CABLEtalk October/November 2020

October/November 2020 £4.50

A new link in the chain Donald W Orr takes over from Kevin Griffin as SELECT President after our first virtual AGM

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Professional indemnity insurance now available

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Benefits of power factor correction

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Finding new roles for redundant apprentices

CONTENTS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 OPINION

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Alan Wilson looks to the new challenges ahead after Brexit

NEWS

06 09 11 12

CORONAVIRUS

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Keeping contractors working with new grade card process

Our new President is elected at SELECT’s first-ever online AGM We launch the latest way to become a Member of SELECT SECTT offers a lifeline to help out of work apprentices keep training Return to The Walled Garden put on hold over COVID-19 increase

CORONAVIRUS

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The electricians helping the local community during lockdown

FEATURES

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Introducing our new PI insurance scheme exclusively for Members

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Donald W Orr takes up his role as the new President of SELECT Outgoing President Kevin Griffin looks back on a challenging term

TRAINING

36 TECHNICAL

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Getting started as a specialist in smart home technology

FOCUS

TECHNICAL

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Courses return to our training classroom at The Walled Garden

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Exploring the benefits of power factor correction

Len Bunton and Rudi Klein discuss project bank accounts

APPRENTICES

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MANAGING EDITOR Iain Mason iain.mason@select.org.uk EDITOR Sarah Wolstencroft sarah.w@connectcommunications.co.uk 0141 560 3022

ADVERTISING David Hughes davidh@connectcommunications.co.uk 07767 407 402

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Ryan Swinney ryan@connectcommunications.co.uk

CABLEtalk is produced by Connect Publications on behalf of SELECT connectcommunications.co.uk

Supporting apprentices made redundant during the pandemic

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

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Our round-up of the latest gear and gadgets to help you at work

DIARY

46 CABLEtalk

Meet new SELECT Vice-President Alistair Grant and try our puzzle OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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COMMENT

What’s that appearing over the horizon?

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s if COVID was not enough of a challenge for our industry, we now face the spectre of a ‘No-Deal’ Brexit at the end of this year.

Much of what will happen is still very much up in the air, including a deal itself, but there is no doubt that whatever happens, businesses will have to deal with a host of issues around matters such as material costs and availability and application of UK-wide regulatory requirements etc.

For those of you who follow the news you will know that, in the past few weeks, a great deal of time has been taken up, both in Westminster and Holyrood, on debates involving the application of the UK Internal Market Bill. This piece of legislation is being introduced by Westminster to ensure goods and services originating in one part of the UK can be bought and sold in other parts of the country without obstructions or penalties and differing skills and professional qualifications are mutually recognised.

At first glance this seems very sensible as it will ensure free flow of goods and services across the whole UK without any ‘local’ barriers. But – and there is always a but – each of the devolved

administrations see this as a power grab of devolution powers back to the UK Government and are concerned at the potential of lowering standards.

So, how does this impact on SELECT Members? Well, there are two specific areas where we have some concerns, the first of which is Building Regulations.

In the evidence we provided to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Constitution Committee, who were reviewing the UK Bill, we asked them to record the value which our Members attach to the high level of quality workmanship in the profession. And, accordingly, we took the view that some divergence in regulations across the UK internal market is acceptable where circumstances show that to be advantageous. For example, regulations designed to cope with climatic variations across the UK have always been sensible and we can see little or no reason for change in that regard.

We went on to say that SELECT would not wish to see changes to the current building regulations regime in Scotland, especially as there have been no discernible problems in operating distinctive regimes between each of the UK nations over many years. To allow the imposition of building regulations that do not consider the historic condition or development of buildings in Scotland over the last

century or more could, in our view, lead to the potential of lowering environmental and safety standards and adding confusion to the industry.

Furthermore, the Scottish certifier of design and construction schemes, of which SELECT is a scheme provider and which operate very successfully, may not be permitted or, at the least, would be required to be in step with whatever might come out of the UK Building Safety Bill 2020. In our view, this would limit Scotland’s ability, for example, to introduce its own compliance regime reflecting local building forms of construction. It would also undermine the drive towards increasing quality in the industry and would negatively impact on procurement regimes.

Finally, we wished to see the Scottish Parliament retain the ability to set professional standards in the Scottish marketplace and we referenced our ongoing campaign for the regulation of electricians, which falls under their current competence. You can read more about our campaign inside this issue of CABLEtalk.

So, another set of challenges for us and our Members to face, but like every challenge put in our way we will seek to ensure that the industry and our Members are not left disadvantaged, and, where possible, come out stronger than ever before.

Alan Wilson Managing Director, SELECT

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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NEWS SELECT

The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian EH26 0SB Tel: 0131 445 5577 Fax: 0131 445 5548 admin@select.org.uk

Follow SELECT online at:  TWITTER @Updates_SELECT @Training_SELECT @Regulate_SELECT  FACEBOOK SELECT.TheECAofS

 

Visit our websites at:

select.org.uk select.org.uk/training cabletalkmagazine.com selectawards.co.uk

Please phone our membership team on 0131 445 5577 to apply to become a Member of SELECT or if you would like more information about joining.

Alternatively you can email us on memberservices@select.org.uk or submit an online enquiry.

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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President elected at virtual AGM

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onald W Orr was elected as the new President of SELECT last month as the association held its first-ever online annual general meeting.

The Managing Director of Unitech Services Ltd in Carluke, Lanarkshire, is a long-standing SELECT Read the Annual member and serves on a Report at bit.ly/ Our digital number of committees as select_annual_ Annual Report well as representing the report association externally.

Immediate PastHe said: “It is a great honour to President, replacing Eric be elected as the new President of Rae. The new Vice-President is SELECT, and I’m privileged to follow in Alistair Grant, who is based in Elgin and is the footsteps of my distinguished colleagues. the current chair of the Inverness and North “I look forward to continuing the of Scotland Branch. association’s excellent work and helping SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson SELECT and its Members successfully said: “I am delighted to welcome Donald and navigate the many challenges that lie ahead.”

Alistair to their new roles and know they Kevin Griffin, who has been SELECT bring invaluable experience and input.

President for three years, now becomes “There are plenty of challenges ahead for all

TESP survey deadline extended The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP) has extended its labour market survey to give SELECT Members more opportunity to take part.

This short poll of electrical contractors is being held to update previous findings

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

gathered in 2018/19 and will provide TESP with up-todate information on: ● Current and future skills needs of the industry ● Business decisions around apprenticeship recruitment and the workforce

● What support might be needed to help the industry.

The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and will now be live until Friday 30 October. Take the survey at www.pyetait. com/TESP-LMI-2020

Management programme moved to 2021

Donald W Orr, SELECT President

of us, but with the new presidential team in place, SELECT will continue to be there to help our members in any way we can.”

The new appointments were confirmed at SELECT’s AGM, which due to the impact of COVID-19, was this year held online via Zoom on Wednesday 2 September.

Some 30 Members and senior staff attended the virtual meeting, which also featured a technical presentation on EICR coding by SELECT’s Director of Technical Services Dave Forrester.

The landmark event also saw delivery of SELECT’s first online Annual Report, which replaced the usual printed document distributed to Members.

The report outlined some of the key milestones during the first six months of the pandemic, including the £329,405 issued in membership subscription refunds, 600 calls to our employment  A reminder that the autumn Branch Updates will be held online via webinar on the following dates: ● Dumfries & Galloway, Tuesday 13 October

Alistair Grant, SELECT Vice-President

and technical hotlines and the distribution of 36 new employment guidance documents.

In addition, it told how we delivered 42 online training courses to 253 delegates, saw 1,062 calls handled by the Scottish Joint Industry Board and created 143 ECS electronic Health, Safety and Environmental Assessments.

It also outlined how our increased communication activity resulted in nearly 42,000 website visits to our dedicated COVID hub during the first six months of the pandemic, and also attracted 1,798 new social media followers to our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn channels – a rise of 202%.

● Glasgow & West of Scotland, Thursday 15 October ● Edinburgh & South East of Scotland, Tuesday 20 October ● Inverness & North of Scotland, Thursday

Due to the impact of COVID-19, SELECT and Edinburgh Napier University have postponed the start of the next Effective Manager Programme until January 2021.

This year’s programme saw the final three workshops delivered online, and with continued uncertainty around the return to college, the next intake has been delayed by a few months.

Diane Peebles, Programmer Leader, said: “It’s often said that ‘out of adversity comes opportunity’ and we succeeded in finishing this year’s programme with most students completing their qualification.

“Over the past months we’ve all had to adapt, be flexible and pick up new skills and confidence, so in a way it’s been a good test of management skills.

“We’re now encouraging another year of students to join the Effective Manager Programme and test their management skills in the same way.”

For further information, please call Jenny Cryans, Training Manager, on 07586 183 087 or email jenny.cryans@select.org.uk More details are available at www.select. org.uk/training

Training returns to The Walled Garden: Pages 36 & 37

Donald and Kevin reflect on their roles: Pages 23-27 22 October ● Ayrshire, Tuesday 27 October ● Aberdeen & North East of Scotland, Thursday 29 October ● Lanarkshire, Tuesday 3 November

● Tayside, Thursday 5 November Each event starts at 6pm and will include a technical update about EICR coding from our Technical Advisers.

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To attend and find out more, email sandra.bennett@ select.org.uk

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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NEWS ROUND-UP Download the brochures at bit.ly/ benefitbrochures

Have your say on amendment Members are being invited to contribute their thoughts to a new draft for public comment (DPC) about Amendment 2 to BS 7671:2018 Requirements for Electrical Installations.

After opening on 21 September, comments can be made until Friday 11 December. To gain access, you’ll need to register interest on the BSI portal at bit.ly/BSI-portal Those intending to comment should be aware that although all aspects of BS 7671:2018 and Amendment 1:2020 can be commented upon, JPEL/64 – the joint IET/BSI committee who oversee the maintenance of the standard – only intend to consider comments specific to the proposed changes in Amendment 2.

These proposed changes are identified in the draft document by a sidebar in the margins. However, the DPC is not a track changed document and won’t show the wording of regulations prior to any changes being made. You’ll therefore need the current version of BS 7671:2018 and the standalone document Amendment 1:2020 for reference when considering any proposed changes in the DPC. Some significant proposed changes in Amendment 2 include: ● Removal of the exception in Regulation 411.3.3 to omit additional 30mA RCD protection where other than for an installation in a dwelling, a documented risk assessment determines that it is not necessary ● New requirements for arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) and for ‘protected escape routes’ ● Proposed changes to tests carried out on new installations.

Following the DPC process, JPEL/64 and its sub committees will review all relevant comments received.

It is then intended that BS 7671:2018 incorporating Amendment 1:2020 and Amendment 2:2022 will be published on 28 March 2022.

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Helping all our Members benefit SELECT has produced three new downloadable brochures that give details of the many services and deals now available to Members.

At Your Service outlines the full range of benefits now offered by SELECT, including technical support, employment advice, welfare benefits, private medical insurance, health and safety advice and many more.

The second brochure, Better Safe Than Sorry, gives more in-depth information about the new professional indemnity insurance scheme being offered exclusively to SELECT Members.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

 Our Technical team has added to its ongoing Member support by launching a Quick Start Guide for the popular SELECTcerts digital certification system.

Offering users clear and concise advice to help find

And the third new publication, Dress To Impress, offers an overview of our new and improved workwear service, with details of the quality clothing offered at preferential rates for Members.

Iain Mason, Director of Membership and Communications, said: “It’s vital that we keep communicating the many benefits of SELECT and help Members make the most of everything we have to offer.”

their way round the system, the guide follows the SELECTcerts operating guide, a practical 60-page digital booklet that was released in August. Email memberservices@select. org.uk or call 0131 445 5577 to find out more.

