P&H ENGINEERING - Q2

QUARTER TWO 2021 THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PLUMBING AND HEATING ENGINEERING

STARTING FROM HERE

BACK TO EDEN

MORE AIR TIME

Will the New Homes Quality Board succeed?

Eco-living the dream at the Eden Project

The vital role of clean air in Hong Kong

BETTING THE HOUSE Bringing hydrogen into our homes for zero carbon power

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We’re online!

Welcome

Visit pandhengineering. co.uk for regular updates and archived features

Management types and politicians are talking a lot about ‘the journey’. There are two reasons; the real world is paused, and change is coming that will impact lives significantly.

But there’s something missing: a map showing the destination and what it looks like. The industry is either demanding one or making its own and that’s what we’re setting out in this edition of the magazine.

Baxi has a new MD, Karen Boswell, who has clarity about where the firm is going and a career history that shows she’s going places so we were chuffed to be among the first to get time with her.

Just as exciting was spending Zoom time with the Eden Project team who are making the low carbon agenda real.

We’ve run the rule over the new housing board and there’s a deep dive into hydrogen cities.

The future’s this way! Stay safe.

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Contents FEATURES

6 Frontline Green Homes grant halted, COVID-19 highlights poor school design, and more

14 First among equals We meet Karen Boswell, the new MD of BAXI

38 International outlook

18 Starting from here

News from our Hong Kong branch

Can the New Homes Quality Board succeed where others have failed?

40 The Fix

20 Into Eden

What to consider when purchasing and installing a low carbon ready underfloor heating systems

An access all areas look at The Eden Project

53 Under pressure

24 Betting the house

Advice on avoiding falls at work

The route to achieving zero carbon emission homes

54 Q&A: Sarah Oliver

SPECIAL SECTION

Sole trader Sarah talks saving the day, job satisfaction and scuba diving

29 Education and training The latest on funding, apprenticeships and training initiatives in the sector

CHRIS SMITH Editor

ON THE COVER

REGULARS

Taking steps to acheveing zero carbon homes Page 24

5 From the CEO

pandhengineering@ jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

Editor Chris Smith Project manager Emma Dance Head of design Simon Goddard Publisher James Houston Published by James Pembroke Media, 90 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG Tel 01225 337777 Advertising sales executive Harvey Falshaw, harvey.falshaw@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) 64 Station Lane, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 6NB Tel 01708 472791

Kevin Wellman on the impact of the Green Homes grant scheme being axed

Membership Founded in 1906, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is the professional body for the UK plumbing and heating industry. Membership is made up of consultants, specifiers, designers, public health engineers, lecturers, trainers, trainees and practitioners.

The CIPHE has a membership of 7,500, including over 150 manufacturers and distributors. The majority of members live in the UK, although over 1,000 are residents in Hong Kong.

The CIPHE is a member of the Construction Industry Council and a licensed member of the Engineering Council.

Illustration: Adam Gale

Subscriptions P&H Engineering is the magazine for the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, containing technical articles, latest industry news and environmental and educational updates.

It is published six times a year and sent free to members.

Annual subscription for non-member £120 Annual subscription for overseas non-member £145 To join CIPHE, email tims@ciphe.org.uk

Copyright notice and disclaimer P&H Engineering is published bi-monthly by the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. All material is copyright of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering and may not be reproduced without written permission. The publishers do not accept responsibility for errors or omissions. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Institute and publication of an advertisement or article does not necessarily mean the Institute endorses those products, materials or techniques.

www.ciphe.org.uk

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FROM THE CIPHE CEO

A global pandemic is enough. We didn’t need this

KEVIN WELLMAN Chief executive officer kevinw@ciphe.org.uk

It might feel like the world’s come to a standstill but like you, we’ve been busy doing what we can to take the industry forward

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YOUR INSTITUTE, YOUR VALUES The CIPHE’s manifesto details the Institute’s mission to safeguard public health, to improve education, support research and further our members’ career development. Find out more at https://bit.ly/32zq3EX

www.ciphe.org.uk

here’s lots to report on and positive things to look forward to, but we’re also dealing with the Green Homes Grant fallout. A global pandemic is enough to deal with at the moment. We didn’t need this.

We’re disappointed – but not surprised at the government stopping the scheme. Its sudden closure, with a two-day deadline, didn’t help. Its exactly why politicians need to engage constructively with the industry – the lasting damage here will be the knockon effect for the next scheme, which just might be the critical one.

Installers who invested in this will end up taking the hit and rightly won’t take kindly to demands that they pay for low carbon training, so Government harms its own future strategy.

It’s going to be a busy few months for our industry. Mothballed buildings will need to be checked and households that have put extra strain on their systems will need to replace worn-out systems and appliances.

The manifesto launch was a success and feedback has been great. We’re now implementing it and need you to get involved. Share it and shout about it – while maintaining social distancing, of course.

An emerging issue is ventilation, particularly in schools, post-COVID-19. Our Hong Kong members have been looking at this and in the UK, management services leads have realised there needs to be more fresh air. Solving this needs recognised expertise. You can’t

Look out for an exciting project on pathogens, with webinars, technical papers and more on its way!

The Green Homes Grant scheme has been axed

rely on consultants who will only give the answer wanted – and that’s usually the cheapest option. That’s why we’re proud to be professional and why we’re working to ensure we get better, safer more ecofriendly, buildings.

Now’s the time for the industry to talk and for decision makers to listen. As somebody once said, ‘Why let a good crisis go to waste?’

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Frontline Front line All that’s happening in plumbing and heating

Business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng

Legislation

STABILITY CRITICAL TO ZERO CARBON GOAL, SAYS INDUSTRY Installers and manufacturers want clarity from Whitehall after green homes grant halted

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ndustry leaders have called for change in Whitehall following the government’s decision to scrap the green homes grant.

The sector called for a long-term strategy from the government that would enable firms and consumers to achieve zero carbon emissions.

It brought a sorry end, with just two days notice, to a scheme that has been mired in complaints from homeowners and industry almost since introduction Concerns had been raised by the CIPHE, campaigners and installers over delays in getting work and pay-outs despite nearly 100,000 sign-ups.

KEEP INFORMED Read all the latest news, updates, and member benefits Facebook/CIPHE twitter.com/CIPHE www.ciphe.org.uk

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy sought to limit the damage and briefed against the American firm that had been running it. But officials talked up the local authority scheme delivering to people who couldn’t fund installations – and gave it £300m. Business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Today’s funding boost will mean even more households across England are able to access these vital grants through their local authority.”

But many small firms had been persuaded to invest and industry leaders reacted with fury, saying the botched scheme was part of a wider lack of Whitehall focus as there was a lack of direction, training, milestones and consumer advice.

CIPHE Chief Executive Officer Kevin Wellman said: “The announcement is a huge kick in the teeth. It’s a blow for installers and IAs at a critical moment.

We will be working to find a way forward; we all support the need to reduce carbon - but the industry won’t wait.”

Health & safety

Official advice The government guidance on ventilation and COVID-19 spread can be found at: https://bit. ly/3watgIx

COVID-19 crisis shows poor school design, say experts THE RE-OPENING of schools has shown how poorly most schools are ventilated, experts have warned.

Attempts to limit the spread of COVID-19 among school children has exposed weaknesses in school ventilation design. Government advice has been to maximise fresh

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air into classrooms to reduce the risk of infection. But school leaders say building design has focused on limited window openings and costfocused HVAC systems.

Prof Azeem Majeed, head of department, primary care and public health, Imperial College

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London, backed schools’ concerns.

“More modern buildings commonly use heating and ventilation systems that create a mixture of fresh and re-circulated air. But sadly, such systems are often not present in England’s schools.”

www.ciphe.org.uk

FRONTLINE

FIRST AMONG EQUALS Meet Karen Boswell, the new MD of Baxi Page 14

Action Point

Manifesto

Installer community vital for UK success, says CIPHE THE CIPHE HAS launched its manifesto to stakeholders with a pitch that the industry is vital to UK success.

The formal launch in March came with a call for Parliament and Whitehall departments to work with the institute to meet environment and safety objectives. They were offered “an open door for Government to engage with the industry”.

Moving to campaign mode followed months of reviews and meetings with CIPHE members and IAs to shape objectives and agreeing key messages before it was signed off.

Covering major issues such as the safety, health and welfare of the public, the environment,

education, and regulation and licensing; the CIPHE’s manifesto sits the plumbing and heating industry in the centre of many key areas of Government policy.

The team will now engage with ministers, advisers, Whitehall officials and industry leaders to take the manifesto forward.

You can help by sharing the manifesto with contacts, your local MP and council leader. This will help the Institute reach decision-makers and industry influencers faster.

Kevin Wellman, CIPHE CEO, said, “The last 12-months has only served to highlight the critical role played by members of the plumbing and heating industry. In fact, as many areas of the

Download and share Manifesto 21 from: https://bit.ly/31sKR0q

TWITTER TALK

economy were closed or at least drastically reduced, it was tradespeople who continued to provide vital public services and prioritise the health, safety and wellbeing of others.

He added: “Now is the time for our collective expertise to be sought and acted upon.”

The Institute and members have been influencing the big issues on social media @CIPHE The #Easter bank holiday weekend marks the start of the #DIY season. With the nation striving to get homes and gardens ready for the lifting of #lockdown, this Easter is set for #home #improvements.

However, there are some jobs best left to professionals @CIPHE

The CIPHE manifesto covers many major issues

ID can be faked. Luckily the Institute’s online verification tool can help you check out CIPHE membership credentials.

Visit http://ow.ly/ oiQn50E2ZcH @ViessmannUK

Word play

WORD BOX WE RAN THE 2021 CIPHE manifesto through a word cloud generator and here’s the result:

We love reminiscing about when we could be close to other people… So, here’s our #LastNormalPhoto, which was of Hampshire Plumbing & Gas receiving their #HighlyCommended #award for Regional Boiler & Heating Installer & Contractor of the Year at the South East @ EEAWARDS2020 @AdvancedWaterCo

KEY WORDS: Rogue training providers, Future Home Standard homes, financial support, critical worker status, Gas Safety Regulations, low carbon heating, Sentiment: 97.9% positive

www.ciphe.org.uk

We despatched 24,662 individual items in February at a total of 16,022 kg. All with same day dispatch

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FRONTLINE

COAL ERA ENDS FOR NHS The last two coal-fired boilers in the NHS estate have been decommissioned.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust are installing a £2.7m super-efficient Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit at Goole Hospital. The project will cut carbon emissions by around 1,700 tonnes a year and save £250,000 a year.

CIPHE BACKS COPPER PARTNERSHIP The Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) has been founded by Lawton Tubes and Mueller Europe in response to the growing demand for sustainability and longevity within the sector.

CIPHE CEO Kevin Wellman, said: “This is a conversation the industry needs to have and that’s why we’re supporting this.”

HSE PROSECUTION A gas engineer has been sentenced after an HSE prosecution for conducting work while unregistered and producing false paperwork.

Peter Strudwick completed a commercial gas safety check at a take-away business in 2019.

He undertook the work illegally using the Gas Safe registration number from his employer.

He has been sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for each offence, suspended for 12 months.

MERGER TALKS END Ideal Standard has terminated discussions with Villeroy & Boch regarding a potential business combination. “Ideal Standard has strong prospects and will continue to execute its strategy,” the firm said.

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Training

Industry leads step up training support TWO OF THE biggest names in the industry have launched schemes to boost support for trainees.

Baxi and Ideal Standard have begun schemes aimed at getting young people a crucial foothold in the industry to counter the COVID-19 recruitment drop. And the CIPHE is supporting both.

The two firms have joined the Kickstart scheme where young people aged 16-24 and on benefits get an initial six-month placement. Companies hiring them get a £1,500 grant.

Baxi is starting off its recruits as customer contact centre operatives supporting installers and overseeing aftercare. At the end of their placement, they can then move to opportunities in marketing, IT, sales, engineering and R&D. Louise Murton, customer service director, said: “Baxi is committed to supporting young people into employment and through this scheme

we hope to discover and nurture new talent. This will not only help to address the skills gap and increase workforce diversity but ensure that our valued installers have even more support.”

The scheme uses funding from the government’s Apprenticeship Levy and Ideal Standard will be using a percentage of its share to provide financial support for smaller companies, allowing them to take on an apprentice.

David Barber, Ideal Standard UK MD said: “It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity to lead the way in investing in young talent and apprentices as they begin their careers in the plumbing and heating industry. I hope that other organisations will see the benefits of the scheme.”

It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity www.ciphe.org.uk

GUIDANCE

STARTING FROM HERE Can the New Homes Quality Board succeed where others have failed?

