Easterbrook Hall, Tuesday 21 May

Toolbox Talk – Aberdeen Pittodrie Stadium, Wednesday 29 May

Toolbox Talk – Ayrshire Gailes Hotel, Wednesday 22 May

Toolbox Talk – Oban The Wide Mouthed Frog, Tuesday 11 June

Toolbox Talk – Glasgow Hampden Park, Wednesday 15 May

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Congratulations to Adam Motherwell from Optical Lighting Ltd, who won the Oscars wordsearch in our February/March issue. Adam wins a £50 Amazon voucher, courtesy of MacRoberts LLP.

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• DOCTORS

• LIFE ON MARS

• THE APPRENTICE

• DOCTOR WHO

• LINE OF DUTY

• TOP GEAR

• DRAGONS DEN

• MIRANDA

• TORCHWOOD

• EASTENDERS

• OUTNUMBERED

• WAKING THE

• EXTRAS

• SHERLOCK

• FLOG IT

• SHETLAND

• FROZEN PLANET

• SILENT WITNESS

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Here’s the chance to win a fantastic £50 Amazon voucher with our fun wordsearch. Find the various BBC television programmes listed above right, take a picture of your finished grid and email it to memberservices@select.org.uk by 17 May 2019. Or cut it out and send it to: Wordsearch, SELECT, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian EH26 0SB. The winner will be drawn at random. Terms and conditions are online.

N 19 JUTALK –

X LBO AND TOOSHETL

Toolbox Talk – Isle of Islay The Bridgend Hotel, Wednesday 12 June

Toolbox Talk – Orkney Pickaquoy Centre, Tues 18 June Toolbox Talk – Shetland The Lerwick Hotel, Wednesday 19 June

NATIONAL EVENTS London Exclusively Electrical Trade Show, Business Design Centre, Islington.

Fantastic line-up of the world’s top small

domestic appliance suppliers and brands.

11-12 June Manchester Northern Manufacturing & Electronics, Event City.

The largest exhibition dedicated to the needs of both industries.

2-3 October CABLEtalk

APRIL/MAY 2019

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