Professional indemnity insurance: Pages 20 & 21

A new way to sign up with SELECT

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ELECT has introduced an innovative new enrolment scheme that allows companies to join the association and enjoy the benefits of full membership, despite ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

The dedicated Conditional Membership category means firms can still join SELECT while in-person assessments are suspended due to strict social distancing measures.

The move has been introduced in response to a surge of interest in membership since the pandemic struck, with companies recognising the wealth of guidance offered by trade bodies in a time of crisis.

Alan Wilson, Managing Director of SELECT, said: “Unprecedented times require unprecedented measures, and we think this is an innovative solution that demonstrates our willingness to listen to the industry and respond accordingly.

“Coronavirus has brought into sharp focus the tangible benefits of being a member of a trade association like SELECT, as companies increasingly subscribe to the reality that we are stronger together.

“With clear advice and information never more important, we are keen to ensure that electrotechnical businesses of all sizes can still become Members of SELECT and enjoy the many benefits we offer.

“By introducing new criteria in lieu of physical assessments, we are able to maintain our high standards of membership and continue our ‘business as usual’ mantra, while at the same time protecting our staff, Members and the wider public.”

To be considered for membership, applicants must now satisfy two additional criteria – the nominated

Qualified Supervisor must have a current SJIB (ECS) Grade Card and completed updated training in BS 7671:2018 Requirements for Electrical Installations 18th Edition.

In addition, the technical assessments necessary for membership are now carried out remotely in two stages. Firstly, a SELECT Technical Adviser voice or video calls the applicant to conduct an office-based assessment, then directs a live virtual walkthrough of the site to see testing and meter readings.

If successful, the applicant firm is made a Conditional Member with full access to all member services, subject to conditions. At the earliest opportunity, and when physical distancing conditions allow, an in-person technical assessment will be carried out to confirm full membership.

SELECT has already welcomed ten new Conditional Members into the scheme since its launch, with dozens of other applications currently being processed and awaiting online technical assessments.

Dave Forrester, Director of Technical Services at SELECT, said: “It is important that any qualified firms wanting to join SELECT are not disadvantaged by the restrictions

in place, which may last for some time to come.

“That is why we have introduced the concept of Conditional Membership until our normal regime of physical assessments can resume.”

NEW MEMBERS

Eleven firms have become SELECT Members since August 2020

Hugh Strain of Ayr Ltd, Ayrshire M3 Electrical Ltd, Glasgow & West of Scotland JC Electrical & Security Solutions, Glasgow & West of Scotland M. Ayre Electrical, Dumfries & Galloway

Mackay Electrical Limited, Inverness & North of Scotland

Intelligent Electrical Solutions Scotland Ltd, Lanarkshire

Marmac Holdings (Scotland) Limited t/a MHSL Services, Glasgow & West of Scotland

RS Electrics, Lanarkshire

East Lothian Council, Edinburgh & South East Scotland CABLEtalk

Panacea Fire & Security, Tayside ECO Electrical Services, Tayside

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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NEWS ROUND-UP Shaping the new standard SELECT has helped shape a new Occupational Qualification Structure by the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) industry that will lead to Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) Card recognition.

Aimed at promoting high standards and skills, the new structure has been developed by an industry-wide working group formed by SELECT and other leading trade associations and employer representatives including: ● British Security Industry Association (BSIA) ● FESS Employer Group ● Fire Industry Association (FIA) ● Fire & Security Association (FSA) ● Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (SSAIB) ● Joint Industry Board (JIB).

Uniquely recognising the introduction of the FESS Trailblazer, the structure sets the standard for new entrants to the market at Level 3 while also addressing the need to recognise the training, experience and qualifications of the current workforce.

It identifies a minimum standard for those who install and maintain fire, emergency and security systems.

Fiona Harper, Director of Employment and Skills at SELECT, said: “This new development is a significant step forward as it recognises existing professionalism and also blends upskilling and training with structured assessment.

“SELECT particularly welcomes its introduction as it dovetails perfectly with our own contribution towards modernisation of the ECS in Scotland.

“Ensuring the FESS workforce of tomorrow has the correct qualifications also reinforces the importance of our campaign for protection of title.”

Details about the suite of cards, the pathway-specific FESS assessments and how to apply for the ECS FESS cards are available at www.sjib.org.uk or by calling 0131 445 9216.

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Scheme role continues SELECT has been granted ministerial approval to continue in its role as a Scheme Provider for the Certification of Construction (Electrical Installations to BS 7671) scheme.

As a Scheme Provider since 2005, the reappointment decision means SELECT can continue in this role to the industry for another six years.

The reappointment decision was made by the Scottish Government’s Building Standards Division (BSD) after a lengthy application process involving intensive data and documentation submission followed by review by a BSD-appointed certification panel.

Dave Forrester, Director of Technical Services and Head of Certification at SELECT, said: “We are delighted that the integrity and quality of the services that we have been delivering for the past 15 years will continue to be of service to the Scottish Government and the construction industry as a whole.

“Certification has never been higher on the sector’s agenda and building standards services are key to ensuring that construction schemes can help to raise standards throughout the industry and deliver new buildings and improved facilities.

“The reapplication process was comprehensive and detailed and I would like to thank key team members – Training and Development Adviser Malcolm Duncan, Training Manager Jenny Cryans and Technical Administrator Susie Liddle – who helped make it possible.”

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SELECT was among scheme providers who took part in a webinar on 10 September, outlining the many benefits of certification. The webinar can be watched again here: bit.ly/SBSC-10Sept

Initially introduced within the 2003 Building (Scotland) Act, the scheme allows competent individuals to be appointed Approved Certifiers of Construction or Design, giving them the authority to certify that any work they undertake as part of a building warrant is compliant with building regulations.

Alan Wilson, Managing Director of SELECT, said: “Certification has multiple benefits, including improved efficiency and productivity and increased peace of mind, with the highest standards upheld.

“Along with other scheme providers, SELECT has been working with the Scottish Government over the summer to address issues raised by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and create positive outcomes for certification.

“The entire team at The Walled Garden congratulates Dave Forrester and his team who put so much effort and expertise into drafting a successful application which will allow us to continue to serve the sector in Scotland.”

The team who made it happen: Dave Forrester, Malcolm Duncan, Susie Liddle and Jenny Cryans

SECTT is helping apprentices who have been made redundant

SECTT’s lifeline for axed apprentices

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pprentices made redundant by the fallout from COVID-19 are being offered a lifeline thanks to the ongoing work of the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT).

The Trust, which was established

by SELECT and Unite the Union, has stepped in to work with both trainees and employers to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic.

SECTT is now seeking alternative employment for apprentices whose posts have disappeared, and has placed many out “on loan” to companies so they can

 SELECT Members are being invited to brush up on their commercial knowhow in a series of free webinars being run by the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum.

Designed to help businesses of all sizes,

keep their training and skill sets up to speed. It is hoped these employers will now offer the redundant apprentices employment and the opportunity to complete their apprenticeship, with 50% of the young people temporarily placed with other companies now being offered full-time jobs.

Anne Galbraith, chief executive of SECTT, said: “Our Training Officers have been working urgently with our approved centres to offer remote learning for some course work.

“Officers have also been operating a business-as-usual policy and contacting apprentices on a regular basis.

“As well as advice and a friendly ear,

the webinars start at 11am and cover the following topics: ● 13 October – payment terms, getting paid on time, how to present payment applications, variations ● 27 October – giving notices, extensions of time,

loss and expense ● 10 November – suspension and contract termination of contractors and sub-contractors. ● 24 November – conflict avoidance procedures, pitfalls and benefits of adjudication, the low-cost value

we want to be able to support redundant apprentices to continue at college as this makes them more attractive to employers.

“Our priority is on ensuring current apprentices can return to college safely and are able to complete the stages of their apprenticeship. We can then focus on recruitment. All the above supports the Scottish Government’s recovery plans.”

The Trust – which manages highquality training on behalf of the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) – says the number of apprentices being taken on fell from an average of 700 to 380 since shutdown in March.

Of the 2,650 apprentices in training, 52 have been made redundant, 29 of them since 1 June.

Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB, said: “In an ideal world, we would want employers to retain apprentices, but we realise this may not be a realistic option for everyone. However, if the worst does happen, we want apprentices to know that we are here for them and will do our best to help.

“SECTT has been working hard to find alternate employment for apprentices and place them with suitable employers. SELECT Members should also be saluted for helping with much-needed offers of work, helping us to give these would-be electricians hope for the future.”

Getting apprentices back on track Pages 41-43

adjudication process and expert determination.

The collective – of which SELECT is a leading member – has already delivered webinars on project bank accounts and changing the culture of the industry, which CABLEtalk

can be watched again.

Further information about the Forum and its work is available at www.cicvforum.co.uk

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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NEWS ROUND-UP Add your voice over regulation SELECT Members are being reminded to add their voices to a consultation which it is hoped will lead to the introduction of a Member’s Bill calling for regulation of electricians.

Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston launched the consultation in August and Members have now been urged to submit their feedback before the deadline on 10 November.

The Bill by the Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands calls for the introduction of protection of title, to ensure that only properly qualified and experienced professionals could call themselves an electrician.

SELECT Managing Director, Alan Wilson, said: “SELECT and its Members have been campaigning for regulation for years. This is a golden opportunity to make our voice heard and I urge all Members to respond.

“Poor quality work has potentially dangerous consequences for us all, so any Bill would benefit both the end consumer and the electrical industry, which depends on the public’s trust.

“By adding their feedback, Members can play a vital part in a long overdue change.”

Alan added: “We are also aware that the Scottish Government plans to consult on regulating the industry and we will advise Members when this goes live.

“It’s encouraging to see that the regulation of electricians is so important it merits two consultations!”

Add your feedback at bit.ly/JHJ-bill

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Normal service continues as full return is paused Majority of staff remain working from home ● Essential tasks only at The Walled Garden ● But high level of support for Members goes on ●

P

lans for a return to working at The Walled Garden have been revised following the recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases in Scotland.

To help reduce the risk of contamination, all external visits to SELECT HQ will remain suspended, apart from essential deliveries and delegates attending necessary training course assessments.

In the meantime, a skeleton staff will continue to work at the office, dealing with mail and stationery orders etc.

This means that, in line with Scottish Government guidance, the majority of our staff will continue to work from home for the time being.

Despite the setback, SELECT is committed to combating the impact of the virus by continuing to deliver the highest levels of service, including a host of new measures. These include: ● Updated employment advice, including recent information on financial business support, holiday during COVID-19, self-isolation payment and government and HMRC updates ● An increase in online training courses, with some assessments now being conducted at The Walled Garden under strict health and safety conditions ● The launch of an exclusive professional indemnity insurance scheme, offering invaluable peace

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of mind to those Members who need it most ● A new Conditional Membership initiative, allowing firms to join the association despite the current suspension of in-person assessments ● An enhanced workwear partnership, offering Members a wide range of premium clothing and safety items at preferential rates, and ● The latest news as it happens on our dedicated COVID-19 hub and daily update.

SELECT Managing Director, Alan Wilson, said: “We recognise that the safety of our staff and Scotland as a whole must be our priority in the weeks and months to come.

“I am immensely proud of the job that has been done by everyone at

Jack Rioux remembered

Our return to The Walled Garden has been delayed

UPDATE  As CABLEtalk went to press, a temporary ‘circuit breaker’ was being considered by the Scottish Government to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

If this lockdown measure does happen, we will contact Members with information immediately – please refer to our dedicated COVID-19 hub for ongoing updates at www.select.org.uk SELECT over the past six months, and I know this excellent work will continue as the majority of our staff keep working remotely.