Page 18

Find out more Access content from previous issues of P&H Engineering at www. pandhengineering. co.uk

Proposals

Low carbon training plans break cover

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NSTALLERS ARE BEING urged to have their say on how the industry will move to enabling low carbon heating systems to become the norm.

The CIPHE and Heat Pump Association has set out proposals for training for low-temperature heating systems and heat pumps.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is currently undertaking work to understand the existing skills base within the UK heating industry and the mechanisms required for increasing the number of low carbon heating installers.

Industry giant Vaillant has urged

installers to get involved.

Mark Wilkins, head of training and external affairs at Vaillant, said: “As well as growing the number of qualified installers, we must ensure that those undertaking the work have the confidence and the right skills to build a reputable heat pump market.”

Paul Harmer, CIPHE lead technical consultant, said: “The regulated

qualification is designed to upskill installers and to act as a prerequisite before installing a low temperature heating system for all heat source technology.

“The course will cover the design of low temperature heating systems including heat loss, heat emitters, pipe and pump sizing and domestic hot water storage to name a few.”

COVID-19

Advice

LABC UPDATES ON STORM DRAINS

DON’T LET UP ON COVID-19 TESTING

LOCAL AUTHORITY BUILDING Control Warranty has updated its advice on storm drain fitting.

It advises: “Principle failures for both foul and storm water drainage are inadequate falls in underground pipework.

“The main issue appears to be with 100mm polythene pipes. For example, Diagram 9 of Approved Document H supporting the England and Wales Building Regulations, indicates that the minimum permissible fall for 100mm pipework is 1:80, provided

ACCESSING TESTS TO protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 is vital, the CIPHE has warned.

Lateral flow tests are one way of avoiding the virus and companies including Baxi are using these as a part of their plan for supplying services.

The CIPHE are making members aware that they can regularly use lateral flow tests to check their COVID-19 status. Membership director Tim Sainty, said: “Responding to new challenges brings innovation, and we have seen

www.ciphe.org.uk

that there are adequate flow rates above 6.3 litres/ second. This would normally be achieved by at least 1 WC on the system.”

It warned: “The introduction of plastic pipe work has inevitably led to a skill set loss of the groundworker. Common indications of likely poorly laid pipework are operatives laying pipes between inspection chamber positions without using a taught line.”

Read more at: https:// bit.ly/39wYcJp

Covid-19 Safe Community Tests (CSCT) develop a supporting app for tradespeople to reassure customers before entering their property.”

To find out more visit: csctests.com

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LEGISLATION

Regulation

HEATING REGS GET RADICAL OVERHAUL

Find out more Read the plans at bit.ly/3sXOxm5

Product safety

Parts safety law overhaul to meet 3D threat PRODUCT SAFETY LAWS will be overhauled to counter the threat of fake 3D parts.

Copies of parts made with sophisticated printers which are then sold on the web are a critical issue for the industry and a manifesto goal for the institute.

Business minister Paul Scully said the current laws date back to 1987 and have not kept pace with innovation.

The crux issue is software updates and AI techniques like machine learning mean products and their safety implications can continually change over their lifetimes. And modern manufacturing techniques like 3D printing mean products can be built in consumers’ homes.

For the industry, that means everything from washers to pumps being counterfeited without quality materials or

The current laws date back to 1987 and have not kept pace with innovation 10 P&H ENGINEERING

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processes like heat treatment.

And in the future, product software upgrades may not meet standards – as happened in the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

The regs reboot is being overseen by the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

The CIPHE is already lobbying to make sure the industry isn’t left out.

Business Minister Paul Scully said: “Much of the product safety system was devised in 1987 when The Terminator was still out on Betamax. Now we want to make sure artificial intelligence and robotics are working for us and not against by making the UK a world-leader for both safety and cutting-edge innovation.”

P&H Verdict The reality is Whitehall has been blindsided by tech. The consultation is a start but the timeline is minimum two years, and the tech industry will lobby hard. Manufacturers and industry must make sure their voice is heard, particularly when consumer safety is exposed.

TOUGHER STANDARDS on air tightness in rooms are on the way as part of a regulation overhaul to meet low carbon targets.

The government is set to update the Approved Document L of planning guidance to improve minimum standards of air tightness and energy use.

Among the changes are new demands that collars and grommets are fitted on service pipework going into a building. The changes to the Document are part of the work leading into the Future Home Standard in 2025. Broadly, the new Document L will set new standards on thermal performance and heat loss from buildings plus energy conservation requirements linked to the installation of services including heating and hot water.

Changes

WESTMINSTER MOVES REGULATIONS COVERING INDUSTRY changes post-Brexit have been completed by Parliament.

The UK Internal Markets Act 2020, as expected, has created a Trade Remedies Authority that will resolve disputes over imports and exports.

And the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) 2020 regulations have come into force. This partially implements Article 15(1) of the Energy Performance Buildings Directive 2018/844/EU. Covering air conditioning unit assessments, it demands audits focus on optimised performance.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3sFx02Q

www.ciphe.org.uk

AGENDA

Education

APPRENTICES CLEARED FOR END ASSESSMENT The exams regulator has ended months of waiting for apprentices by signing off details on how they can do their final tests.

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FQUAL ANNOUNCED LAST month that eligible apprentices can now take their end-point assessment before achieving their functional skills qualifications (FSQ).

It ends the limbo for trainees whose practical learning has been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak which shut colleges until earlier this year.

The regulator confirmed flexibility will be available until 31 May 2021 and applies to apprentices at all levels who: • are ready to take an FSQ assessment but are unable to due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. This means they have exhausted all possibilities to access FSQ assessment via face-to-face and remote delivery.

• have confirmed their intent to continue and complete their FSQ within three months of starting their EPA. • meet all other gateway criteria to progress to their EPA except FSQ achievement.

• Providers must retain evidence that the apprentice is eligible, as set out in the Apprenticeship Funding Rules. Providers will need to make a declaration to this effect. The Apprenticeship Funding Rules and COVID-19 guidance will be updated to reflect this change.

There are three ways learners will be able to access a result.

• Assessments can continue to take place in a training provider, college, school, employer’s premises or alternative

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location, where it is safe for them to do so in line with public health guidance.

• Assessments can be taken remotely or online.

• Where neither of these options is possible, and learners need a result to progress, then the grade can be awarded through alternative arrangements.

Ofqual said: “This flexibility will mean many learners will be able to quickly progress and not be delayed. It will also ensure that apprentices can progress through their apprenticeship and to future employment.”

Paul Harmer, CIPHE lead technical consultant, said: “This is the same approach as taken for other sectors. It’s sensible and as long as apprentices have kept up, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Not sure about how you’re affected?

Read more at: https://bit.ly/2POUPGV

Initiative

WORKING WITH INSTALLERS, DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS: As an approved Government Kickstart Gateway Organisation, FIESTA supports members wishing to access the new Government employment initiative.

Kickstart is a £2 billion pound Government scheme designed to aid post-COVID regeneration.The initiative allows employers to offer a six-month funded work placement.

These placements are open to young people aged 16-24 who are at risk of long-term unemployment and are currently claiming Universal Credit.The scheme will run until December 2021 and is an opportunity to introduce new talent whilst showcasing your industry to young people.

Employers will receive: • 100% of the relevant NMW for the kickstart Participant up to 25 hours per week – www.gov.uk/nationalminimum-wage-rates • Associated employer contributions such as NI and pension contributions • A grant for a funded training program for the Kickstart participant Please note, Kickstart may only be used for new positions and must not replace existing roles or result in a reduction of hours for permanent roles.

www.ciphe.org.uk

FRONTLINE

HISTORIC BUILDINGS EXPERT AND FORMER PRESIDENT, TERRY FILLARY REMEMBERED Former president and renown specialist in historic buildings Terry Fillary MBE, has died.

CIPHE chief executive officer Kevin Wellman pays tribute.

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ERRY FILLARY MBE was unique and a highly regarded ambassador throughout the industry.

Terry joined the CIPHE in 1961 as a Member and Registered Plumber.

Honorary Fellowship was conferred upon him in 1999. In 2002 he was presented with his Master Plumber Certificate and in 2013 he gained his Master Craft Certificate in Leadwork.

He became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers in 1982 and was awarded the St Michael Medallion in 1997, the Company’s highest distinction.

Terry received the MBE in 2014 for services to historic building restoration and conservation. A specialist in ornate leadwork, among prestigious restoration projects were the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and Mansion House, as well as the planters in the Rose Garden at Buckingham Palace and at Sandringham.

Terry, and his son Paul, were vital to the refurbishment of the CIPHE during 1982/83. The work included installing the first unvented hot water storage system in Essex. It wouldn’t have been complete without leadwork and this is still visible through the display of a lead hopper depicting the Battle of Agincourt at the rear of the building.

He was president of the CIPHE in 1991-92. His fears over public speaking resulted, with assistance from Vic King from Barking (Brassware) Grohe, in the ‘Let’s Talk’ speaking club affiliated to Toastmaster’s International. He became an extremely accomplished speaker.

As president, he recognised the value

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Terry proudly displaying his book that was received with great acclaim by the industry

HE NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM GIVING HELP AND GUIDANCE TO OTHERS of developments in plumbing. He was open minded and not afraid to support changes. He led the consumer campaign to search for Britain’s Favourite Plumber.

In the early 90’s Terry participated in a technical roadshow that trained hundreds of installers on the ‘old’ Water Byelaws. His ability to captivate an audience was inspiring.

As unvented hot water storage system (UVHWSS) installations began to ‘take off’ in the early 90’s, he maximised his engineering prowess to develop a test kit to check water pressure and flow rates, the ‘Fillary flow gauge’. It was used during UVHWSS training to show how simple it was.

In 2012 he fulfilled a long-time ambition by publishing his book ‘Ornamental and Conservation Leadwork: Techniques and Materials’. He was honoured and privileged to be able to personally present a copy to the Queen.

Following a CIPHE President’s Dinner at Church House, he returned home to find a mouse had travelled home with him in his bag. The following year he presented Church House with a hand-crafted mouse.

He enjoyed teaching others and had fond memories teaching students at Hackney College, through his support of the Plumbers’ Workshop Museum Trust at Singleton and for many of those who visited him at his workshop at his home in Dagenham.

Terry never shied away from giving help and guidance to others when required including trainees, installers, architects, historians and manufacturers.

His legacy will be remembered for many years to come thanks to his experience, expertise and commitment to plumbing, leadwork, related crafts, public speaking, lecturing to name but a few of his accomplishments.

Terry receiving his Master Leadworker Certificate from the Lord Mayor of London in 2013

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FEATURE / REGULATION

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www.ciphe.org.uk

KAREN BOSWELL OBE / FEATURE

FIRST AMONG EQUALS Karen Boswell OBE is the new MD at Baxi. In her first major interview, she sets out her plans for the firm and ideas on how the industry can change.

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n an industry where the perfect fit matters, the new MD at Baxi is just that.

The industry is grappling with a huge shift in its business model caused by the climate emergency. At that exact moment, taking the helm is someone with a proven track record in engineering, low carbon, innovation and diversity.

Karen Boswell OBE joined the Prestonbased firm to lead the UK and Ireland business. Announcing the appointment in September, the firm said her priority would be moving the firm towards achieving net zero carbon. She joined from Hitachi Rail UK where she helped rapid growth from annual revenue of £248m to £1.4bn, and circa 300 to 2,500 people. A core project was the Inter City Express replacement programme (IEP).

A clear vision Her refreshing lack of management speak and her clarity about both the industry and her purpose is what comes across in the video interview.

“Baxi Heating has some of the bestknown and respected brands in the market, and people who are passionate and successful in delivering for customers,” she says.

www.ciphe.org.uk

She’s clear the new role is a logical progression and talks passionately about engineering.

“I’d been in the rail industry for 18 years and am immensely proud to have been part of that. My background is working around manufacturing and supply chain. I was involved in building and delivering the £5.7bn high speed rail project.

“The heating and rail industry share many similarities; they’re both driven by decarbonisation and digital technology.

Rail has gone from coal to diesel to electric to hydrogen and exploring batteries,” Boswell says. “We design, build and service the units. I’ve got a manufacturing site building heating units and more. And we’re facing the same challenges.”

She adds: “On a personal level, there has always been something about working in an industry that matters; that has social implications, that has a sustainable agenda. Coming into this industry is a really exciting opportunity.”

That means the zero emissions goal which is driving a total reset for the industry. Boswell has already announced a pledge for the firm: commitments to social, environmental

MARKET INTELLIGENCE Baxi Heating is owned by BDR Thermea and focuses on low carbon heating and hot water solutions.

Its factory is in Preston and customer support is in Warwick. The firm has been manufacturing in the UK since 1866. Today, it’s part of the BDR Thermea Group, operating in more than 82 countries and employing over 6,500 people worldwide.

Within the Baxi Heating portfolio, it has some of the best-known brands in the domestic and commercial heating industry including Potterton, Main Heating, Heatrae Sadia, Remeha, Andrews Water Heaters, Potterton Commercial and Packaged Plant Solutions. The main rivals are Worcester Bosch, Viessmann, Vaillant and Ideal.

The brand has a 4.5 trust rating for its products.

For product range information go to: https://bit.ly/3fSF9NV

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FEATURE / KAREN BOSWELL OBE

and economic sustainability with regular audits to avoid greenwash.

There are big decisions for a firm whose employees will be impacted directly. Boswell sets out the strategy: “It’s being prepared. There’s going to be remote digital systems, heat pumps and hydrogen. I’m not saying there should be a one-stop-shop for hydrogen.

“And by the way, the gas market is going to be with us for some time to come. I’d really like to influence that agenda.”

The decisions can’t be delayed, a fact that seems to have passed the government by.

“If you look at that from a skills perspective, we’ve got people who need to think about how they adapt,” she says.

But the MD is confident an industry built around problem-solving is up for the change – and has proved it in the COVID-19 outbreak.

“I do believe that we have it in our gift to be part of the transformation,” she says. “When you think about the pandemic, the industry has a real part to play. We supported the Nightingale hospitals. We haven’t closed our manufacturing - we’ve been safe – and we’ve serviced people when they’ve needed us. And more people are working from home.”

One of her first big decisions was to work with the Institute to help apprentices hit by the downturn stay in the industry. She says: “I’m a strong advocate of supporting apprenticeships.

We’ve already been appointed into the Kickstart Programme.”

And the customer side of the business will also evolve. Motor manufacturer Volvo announced the end of its dealer network, shifting to online selling and brand experiences. That industry has been questioning the need for sales networks for two decades. Volvo has called the market early.

“Good luck to them; it’s brave,” she says. “We’re starting to see the motor industry do some very strategic things.

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The boiler assembly hall at Baxi

E-commerce is a massive shift. We’ve started a lot of digital training.”

Baxi will also be helping to overhaul training and diversity. Boswell uses the example of her own children and grandchildren to highlight the gaps: “I’m astonished at how clued up they are with tech. There’s also what’s important to them: net-zero carbon and diversity.”

The company will be moving quickly – all products will work with low carbon energy by 2025 and the business will be carbon neutral by 2030.

The other trend she sees coming is a consumer shift to ‘my country first’, partly driven by COVID-19.

Boswell says: “In adversity, something good comes out of it. Homeowners and businesses are making much more conscious purchasing decisions.

It’s about self-sufficiency; look at the challenge on PPE. It’s already happened with food. I’m not a futurologist but I think there are going to be some significant changes.”

Facing challenges Just as challenging is diversity. Black Lives Matter has changed public attitudes; it never was just about policing. There is no going back.

“It does all come back to people,” she says. “There’s a real opportunity to make a difference in the diversity space. Some reports suggest 50% of installers are in their 50s – and they’re mostly men.

Most come in on friends and family recommendation.”

The crux of the problem is getting in front of people who see law, finance,

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KAREN BOSWELL OBE / FEATURE

CAREER INSIGHT: RIGHT ON TRACK

medical professions and degrees as the only way forward for the people the industry needs.

Boswell has identified the challenge and will be working with the Institute to solve it. She says: “We’ve got a big job to do in how we influence educators, schools and those wider community leaders. How do we tell people this is a brilliant industry to be in? Why wouldn’t you want to attract and divert people towards us? Diversity is a prerequisite.

Our industry should look like the people who we serve.

“When I think about being consumerfocused, coming up with the right carbon solution, part of that needs to be about how we interact with customers. Some people might prefer a female technician and there’s the wider religious aspect.”

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There’s also a business case: “You get better earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (used as an indicator of the overall profitability of a business) with representation.”

Working with government, other industry bodies, IAs and more is the only option to make headway on these complex agendas. That’s why Boswell has been keen to forge an alliance with the CIPHE. “The CIPHE is great at getting the industry’s voice heard and explaining where we need to be,” she says.

Boswell has a final prediction: future employees and customers won’t let the industry off. She says: “What I’m hopeful of is the next, Millennial, generation – they are expecting leadership to be doing all this. Future generations will judge us.”

Karen Boswell’s journey to the top started as a management trainee with Allied Lyons.

Her career took off when she joined US retail firm Aramark in the late 90s as a regional managing director. Her break into the rail industry came when she moved to Great Western Railways in 2001 to be their head of onboard services.

Her next big step up was with train firm First Group as deputy MD and customer service director.

In 2009 she became the MD for the East Coast mainline, which at the time was in the grip of being renationalised. She had a key role in turning customer services around before joining Hitachi in 2015.

At Baxi, she replaced David Pinder, who retired.

A passionate advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, in 2019, she became a Board Member of Enginuity. It’s an organisation transforming Engineering Skills Productivity in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology and enabling UK industries to compete globally. She received an OBE for contribution and services to the UK railway industry in the Queen’s 2016 Birthday Honours List.

JUST THE JOB? Interested in joining the Baxi team? There’s a range of roles from field team members to commercial specification managers.

Benefits include a competitive salary alongside 25 days holiday per annum not including UK bank holidays. They also offer a contributory pension and sick pay schemes and staff discounts.

Job postings are at: https://bit.ly/3dupu4w

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P&H ENGINEERING 17

FEATURE / NEW HOMES QUALITY BOARD

STARTING FROM HERE

The new housing regulator for England has started work. Can the New Homes Quality Board succeed where others have failed?

O

verturning years of failings in the construction industry isn’t going to happen overnight, but the new regulator is already under pressure to make its mark.

The New Homes Quality Board has started work after a low-key launch in February that confirmed the new board in charge. It had already been operating as an interim body for a year. The board members are from the housing sector, including Homes England, NHBC and developers. Its creation followed pressure from new home buyers outraged by major failings on their properties and the Grenfell Tower fire inquiries (see right).

But the government also wants more homes built fast. In March, the communities secretary announced planning laws on retail premises would be changed to allow them to be converted into housing. The industry is optimistic that consumers will get a better deal.

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QUARTER TWO / 2021

But can the new watchdog take on the big private sector builders and ensure standards are maintained?

How will it work?

The core job is to ensure developers build to a standard rather than the planning regs. So the first priority is agreeing a new industry code of practice. The other job is appointing the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) which will mediate for buyers in the event of a dispute in the same way as the Financial Services Authority. All this will, according to the NHQB, “plug the gaps in existing protections and aim to deliver consistently high-quality homes and considerably stronger consumer protections”.

So far, so good.

But there’s a sticking point. It will be paid for by the housebuilding industry

through an annual registration fee and a levy based on volumes. Referrals to the ombudsman will also have a fee. But access to the New Homes Ombudsman will be free to consumers.

The ombudsman will not cover cases retrospectively and will only cover homes reserved from the date a developer registers with the NHQB and signs up to the new arrangements.

The problem? Other ombudsmen funded by the industry have failed, such as the Gambling Commission which is set to be replaced after years of controversy And the make-up of the board, when it was announced, was criticised for being too close to the big builders and the government’s inner circle.

The chair is Conservative MP Natalie Elphick, who before taking her seat had pushed hard for finance reforms as a director of the Housing and Finance Institute. She says: “The new

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NEW HOMES QUALITY BOARD / FEATURE

arrangements will lead to a step change in how new homes are built and sold and how customers are treated. The board is committed to driving new build quality and strengthening protections for buyers.

It is essential that buyers have confidence in both the product and the processes in place to support them.”

The other members include Jennie Daly, group operations director at Taylor Wimpey, Katy Jordan, a former surveyor now managing director of Storey Homes and Paul Smee who is a former director general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders. Also involved is Nicholas BoysSmith, former chair of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.

Although the launch got a positive industry response, critics raised concerns a board made up of big developers, politicians from the same side as the government and representatives of groups that have already been beaten by the rogue players wasn’t robust enough.

How Whitehall responds will define the board and ombudsman. Usefully, there’s a lot riding on the outcome for housing minister Eddie Hughes who was appointed to the job in January As chair of the APPG for Excellence in the Built Environment, Hughes chaired the inquiry into the need for a new homes ombudsman in 2018 that led to its formation. He says: “I welcome the launch of the New Homes Quality Board and look forward to working closely with them to ensure the house building industry is delivering new homes of the highest possible quality.”

So, what does the industry think so far? After Grenfell and the rows over shoddy quality, the industry has to restore consumer confidence. Stewart Baseley, executive chair of the Home Builders Federation says: “The industry is absolutely committed to putting measures in place to help deliver consistently high-quality new homes and effective redress for buyers. Recent years have seen significant improvements made in build quality and customer service and we are determined to go

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GRENFELL EXPOSES INDUSTRY FLAWS

There must be honesty in assessing compliance further. The proposed arrangements will present the industry with some challenges but will, I believe, ultimately prove of considerable benefit to builders and customers alike.”

Will they do it again?

With questions being asked after the green energy grant debacle, there is also concern that the regulator could be swept aside by an administration that doesn’t ‘do’ detail.

Caroline Gumble, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Building, says: “I want to reiterate that quality remains one of the biggest issues facing the construction industry and the new Ombudsman will have a significant role as a mechanism for driving improvements in the quality of new homes.”

Simon Storer, chief executive of the Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA) warns success will mean improving actual quality as well as emissions and energy targets. He says: “There must be honesty in assessing compliance with those standards and what they can, and will do, if houses do not meet the required standards. Quite simply, if a home fails to meet performance standards, then it should not pass.”

The UK has building codes, getting compliance with a new one is the acid test. CIPHE chief executive officer Kevin Wellman says: “After decades of failings, it would be unfair to dismiss a regulator at the start. There are lots of competing pressures and how those are balanced will decide its credibility. But there can’t be fudged decisions. Light touch oversight has failed and we can only go forward by being open and clear about standards.”

Critical failures in products and installation have been revealed at the Grenfell inquiry.

The public inquiry into the fatal fire has heard products used in the tower block’s refurbishment did not meet standards and were poorly installed.

The technical officer for fire Sideriser, the firm that made the cavity barriers, said the site installation was flawed.

Christopher Mort, technical officer for fire, said an inspection that took place after the fire revealed the barriers had either been siliconed in place or not fitted at all.

And the lead scientist at British Board of Agrément revealed the firm that made the cladding, Arconic, had ignored 11 requests for fire test data.

BBA said it had no processes in place for data being withheld and crucially had issued a certificate of worthiness in 2015 – a year late - based on data sourced from the firm’s website in order to close out its request.

The inquiry continues.

P&H VERDICT Industry has backed the idea, now the NHQB needs to prove it isn’t in the developers’ pocket.

More information Find out more about the New Homes Quality Board at: www.nhqb.org.uk

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P&H ENGINEERING 19

PROJECT FOCUS / THE EDEN PROJECT

BACK TO THE FUTURE The Eden Project championed eco-living. Before world leaders hear about its work, P&H Engineering got an exclusive access all areas tour

L

ike the DeLorean in Back to the Future, the Eden Project was created by a visionary and has captivated the imagination of millions.

When it opened in 2001 after a £141m build, it raised the bar for visitor attractions, revitalised Cornwall’s economy by £2bn and challenged conventions in building design.

It remains radical 20 years on – even the facilities team call it The Space Ship.

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And just like the Doc’s Time Machine, the Eden Project has been given a new core to keep it ahead of the game. The most powerful governments will see it first-hand during this summer’s G7 summit. And like the CIPHE, the Eden Project team will be making a big noise at the UN climate summit COP 26 in November. But before that, P&H Engineering has been granted an exclusive insight into the massive overhaul that has brought the centre’s critical systems into the 21st century.

The demands are significant: support a million visitors a year, sustain two different environments for rare plants – and enable movement between the two – and run conference and office buildings.

And the critical demand is the drainage and pumping system that prevents the former clay pit from flooding.

So how do they do it?

Energy manager, Charles Sainsbury says: “The way we approach sustainability is as a negative – we want to give back more than we take. That’s vital in an ecological emergency.”

The complex consists of two biomes – one tropical and one warm temperature – which share a walkway. Then there’s a roofless biome that makes use of the local climate – which is similar to Chile – and two visitor complexes. The 35-acre site is home to 2 million plants that need watering.

First principles Kevin Bate, site manager has spent 13 years overseeing the heating, ventilation and critical pumping equipment. He works with two mechanical engineers.

He says: “It’s amazing, world-beating

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THE EDEN PROJECT / PROJECT FOCUS

The spec sheet • The Eden project works by mimicking our own eco-system.

• The world-famous domes are made from a space frame with two layers.

The steelwork weighs only slightly more than the air contained by the Biomes.