“Our Employment Affairs team will continue compiling and providing essential advice and guidance, issuing SJIB cards, processing ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessment requests and marking and returning the results to the employers.

“The Technical team will continue carrying out the new virtual assessments to help us process

Safety measures are being introduced at our offices

Conditional Memberships, while our Training team will deliver more invaluable technical education with our growing number of online courses.

The Membership and Communications team will also continue to answer Member queries and provide the latest updates and information as things develop.”

Alan added: “As ever, we will review these measures in the weeks ahead, but for the time being we hope Members understand the importance of staying aligned with current Scottish Government guidance.

“Once again, we’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding and assure them we’ll do all we can to help businesses rebuild, recover and regenerate.”

As we revealed previously, SELECT has already put a range of health and safety measures in place at The Walled Garden. These include a protective reception screen, temperature testing facilities, hand sanitiser stations and extra wipes, cleaning products and bins.

In addition, SELECT will introduce reduced usage of kitchens and toilets for when staff do return, along with clear safety signage, physical distancing enforced in all areas, increased cleaning and one entrance and exit.

SELECT was sad to hear of the death of Member Jack Rioux, who passed away on 14 August aged 74 after a long illness.

A SELECT Member since 2008, Jack was a popular figure in and around Perth, where he ran Jack Rioux Electrical Contractors with grandsons Connor and Liam.

Jack left school aged 15 and became an apprentice aircraft mechanic until a trip in a small plane made him realise he had no head for heights.

He duly switched to an electrical apprenticeship with McCowan and Guild before going on to work for Andrew Bell, Parkinson’s and Scott’s.

As well as working on the construction of Ninewells Hospital, Jack was an electrician at Perth Prison, Castle Huntly and the Maze in Northern Ireland, before starting his own firm in 1996.

Connor will now continue to run the business in Jack’s memory.

Jack is survived by his wife Hilary, daughters Susan and Donna, five grandchildren and a greatgranddaughter.

CABLEtalk

Jack Rioux

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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CORONAVIRUS SELECT MEMBER

Local heroes

When lockdown stopped them carrying out their usual work, the team of electricians at SELECT Member Renfrewshire Council joined the efforts to help their community by providing vulnerable households with vital supplies

T

he coronavirus lockdown brought non-emergency work to a standstill for many electricians across the country – but not for the team at Renfrewshire Council.

While their normal tasks were put on hold because of the strict guidelines, they joined the local authority’s huge effort to support vulnerable people across their community.

Instead of rewiring and repairs, up to 30 electricians helped put together vital support packages for people forced to stay at home and shield from the virus.

They used their vans to deliver parcels of food and other essentials to struggling individuals and families in the area.

And they even pitched by working in

A wide range of trades was involved in helping vulnerable households 14

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the kitchen – helping catering staff prepare thousands of fresh meals to support up to 2,200 households at the peak of the crisis.

The electricians were part of a team of around 85 workers from a wide variety of trades – including joiners, painters, plasterers, blacksmiths, plumbers and GMOs– who joined the incredible effort to help the community.

Elaine Scott, Building Services Operations Manager at Renfrewshire Council, said: “They went above and beyond. When some of them made deliveries to houses with kids they’d take a bucket of sweets in their van and would throw in a handful of them for the children. We also delivered Easter eggs to every child at Easter.

“In one house, one of our electricians put in £10 of his own money to help an elderly lady top up her electricity.

“It was a real team effort. People wanted to be useful and they were happy to play their part.”

The team also included apprentice electricians, who were particularly keen to do whatever they could to help out.

“They really got stuck in, right from the beginning to the end,” said Elaine.

“They were brilliant, they did just about anything – typifying the spirit of Renfrewshire Council staff. We had

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Organising the support package deliveries was a huge team effort

to open the school kitchens and our catering team had limited staff so our guys did the grafting for them. They did whatever they had to do – opening the huge tins of beans, mixing food, packing and unpacking.

“Some of them really loved it and some have now become really good friends with the catering staff who they would never normally have met.”

At the start of the project, the team worked a range of shift patterns, seven days a week, to deliver fresh meals and other essentials through deliveries to more than 2,000 households.

Elaine said: “We also provided an out of hours service and the electricians were part of that. If someone was in

“It was a real team effort. People wanted to be useful and they were happy to help” Elaine Scott

QUICK FACTS

Renfrewshire Council BASED: Paisley PHONE: 0300 300 0330 WEBSITE: renfrewshire. gov.uk

crisis when the deliveries had been done for the day, then we had an emergency fridge and freezer system. The guys on call who would normally go out and do emergencies would be able to collect the bags and take it to the people if they didn’t have any other emergency work on. We never stopped.

There was an emergency electrician on every night, as there is 365 days of the year.”

Organising the support project was a massive logistical task, made even trickier by the demands of Elaine Scott

physical distancing. Huge amounts of supplies had to be collected, allocated and distributed, and the scheme produced piles of packaging which had to be responsibly dealt with.

Some of the Building Services workers

The different needs of each individual household had to be taken into account, including allergies and special diets.

Trolleys were borrowed from a local supermarket to help move the goods around and school kitchens were used to produce the thousands of meals sent out to vulnerable people.

And delivery routes were carefully worked out with GPS information to ensure the most effective way to reach all the people in need.

The skills and expertise of the electricians and the other trades meant they could adapt well to the change in their daily routine and already had the health and safety awareness that was vital to keeping everyone safe.

Elaine joked: “The biggest challenge was getting the tradesmen to tidy up their vans so there was room for the deliveries!

“They adapted really well. They helped out with whatever needed to be done and they came up with ideas about better ways to do things.

“It was a huge operation. There was so much to organise and arrange, plus we had to deal with physical distancing as well. We had to set up safety signage overnight and cone off areas so it could be one in, one out.”

As the weeks of lockdown continued, the team found ways to keep each other’s spirits up. Elaine said: “We took turns in making dinners for the guys because the catering staff were all busy preparing food for the households – I did a beef massaman curry for everyone one day. It was like a family and I got to meet so many people I wouldn’t normally get Continued on page 16 >>> CABLEtalk

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15

CORONAVIRUS SELECT MEMBER >>> Continued from page 15

to know. It was my birthday during that time and they surprised me by singing happy birthday and giving me a cake.”

The deliveries came to an end when shielding finished and the electricians are now adjusting to getting back to work under the continuing coronavirus rules.

“We did our last delivery on 31 July,” said Elaine.

“We are now doing emergencies and small electrical works that just need one person and are single, short jobs. We can change a socket but we can’t work on rewiring or anything that takes much longer.

“We’ve got a process where the tenant phones in, we assess the job and ask if there are any issues – the usual COVID protocols to see if they have symptoms or have been in contact with anyone with it. We’ll then go out and try to fix the issue if we can.

“We’ve been working on void houses and we’re able to do more work there because you can be in a room on your

own doing electrical work, so we’ve been doing a lot of work on these properties, along with minor repairs and emergencies.”

Although the electricians are now back at work in their usual jobs, Elaine will be ready to deploy them into the community again if the shielding rules and strict lockdown are reintroduced in the future.

She said: “If everything is locked down again I’m sure we’ll be in better place to organise it more quickly because of the lessons we’ve learned from last time.

“We’ve got the availability of workers with vans and if they can’t do their normal work then they’re available to do whatever else we need.

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the residents and lot of positive vibes from the guys who were involved, saying they were going to miss it. It helped for everyone to have something to do and to be useful, instead of sitting at home.

“It was a massive team effort and I’m really proud of everyone involved.”

The team borrowed trolleys from a supermarket to move the deliveries 16

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CORONAVIRUS GRADE CARDS & ASSESSMENTS

By Fiona Cornwall Employment Affairs Operations Manager, SELECT

L

ike everyone at SELECT, the Employment and Skills team had very little time to prepare for the COVID-19 lockdown. Thankfully, arrangements were made to give everyone laptops so we could work from home, and a switch to Office 365 proved a timely move. What would we have done without Microsoft Teams?

With these measures in place, we then considered what our initial priorities were and made contingency plans to enable us to meet our responsibilities and provide the appropriate support for the industry.

Firstly, we were concerned for those individuals whose SJIB Grade (ECS) cards had recently, or would shortly, expire and who subsequently might not have been permitted to return to sites post-lockdown. We therefore produced a list of those individuals holding an SJIB Grade (ECS) card with an expiry date between October 2019 and October 2020. That list was then spilt up and distributed amongst our administrators.

As soon as we began working from home, the team updated each individual’s record with an extended expiry date. Once our commercial card-printing partner was operational, we sent everything over to them to produce new cards with the extended expiry dates. Towards the end of June,

Continued on page 18 >>>

Making the grade The ongoing pandemic brought a unique set of challenges when it came to ECS assessments and the processing of SJIB grading applications.

But, as always, our team successfully adapted and rose to those challenges, introducing new routines to ensure an uninterrupted service that has helped contractors continue working CABLEtalk

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CORONAVIRUS GRADE CARDS & ASSESSMENTS >>> Continued from page 17

when a small contingent of staff were allowed back into The Walled Garden under strictly controlled conditions, arrangements were made for the cards to be posted out. We had a wee cottage industry going where we would meet in the car park of The Walled Garden, maintaining physical distancing, drop off cards that were ready to be posted, collect whatever supplies were needed for the next round and start all over again. It felt like a military operation and by the end of July, 4,000 replacement cards had been successfully distributed.

This initiative meant that when we entered Phase Two of the Scottish Government Route Map, when nonessential construction work could restart, individuals had cards that would enable them to work on sites.

While the team was processing new cards, our old database was put to bed and we began working on the development of the SJIB section on SELECT’s new database, iMIS. Throughout this period there were a lot of meetings, and testing and development work was carried out on the new database. Working live also brought its challenges. The team has worked incredibly hard to get us to where we are today and the finishing touches are now being made.

There was an initial backlog of grade card applications, comprising those which had been received just before the end of March and those posted to the SJIB while The Walled Garden was completely closed. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions it was not possible for us to retrieve this mail, however, as soon as we could we collected and processed those applications.

Work has now already begun on the development of an online assessment process for grading applications, further details of which will be announced over the coming months.

our new mode of working and focused on being able to handle requests and mark assessments in a timely way.

Electrical contracting businesses are asked to complete the normal ECS Request Application for the operative(s) concerned and post it to The Walled Garden. The administrators manage the requests and create the assessments,

THE TEAM BEHIND THE SCENES Left to right: Riki Gillespie, Employment Affairs Administrator, Gilian Hogarth, Employment Affairs Administrator, Nicola Walker, Employment Affairs Administrator and Nicky Deighan, Employment Affairs Administrator

Taking assessments online

Having completed the grade card extension process, our next task was to reinstate the processing of ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessments.

We reviewed our practices in light of 18

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which are emailed rather than posted to the company contact.

Now that contractors are back at work, many have arranged to have more invigilators so that they can complete the assessments in-house while still maintaining physical distancing.

In order for the completed ECS Assessments to be marked quickly and

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4,000

SINCE 23 MARCH:

567

SJIB grading applications processed

grade cards issued

550 42 2,017

ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessments created

accurately, we request that the assessments are posted to The Walled Garden. These are collected and distributed to the administrators every week and the results are emailed to the appropriate company contact.

We are now focused on being able to hold ECS Assessment sessions for self-employed and unemployed operatives. In the past, we held sessions on Friday afternoons where approximately 20 people would complete the assessment at The Walled Garden.

Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, such sessions will obviously not take place for the foreseeable future, so we have had to look at alternative delivery methods.