• The transparent ‘windows’ are made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE). Each window has three layers, inflated to create a two-metre-deep pillow. They weigh 1% of the equivalent area of glass but are strong enough to take the weight of a car. They transmit UV light and self-clean. Heat soak from the floor starts the heating process.

Inside the Humid Tropics Biome at The Eden Project

engineering. But we have huge electricity need. That comes from an 11,000-volt internal ring and six sub-stations.

“There’s also the plumbing and an industrial pumping system. If they stop working, Eden will fill with water again very quickly.”

Three Hidrostal medium pressure pumps supply rainwater to the tropical waterfall linked to ponds and watercourses. All three pumps, totalling 60 kW, operate in a duty/assist mode in daytime dropping to a single pump at night. “They are testament to good pump design,” says Bate.

But the centre also had its limits.

“When Eden was built, a lot of people put in a lot of infrastructure,” says Bate.

“Everything was bespoke and built on a limited knowledge and resources. Some of it is unique; it pushes you to the point

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where you need to step back to think about how it all works. That’s been very challenging.”

There was one problem: “What we ended up with were a lot of things that were not really working together.”

An audit revealed the extent of problems. Bate says: “We needed new building controls, lighting and more use of renewables to get closer to our vision. We needed to look at building performance, energy use and how to maximise the lifetime of our kit.”

The solution was to “give the spaceship a new steering wheel” to run a single system. He says: “The heating distribution was being run through a heating distribution ring main. There was nothing gelling it together.”

That was critical: the site has 33 air handling units that extract heat. In

total there were 49 separate control systems, most no longer supported by the manufacturer. And a contractor was coming in to reset parts of the system with a laptop. “It made me think,” says Bate.

The resulting brief was to create one system – with remote access – that would save energy and money. There would be three phases: upgrade, unify and future development.

A contract went out and 17 firms bid – all big names. The winner was Priva, a Dutch company that works with agribusinesses. It designed the system and CambridgeHOK – “a lovely company to work with” – installed it. Bate says: “They asked to see inside our systems, including office blocks. No-one else did. We had a three-part system, pumping water all the time. They converted it to a two-part

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P&H ENGINEERING 21

PROJECT FOCUS / THE EDEN PROJECT

LEFT TOP: The turbines which heat the biomes at the Eden Project LEFT BOTTOM: Engineer installing a 300kw biomass boiler at the Eden BELOW: The heating generator

MARKETPLACE Interested in the current tech?

Priva, which worked with Eden, installs for schools and more.

Their full product range is at: https://bit.ly/3rWxyA0 Pump supplier: www.hidrostal. co.uk Dutch glasshouse specialist BOM Group are specialists in eco-farming. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3fN3kgz Thanet Earth’s agribusiness is sharing its know-how at: www.thanetearth.com

JUST THE JOB?

Fun fact: The UK’s biggest greenhouses are in Suffolk.

Built for food growing they span 16 and 13 hectares and have 177km of growing gutters

system that can be shut down and modulated.”

All 10 main system controls were obsolete so were replaced.

The firm also installed inverters on its 33 air handling units and moved their machinery outside. Bate explains: “You’ve got humid temperatures and insects; perfect for corrosion.”

The team replaced more than 700 lights with LEDs, installed direct hot water providers and new condensing boilers. All this is managed by an energy monitoring and targeting system to achieve consistent use needing only minor adjustment. Charles Sainsbury, energy manager, says: “Turning off kit with smart timers, using solar in our office and workshop buildings, building performance, maximising the lifetime of our kit - eventually it adds up.”

The results were huge. Eden has saved £414,860 on electricity and £43,059 on

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gas in just three years. The investment paid for itself in two years – and saved 781.4 tonnes of CO2 over the three-year period. There’s been an added labour saving too. Bate says: “If you can lower the temperature, you slow the metabolic rate of plant growth so they are not climbing. You’re saving energy and the plants aren’t stressed.”

The unifying stage involved bringing the pumping network onto the single control system – making better use of grey water from roofs for toilets. Bate is particularly proud of an installation that the public never sees: “Inside the Banrock pumping station, there’s a piece of plant that’s a work of art.”

So what next?

For the future phase, a wind turbine is going to be added to the energy mix to phase out gas. Then comes geothermal supply. A £17m project is starting to drill a 4.5km hole into the ground to generate up to 7MW a year of electricity to heat and power the entire site and thousands of nearby homes.

Sainsbury says: “Good engineering is about simplicity. We want to work with nature and that’s what we’re doing.”

Thinking about a sustainability role? The Eden Project has jobs including an energy and sustainability apprenticeship who will be working towards the junior energy manager standard.

Interested? Go to: https://bit.ly/2OsKsrX

The COVID-19 outbreak shut the site down: Doc’s advice in the movie - ‘Don’t go to 2020’ - was right. But it hasn’t stopped work at the Space Ship. Plans were announced in February for a spinoff centre in Morecambe – and other sites around the world are also under way.

Plans are also beginning for an ecohotel at the Cornwall site.

Sainsbury explains: “We’ll be growing our own crops, preparing food on site, putting energy into the local grid and meeting our zero carbon remit. That’s what we wanted to do at the start.”

The Knowledge Eden Project founder Tim Smit details the project’s story in his book, Eden. It’s detailed, takes swipes at bankers and is hugely uplifting.

ISBN: 0-593-0883-0

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FEATURE / HYDROGEN

BETTING Z THE HOUSE? It’s taken a climate emergency to end our addiction to fossil fuels. Two pilot projects will be crucial in achieving zero carbon homes. P&H takes a look.

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ero carbon emissions projects are becoming like the buses; except the wait for them all to show up has been around 200 years.

Suddenly, governments around the world, investors and even fossil fuel firms are backing hydrogen energy projects. The UK isn’t missing out, with multiple initiatives that ministers are signing off in a bid to meet its 2050 zero carbon target.

There are huge health and safety issues in changing supplies as well as infrastructure, training and building customer knowledge. The scale is huge:

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HYDROGEN / FEATURE

Hy4Heat initiative are set to open this spring to showcase how the technology will work. The public, school children, apprentices and universities are all set to visit.Baxi and Worcester Bosch are providing the hardware. The current problem is changing the mix.

The National Grid says: “For many years, we’ve used methane to heat our homes and businesses, and for power stations to generate electricity; currently 85% of homes and 40% of the UK’s electricity relies on gas.”

Wind farms and nuclear power stations are forming the core of electricity generation, backed up by the solar panel market. So that leaves the domestic heat generation.

Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan says: “From running a hot bath and cooking our evening meals to turning on the heating, most of us use natural gas every day. However, to tackle climate change, we need to find alternatives to fossil fuels and move towards making clean energy the norm.”

So who’s making Gateshead happen?

the UK gas infrastructure networks supply 24m customers connected to 284,000km of pipeline.

So how are they doing all this?

The UK’s first homes with household appliances fuelled entirely by hydrogen are set to be built in Low Thornley, Gateshead, providing the public a glimpse into the potential home of the future where no carbon emissions are released.

Two semi-detached homes, funded with the help of the UK government’s

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Two of the main UK boiler firms, Baxi – which is part of the Hydrogen Taskforce – and Worcester Bosch are supplying prototypes for the homes.

The Baxi unit has a 28kW modulating thermal output. The Worcester Bosch unit began field trials last autumn.

Their 30kw unit can run as a hybrid using methane or hydrogen.

Martyn Bridges, Director of Technical Communication & Product Management, Worcester Bosch tells P&H Engineering: “The Hydrogen House project will help spearhead the safe implementation of hydrogen gas into the gas network and ultimately our homes. The trials underway there are an important step towards a zero carbon future and we’re proud that our hydrogen boiler prototype is playing a pivotal part.” Also onboard is the national grid’s distribution arm,

IN FIGURES The scale of the gas infrastructure networks in the UK is huge:

85%

OF HOMES RELY ON GAS

40%

OF THE UK’S ELECTRICITY RELIES ON GAS

24m

CUSTOMERS ARE SUPPLIED

BY THE GAS INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORKS

284,000km OF PIPELINE SUPPLIES CUSTOMERS

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FEATURE / HYDROGEN

Cadent. Steve Fraser, chief executive says: “These projects are so important to demonstrate a decarbonised energy solution in homes now.”

All that gas The race to zero carbon actually began in 1671 when Robert Boyle discovered what happens when iron filings react with dilute acids. Five years later, Henry Cavendish defined hydrogen as substance in itself.

Briefly it became a source of fascination: Jules Verne included the idea of hydrogen in The Mysterious Island published in 1776. But the same year, methane was discovered. It burns in the air and is easier to transport making it far cheaper. The invention of the gas turbine in 1791 and the discovery of paraffin oil in 1840 ended the Betamax vs VHS race of its day.

And there are rival projects in today’s race.

Another scheme is keeping the pressure on. The Welsh government, Scottish firm Logan Energy and social enterprise Menter Môn, have begun work to create a hydrogen hub in Holyhead.

It was awarded £4.8m in last year’s Budget and it too will be building zero carbon houses. The location was chosen to explore gas transport and transfer at the port.

So that’s the technical issues: piping, storage and transport.

The big issue Mass gas production is the last problem: there are three current methods.

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Steam methane reformation is the which uses electricity to split water into most common process which uses a hydrogen and oxygen. But that requires a reformer to react steam with methane lot of electricity. and a nickel catalyst to produce Then there’s getting it into the the gas. The other process, system.

Fun fact: autothermal reforming, Antony Green, the National Did you know there’s more uses carbon dioxide and Grid’s project director for hydrogen in a gallon of methane to react. But hydrogen transportation, petrol than in a gallon of both keep methane in the explains how it will get liquid hydrogen? mix and carbon dioxide is to Gateshead: “Hydrogen a by-product. And that’s why deblending would allow us to big investors, like Jo Bamford of start a staged approach to future JCB fame, are looking at carbon capture conversion. This works by feeding a and storage. mix of hydrogen and methane through BP announced last month it is the network, and then deblending the developing plans for the UK’s largest blue hydrogen to supply areas that are ready hydrogen production facility, targeting to switch with only hydrogen; while 1GW of hydrogen production by 2030. continuing to supply other areas with A greener alternative is electrolysis, only methane or a specific blend of the

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HYDROGEN / FEATURE

measure of the ability to perform repair and maintenance in the future,” the study concludes.

And Project Cavendish, a HyNTS initiative, is testing how to store or import hydrogen at the Isle of Grain in Kent, to get hydrogen to the South of London.

Transportation is also being solved: Kawasaki Heavy Industries launched a liquid hydrogen sea tanker in 2019 for distribution at scale. Cooling the gas at minus 253 degrees Celsius, means it can be compressed to one eight-hundredth of its volume.

What happens next?

The trials underway are an important step

two gases.”

The good news is that modern pipelines are up to the job. Among the testing was a study carried out in 2018 in Holland.

Polyethylene with raised crack resistance (PE100-RC) was used. PE pipes are certified in accordance with EN 1555 (PE pipe systems for the transport of natural gas). They are sold as PE100-RC pipes, and are tested in accordance with PAS 1075.

The study investigated PE pipe – a DN90 SDR11 90x8.2mm – which was exposed to hydrogen for 1,000 hours at 2 bar. It passed, and the test also found current repair methods also work.

“The ability to carry out electrofusion on PE pipes after prolonged exposure to hydrogen is therefore an effective

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All eyes are on the UN summit COP26 in November for the next move. The CIPHE will be pushing the government, institutional investors, regulators and the energy industry to make real commitments to fund the move to hydrogen. Small grants aren’t enough: the Gateshead show homes got just £250,000.

The homes are the customer-facing end of the project. The generation and storage issues are being resolved. That leaves the industry.

The Heat Pump Association has estimated 69,500 trained installers will be needed by 2035 to meet the 2050 deadline.

The industry has already started work.

Karen Boswell, the MD at Baxi tells P&H Engineering: “Our customer needs are changing. We operate in residential and commercial markets, so our strategy is around responding to that energy transition. My team will come up with the right solutions for them.”

ALL UNDER ONE ROOF Want to follow the progress on the hydrogen house pilot?

Go to: www. hydrogenhouseproject.org

GETTING THE KNOW-HOW Everything you ever wanted to know about hydrogen but were afraid to ask, can be found here: • Every update on the big switch can be found at: www. fuelcellsworks.com • Why pipes can take the pressure: https://bit. ly/2RcO4zh • Hydrogen’s history and why it works: https://bit.ly/2PBab1K • The industry players are all sharing their input from heavy industry to domestic manufacturers.

• Kawasaki has developed a digital hub for plant-scale power: https://bit.ly/2Q2CIgt • Baxi is open-sourcing its work on reaching zero carbon: https://bit.ly/3cU64H3 • Worcester Bosch has created an FAQ on domestic boilers: https://bit.ly/3umOwJB

THE P&H VERDICT Hydrogen will likely be one part of a multi-faceted solution to low-carbon domestic heating. It is critical those responsible for education, product installation, and consumers are brought into this conversation.

So where does that leave installers?

Paul Harmer, CIPHE lead technical consultant, says: “The pilots, the funding, the huge sums of money industries are putting in all point to one thing: this is happening. And it’s happening now.

So we have to prepare and that means reading up on the best practice, getting specifications from manufacturers and more. We can’t wait.”

More information The CIPHE is developing training resources to support the transition to low-carbon heating. For further information contact our technical department at: technical@ciphe.org.uk

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QUARTER TWO 2021 EDUCATION AND TRAINING MAT TERS FOR PLUMBING LECTURERS

EDUCATION & TRAINING

BALANCING THE BUDGET A closer look at how some of the spring budget announcements could benefit those pursuing a career in the heating and plumbing industry

www.ciphe.org.uk

INSIDE LEVEL UP Spotlight on the new vocational BSE T-Level

NUMBER CRUNCHING The importance of mathematics

WELL PREPARED Advice on preparing for your assessments

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P&H ENGINEERING 29

EDUCATION&TRAINING / FUNDING

By Jenni Preston, CIPHE

BALANCING THE BUDGET The spring budget set out several initiatives that could be of benefit to the plumbing and heating industry

T

here was much for the plumbing and heating industry to welcome in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s spring budget. With measures in place to reduce unemployment and encourage apprenticeships and traineeships, it seems that the Government has eyes firmly set on the key Covid-hit areas of education and employment. In regard to Further Education (FE) and training, the budget unsurprisingly focused on English affairs, as the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, govern their own education systems accordingly. However, the Treasury has offered a training boost nationwide to SMEs. In this article, we explore the main initiatives announced, many of which build on those introduced at the beginning of the pandemic.

APPRENTICESHIP INCENTIVES RISE The Chancellor announced a rise in incentives paid to employers hiring an apprentice. Those taking on an apprentice from 1 April - 30 September 2021, will receive £3,000 per new hire, regardless of age. Under the old scheme it was a £2,000 payment for those aged under 24, and £1,500 for those aged 25 and over.

This marks a step change to a more equal system, and could hint that the Government is expecting many experienced workers to re-train in new areas.

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This payment is in addition to the existing £1,000 the Treasury provides for all new apprentices aged 16-18, and on top of the £1,000 received when employers take on an apprentice aged under 25 with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP).

PORTABLE APPRENTICESHIPS The Chancellor announced that from July 2021, a £7 million fund would be available to help employers in England set up and expand “portable” or “flexi-job” apprenticeships. It’s a concept designed to increase apprenticeships in industries where flexible working is the norm. The apprentice would be employed by an agency and complete their apprenticeship training by working on multiple projects with different employers.

While this scheme is being introduced with the creative industries in mind, the CIPHE is already working in partnership with Ideal Standard and FIESTA on a similar model (see p12) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has shown a keen interest too.

There are many parallels between the creative and construction industries, where the majority of employers are SMEs and sole traders and may not be able to commit to taking on an apprentice for a full four years but may benefit from tapping into an apprentice talent pool for a smaller set amount of time.

The Treasury pledged an additional £126m for traineeships The budget for this potentially revolutionary initiative seems low but it is at least a start, and shows some recognition of the circumstances under which businesses are operating. Time will tell whether this system is workable, but it does offer a glimpse into addressing the biggest problem with apprenticeships in the plumbing and heating industry – a lack of employers.

TRAINEESHIPS The Treasury pledged an additional £126 million for traineeships. This should provide around 40,000 workplace and training placements for those aged 16-24, in the 2021-22 academic year.

In the plumbing and heating sector, traineeships can offer an introduction to the industry, allowing students to put their toe in the water before deciding on undertaking an apprenticeship, or embarking on a course. While this can be highly beneficial to the learner, many may question the benefit to the industry.

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FUNDING / EDUCATION&TRAINING

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) •T otal apprenticeship starts have

Read more You can find archived features on training and education at www. pandhengineering. co.uk/careers

Unlike apprenticeships, traineeships are unpaid and normally last around six months, though they can last anything from six weeks to a full year. Employers will continue to receive £1,000 per trainee, when providing a work placement.

APPRENTICESHIP LEVY Talking of good news, there was some waiting in the wings for the beleaguered Apprenticeship Levy, with the government expecting money raised to increase from £2.8 billion in 2019-20 to £3.4 billion in 2025-26 – a rise of 20%.

HELP TO GROW: MANAGEMENT It is said that this will enable SMEs to access a 12-week programme delivered by leading business schools across the UK, combining a practical curriculum, with 1:1 support from a business mentor, peer-learning sessions and an alumni network. Participants will develop a tailored business growth plan to lead their business to its full potential.

30,000 places will be available over three years. The programme is 90% subsidised by government, with participants paying the remaining £750.

HELP TO GROW SCHEME FOR SMES

HELP TO GROW: DIGITAL

The government is aiming to help 100,000 small to medium businesses (of 5-249 employees) to aid the recovery from Covid-19. The plan is to develop digital skills to create a UK-wide management programme designed to up-skill 30,000 SMEs over three years.

From autumn, small businesses will be able to get free impartial advice on how technology can boost their performance, via a new online platform.

Eligible businesses will also be able to get a discount of up to 50% on the costs of approved software, worth up to

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fallen by over a third, from 494,900 in 2016/17 to just 322,500 in 2019/20 •T he number of apprenticeships going to under 19s has fallen from 122,800 in 2016/17 year to just 76,300 in 2019/20 •T he number of apprenticeships going to 19-24 year-olds has declined from 142,200 per year to 95,300 per annum over the same period •O verall employer investment in training which the levy was supposed to boost, has also declined, with employer funded off-the-job training in England falling by £2.3bn between 2017 and 2019 •T he current funding arrangements are also failing smaller organisations. In 2016 11% of small businesses (less than 50 employees) had apprentices in their organisations, but by 2019 this had fallen to just 9%.

£5,000. Vouchers are initially expected to be available for software that helps businesses: Build customer relationships and increase sales Make the most of selling online Manage their accounts and finances digitally Full details on the businesses and software eligible for the voucher will be published this summer.

Want to find out more?

More about the campaign is available at: helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/

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P&H ENGINEERING 31

EDUCATION&TRAINING / QUALIFICATIONS

engineering • Air conditioning engineering and

Refrigeration engineering

By Jerry Whiteley, Technical Manager

THE NEW BSE T-LEVEL A new technical qualification is being introduced to help those interested in working in the BSE sector

T

he new T-level technical qualifications (TQs) in Building Services Engineering will be launched from September 2021. The qualification is aimed at 16 to 19-yearolds who want to work in the Building Services sector.

Vocational training and education have for far too long been playing second fiddle to academic qualifications. Now, this new two-year Level 3 pathway follows GCSEs and will be the equivalent of three A-levels. Designated providers are set to present this new accredited Level 3 learning in England, offering young people the opportunities to learn new skills and experience they need to be able to pursue a career in the BSE sector.

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE AND HOW IS IT NAVIGATED? Learners will have the choice of studying one standalone occupational specialism or a combination of specialisms:

Combinations: • Plumbing engineering and Heating

engineering • Heating engineering and Ventilation • Air conditioning engineering and

Refrigeration engineering

WHAT FUTURE CAREERS CAN THEY LEAD TO? A plumbing and heating engineer not only works on systems containing water. With the rapid growth of heat pumps and the Government’s Net-Zero agenda, focused careers involving low-carbon heat sources and managing low-temperature system design careers mean future apprenticeships for this are highly likely.

If a learner selected one of the following as a starting point in learning aligned skills and knowledge, they would be in a stronger position moving forward into an apprenticeship because both these routes are suitable.

Combinations – A

Standalone:

• Heating engineering and Ventilation

• Electrotechnical engineering • Electrical and electronic equipment

• Air conditioning engineering and

Refrigeration engineering

engineering • Protection systems engineering

Combinations – B

• Gas engineering

• Plumbing engineering and Heating

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If they choose Gas engineering as a standalone pathway, this will map into the Gas Engineering apprenticeship or the Plumbing and Heating Engineer.

Whichever pathway is chosen, it still requires a long-term plan to become a Building Services Engineer. It will require a lot of enthusiasm and hard work to become part of the next generation of skilled and knowledgeable engineers.

During the learning journey, learners will have to complete a minimum of 315 hours work placement over the two years – approximately one day a week. There is no getting away from the fact that this is the area of most concern – already apprenticeship starts are under provided and traineeship opportunities need to be supplied. Adding work placements for T-Levels to the mix will require careful management and support for businesses expected to provide them.

However, work placements are high value because they allow learners to take the curriculum program into work and apply it, while at the same time learning on the actual job with industry experts. Work placements allow individuals to grow with real experience and confidence in knowing they set out a long-term future.

Employers want to train their own staff because they know they will then get a person who understands their business and methods. This puts a learner who has been through a T-level and associated work placement in pole position for a career with them. There would be no point in shopping around, as a person who fits the bill has already been invested in and is standing in front of them proving they can do it!

Want to find out more?

Find the latest draft of the specification for the T Level Technical Qualification in Building Services Engineering for Construction at: bit.ly/32TCTxT

www.ciphe.org.uk

DEVELOPMENT / EDUCATION&TRAINING

By Jerry Whiteley, Technical Manager

THE VALUE OF COMPETITIONS How competitions can help professional development

A

cross the plumbing and heating industry, there are many great competitions each year aimed at promoting high standards of skills and knowledge.

In the present climate, competitions are a great way of engaging with learners, lifting spirits and standing out from the crowd (for colleges and for students).

Competitions are a great opportunity for students to gain real life skills whilst using their recently learned practical knowledge in a pressurised environment.

What better way could there be to prepare for life on-the-job?

The competitions tend to focus on industrial standards and problem solving.

Industry works closely to set the agendas and sponsorship. This can lead to some phenomenal prizes and awards.

Students really enjoy participating, grow in confidence and learn a lot very

HIP apprentice of the year competition 2020

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go above and beyond what they are required to do. Ultimately, it provides something solid to highlight a commitment to learning, overcoming challenges and accepting scrutiny as a part of the job. enhance The biggest event across all apprenticeships is a global competition called WorldSkills. This starts out in the UK and covers dozens of skills from many quickly. It motivates them and gives them sectors, including plumbing and heating. a reason to further dedicate themselves to After national qualifiers, the UK their studies.

WorldSkills final takes place at the Skills Show and can attract as many as 75,000 COMPETITIVE SPIRIT people attending. This can lead to taking At the same time, in my experience, staff on the World! become very competitive too. They I am proud to be the Head Judge for encourage and motivate students the HIP Magazine Learner of the year because they want their learners to do competition. This is run via the national well and represent them and the college colleges network across the UK, starting as the best around. So, competitions can out with regional heats and ending with a have a real positive impact on making two-day grand finale. This year, as the people better teachers too. pandemic has hit the ability for people to Competition participation can make move around and attend practical skills learners more appealing to prospective tests, the HIP heats have changed to an employers. It doesn’t have to be external assessment of technical knowledge with and high-profile outside of a college or a Grand Final Skill Show being planned. training centre – in-house SkillPLUMB is another annual competitions hold the same competition run by the BPEC Read more value. It’s all about identifying charity and awarding body. It You can find archived people who are prepared to is designed to promote features on training put themselves out there and standards and skills across and education at www. the industry. It also involves a pandhengineering. co.uk/careers series of challenging test. The CIPHE is a keen supporter as young plumbers test their skills on a range of practical assignments.

Colleges and learners should not hold back, as the enjoyment of participation far outweighs any initial nerves. Winning is great, but it’s not everything.

Participation presses the fast-forward button on learning and means gaining invaluable experience and being even better prepared for future challenges.

And I am still counting down until the day arrives when a winner of one of the post-qualification competitions can trace their journey to becoming UK Plumber or Heating Engineer of the Year back to the day they first signed up for a college competition.

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P&H ENGINEERING 33

EDUCATION&TRAINING / TEACHING

has paid little attention to this element and it remains to be seen if the numeracy strategy will bring about a sustained and lasting improvement. The inability to manipulate and understand the fundamental operations associated with numbers creates later problems irrespective of the ultimate aspiration of the learners.

TARGETED APPROACH

By Dick Evans, CIPHE Education and Training Group

THE IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS Do attitudes towards the role of maths in the curriculum need to change?

Q

uestions continue to be raised about the teaching and learning of mathematics in schools and colleges and the levels of participation in the subject post-16.