We have trialled virtual sessions via Zoom and GoToMeeting, but these have proven to be very labour intensive to set up and many operatives who are not comfortable with computers have struggled. We are conscious that operatives are

online invigilations conducted

SJIB telephone enquiries dealt with

“Over the past few months, we have all had to think outside the box and work at ways of delivering and meeting people’s expectations” often already nervous about completing the ECS Assessment, and we are keen to alleviate any unnecessary stress, and ensure that they have a positive experience.

Therefore, we have subsequently researched and liaised with Jenny Cryans, SELECT’s Training Manager, and are making arrangements to hold virtual sessions via a platform called Class Marker. Jenny and her team have been using the platform for SELECT courses and it has been well received, so it seems like the way forward.

Over the past few months, we have

all had to think outside the box and work at ways of delivering and meeting people’s expectations. I believe that many of the changes implemented during this period will continue to be useful options in the longer term.

It has been a challenge, but one I feel we have risen to.

We are happy to continue to receive SJIB grading applications, preferably through the post or alternatively via grading@sjib.org.uk

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FEATURES PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE

Better safe than sorry Members can now enjoy peace of mind with our professional indemnity insurance scheme, which has been launched exclusively for SELECT. But what IS professional indemnity insurance? What does it protect against? And how do you know if you need it? Here’s an overview of how it could prove vital if the unthinkable happens…

What is professional indemnity (PI) insurance?

PI insurance is a type of liability insurance which is designed to protect businesses and individuals who provide advice, design or expertise to third parties. Also known as Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions Insurance, this cover is designed to protect you if a customer alleges that you provided faulty or inadequate advice and services.

For businesses involved in the contracting industry, a ‘design and construct’ PI policy wording is needed – this is a specific type of policy designed to protect the professional activities of businesses working within the contracting sector.

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What does it cover?

This is the important bit! PI insurance covers the cost of your legal defence, along with compensation you may need to pay out to a third party following a claim made against you.

It’s worth noting you don’t actually need to have done something wrong to call on your PI policy cover – an allegation is enough.

What does it not cover?

Claims made by third parties if they are injured, become ill or have their property damaged during the course of your work, or as a result of or arising from a product you’ve manufactured, supplied or distributed.

These events are more properly

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covered by public and products liability insurance. It’s also important to note that Pl insurance does not provide cover for defective workmanship.

So do I need PI cover?

Many professions need PI insurance as part of their respective industry bodies’ regulatory requirements, or if required under the terms of a contract.

Though it’s not a legal requirement for everyone, PI insurance should be considered as essential for any company or sole trader offering advice, design, knowledge or skills as part of their services.

With PI-related claims becoming more common, this type of insurance

BENEFITS OF THE NEW SELECT PI INSURANCE SCHEME

● Access to a quick and easy-to-use online quotation facility ● PI insurance cover arranged with an ‘A’ rated insurer ● ‘Design and construct’ policy wording ● Policy limit of indemnity arranged on an ‘any one claim’ basis ● Defence costs being payable in addition to the limit of indemnity ● Competitive premiums available over a range of indemnity limits ● Interest-free instalment facility, enabling payment over 12 months

is now forming an integral part of many companies’ business insurance programmes.

What should I consider when arranging PI cover?

The first thing to take into account is an adequate limit of indemnity. PI insurance is sold in varying limits, so when deciding what limit is required, you should consider: ● The size of your business ● The size of the clients that you deal with ● How much it might cost to defend yourself in court ● If there are any industry regulated or contractual requirements.

The second thing to consider is the type of limit you require. Policies tend to have their limits of indemnity arranged on either an ‘any one claim’ or ‘aggregate’ basis of cover.

The benefit of an ‘any one claim’

policy is that it provides cover up to the full limit for each individual claim made in the period of insurance, whereas an ‘aggregate’ policy gives cover up to the full limit for all claims made in the period of insurance.

Clearly, it’s preferable to have your insurance arranged on an ‘any one claim’ basis, with cover for defence costs being in addition to the limit of indemnity, rather than included within it.

How might a PI claim arise?

To give an idea of how claims can arise, some real-life examples are shown below: ● CASE STUDY 1: A client alleged that the emergency lighting their electrical engineering contractors had installed was inadequate and did not comply with relevant regulations following installation at an industrial unit. A claim was submitted for £80,000.

● CASE STUDY 2: Heating and ventilation engineers designed and installed a heating system but following the work, their client alleged negligence in the design of the system. A claim was submitted for £380,000. ● CASE STUDY 3: Electrical contractors designed and supervised the installation of the mechanical and electrical services in a shopping centre.

Operational difficulties became apparent with the air-conditioning, allegedly due to a design fault.

A claim was submitted for £850,000.

Where can I find out more about PI insurance?

Look no further than the SELECT website at www.select.org.uk/ for-contractors – here you’ll find full details of the new scheme.

A new brochure is also now available from your Member rep and to download from the SELECT website.

For more details, email select@ brunelpi.co.uk visit select.hccint. com/Scheme/32379 or call 0117 325 2224 and ask for the Brunel wholesale team.

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FEATURES OFFICE BEARERS

A new chapter New SELECT President Donald W Orr reveals what he’s most looking forward to after being elected at our recent AGM and reflects on the lessons he’s learned from a 40-year career in the industry Hi Donald. When did you start your career as an electrician?

I started in 1980, after quite an unusual four-year apprenticeship. It began with Stuart H Shaw in Lanark in 1976, however the company was taken over 18 months later and didn’t need as many employees so I was paid off. The following week, I started with George McGills, a few doors up the street, and was there for another 18 months until I was paid off again through a lack of work.

However, I then started with T&R Galloway and we agreed they’d help me see my apprenticeship completed.

Redundancy is obviously something that some apprentices will be facing at the moment because of COVID-19. But a setback like that can be overcome – you can move on and it doesn’t have to be the end of the world.

And what’s your role now?

I’m Managing Director of Unitech Services Ltd in Carluke, Lanarkshire.

I started off as a sole trader in 1986 and changed to a limited company in 2005.

We specialise in electrical, fire and security work.

How did you become involved with SELECT?

I was invited to the first meeting after I’d joined to receive my membership certificate and I realised it wasn’t as intimidating as I’d thought it would be. It was actually enjoyable listening to other members chatting informally as well as about major issues relating to the whole industry, not just my section of it. You realise that you’re really not alone out there and we all have the same issues.

What roles have you carried out over the years for the association?

I was part of the Marketing Committee when the name changed from the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland to SELECT. I’ve also represented the association on the Fire and Security Association Standing Committee since 2017. It seemed like a natural progression when I first became Lanarkshire Branch Vice Chairman and then I was asked to become Chairman in 1994. I was also the Depute Vice Continued on page 25 >>> CABLEtalk

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FEATURES OFFICE BEARERS OFFICE BEARERS

Meet the team at the top SELECT’s main decision-making body is the Central Board which comprises the Presidential Team (President, Vice President, Depute Vice President and Immediate Past President), Office Bearers from each of SELECT’s eight Branches and the Co-opted Conveners of Committees.

PRESIDENTIAL TEAM

BRANCH OFFICERS INVERNESS & NORTH OF SCOTLAND

GLASGOW & WEST OF SCOTLAND

ALISTAIR GRANT

DONNIE CALDER

Chairman

Vice Chairman

ABERDEEN & NORTH EAST OF SCOTLAND STEWART ANDERSON

DAVID HARRIS

DONALD W ORR President

Chairman

ERIC RAE

Chairman

KENNY BERRIE

Vice Chairman

ALICK SMITH

Vice Chairman

DAVID SMITH

3rd Representative

3rd Representative

IAN YOUNG 4th Representative

TAYSIDE

ALISTAIR GRANT Vice-President

TONY HARVEY

AYRSHIRE

Chairman

JAMES COOPER

KEITH SMITH

Chairman

Vice Chairman

CHARLES DOBBIE

GRAHAM LYALL

Vice Chairman

3rd Representative

LANARKSHIRE

KEVIN GRIFFIN Immediate Past President

CRAIG MCGOWAN Chairman

PAUL SMITH Vice Chairman

CHRISTOPHER LIDDELL 3rd Representative

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DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY

EDINBURGH & SOUTH EAST OF SCOTLAND

GORDON PATERSON

GRAEME ANDERSON

ALASDAIR NOBLE

Chairman

Chairman

3rd Representative

JOHN WILSON

PAUL ERASMUSON

CRAIG NEISH

Vice Chairman

Vice Chairman

4th Representative

>>> Continued from page 23

President for two years, and that gave me a flavour of the role. I enjoyed it so much that I did it all over again, taking over the Lanarkshire Branch Chair some five years ago. Then I became Vice-President in 2019 and here we are now, President of SELECT in 2020.

How have you seen the association change?

When I joined on 15 October, 1989 (I did have to look that up!) it seemed very daunting. But that perception changed as soon as you were through the door and everybody was friendly. I think it was just the image you had as a young sparky entering the big world of business, rather than the reality. No matter what size of company you had, we all had the same issues and decisions to make.

Today, it’s great to see that the association is a member-focused, professional, forward-thinking organisation with more national involvement than ever before. It’s something that’s been highlighted recently with COVID-19. The association has been leading the way and helping others as they always have done.

How has the industry changed since you started out?

It’s changed greatly. We’re now an electrotechnical industry and have so much more involvement in other disciplines, rather than just electrical.

This has allowed electricians to take other career paths. I still believe that electrical and FESS apprenticeships are the best route for any young person to take through SECTT and the association and they can then grow and evolve into other disciplines.

Any funny stories during your career?

As a second-year apprentice I was sent out to fit a new doorbell for an elderly lady in the Clyde Valley. It was my first day out with another younger apprentice in tow. When the doorbell was fitted,

I explained that we were going to set it off to make sure she was happy with it.

Just as the other apprentice pressed it, the lady’s phone rang right beside her.

Straight away, she said: “That’s no good, it’s the same ring as my phone, you’ll need to get another one.”

I tried to tell her that it was her phone ringing but she wasn’t having any of it and kept saying she wanted a new doorbell. I could hear the other apprentice rolling about laughing and had to try really hard not to laugh myself.

When I finally got the apprentice to stop laughing, I said to the customer, “Shall we try this other tone?” and pressed the bell. Lo and behold, it sounded nothing like her phone and she was happy! That was my first customer service experience and how I managed to keep a straight face, I’ll never know.

If only I had patented that idea and name – ‘Ring’ would’ve done nicely!

How important is regulation of the industry?

Very – only those who are appropriately qualified and experienced should be allowed to call themselves an electrician.

Sub-standard electrical work has caused so many accidents over the years and we MUST ensure it is stamped out.

Regulation will help, and although it won’t solve things overnight, it will be a significant step forward. These days, the consumer has so many options when it comes to choosing an electrician and, as professionals, we should ensure they are able to make the right choice and employ someone they know is qualified to carry out any works properly.

Regulation of the industry ensures we can offer consumers the safest option that will protect their homes, families and businesses. SELECT has been at the forefront of this campaign and it is heartening to see it make significant progress. It shows the difference we can make.

And what do you think the impact of COVID-19 will be? Have you seen much impact yourself?

Some have flourished

during this time, but unfortunately some have suffered greatly. Personally, I think it won’t be until well into next year that we get back on a level footing.

As an association, we are here for all our Members and are in the best position to assist. But the updates we publish on our website are open to everyone, not just our Members. The information is there for everyone to see.

My own business has suffered during this period, as have many, but then so have my customers and my customers’ customers. They are the ones that matter for getting my business back to normal.

Helping them to come back, keeping them on the right footing and allowing them to flourish can only benefit us all in the future. We are all in this together.

What are you most looking forward to as President?

More interaction with the Members, the branches and other associations.

We have a great team here and have surpassed what others have done over the last six months. Being part of this process and joining them at this level is truly an honour.

With the bigger picture in mind, I’m looking forward to being able to work with other associations and government as we help everyone get back to an even footing and then going forward, instead of just getting back to where we were before COVID-19. We can all work together and that’s what we’ll do – that’s what the Members of our association deserve.

What would you say to anyone thinking of getting more involved with their branch?

Go for it! It doesn’t take much time to go to a meeting and now they’re being held via webinar, it’s even easier than ever – you can join in from your sofa. You’ll benefit greatly and will realise that you’re not alone, whether you’re a sole trader, managing director, the qualifying manager or any other part of a company.

Talking does help, and listening even more so. We are all like-minded people and all want the best for our companies.

Give your branch a chance – turn up and join in. You’ll realise that you have a voice, you have something to contribute and you can grow as an individual and a company.

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FEATURES OFFICE BEARERS

Challenges and change Kevin Griffin looks back on his three years as President of SELECT and the unprecedented events which happened during his time in the role

M

y time as President of SELECT has been eventful to say the least. It has coincided with the biggest global health crisis in a century and a significant change in the organisation’s senior management.

At times, the scale of change has been bewildering, but throughout it all it has been a privilege and a pleasure to hold this position.

Normally, the SELECT President serves for two years. However, because these are far from normal times, I have held the role for three.

I first joined SELECT (or the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland as it was then) more than 25 years ago and it’s fair to say that I’ve never witnessed a period like recent times when sweeping developments have come thick and fast.

Among others, SELECT appointed a new managing director, Alan Wilson.

It’s never easy to make change at the top of an organisation but the outstanding contribution that Alan has made since we brought him on board proves that the difficult decision to refresh our top team was a wise one.

Around three months before I was due to step down as President, COVID-19 hit the UK. The resulting crisis is the biggest challenge SELECT and its Members have faced. However, thanks to our amazing people, we were able to function throughout the pandemic.

We focused on communication, 26

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providing members with essential information and advice.

We not only kept up to date with legislation produced by the UK and Scottish Governments but also helped to influence where we could.

Part of our strategy was for Central Board members to pick up the phone to call Members directly. As business owners, we faced exactly the same challenges and pressures as our Members and it was important to share experiences, as well as provide the reassurance that SELECT was ready to help.

The pandemic and subsequent lockdown had an immediate impact on Members’ finances and, as a means of support, we refunded membership fees – an option that was only open to us thanks to strong financial management over the years.

There are two aspects of the crisis that show just what SELECT means to its Members and how they appreciated our response to the coronavirus challenges.

For one, our membership numbers have remained constant throughout – almost every individual and organisation has stayed with us.

What’s more, although we gave people the option to forego membership fees, a number continued to pay, insisting that they wanted to support the organisation and their fellow professionals.

COVID-19 has had wider impact.

It has combined with the advance of technology to speed up changes in the way we all operate. For example, training programmes are now delivered

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online rather than face-to-face. The role of President will be affected, too. There will be less focus on attending events while digital contact with Members will continue to grow.

In a way, that makes the job harder – it’s difficult to establish and nurture relationships online. But I’ve no doubt people will find a way.

As my extended period as President comes to an end, it’s time for someone else to come in and make their mark.

I feel that I leave SELECT in good shape, bearing in mind the groundshaking developments of the past year in particular. And I am sure the association will continue to grow and develop.

Finally, I think it’s important to reiterate that SELECT, above all, is a democratic organisation where everyone’s views are important. I’ve never seen myself as anything more than a member of the association and I believe any fellow member could take up the various roles I am proud to have carried out.

If you believe you can make a contribution, I would encourage you to step forward perhaps at branch level to get involved. I can’t promise that the future will be as dramatic as the past 12 months, but I can guarantee it’s a decision you would never regret.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: New SELECT Vice-President Alistair Grant Page 46

STRENGTHENING SUPPORT FOR CHARITY’S LIFE-SAVING WORK When I first became President, one of my aims was to strengthen our links with the Electrical Industries Charity. I wanted it to be naturally associated with SELECT and to make sure we highlighted charity events and fundraising activities. The charity’s work

is vital and, in some cases, life-saving. Many of our Members are under constant pressure. That can sometimes lead to problems such as mental health issues and, in extreme cases, suicide.

The Electrical Industries Charity provides the help people need.

Crucially, it has expert insight into our sector and it uses that knowledge well.

What’s more, it doesn’t just help our

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Members; it’s there for their families too. It’s heartening to know that the relationship we’ve established with the Electrical Industries Charity will continue and, I hope, grow even stronger in the future. ● Find out more at www.electricalcharity.org

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TECHNICAL SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY

Smart moves Recent SELECT webinars with BEMCO and Lutron have proved there’s an appetite for intelligent home technology – but what are the next practical steps an electrician should take?

By Bob Cairney I Eng MIET Technical Standards Adviser, SELECT

F

ollowing the easing of lockdown restrictions, hopefully we can all begin to look forward to a sustained recovery and a return to some sort of normal business activity.

However, many businesses will now be looking for alternative work to support depleted income streams – and smart home technology may just be one such opportunity, particularly

with smart tech products predicted to rise significantly by 2025.

Growing numbers of tech-savvy homeowners are investing in these products and many want help to decide on the technology and products suitable for them. This could be driven by the increasing range of products now in the market or it may be that the homeowner has specific requirements that need specialist skills and knowledge.

Whatever the reason, clearly if homeowners want help to select suitable smart tech products then they will also want someone to install the tech for them and, in SELECT’s opinion, electricians and electrical contractors are best placed to do this as they already possess most of the technical knowledge and skills required.

What is a smart home?

A smart home is simply one that is equipped with a smart electrical installation where the smart connected equipment installed can be controlled remotely using an app on a smartphone or tablet computer. This provides many benefits for a homeowner by making it more convenient to control and monitor Continued on page 30 >>>

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TECHNICAL SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY >>> Continued from page 29

their home and can include voice control technology. This enables them to schedule specific events and adjust home comfort settings to meet their needs and can also provide control and monitoring when away from home to give them peace of mind. Smart homes are often created to enhance audio or visual installations associated with smart TV or home cinema, to enhance the control of heating and/or lighting to reduce energy consumption, to enhance home security or a combination of all of the above.

What are the opportunities?

Of course, while promoting smart home technology as a new opportunity, smart homes themselves are not new. What is new is that with the growth in wireless technology, increased use of smartphones and the ever-increasing range of affordable smart tech products, this type of installation can now be easily and cost effectively installed in all types of home.

Early smart homes relied on cabling installations, using data cables (Cat 5 UTP) and coaxial to connect smart connected equipment. It was therefore not such an easy job to retrofit the technology into existing homes and also the range and costs associated with the smart tech products available at the time were not as they are now. However, this has all changed, opening up a potentially huge market.

It should also be mentioned that in new housing developments, smart home technology appears to be very underused at the moment. Where properly considered and specified, given the relatively low cost of the technology in comparison to the overall construction costs of a new house, it could be something that would interest potential buyers and could boost sales.

Perhaps this is an area worthy of further exploration with those responsible for specification of new housing developments.

What do I need to do to become a smart home electrician?

From an electrician’s point of view, smart home tech is relatively simple to install and connect as it makes use of the 30

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Smart lighting means new opportunities for qualified electricians

home Wi-Fi system and a smartphone or tablet computer to control the smart devices either directly or via a hub.

The first step to becoming a smart home electrician should therefore be to understand and develop your knowledge of smart tech products and what they can do, particularly those that you intend to install.

Once you have obtained this knowledge, start to engage with potential customers and spread the word on smart tech and let them know what you can do for them. However, as a word of caution it may be best to start small, perhaps by installing a few smart tech products in your own home which will help you to gain valuable experience before undertaking small projects for paying customers! In other words, learn to walk before you try to run.

If you feel that you need training or back-up support, check with manufacturers of the products to see if they provide help with this. If you’re using established brands, most will be able to provide free product training either directly through their technical support team or perhaps through a local trade supplier.

Smart lamps and smart lighting

Providing smart lighting solutions, such as installation of smart lamps and smart lights or upgrading existing lighting circuits with smart control devices, may

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be the easiest route into becoming a smart home electrician.

Replacing existing lamps with smart lamps for instance is particularly easy and features include dimming control, automatic switching and the ability to choose a wide range of lamp colours (which is useful for creating mood settings). Smart lamps are also energy efficient and will help customers to reduce their overall home energy consumption. The tech associated with the products is simple and easy to set up and operate using Bluetooth and an app.

Some smart lamps can also be connected to other smart home tech products to take advantage of voice control technology, i.e. Amazon Echo with Alexa voice control, Apple Home Kit with Siri voice control or Google Home with Google Assistant. Where such voice control smart products are to be used, make sure the smart lamps are compatible with the voice control technology.

Where installing specific smart lighting products, such as a floor standing lights or table lights, the supply and means of control is simply facilitated by connection to a local BS 1363 socket-outlet using a smart plug or connection unit which comes with the smart light and is again easy to set up and operate.

The above options however may offer limited opportunities and can present

issues in themselves, i.e. the number of devices that can be connected to a home Wi-Fi network could become a source of problems with drop-off affecting the lighting where the Wi-Fi is unmanaged (which will be the case with most homeowners).

So, perhaps a better option would be to install or upgrade all or parts of existing lighting circuits to provide a smart lighting control system. This has the advantage that the work does require the services of a skilled electrician as connections are necessary between the lighting circuit and the smart devices being installed.

Smart lighting systems are created by connecting the smart lighting devices to an interface (hub) that uses radio frequency to connect them all together with the home Wi-Fi system, or connection can be made via a smart product which can give voice control.

This approach to smart lighting is usually more cost effective for the homeowner, as the normal lights and lamps can be used and such systems also benefit from the wealth of experience and knowledge gained by lighting control companies over many years, which results in a professional grade of installation and user experience.

“Factor in spending time with your new customers to explain how devices operate and how to set or adjust settings on completion of work” These provide a huge range of options for the homeowner, making dimming and automatic control possible, including presence and absence detection as well as options to locate remote switching devices conveniently for the customer’s requirements and providing a huge range of options for scene setting.

Don’t be afraid of the technology

Be aware that it will not always be plain sailing when installing smart home technology and you will encounter problems at some stage of becoming a smart home electrician, including: ● Issues with dimming LED lamps – when installing smart dimming make sure that the devices are compatible with the lamps. ● Issues with poor Wi-Fi coverage in certain areas of a home – extend

the Wi-Fi or install a repeater device to extend control from the smart product Wi-Fi interface.

Remember, there are always solutions to such problems and reliable technical back-up from product manufacturers can be hugely beneficial to guide you through these issues when you encounter them.

Also factor in spending time with your new customers to explain how devices operate and how to set or adjust settings on completion of work.

Whatever route you decide to take to get involved with smart home technology, the most important thing is to enjoy the experience and do not be afraid of the smart home technology.

Do your homework and identify reliable products and suppliers – this could be an exciting opportunity for some.

Home technology can be controlled easily with a smart phone or tablet

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TECHNICAL POWER FACTOR CORRECTION SELECT Member Dave Purves demonstrating the benefits of PFC

With rising energy costs and the drive towards net-zero greenhouse gases by 2050 influencing tax policy, there’s never been a greater need for energy efficiency. Gary Vizard, Managing Director of industry experts EnergyAce, explains why technology like power factor correction could be one answer

The techs 32

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P

ower factor correction (PFC) has been around since the turn of the 20th century and improves the overall efficiency of an electrical supply by the controlled introduction of capacitors on to an electrical system.

Power factor is basically a degree of electrical efficiency. In an AC circuit, it’s the ratio between the useful power kW (true power needed to perform a task) and apparent power kVA (a combination of true power and reactive power, i.e. power drawn in addition to useful power but does not contribute to the task).