Questions continue to arise about its purpose and centrality in the National Curriculum and the introduction of functional mathematics in vocational awards. In addition, concerns are being raised about the quality and quantity of students entering further and higher education to study courses that require mathematics, such as plumbing.

Work-based mathematics and numeracy are often overlooked and neglected. Meaningful research on mathematics and numeracy in the work place has been minimal and there is a dearth of evidence and scant attention paid to what the real issues are.

It is also essential to develop more precise definitions of the various elements involved. In any research there is a requirement that a precise lexicology is developed and adhered to. These requirements are important given the different mathematical and numerical

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skills and competences that exist in different work place situations. Key questions need to be answered including: • What mathematical and numerical skills are important in each identified work situation and how can these best be identified?

• What attitudes towards numeracy and mathematics need to be developed and encouraged by employers, employees, parents and teachers?

• How best can these subjects be taught and learnt in traditional classroom situations and how important is the context in which teaching and learning takes place?

• How does the context of numeracy and mathematics in the workplace become formalised in order to bring about an identification and understanding of the kind of skills that are needed in a given setting?

In the limited research on numeracy in the workplace issues about the lack of a feeling for numbers has been identified as a problem. It would seem that the school curriculum, particularly at primary level,

Too often, reforms to the mathematics curriculum diluted the essential building blocks for numeracy skills. The relevance and fitness of purpose of the school/ college mathematics content needs to match the future needs and aspirations of the learners as the young adults leaving these institutions will enter a wide variety of work situations and occupations that will, in turn, require varying degrees of numerical and mathematical skills and competences. Careful analysis is needed to identify, and then introduce, the appropriate content at the right time into the curriculum.

It must be accepted that very few will study mathematics to any depth whilst the vast majority will require a basic foundation and grounding in numerical skills and mathematical techniques in order to cope with the demands of chosen occupations. The curriculum needs to be configured to recognise these demands and at the same time excite and stimulate the learners.

One real challenge for the curriculum reformers is the fact that the whole curriculum is restrictive because of including other key curriculum subjects.

The expectation that numerical skills and mathematical techniques taught in schools and colleges should be capable of satisfying the total needs of the learners, whatever their career intention, is absurd. The content must be seen as relevant and be significantly informed by employers.

There is still a long way to go before the problems with the teaching and learning of work-based mathematics and numeracy are resolved.

www.ciphe.org.uk

ASSESSMENT / EDUCATION&TRAINING

By Jerry Whitely, Technical Manager

TECHNICALS AND PREPARING FOR YOUR ASSESSMENT Proper preparation will ensure you perform at your best during your assessments

M

questions are drawn from, and it any learners will Read more is a good indicator to make be preparing to You can find archived sure you have studied and complete the features on training revised these pointers. This is assessments in practical for and education at www. pandhengineering. as near to the range questions the Technicals in Building co.uk/careers as you will get. Past papers are Services awarded by City and also available on the same Guilds. This might be either landing page. the level 2 -8202-25 or the level 3The level 2 synoptic practical exam is 8202-35. Practical assessment is done via based upon combining the skills you have synoptic task, with knowledge at level 2 learned in practical training; planning, as a multiple-choice exam and level 3 as a marking out, working safely, pipe written exam. bending, jointing, installing and testing.

WHAT ARE THE DOS If you are studying the level 3 you have very similar documents available to help AND DON’TS? guide you along. The difference at level 3 is you have a written exam and when you Do 1 Start with making sure you have explain your content, you must make sure researched the documentation and read it you use industry technical language and well. Each course has all the details freely information. available on the City and Guilds website: www.cityandguilds.com/ 2 Look at past papers and specifically at qualifications-and-apprenticeships/ the key words used in the questions. building-services-industry/ Here are some examples. plumbing/8202- technicals-inSTATE, EXPLAIN, DIFFERENTIATE, LABEL, building-services-engineering#t DEFINE, COMPARE, IDENTIFY, DISCUSS ab=documents These are all words asking you to do This page contains the qualification something. Learn their meanings and be handbooks at both level 2 and 3. By prepared to apply this in your own exam. reading this book, it helps you see what curriculum content and range you should 3 For the synoptic exam at level 3, a be learning for the knowledge. It lists the good piece of practice is reading units by number and subject. manufacturers’ instructions for things like The multiple choice exam content is unvented hot water cylinders, macerators drawn from the handbook in section 5 or heating controls. These instructions and the exam guide documents. The will tell you how to safely work on exam guide has all the learning outcomes equipment, step-by-step installation and topics from each unit, as does the guidance and even fault finding. handbook. This is where the exam Familiarising yourself with these will mean

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you learn the terminology and will be better prepared. These should be available at your college or you can download them from many manufacturers’ websites.

Don’t 1 Don’t do any parts by guessing, this is not multiple choice. Go prepared from your research and revision.

2 Don’t arrive for the practical assessment without a pen and pencil.

3 Don’t waste time being stuck on one thing, move onto another part because going back to a task can give your brain time to unlock and see things differently.

4 Don’t leave things lying around. Working safely is a key observation.

5 Don’t waste time talking to peers.

6 Don’t arrive back from breaks late, the session is timed.

Finally, remember you are a member of the CIPHE. If you have any technical questions, then please use the Technical Support Helpline on 01708 463117

Want to find out more?

The CIPHE has a wide range of guides and resources available to members at: ciphe.org.uk

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P&H ENGINEERING 35

EDUCATION&TRAINING / ENHANCING KNOWLEDGE

By Dick Evans, CIPHE Education and Training Group

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

N

ew forms of heat pumps and hydrogen heating are urgently needed to meet the 2050 zero carbon targets. Recent reports state that the country will not achieve its emission targets while continuing to use natural gas namely a fossil fuel for heating.

Fuel cells are devices that convert chemical reactions into low-voltage DC electricity and heat. A fuel cell generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction, not combustion. In a fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen are combined to generate electricity, heat and water. A great deal of investment and research is being carried out into the full potential of hydrogen fuel cells.

A fuel cell is composed of an anode, cathode and an electrolyte membrane. A typical fuel cell works by passing hydrogen through the anode of a fuel cell and

Read more You can find archived features on training and education at www. pandhengineering. co.uk/careers

oxygen through the cathode.

At the anode site, a catalyst splits the hydrogen molecules into electrons and protons. The protons pass through the porous electrolyte membrane, while the electrons are forced through a circuit, generating an electric current and excess heat. At the cathode, the protons, electrons and oxygen combine to produce water molecules.

Fuel cells that use pure hydrogen fuel are completely carbon-free, with their only by-products being electricity, heat and water. Some types of fuel cell systems are capable of using other fuels like natural gas, biogas, methanol and others.

Because fuel cells generate electricity through chemistry rather than combustion, they can achieve much higher efficiencies than traditional energy production methods. To push the

efficiency even higher, a fuel cell can be coupled with a combined heat and power system that uses the cell’s waste heat for heating or cooling applications.

Fuel cells are also scalable. This means that individual fuel cells can be joined with one another to form stacks. In turn, these stacks can be combined into larger systems. Fuel cell systems vary greatly in size and power, from combustion engine replacements for electric vehicles to large-scale installations providing electricity directly to the utility grid. Most importantly they are eco-friendly with no carbon emissions.

By Dick Evans, CIPHE Education and Training Group

Working relationships and partnerships

O

ne of the most important aspects associated with plumbing is the effectiveness of working partnerships between all the elements of the profession, colleges and other training providers.

As a pricipal, this was always something I encouraged, but there was always the danger that colleges and staff could become preoccupied and inward looking with internal issues and as a result neglect external links. This was often associated with financial cuts or problems with employers, plumbing companies and associated industries. Often some college senior staff and heads of department did not encourage their staff to develop strong and continuous links with external employers and practitioners being often reluctant to cover costs associated with attending conferences and seminars.

College staff needs to be encouraged

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and supported by the senior staff. The principal has a major role to play in requiring their staff to encourage, develop and sustain effective partnerships and relationships with those representing the college’s disciplines and subjects.

But problems do arise as partnerships and relationships often become weakened for a number of reasons. The professional institutes have a major role to play here encouraging strong and continuous relationships through its own activities and publications. One important aspect is conferences and seminars held locally, regionally and nationally. Also the more progressive colleges and training providers staged such events for other colleges and training providers. A particularly important activity is the exchange of staff between colleges and the plumbing industries, inviting practitioners into colleges so they can see

Building strong partnerships will benefit both parties

how the college operates and equally important is for college staff to visit plumbing establishments and make contact with practising plumbers so they really understand the latest developments within the profession, such as modular/ off-site construction and the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the use of robots. It is a two-way affair with both parties benefitting from strong and meaningful partnerships but they need commitment and the necessary investment of time.

www.ciphe.org.uk

HONG KONG / INTERNATIONAL

MORE AIR TIME Members of our Hong Kong branch have been given a crucial role in work to halt the COVID-19 virus – and prevent future outbreaks.

S

topping the spread of COVID-19 is not just going to happen with vaccinations. Our knowledge of heating and ventilation – and learning from the SARS outbreak – shows air spread is a real problem.

We were invited to join a Taskforce Working Group on the work fighting against the virus.

The group includes the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers – Building Services Division, HKIE BSD and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers – Hong Kong Region.

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We’re getting the attention of the public and the industry to raise awareness on the importance of drainage systems – from design and installationoperation and maintenance. And, work together to avoid any kind of leakage at drains in buildings.

Circulating fresh air is also important so we were pleased to be part of a technical seminar on ‘Ventilation and Building Air Disinfection Strategies Against Aerosol and Airborne Transmissible Diseases’ through a Zoom webinar in December.

The seminar heard that like typical airborne particles, viral aerosols follow the same physical mechanisms in their transportation and removal. There are challenges of risk mitigation and prevention of disease transmission in aerosol and airborne routes.

A simple pollutant mass (quantity) balancing model can be used to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of different ventilation and building air disinfection strategies against aerosol and airborne transmissible diseases.

Options include: increase ventilation rate; increase return air flow rate; improve filter efficiency in ventilation system; use of UV light; emission of disinfectant; and air purifier with effective filter.

The seminar emphasised the importance of using antiviral air filter.

Studies show that COVID-19 virus (SARSCoV-2) can survive on objects for up to 28 days. Virus can accumulate on air filters in tremendous quantity if the air filter is

www.ciphe.org.uk

INTERNATIONAL / HONG KONG

Find out more Want to know more about Hong Kong’s water systems?

Go to: bit.ly/39wE75Y

MORE PROFESSIONALS ARE SIGNING UP New members are joining the institute in significant numbers.

The branch is delighted to welcome this latest group: Mr Chan Sin Kwan, Mr Yu Tai Wai, Mr Ng Ka Ki, Mr Cheung Wai Tung, Ms Li Yui Yan Jenny, Mr Chung Wai Lung, Mr Cheng Man Hong, Mr Hau Chun Bun Ricky, Mr Kwan Kin Pong, Mr Wong Tsz Yan, Mr Chu Lik Hang, Mr Lam Ka Yui and Mr Tan Chun Kit. Membership director Tim Sainty says: “The branch is a significant part of the institute.

It is a major influence on what we do and gives us influence at international level. So we’re delighted to have this group of new members join us.”

A watchtower – or diaolou – submerged in a reservoir in the Guangdong Province

not replaced professionally with medical grade equipment.

This means that the accumulated virus could re-enter the air, putting workers and occupants at risk. An effective antiviral air filter could eliminate virus captured and greatly mitigate the risk during filter replacement.

We also heard important research findings on using masks to greatly reduce the quantity of aerosols generated by coughing and sneezing. Wearing masks not only demonstrates an effective source control measure as a filter, but also serves as the last defence against infectious aerosols.

honour was Mr Kelvin K W Lo, JP, Director of Water Supplies and Dr Benjamin P L Ho, Senior Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong.

They were joined by waterworks professionals, building designers, building construction and maintenance professionals.

Water usage is a big issue for us: our three main sources of water are from Guangdong Province, rainwater stored in reservoirs and seawater for flushing toilets. Our water quality has been ranked among the best in the world, but we have to be efficient.

CHANGE AT THE TOP Our new Chair Sylvia Liu, pictured, is already making her mark. She has been a leading member of the branch by cochairing conferences, being part of technical committees and more. We are sure you will join us in wishing her good luck.