Power factor is displayed as a figure between 0.01pf to 1.00pf, with a poor power factor generally understood to be less than 0.95pf and a perfect power factor as 1.00pf, known as unity. In layman’s terms, you could describe power factor as a % degree of electrical efficiency and a good power factor in excess of 95% is normally deemed as Continued on page 34 >>>

A standard 600kVAR Power Factor Correction system

factor

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TECHNICAL POWER FACTOR CORRECTION >>> Continued from page 33

electrically efficient. Power factor can also be termed as lagging or leading.

A lagging power factor signifies that the load is inductive and in need of correction through the introduction of capacitors, while a leading power factor signifies that there is too much capacitance in circuit.

A general methodology exists between the network operators (DNO) to apply penalties to users whose power factor falls below 0.95pf either lag or lead, which appear on a user’s electricity bill in the form of a reactive power charge.

Poor power factor can create a number of negative effects in both billing and infrastructure. In fact, a European survey in 2007 discovered that poor power quality is seriously affecting business results in the industrial and service sectors, with an annual total loss of €150 billion across Europe. To counter this, installing PFC can offer significant benefits as follows:

Removal of reactive power charges

Targeting unity power factor and ensuring 0.95pf or better will, in most cases, remove the reactive power penalties on electricity bills completely.

Reduction in authorised supply capacity

Authorised supply capacity charges (availability charges) are normally charged in kVA at a typical rate of £1/ kVA/month. The charge relates to the maximum demand or maximum power drawn from the network on a user’s site and is generally in place to pay for the supply network infrastructure required to deliver the declared (or drawn) degree of energy at any time, night or day. A penalty charge for energy drawn over and above this declared or agreed supply capacity is typically twice the cost. Power factor in an AC power circuit is directly related to kVA and associated circuit currents, therefore an improvement in power factor would normally allow the user to target the correct/lower capacity level to avoid exaggerated charges on monthly energy bills and allow for additional loads 34

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A typical farming application for a PFC 37.5kVAR installation

to be introduced on an otherwise overloaded system.

Reduced kw/h consumption

Reduced kw/h losses in power cables, switchgear and supply transformers deliver benefits to the whole electrical system.

Reduced emissions

Higher, inefficient energy consumption inevitably results in an increase in CO2 emissions and associated penalties – something that can be reduced with PFC.

Reduced investment in infrastructure and costly network upgrades

A site operating on a power factor close to unity would require less investment in associated power plant, e.g. transformers, switchgear and cables, as the reduction in kVA will allow for the investment in associated plant to be minimised. Investments into costly network upgrades due to an overloaded electrical supply can be avoided by improving power factor at a fraction of the cost of an upgrade.

Improvement in power quality

The reliability and consistency of an

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electricity supply is critical to many energy users. Poor power factor can create undesirable issues and poor reliability on a user’s power network – things that PFC can help to resolve.

Installation

Installation of PFC is carried out in parallel with the main supply to offer ‘bulk correction’ and is connected just like any other machine via a suitably rated form of protective device like a molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) or fused switch. Individual ‘local’ power factor correction capacitors can also be installed on individual motor loads.

When installing on individual motor loads, it is important to ensure overcompensation cannot occur and that any associated controls will allow for the capacitor to discharge between energisation periods.

Combining technologies

PFC can be combined with other technologies like voltage optimisation and/or remote metering and monitoring to offer additional befits. Voltage optimisation is a complementary technology and works very well in synergy as a powerful energy saver that is extremely visible on energy bills.

SAVING ENERGY AND MONEY

A combined approach introduces the best of both technologies to reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions, capacity and availability charges, remove reactive power penalties, improve supply utility and protect electrical equipment from high voltage levels.

The first stage of any energy reduction scheme is to gather accurate information and data on existing energy consumption and efficiency.

Combining this with remote metering and monitoring enables users to monitor energy consumption and target reductions – a fundamental step when targeting energy reduction, irrespective of business size or sector.

EnergyAce has been manufacturing energy savings solutions since 2002 and works mainly with partners to deliver PFC, voltage management and remote metering systems in the UK. One such partner is Dave Purves of SELECT Member business WP Purves Electrical Ltd, based in Coldstream, Berwickshire.

Dave has been delivering Energy Ace to agricultural, commercial and industrial clients to save energy, reduce demand and reduce CO2 liability.

He told CABLEtalk: “I first got involved with PFC about four years ago through an agricultural customer who wanted to do something about his huge energy bills. He’d read about PFC and contacted Energy Ace, who then approached us to carry out the installation.

“It was fairly straightforward project – the only thing you have to be aware of at first is sizing the correct protective device, but after that it’s just a case of choosing a mains switch fuse or an MCCB, and then connecting it in parallel into the system. It really is that simple.

“Since that first job, we’ve gone on to

do about 25 similar installations, so it’s given us a steady amount of work.

“We work in the commercial, agricultural and industrial sector, so there are lots of people who have an issue with using a lot of power and want to do everything they can to counteract it. In most places, PFC can provide a significant reduction, although you do need to be using quite a bit of load in the first place to see a difference. But for those who are, it’s very effective.

“For example, on that first job we put an amp meter on the incoming tails when it was switched off and when we switched it on the difference was incredible – the customer went on to cut his bills by a third.

“It also seems to work well with renewables, because you’re able to feed more back into the grid by maximising what you’re producing. And if you combine it with voltage optimisation, it makes an even bigger difference.

“It’s definitely something that’s worth investigating if your customers are heavy users – I’ve been very impressed.”

Dave Purves now delivers PFC solutions

EnergyAce can advise on every aspect of PFC, helping organisations identify energy wastage and make better, more informed decisions. For more information, contact EnergyAce on 01695 559 785, email post@energyace. co.uk or visit www.energyace.co.uk CABLEtalk

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TRAINING BS 7671 COURSE

Back to the classroom After six months of online learning, SELECT has introduced a range of health and safety measures as training returns to The Walled Garden with our popular 18th Edition course

By Jenny Cryans Training Manager, SELECT

A

fter introducing a range of comprehensive COVID-19 safety measures, we are delighted to be restarting partial training sessions at our headquarters outside Edinburgh.

Staggered start times, reduced class sizes, clear signage and a range of hygiene measures are all now in place as The Walled Garden prepares to receive delegates once again.

The new measures will enable us to safely deliver the practical part of our SQA Customised Award in Initial Verification to BS 7671 Course (18th Edition).

Also known as our 209 course,

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“We are delighted to be able to offer this course to Members as we continue to move forward and deliver more training”

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this is broken into three parts, all of which candidates must successfully complete before we can apply for their certificate from SQA.

1. Introduction to BS 7671 (online)

The online session provides a basic introduction to BS 7671 to ensure delegates can successfully navigate and find key information from the latest version of the IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671:2018. The session takes a few hours to complete and can be completed in stages.

To complete the online course, candidates will need access to: ● Requirements for Electrical Installations (18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations) BS 7671:2018 (blue book)

2. Initial Verification of Electrical Installations to BS 7671:2018 (online)

The second and third parts of the 209 course are spread across two days, with the first day an online session dealing with the following principles: ● Inspection of new installations ● Testing of new installations including continuity of conductors, insulation resistance, polarity, earth electrode resistance, earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current and RCDs test ● Virtual demonstration of inspection and testing procedures and interpretation of results ● Virtual demonstration of results obtained to complete a schedule

Special measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have been added to our classroom

OCTOBER 2020 BS 7671 Training

Duration

Venue

Date

209* Initial Verification

1 1/2 days

Online & Edinburgh

14&15, 27&28

218* Requirements for Electrical Installations

1 day

Online

14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29

Health & Safety Training

Duration

Venue

Date

Edinburgh

Call for dates

Glasgow

Call for dates

Online

14, 20, 27

Glasgow

13, 23

Broxburn

14

Glasgow

16

101 Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)

1 day

102 ECS Health, Safety & Environmental

1 day

211 IPAF

1 day

211 Pasma Towers for Users

1 day

Broxburn

16

217 Safe Isolation

1/2 day

Online

29

10014 SSSTS

2 days

Glasgow

19&20

Manual Handling

1/2 day

Edinburgh

Call for dates

Glasgow

13

221 Emergency Lighting

1 day

Online

24

324 Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation

2 days

Glenrothes

17&18

Paisley

9&10, 16&17, 23&24

415 Energy Storage Systems

1 day

Paisley

18

Management Training

Duration

Venue

Date

215 Site Supervisory

2 days

Online

3&10

NOVEMBER 2020

of inspections and schedule of test results ● Review of the certification requirements for new installations and additions and alterations as confirmed in Chapter 64 ● Two multiple choice assessments.

Scheduled dates 14 & 15 October 27 & 28 October

3. Practical session (The Walled Garden)

Held at SELECT HQ, the final part of the course is an in-person session. It takes around two hours and consists of a mix of practical exercises and certification using test board simulators.

Candidates will be given either a 9.30am or 1.30pm allocated time when they book their place on the course and there will be a reduced class size, with only a maximum of four people in the training room, including the SELECT tutor.

We are delighted to be able to offer this course to Members as

Numbers in the training room are limited to four people, including the tutor

we continue to move forward and deliver more training. We’re still delivering as much as we can virtually, but Members can be reassured that if they do visit The Walled Garden for a practical session, delegates and tutors will be working in a safe environment.

For further information or to book, please visit www.select.org.uk/training call 0131 445 5577 or email training@select.org.uk

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FOCUS PROJECT BANK ACCOUNTS

Forging stronger links

As a leading member of SEC Group Scotland, SELECT had long campaigned for the introduction of project bank accounts (PBAs).

Now they’re up and running, two industry experts explain how the Scottish Government is increasing its efforts to ensure they benefit every firm in the supply chain

By Professor Rudi Klein SEC Group CEO and Barrister

By Len Bunton

FRICS FCIArb, HON FRIAS

SEC Group Scotland 38

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lmost four years ago, the Scottish Government mandated the use of project bank accounts (PBAs) for all public bodies in receipt of government funding, and also advised other bodies such as local authorities to follow suit.

When launching the policy, the Scottish Government was adamant that all sub-contractors and subsub-contractors must benefit from the use of PBAs. All sub-contractors had to be paid through a PBA if the value of their works was at least 1% of the value of the main contract works. Where sub-contractors were excluded, they were still able to request that their payments were made through the

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PBA. This new policy applied to all building projects more than £4 million but last year this was reduced to £2 million.

Benefits for sub-contractors

PBAs offer sub-contractors two major benefits. The first is faster and regular payments. PBAs avoid the need for payments to cascade down through

ADVICE ONLINE Rudi and Len delivered a webinar about PBAs on behalf of the CICV Forum on 15 September. To watch it again, please go to bit.ly/PBAwebinar and download the presentation at cicvforum.co.uk/ useful-links

the different layers of contracting.

Instead, everybody is paid simultaneously from the same ‘pot’ within 12-15 days.

The second benefit is that subcontractors’ monies are ring-fenced, so once they’re in the PBA they’re protected in the event of the main contractor’s insolvency.

Monies are held in trust which means that they can’t be raided by the main contractor’s insolvency practitioner. The monies in the PBA are held by the client and main contractor as joint account holders on behalf of the beneficiary subcontractors.

Problems with PBAs

To date, the experiences of subcontractors on PBA projects have been very positive. After Carillion collapsed in January 2018, Highways England, the largest user of PBAs down south, reported that subcontractors on their projects had not lost any money.

MORE ABOUT PBAs PBAs aren’t complicated and shouldn’t be feared – they merely offer certainty of payment timing and give you protection in the event of a contractor’s insolvency.

To read more about the process, please visit the Useful Links section of the CICV Forum website at www.cicvforum.co.uk where you’ll find a dedicated section on PBAs. Among the material is a link to a particularly helpful Scottish Government publication, Implementation of Project Bank Accounts – you won’t find clearer guidance anywhere.

But not all has been plain sailing.

Some sub-contractors, while enthusiastic about PBAs, have reported that they don’t receive information about whether a PBA has been set up on their projects. Others

are aware but for one reason or another have not been included within the PBA arrangements.

Main contractors have often given the excuse that some or all of their sub-contractors don’t wish to be a part of the PBA. Even where they are beneficiaries of the PBA, firms are not always made aware when their payments have been deposited in it.

Tightening the rules

The Scottish Government is keen to ensure that the PBA ‘net’ in Scotland is cast as widely as possible to include more small firms, and in August it issued updated guidance for the public sector.

This means that where PBAs are implemented, they must be available to and accessible by all subcontractors and sub-sub-contractors.

All commissioning bodies, i.e. public sector construction procurers, must maintain a record of the PBA status Continued on page 40 >>> CABLEtalk

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FOCUS PROJECT BANK ACCOUNTS >>> Continued from page 39

of every sub-contractor and sub-subcontractor and the reasons for any firm declining to join the PBA. Furthermore, “the main contractor must include PBA provisions in all invitations to tender for subcontracted work and require subcontractors to do likewise in all prospective sub-sub-contracts”.

Main contractors must be able to provide evidence that PBA relevant information has been sent to all sub-contractors on the project.

The Scottish Government’s model PBA contract provisions already require main contractors to give written reasons to clients for excluding a sub-contractor from the PBA. They are also required to obtain a written explanation from sub-contractors declining to join the PBA and to make this available to the client.

A PBA template notice is shown on the right, which clients must now send to main contractors for circulation to all sub-contractors on the project.

TELL US YOUR EXPERIENCES Have you been in, or are involved in, a PBA? Have you been on a PBA project where you weren’t invited to join it? If you have been involved in a PBA, did you receive information regarding your payment amounts going into it and the dates when they were deposited? SELECT would like to hear feedback about your experience of PBAs. Please email iain.mason@select.org.uk with your feedback.

PBA TEMPLATE NOTICE Project Bank Accounts (PBAs) are Scottish Government policy. They assure that sub-contractors get paid promptly for work done and that those payments are ring-fenced if the main contractor ceases trading. This is a notice to firms concerning the PBA operating on the following construction project.* Sub-contractors employed by the main contractor must join the PBA where their sub-contract value is at least 1% of the value of the contract awarded to the main contractor. There are very limited potential exemptions and it is generally presumed that sub-contractors will join the PBA. The main contractor and main contract award value for this project are as follows:* Sub-contractors with lower value sub-contracts and any firm on this project employed by a sub-contractor can ask to join the PBA by contacting the employer in the first instance. Firms who are advised against or denied their opportunity to contact the employer should immediately contact the employer, as follows:*

Employer name: Email address: Telephone number: A sub-contractor or sub-sub-contractor on this project must sign the additional party agreement in order to join the PBA. The additional party agreement must be provided by the main contractor to any sub-contractor it wishes to employ; and by any sub-contractor to any sub-sub-contractor it wishes to employ. Where the additional party agreement is not provided, please contact the employer.

No fees or charges in connection with joining the PBA may be levied on this project. A sub-contractor’s or sub-sub-contractor’s work in progress on site will be valued by the firm which contracted it to work on this project. Payment will be received directly from the PBA a day or two after the employer deposits it. All participating firms, including the main contractor, will receive payment from the PBA at the same time.

* to be completed by the commissioning body before sending to the main contractor

CASE STUDY: SCOTLAND’S RURAL COLLEGE Claire Lorimer, Procurement Contract Manager at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), was responsible for procuring the main contractor for the Avian Innovation and Skills Centre at SRUC’s Bush Estate, beside SELECT HQ in Midlothian.

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A PBA was successfully used for the delivery of the £5 million facility, and Claire was very positive about the benefits it brought to the supply chain.

She said: “In view of the potential consequences and impact on sub-contractors if

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a main contractor were to go into liquidation or withhold payments, SRUC was keen to embed the PBA into the terms and conditions for this project.

“In doing so, it minimised potential risk, while providing confidence of timely payments to both the main contractor

and sub-contractors. This balanced the interest of all within the construction supply chain ensuring consistent cashflows and established fair and transparent payment practices. Once set up, the PBA was easily managed and administered.”

APPRENTICES TALENT OF TOMORROW

Getting back on track The pandemic has left many businesses forced to make job cuts, with apprentices often finding themselves out of work. We spoke to two SELECT Member firms who are helping young people continue their careers after redundancy

W

By Tim Power

hen the coronavirus pandemic struck back in late March, people were naturally worried about their health, but, for many, there were also concerns for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, in the electrical sector it was often young apprentices that were made redundant as employers looked to cut costs.

However, their loss was a gain for some far-sighted employers who have taken their pick of the young talent available and helped to put these young people’s careers back on track to becoming qualified electricians.

One of those was companies was Edinburgh-head office based AKD, which has taken on two former redundant apprentices in recent

months: Russell Cairns, who is about to start his third year, and Ciaran Corkish, who is about to go into his second year.

AKD, which also has offices in Glasgow and Cheshire, provides commercial and residential electrical services and takes on at least two apprentices each year. It now has 20 young people in various years training to become qualified electricians in each of its offices.

Managing Director Keith Groom is sympathetic to the plight of apprentices who have been made redundant. He said: “It’s really bad luck that these two lads have lost their jobs through no fault of their own but, fortunately, because of the continued growth in our business, we’re happy to adopt and assist them to get through their apprenticeships with us, hopefully gaining a further two fantastic electricians.

“An apprenticeship is a formative part of your life and I personally enjoy seeing our apprentices develop as they come through the business. We hopefully get

to know their family and friends and we support all of them through their own trials and tribulations, as we pride ourselves on our close relationships at work – we call it the AKD family. So, everyone that comes into the business is treated like a family member and now Russell and Ciaran are part of that.”

While Ciaran was introduced to Keith by Fraser Binnie, a Training Officer at the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT), Russell used LinkedIn to put the word out about job opportunities.

Keith said: “Some electricians set up a LinkedIn account to help people who had lost their jobs get in touch with potential employers. One organiser tagged me into Russell’s details. I got in touch, we had a FaceTime interview and he impressed me.

“I can’t comment on Ciaran yet as he has only just started, but Russell is Continued on page 42 >>>

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APPRENTICES TALENT OF TOMORROW TALENT OF TOMORROW

Russell’s Story When Russell left school, his first job was as a field engineer for a telecoms and data company. He enjoyed the work but felt there was not enough training provided for a career progression, so he decided that an apprenticeship would be the best option.

He explained: “Electrical work had always intrigued and interested me, and as I was working in cabling I thought training to be an electrician would be a good step forward.”

Russell was successful in obtaining an apprenticeship with a small electrical firm but the company had financial problems and he was let go.

He was delighted when SECTT Training Officer Fraser Binnie put him forward for an apprenticeship with a business specialising in the new build domestic market and he got the job. But within 18 months, the pandemic had hit and the firm had to make nearly half of its 32 workers redundant.

Did this make Russell despondent? No, within two weeks he had a new job with

NAME: Russell Cairns AGE: 20 POSITION: Third year apprentice WORKS: AKD Edinburgh HOBBIES: Football and kickboxing Russell loves working with AKD in Edinburgh AKD in Edinburgh. He said: “When I got made redundant for the second time I realised that I had to be proactive, so I joined a LinkedIn group for redundant apprentices and explained my experience and situation. I was also contacting other companies through social media and AKD replied to one of my posts.

“I was speaking on the phone with Managing Director Keith Groom within a few days of him contacting me and then I had an interview which was successful – so it all happened

>>> Continued from page 41

definitely switched on. I’ve seen him out on site and he handles himself very well. I’ve already had positive feedback from his colleagues on a project at an insurance building in Edinburgh.

“In fact, he’s working with Josh, who originally approached us from another company because he felt he was not getting the on-site training he required.

He joined us five years ago and he’s now a qualified electrician and running his own sites. That’s what we like to do; develop our own people by bringing 42

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pretty fast. I was impressed with Keith and the company; he seemed to be a very switched-on guy and since working there I have been very impressed with the professionalism of everyone – it’s like a well-oiled machine.

“It’s great to be working on new things and learning more tricks of the trade, like the work I’m doing on emergency lighting systems at the moment. And it’s good that the tradesperson I’m working with also gives me the independence to get on with

them through the ranks.” Another company that has taken on a redundant apprentice is SELECT Member firm MR Electrical, based in Edinburgh, with four employees providing domestic electrical services with some commercial work.

Like a lot of owners of small companies, Michael Riley had always considered taking on an apprentice, but until now he never had the time.

However, when he heard about Luke Dunn from SECTT Training Officer Fraser Binnie, he decided to help out.

Michael said: “I thought it was a bit unfair how Luke had lost his job and

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projects after he has explained what’s needed to be done.”

Russell has finished his second year and now is looking forward to continuing his training at Edinburgh College to enter his third year of the apprenticeship.

Russell added: “Losing your job is just one of those things you’ve got to get over. In the grand scheme of things there will always be jobs for skilled tradespeople, so you’ve got to have a positive mindset and be proactive in looking for new opportunities.”

“That’s what we like to do; develop our own people by bringing them through the ranks”

I could appreciate how devastating it would have been if I had been in his shoes. I was an apprentice once so I felt it was important to give him a chance.”

Michael knew Luke’s father from when they were both young, and had carried out electrical work at his home – he had even offered Luke a week’s work experience when he was at school.

He said: “I could tell at the interview that he was pretty keen and had a willingness to learn, and his experience of both domestic and commercial work is a great benefit to us. He has the right attitude and I know that he wants to become a good electrician.”

It’s a decision he’s not regretted as Luke was able to hit the ground running

when he started in August, and is now preparing to enter the third year of his apprenticeship at Edinburgh College.

Commenting on the support that AKD and MR Electrical and others in the trade have given apprentices made redundant as a result of the economic turndown, Anne Galbraith, Chief Executive of SECTT, said: “I am delighted that employers have stepped forward to offer these apprentices the opportunity to complete their apprenticeship.

“SECTT supports redundant apprentices by funding their college training to allow them to complete the stage that they are in. We will also pay for travel to college as an additional

support. For third-stage apprentices who are eligible to sit FICA, we ensure that they are able to sit this with no cost to themselves. We believe that they should be given all opportunities to become an electrician. During these difficult and challenging times, I would like to thank all employers who continue to support SECTT and the SJIB apprenticeship programmes.”

SECTT manages high-quality training on behalf of the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB). To find out more about SECTT and its work call 0131 445 5659, email admin@ sectt.org.uk or visit www.sectt.org.uk

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TALENT OF TOMORROW

Luke’s story

As fate would have it, a week’s work experience with MR Electrical was what interested Luke Dunn in a career as an electrician. And a few years later, he’s now working at the company and entering his third year apprenticeship, after being made redundant in August.

After leaving school, Luke accepted an apprenticeship with a company providing electrical services to the commercial sector but he soon felt that he was not getting a fully grounded experience working as an electrician.

He explained: “I was not getting much variety; I was just building frame trays and doing wiring. I felt that I’d get a much more hands-on role and wider experience in domestic work and this would be a better place to learn the fundamentals of being an electrician.”

NAME: Luke Dunn AGE: 19 POSITION: Third year apprentice WORKS: MR Electrical HOBBIES: Playing football and watching Hibs

Luke’s skills have improved since being hired by Michael Luke moved to a new company providing domestic electrical services but when the coronavirus pandemic occurred, he found himself out of work.