Getting together again We held a conference on ways to improve water use. Water Conference 2021 – Future Intelligent / Smart Water Resources Management took place on Tuesday, 27 April 2021 at Multi-Purpose Hall, Zero Carbon Park, Kowloon Bay. Guest of

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More information Find out more about us and who we work with on the CIPHE KKB website: https://bit.ly/35eyyXP

QUARTER TWO / 2021

P&H ENGINEERING 39

TheFix The Fix

Advice on installing low carbon ready under floor heating systems as an alternative to radiators PAUL HARMER CIPHE Lead technical consultant CEng MIET Paul is a chartered engineer who has consulted and led on many high-profile plumbing and heating industry projects paulh@ciphe.org.uk

Alternative to radiators

The future of lowtemperature heating

Low carbon ready under floor heating (UFH) As the demand for low carbon ready heating systems grows, so will the need for alternatives to radiators

A

s an installer you will be coming across a lot more consumer demand for the alternatives to radiators as the UK transitions to a low temperature, low carbon ready heating system, such as UFH. Therefore, it is important to not only understand the design principles of floor heating, but to understand whether the products you are buying are actually fit for purpose and low carbon ready. This article is aimed at

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simply breaking down the UFH system into some basic key technical areas to aid you when purchasing and installing a UFH system.

I have not long finished some extensive research into underfloor heating with a leading university that has highlighted some key things for installers to consider before attempting to specify a UFH system.

My first choice for a low carbon ready underfloor heating system type is a low

profile screed system with its high heat outputs and quick response times.

However, if I am forced into offering a dry solution such as an aluminium foiled panel, then care and attention is needed.

BASIC UFH SYSTEM TYPES Screed systems: The most widely used warm-water underfloor heating system is one where the pipework is embedded within a screed. This system

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LOW CARBON READY UFH / THE FIX

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

Compliant low-profile screed system

Compliant aluminium-foiled grooved UFH panel

Fully open castellated panel avoiding dangerous air gaps under the panel

incorporates many variants, such as the pipework stapled to rigid insulation or pipework laid into preformed castellated plastic panels. Traditional sand and cement screed thickness is usually around 75mm, resulting in approximately 50mm of screed over the pipework. However, following recent innovations in both fixing systems and screeds, there are now low-profile screed systems available as thin as 15mm or 20mm. Figure 1 shows a low-profile screed system where the screed thickness is determined by the type of supporting sub-floor, the type of screed used, and the final floor covering chosen. In combination with a quick drying levelling compound, this system provides a perfect, low carbon ready, high heat output UFH solution ideally suited to tackling retrofit challenges. Historically, traditional 75mm sand and cement screeds were not very responsive. However, the new low-profile screed systems offer the best of both worlds; a quick response combined with high heat outputs at low flow temperatures, and the added benefit of easier system balancing due to flexible pipe centres compared to the fixed pipe centres of grooved panels.’

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BS EN 1264 compliant UFH panel foiled within the grooves

Aluminium foiled insulation panels: Because aluminium has good heat conduction properties it is commonly used in dry-fit UFH systems in the form of either grooved and foiled insulation panels or heat spreader plates, typically ranging from 45micron thick foil to 0.5mm thick spreader plates (Figure 2). To achieve similar heat outputs, these system types require much higher flow temperatures than those required for in-screed systems and are supplied with specified pipe centres compared to the flexible pipe centres of an in-screed system. In addition, there are some critical elements to consider when purchasing grooved and foiled insulation panels to ensure you are compliant with BS EN 1264 and to meet any structural performance requirements. These are discussed in more detail later in this article.

UFH SYSTEM MEAN WATER TEMPERATURE An underfloor heating system is not too dissimilar to a radiator in the fact that the heat output increases with a greater difference between the mean water temperature (MWT) and the air temperature, known as the ΔT. The

There are some key structural factors that need to be considered when selecting a fit-forpurpose system

mean water temperature is the average of the flow and return temperatures. mean water temperature – desired room air temperature = ΔT Therefore, it can be seen that increasing the mean water temperature increases the ΔT and hence the UFH heat output.

Figure 3 demonstrates how the heat output from an in-screed UFH system increases from 54 W/m² to 70 W/m² (30% increase) for an increase in mean water temperature of 5°C (40°C MWT rising to 45°C MWT).

Figure 4 shows how the heat output from a grooved and foiled insulation

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THE FIX / LOW CARBON READY UFH

FIGURE 3

Heat output from an in-screed UFH system

High-output UFH heating systems at very low flow temperatures

FIGURE 4

The heat output from a grooved and foiled insulation UFH panel

Grooved and foiled within the grooves to avoid consumer complaints

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www.ciphe.org.uk

LOW CARBON READY UFH / THE FIX

FIGURE 5

An incorrectly sized valve can be the difference between a warm and cold house during peak cold conditions

The effect on flow rate by decreasing ΔT

panel UFH system increases from 33 W/m² to 41 W/m² (24% increase) for a similar 5°C increase in mean water temperature.

ΔT AND FLOW RATE As discussed in the previous paragraph, the ΔT plays a big part in determining the heat output of an underfloor heating system. However, whilst it is possible to increase the heat output of a UFH system by increasing the flow temperature, for a fixed flow temperature an increase in mean water temperature is only achievable by increasing the return temperature. This will require an increase in flow rate, which will add greater resistance to the whole system if the correct primary pipework is not selected.

Figure 5 illustrates that, for a fixed flow temperature, increasing MWT by increasing return temperature in order to increase ΔT by 5°C, doubles the flow rate required. This would require the primary pipe size to be increased from 28mm to 35mm for a 20 kW heat load.

THE FLOOR IS NOT REACHING TEMPERATURE, IS IT DUE TO PRESSURE DROP IN THE PRIMARY SYSTEM? www.ciphe.org.uk

The mass flow rate of heating systems

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THE FIX / LOW CARBON READY UFH

FIGURE 6

Thermal resistance of the final floor covering

Sometimes when we receive a UFH design from the supplier, it is easy to overlook the pressure drop in each component from the heat source to the mixer valves on the UFH manifold. As we transition to higher flow rate heat pump systems, the pressure drop across all components starts to play a significant role in potentially limiting the heat output of the floor heating system. There is a common misconception that the thermostatic mixing valves on UFH manifolds act as a form of hydraulic separation, however, applying this theory to all UFH systems is risky business. Always check the pressure drop across each component in the system when selecting zone valves, magnetic filters, manifolds etc as an incorrectly sized valve can be the difference between a warm or cold house during peak cold conditions.

PIPE CENTRES The output of the UFH system can vary significantly with different floor coverings

FIGURE 7

A non-compliant grooved and foiled insulation panel

The term pipe centres is the terminology used to specify the distance between the centres of each of the UFH pipes within the floor. The closer the pipe centres, the greater the heat output of the UFH system for any given mean water temperature.

THE EFFECTS ON HEAT OUTPUT WITH DIFFERENT FLOOR COVERING TYPES One of the main construction factors that affects the heat output of an underfloor heating system is the thermal resistance of the final floor covering laid on top. A 1.5 TOG carpet (R0.15) can significantly reduce the heat output compared to a thin floor covering such as Amtico which typically has a thermal resistance as low as R0.02.

Figure 6 shows a reduction in heat output of 32 W/m² when comparing a 1.5 TOG carpet (R0.15) with Amtico (R0.02) laid over a low-profile in-screed UFH system operating at a MWT of 40°C.

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LOW CARBON READY UFH / THE FIX

FIGURE 8

Compliant grooved and foiled insulation panel

Therefore, it is critical that you know what floor coverings will be fitted in each room before the UFH system is designed because the choice of floor covering will affect the heat output of each floor and could lead to challenges when commissioning and balancing the system.

WHAT TO AVOID AND WHY BS EN 1264 stipulates that to optimize heat output the heat diffusion device (aluminium foil) should be in full contact with the underfloor heating pipework.

Figure 7 illustrates a non-compliant grooved and foiled insulation panel where the panel has been manufactured with the aluminium foil over the main pipe grooves. To enable the UFH pipes to be fitted into the grooves, the aluminium foil first needs to be cut through on site. Not only

FIGURE 9

Research comparing the performance of the different UFH panels

does this add a time-consuming step to the installation process, but the accuracy with which it is done can vary considerably, resulting in a significant reduction in performance (up to 30% reduction in heat output). To compensate for this inefficiency, a much higher flow temperature would be required, leading to higher fuel costs and, in some cases, a cold house.

Figure 8 shows a compliant grooved and foiled insulation panel where the panel has been manufactured with the aluminium foil fully formed into the main pipe grooves, ensuring maximum contact between the UFH pipe and the aluminium foil in order to optimize heat output. With these panels there is no need to first cut through the aluminium foil, not only avoiding the additional time involved in doing so but removing any risk of compromising performance.

Figure 9 illustrates the results from the research comparing the performance of the panels in Figure 7 (foil over the grooves) with those panels in Figure 8 (foil into the grooves) for aluminium foil thicknesses ranging from 45microns to 200microns. The results shown are for a 16mm O.D. pipe @ 150mm centres with a 15mm engineered wood floor covering floated directly over the panels. The results clearly demonstrate the significant reduction in heat output achieved as a result of the foil not being fully formed into the pipe grooves.

SUMMARY The CIPHE as a professional body with the purpose of protecting the safety health and welfare of the public, expect to see fit for purpose low temperature heating systems being installed in consumers homes. As the UK transitions to low carbon solutions, it is important that installers prioritise safety, comfort and efficiency.

www.ciphe.org.uk

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P&H ENGINEERING 45

THE FIX / REGULATIONS

Regulations

Bidet toilet or bidet seats Bidets and bidet toilets are coming back into fashion. Technical manager Jerry Whiteley discusses some of the regulations involved in fitting them

T

he coronavirus has generated a greater importance for personal hygiene. Along with the government guidance to wash your hands more regularly, consumers are thinking about other ways bacteria spreads. The panic buying of toilet rolls at the start of the pandemic has also made people rethink what to do if they ran out!

The bidet is nothing new, they have been around a long time. In Portugal and Italy they are mandatory for new bathrooms. In Asia and the Middle East they are very common. They are a very hygienic effective way to wash and cleanse the bodies’ private parts after using the toilet – more effective than toilet paper.

This article is to advise installers and consumers before they rush out and buy

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products, that some items might not be approved for the UK market if they are not Water Regulations compliant as well as the benefits to you.

There are very strict rules on what is termed ‘backflow prevention’ and of course any ablution sanitaryware is high risk. Toilets and bidets are classed as category 5, the highest risk of cross contamination to a water supply as stated within the Water Regulations.

A WC / bidet or bidet toilet seat can be a space saving item. Traditionally the separate bidet was installed as an additional sanitaryware fitment and now with the extended use of the existing WC or replacing it with a modern bidet toilet or seat you get that space saving at varying cost and comfort.

Bidet toilet seats are relatively simple to install! They replace the existing toilet

seat once removed, with one that has a water supply connected to the existing cold water feed via a flexible tube, a cut in ‘T’ piece and isolation valve. This must be Regulation/byelaw 4 approved and therefore comply with the Water Regulations. You can check this on the WRAS Products and Materials Directory or KIWA water Tech and NSF Wales websites search engines by simply putting in either the code or name of the product found in the manufacturers’ instructions. These are also online.

You will also need to check the toilet bowl shape if it’s a seat only exchange.

Toilets vary in shape and size, so getting the new seat to sit properly onto the rim without too much overhang or insufficient support is important.

You will find that backflow for many types is protected from within the design.

www.ciphe.org.uk

REGULATIONS / THE FIX

Any ablution sanitary ware is high risk Typical air gaps listed are AB, AD on an electrically operated seats. Always check before purchase or installing one of these products, as there are so many makes and models that come from abroad via internet sales that may not be approved in the UK.

CHECK COMPLIANCE You must not supply a bidet toilet/seat via grey water. Grey water is recycled water and may cause skin allergies or disease.

Some instructions state the seat comes with a 1.5m cable and a 3 pin plug on the end. This isn’t allowed within a UK bathroom. The Building Regulations

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‘Part P’ state no sockets are permitted within 3 metres of an edge of a bath or shower. Remember water and electricity don’t mix!

The seat/toilet has a heater built into it and therefore will also require an electrician to provide an appropriate 230V/RCD protected power supply. This is via a separate supply, protected by a RCD circuit. If fitting is retrospective, then the difficult part of the work might well be the provision of a safe power supply.

Not a simple DIY job as some instructions make out. There are strict electrical regulations around power supplies in a bathroom. For obvious reasons these products have you sat on the power. If the WC is close to the bath or shower, then the risk of electric shock increases.

This type of work must be done by a competent registered electrician as the work is notifiable.

You may want to consider the cheaper versions. They are manual, cold water, non-electric soft close seats. I repeat

here that you must check compliance with Regulation/Byelaw 4 approvals.

These may not give the comfort of either warm air drying or warm water dispersal onto you as they are just cold water sprays (I hear you gasp!), which has to be a key comfort factor for use or meeting a consumer’s expectations.

The advantages with this sanitaryware equipment is obvious. If we compare this to a traditional standalone ascending spray bidet, then the installation time and material is a lot less. There’s no need for separate balanced water supplies, a header tank and waste pipe discharge connections. As there is no hot water connection, there is one less backflow consideration to the installer.