He said: “Obviously it was a shock, but I’ve moved companies before so perhaps that helped to soften the blow a bit. To be honest, I was fine about it really as I decided to

keep my head down and look for work… and I got a job the next day with Michael Riley!

“Michael has handed me a great opportunity and said he will teach me everything I need to know, which is exactly what an apprentice wants to hear.

“I’m now often working alongside Michael on jobs and learning all the fundamentals of being an electrician; my CABLEtalk

general understanding about what is going on has grown, particularly how to make jobs easier for myself, and my communications skills about how I talk about the job has improved.”

Looking forward, it’s not surprising to learn that Luke would also like to start his own business someday, but after he qualifies he’d also like to take the opportunity to travel for a few years and see where his new profession takes him.

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE Our guide to the latest industry solutions 1 TAKE CONTROL WITH AURORA’S NEW SMART AND SIMPLE TO USE RANGE

2 KNIPEX’S INNOVATIVE STEPCUT CABLE SHEARS CUT OUT ALL THE HARD WORK

Aurora Lighting Group has launched Connect.Control – a new smart lighting range that can be used straight out of the box with no set-up needed.

Operated with Bluetooth technology, users can manage their lighting easily with just a remote control.

To install Connect.Control, simply open the box, install the light fittings, turn on the remote and you’ve got smart lighting.

Users don’t even need a hub or have to download an app.

The KNIPEX StepCut Cable Shears can cut wires and strands one after the other, thus reducing the effort required by up to 40 per cent. The innovative step cutting allows for a clean cut without the cables being crushed in the cutting process.

The StepCut is only 160 mm long and therefore weighs relatively little. In addition, the ergonomic design of the handles enables an optimum cutting feel even with larger diameters. A pinch guard also prevents injuries; the bolted joint makes the cable shears precise and smooth-running. The StepCut is made of forged and oil-hardened special tool steel of special quality; the cutting edges have been additionally induction-

The remote controls can be grouped to each room and users can access six RGB colours, trigger five pre-programmed scenes, set the brightness or adjust colour temperature from warm to cool.

Connect.Control is designed around four levels of control, allowing users a simple upgrade path with the option to add more lights and access the music mode.

Visit www.auroralighting. com for further information.

3 TEMPUS EMERGENCY LIGHTING FROM MEGAMAN SHOWS THE WAY AHEAD

Megaman has launched a range of easy to install emergency lighting solutions. Offering a variety of systems, from emergency slim bulkheads to spotlights and downlights, Megaman’s TEMPUS® Emergency Lighting Series accommodates a wide range of applications.

The range includes high quality IP65 LED operated suspended and wall mounted emergency exit signs, LED exit light box and bulkhead solutions with optional pictogram exit signs and ultra-discreet recessed LED downlights and recessed 44

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spotlights. All are either non-maintained or come with three-hour maintained and non-maintained operation modes.

As part of the range, and to complement its pre-existing GU10 and TEGO Emergency Pack, Megaman has launched an emergency kit for LED panels.

The kit is a lightweight, selfcontained emergency conversion pack which offers up to three hours back-up for 36 to 50W LED light panels.

For further information visit www.megamanuk.com

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

hardened. The StepCut is not suitable for steel wire and hard-drawn copper conductors.

To find out more, go online and visit www.knipex.com

4 HULTAFORS’ SCREWDRIVERS ARE THE PERFECT TOOL FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

Hultafors Tools has launched a new range of screwdrivers for professional craftsmen and women. With VDE screwdrivers specially designed for electricians – including tested and certified SL/PZ and voltage tester models – there are more than 80 slotted,

Philips, pozidriv and Torx® stubby screwdrivers, plus hex drivers and bit holders.

Researched and developed for professional use, they have an ergonomic design for optimal comfort. The long rubber-coated handles ensure grip for precision and maximum transmission of power and are made from durable PPC plastic.

The permanent marking of type and size on the top as well as the handle’s colour make it easy for the user to select the right screwdriver. Blades are manufactured from high-quality hardened steel for long life.

To find out more, call 01484 854788 or check out www. hultafors.co.uk to download a digital catalogue.

CONTACT OUR TEAM TO SHOWCASE YOUR GREAT NEW PRODUCTS HERE David Hughes: 0131 561 0022 davidh@connectcommunications.co.uk

SPONSORED EDITORIAL

5 STAY SAFE AND BE SEEN IN SNICKERS’ HIGH-VIS PROTECTIVE WORKWEAR Long working days and cheap uncomfortable clothing makes Snickers Workwear’s protective wear range the better-informed choice for anyone working in hazardous environments and inclement weather.

There’s a comprehensive selection of ergonomically designed base, mid and top layer clothes, certified as appropriate for different risks at work to ensure comfort, health and workforcewellbeing all day, every day.

The new range also includes waterproof and windproof AllroundWork high-vis jackets that provide protection in low-light, high-risk environments.

So, whatever the hazard on site, the Snickers Workwear High-Vis collection and the

By Eleanor Mannion Senior Associate, MacRoberts LLP

ProtecWork range can provide a protective wear solution to provide maximum, certified protection, whatever the risks are on site.

To find out more about our products, call 01484 854788, download a catalogue at www. snickersworkwear.co.uk or email sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk

5 CHOOSE FLEXIBLE COMFORT WITH SNICKERS’ 4-WAY STRETCH TROUSERS Snickers’ new 4-Way Stretch Trousers deliver extreme comfort, all day, every day.

High-tech fabrics and bodymapping designs ensure maximum working mobility.

With great fit and superb value, the trousers have a tailored fit for better looks and protection against snagging as well as reinforced stretch Cordura in the KneeGuard System for greater flexibility, comfort and durability.

Furlough and collective redundancies: the clock is ticking!

They’re designed to take the new D30 ERGO Craftsman Kneepad.

Check out all the stretch garments from Snickers Workwear – the optimal choice for craftsmen and women who need to get every job done comfortably and efficiently on site.

For more information, call 01484 854788, go to www. snickersworkwear.co.uk or email sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk

With the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) due to end on 31 October 2020, businesses relying on the scheme to pay wages may now have to consider making redundancies.

It is important that employers start to consider the timing of any collective redundancy process.

If the employer is proposing to dismiss 20 or more employees in a 90-day period, they will need to collectively consult with representatives of those employees for at least 30 days before the first of the dismissals takes effect. This means that if you intend to make 20 to 99 employees redundant in time for the closure of the CJRS, you need to have started the collective consultation process

by Thursday 1 October.

If the employer is proposing to dismiss more than 100 employees in a 90-day period, they will need to collectively

consult with representatives of those employees for at least 45 days before the first of the dismissals takes effect.

This means that if you intend to make more than 100 employees redundant, in time for the closure of the CJRS, you will need to have started the collective consultation process by Tuesday 15 September 2020.

The collective consultation period begins with a formal letter to the representatives setting out specific information to comply with the consultation legislation, such as the numbers of employees affected, the potential pools and the selection criteria.

If you have questions about the redundancy process or the closure of the CJRS, please get in touch with our Employment Team. ● To find out more, call 0141 303 1109 or email eleanor. mannion@macroberts.com

No. of employees at risk

Minimum consultation period (before first dismissal)

Last date to have started collective consultations in time for the end of CJRS

20+

30 days

Thursday 1 October 2020

100+

45 days

Tuesday 15 September 2020

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DIARY SELECT TEAM

GETTING TO KNOW YOU Alistair Grant

SELECT Vice-President Hello Alistair. Congratulations on your new role. How long have you been involved with SELECT?

I joined SELECT in 1999, since when I’ve always done my best to attend my branch meetings. I became Chair of Inverness and North Branch in 2018 which got me involved with Central Board – something I love being part of.

Tell us a bit about your business, where you’re based and how long you’ve been an electrician.

We are a small family business based in the village of Lhanbryde just outside Elgin.

My son Stephen works for me and my wife Pauline takes care of the paperwork (thankfully). I was one of the last 15-year-old school leavers, serving my apprenticeship straight from school and a few years later in 1982 I started the business.

I’ll have been in the trade 50 years next year.

start working at 8. Living in the rural north-east, I work for a lot of the local farmers so it’s not unusual for me to be called out at any time, night or day. My job is definitely not 8 to 5.

Do you get the chance to meet other SELECT Members?

Before lockdown I attended the branch and Central Board meetings and any Toolbox Talks in my area. During lockdown I really looked forward to the online meetings, just seeing a well-known face makes a real difference. Now that construction has opened up again, I quite often bump into Members in the wholesalers where we have a good chat about the industry.

What do think are the main benefits of SELECT Membership?

SELECT offers fantastic support, be it technical, employment or training-based,

What does your job entail? Tell us more about what you do.

We carry out anything from wiring a socket to complete domestic, commercial and agricultural installations. I love being in the electrical trade and I’m still very much hands-on. I’m not ready to down tools just yet!

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

A normal day starts at 7am. I’m on the phone to the wholesalers ordering any materials required so we are all ready to

Keep up to date with Due to the ongoing coronavrius outbreak, most SELECT meetings and events are now being held online where possible. We will update Members with new information as soon as it happens. In the meantime, please follow our website www.select.org.uk and social media channels for the latest developments.

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and we’re always kept up to date with any courses in the area. During these unprecedented times of COVID-19, SELECT has been at the forefront, supporting its Members. The wealth of information and communication has been second to none.

What do you find most enjoyable about your job?

Seeing the end product and happy customers, many of whom have stayed loyal to the business through the years.

What impact has lockdown and working remotely had on your business?

I found it strange being at home day to day for so long as I’m not one who sits still for any length of time. Now that we’ve resumed work, we’ve adapted to the social distancing on site and at the present time we are extremely busy. Hopefully it continues!

 QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS: Cheese or chocolate? Chocolate Dog or cat person? Dog – I love cocker spaniels First car owned? A red Renault 12 Favourite film? Any John Wayne western Favourite TV show? Mock The Week Favourite holiday spot? Menorca Dream date? Halle Berry Favourite colour? Chelsea blue One thing people might not know about you? I love flying and have had several lessons

Twitter @Updates_SELECT @Training_SELECT @Regulate_SELECT Facebook SELECT.TheECAofS

WIN COMPETITION WORDSEARCH £50 OF

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All Branch Updates start at 6pm and will be held remotely via webinar. For more information, please email MemberServices @select.org.uk or call 0131 445 5577.

VOUCHERS

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Battleship Bingo Charades Cluedo Connect four Draughts Guess who Hungry Hippo

Dumfries & Galloway Tuesday 13 October

Edinburgh & South East of Scotland Tuesday 20 October

Glasgow & West of Scotland Thursday 15 October

Inverness & North of Scotland Thursday 22 October

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Here’s the chance to win £50 of Amazon vouchers with our prize wordsearch compiled by SELECT Training Administrator Laurie Burns. Find the words listed below, take a pic of your finished grid and email it to memberservices@select.org.uk by 13 November. Winner drawn at random. T&Cs are online.

There was no winner of our August/September wordsearch.

Jenga Kerplunk Ludo Monopoly Mouse trap Operation Perfection Risk

Scrabble Snakes and ladders Snap Trouble Uno

Ayrshire Tuesday 27 October

Lanarkshire Tuesday 3 November

Aberdeen & North East of Scotland Thursday 29 October

Tayside Thursday 5 November

HELPLINES Technical Advice Helpline: 0131 445 5577 or email technicalhelp@select.org.uk Employment Advice Helpline: 0131 445 9216

Legal Helpline (MacRoberts): 0141 303 1111 Commercial Support (Len Bunton): 07769 670 089

Main switchboard: 0131 445 5577 or email admin@select.org.uk

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