Due to their higher hygiene standards, there will be less toilet paper required but be prepared that any guest might not be so keen on the idea!

Above all, remember that if you are the installer you are legally responsible for the installation.

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P&H ENGINEERING 47

Been keeping up your CPD? For all the 2020 answers go to www. pandhengineering.co.uk

YOUR CPD

Assessment: Underfloor heating 1

True or false? To conform to BS EN 1264, UFH panels that incorporate an aluminium layer as a conduction device, the aluminium must be foiled within the complete groove and in contact with the pipe.

2

True or false? The greater the temperature difference between the UFH mean water temperature and the air above, the lower the heat output of the floor.

4

True or false? An increase in the thermal resistance of the floor covering, the greater the heat output of the floor.

5

True or false? An increase in the ΔT of the UFH system creates an increase in the flow rate of the water.

Correctly identify the type of water supply when installing a Douche mixer valve: A: Adjacent H & C Supply pipe B: Distribution pipes from a dedicated cistern and separate cylinder tapping C: Cold mains, hot from UVHW cylinder return

2

Identify the fluid category of the WC cistern: A: Cat -1 B: Cat -2 C: Cat -3

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What to do Answer the questions (using an additional A4 sheet if necessary) and return by scanning and emailing or posting to the address below.

Please complete this form Your name:

3

1

CIPHE members are expected to complete 30 hours of CPD each year.

Completion of these assessments can count towards this requirement.

Your details

True or false? The closer the distance between the UFH pipe work, the lower the heat output of the floor.

Bidet toilet/ seat

Your CPD

3

Identify the regulation that covers the fitting of a WC bidet seat: A: Regulation 4 B: Regulation 6 C: Regulation 7

CIPHE membership number:

Email:

REGULATIONS / THE FIX

4

A 230V power supply is required for most bidet toilets to function.

How should this be connected?

A: Just plug it in as it already comes pre-wired B: Wire it into a switched fuse spur and RCD at the consumer unit C: Wired into a non-switched fuse spur and RCD protected

5

Identify the correct height for a flushing valve fed via cistern above the WC pan: A: Not less than 200 mm B: Not less than 250 mm C: Not less than 300 mm

Return to: CPD Assessment, CIPHE, 64 Station Lane, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 6NB Email: info@ciphe.org.uk Or visit the members-only area of the CIPHE website: www.ciphe.org.uk/cpd

www.ciphe.org.uk

PRODUCT NEWS / THE FIX Left: The KA90 waste system Below: KA120 waste system

Technology

Got a new product Sustainability

KALDEWEI BACKS SUSTAINABILITY AT ISH

Get in touch with the editor using the email address on p3

Company reveals new waste systems that use less resources in both manufacture and use

S

ustainability has dominated the sanitaryware industry’s world event. Every major manufacturer at the virtual ISH 21 in March showcased products that use less resources in manufacture and use.

Among them was Kaldewei which debuted a series of new products including the KA90 and KA120 waste systems.

All Kaldewei KA 90 and KA 120 waste systems are now equipped with a factory-sealed creep water

connection. The new waste systems are rounded off by a new, intelligent plug-in connection for the waste cover, which enables the waste to be cleaned easily and safely.

The firm’s portfolio takes in bathtubs, shower surfaces and washbasins and all are recyclable.

It said: “For over 100 years, the family company has been using natural raw materials, transforming them into long-lasting and recyclable bathroom products, made of steel enamel.”

PANASONIC PUMPS UP THE HEAT

New range

RELIANCE ADDS PUSH-FIT OPTION

PANASONIC HAS RELEASED a new

www.ciphe.org.uk

VEISSMANN HAS INTRODUCED the nextgeneration of its most popular gas-condensing boiler.

The Vitodens 100-W is WiFiintegrated to make remote commissioning and servicing easier.

The new mechanical design of the Vitodens 100-W has reduced the number of spare parts typically needed for routine maintenance by about 50%, meaning Viessmann installers should be able to carry less stock.

Viessmann has also launched the new Vitodens 111-W wall-mounted combi boiler. Intended for family homes where there is high hot water demand, the 111-W features a cylinder loading system and 46-litre integrated stainless steel storage tank, allowing it to provide a flow rate of up to 181 litres in 10 minutes.

Product details are at: https://bit.ly/3uj6Lj0

Innovation

mono bloc heat pump running on the lower GWP refrigerant R32.

The T-CAP Mono-bloc J Generation system expands Panasonic’s Aquarea air-to-water heat pump range and is available in singlephase capacities of 9kW and 12kW, with three-phase in 9kW, 12kW and 16kW coming later in the year.

They say: “As a mono-bloc system with a single unit outdoors, the T-CAP Mono-bloc R32 is particularly suited to projects where

VEISSMANN MAKES SMART MOVE

indoor space is limited. No refrigerant connections are required indoors, further simplifying installation.”

Go to: https://bit.ly/2PvSYqs

HEATING INSTALLERS WORKING in tight spaces can now use the first ever range of Reliance Valves with pushfit connections from JG Speedfit.

This includes a push-fit version of the nickel-plated ball valve for even easier installation.

Find out more at: https://bit.ly/3urumhH

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P&H ENGINEERING 49

Your Membership Find out more about key membership benefits and how you can get more involved with the CIPHE TIM SAINTY CIPHE Membership Director

Research

THE REAL VALUE OF PROFESSIONALISM

Tim looks after the growing CIPHE membership, enhancing services for members and improving communications tims@ciphe.org.uk +44 (0)1708 463102

Research has shown that being able to prove your professional qualifications has a real value to customers

E

arlier this year we conducted research across 1,000 UK households in order to get a clearer understanding of consumer sentiment towards the plumbing and heating industry.

Amongst a wide range of useful information, we learned that 62% of households are prepared to pay more for a plumbing and heating engineer who can provide evidence of their professionalism. This is where your membership of the CIPHE and your commitment to the Code of Professional Standards has to be used to your professional benefit. Make sure to inform prospective clients of your membership and the trust and reassurance this can provide.

ROGUE TRADERS At the opposite end of the scale from members of the CIPHE is the impact of rogue traders. Over three-quarters of our survey respondents fear that they will accidentally hire a rogue trader when needing a plumbing and heating engineer, and the average cost of rectifying problems related to having previously hired one comes in at almost £2,000. Whilst important information, these statistics don’t by themselves highlight the true impact

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that rogue traders have on society and on the reputation of trades themselves.

The impact of rogue traders can cause fear, distrust, anxiety, and at its worst, social isolation and health and wellbeing concerns for its victims.

Water, gas and electricity are the three utilities that run into domestic properties.

All are potentially fatal, and plumbing and heating engineering is the only trade that touches all three.

CIPHE CODE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS 1 Perform professionally, competently and responsibly 2 Safeguard the environment and public health and safety 3 Comply with all relevant laws, regulations, standards and codes 4 Broaden, improve and maintain skills, knowledge and personal qualities 5 Uphold dignity, standing and reputation of the Institute and the plumbing mechanical engineering services industry 6 Abide by the Code of Professional Standards

CIPHE MEMBER RESOURCES The CIPHE has produced an infographic (right) that accurately reports on the information we have learned during our research and we will be using this as the backdrop to a campaign we will be running through 2021; highlighting the evidence of professionalism membership provides, and steps that consumers can take to better protect themselves.

This has also been produced as a leaflet that you can include when quoting and invoicing for your work. Download it from www.ciphe.org.uk/newsroom/Latest_ News/value-of-professional.

CONTINUING YOUR LEARNING WITH THE CIPHE The most recent webinar we delivered was in conjunction with the Manufacturers’ Association of Radiators and Convectors (MARC) on the installer’s role and responsibilities for radiator selection and installation.

The event focused on the standards that UK installers must know post-Brexit, considerations when advising customers on radiator and heat convector solutions and the risks and liabilities that come

www.ciphe.org.uk

YOUR MEMBERSHIP

the necessary opportunities for new apprentices and, in turn, benefit from a level of support from the CIPHE and a major industry manufacturer that they could only usually dream of.“ CIPHE members who are interested in finding out more can download an Expressions of Interest form at www.ciphe.org.uk/newsroom/Latest_ News/ideal-standard-fiesta-learning/ or can contact me directly.

EVENTS As we look forward into May, we already have confirmed events lined up:

10 AND 17 MAY CIPHE and Industrial Associate Supporter BAXI with an introduction to the hydrogen boiler

18TH JUNE CIPHE AGM via Zoom. Further details can be obtained from Lesley Church (lesleyc@ciphe.org.uk) with installing non-compliant products.

It included a 30-minute Q&A session with those who attended the live event. The recorded session and follow-up summary can both can be accessed via www.ciphe. org.uk/newsroom/Latest_News/marcqa/

CIPHE AND IDEAL STANDARD PARTNER FOR PLUMBING APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME Coming at a time when 1 in 10 apprentices are reported as having lost their jobs due to the pandemic, the CIPHE has partnered with our Industrial Associate Supporter, Ideal Standard, to address the plumbing industry’s skills gap. With further support from the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) and design education body FIESTA, the scheme aims to provide CIPHE member businesses, and any apprentice they take on, with additional funding, support and training.

Training will be carried out by some of

www.ciphe.org.uk

the top learning providers in the UK, carefully selected from our Approved Training Centre network. Ideal Standard will work with colleges to set the standard for training, and provide hands-on support for local apprenticeships going through the scheme around its sites in Hull, Armitage and London. The scheme uses funding from the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy and Ideal Standard is gifting a proportion of its share to provide financial support to smaller companies so they can take on an apprentice.

David Barber, managing director of Ideal Standard UK, said: “This scheme is the first of its kind within the industry. I hope that other organisations will see the benefits of the scheme and get involved in supporting our future plumbers.”

Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering added: “Members of the CIPHE are in prime position to provide

WHO ARE WE? The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is the professional body for our industry. Established in 1906, today it has more than 7,000 members worldwide, including a thriving branch in Hong Kong.

WHERE DO I SIGN? Renewing your membership couldn’t be easier. For new applications for membership, upgrades or transfers, registration with the Engineering Council, changes in contact details or payment of subscriptions please email membership@ciphe.org.uk or call on 01708 463116. You can write to us at: 64 Station Lane Hornchurch, Essex RM12 6NB

IF YOU SEE SID, TELL HIM. AND THE APPRENTICE. AND… We’re on a mission to professionalise the industry. The more members we have, the bigger our voice is. So, encouraging other people to join the CIPHE will make a huge difference. Get them to email me and I’ll do the rest. tims@ciphe.org.uk

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PRES

WELLBEING

S RE

UN

ER

U

D

Under pressure: Pause for thought, beat the fall Falls while working at height are one of the biggest workplace risks. Here’s the best advice on how to avoid it

W

e’d like to think workplace safety is a given, but the stats don’t bear this out.

According to the HSE, there were 111 workplace deaths in 2019/20. Of those, half were caused by falling from height.

Height implies a long way but remember: F1 legend Michael Schumacher suffered life changing injuries just falling off skis.

Falls at work can have devastating consequences

Who and where?

Most at risk are workers aged between 16 and 59. The biggest risk areas on site, based on accidents are: • Ladders 40% • Platforms 10% • Stairs 8% • Roof/false ceiling 7% • Scaffold/gantry 4% The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) highlights the cost of an accident. In March, energy

Falls from height often result in life-changing or fatal injuries www.ciphe.org.uk

company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Ltd, was fined after an agency worker fell 1.8 metres from a blade platform. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and were fined £533,334 and ordered to pay £16,274 in costs.

Dr Karen McDonnell, occupational safety and health policy adviser at RoSPA, says: “This is the cycle we need to break. So RoSPA encourage you to PAUSE and reflect.”

PAUSE is their assessment guidance: P - prioritise your people A - assess the risk but remain situationally aware – are you really managing working at height?

U - update your risk management plan S - speak to your people – their insights save lives E - evaluate the changes you make to

working practice, share what works The HSE also has comprehensive guidance for employers on how they should comply with the law.

The purpose of The Work at Height Regulations 2005 is to prevent death and injury caused by a fall from height. If you are an employer or you control work at height (for example facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height) the Regulations apply to you.

Core advice is simple: plan and use a competent person for the job.

HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham says: “Falls from height often result in life-changing or fatal injuries. In most cases, these incidents are needless and could be prevented by properly planning the work to ensure that effective preventative and protective measures are in place, such as edge protection or barriers built to the correct standard.”

More Information For more on working at height, see www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/height.htm RoSPA has an e-guide that also helps: https:// www.rospa.com/safety/safety-matters/info/ working-at-height-ebook.pdf

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P&H ENGINEERING 53

MEET THE MEMBERS

Sarah Oliver BSc Hon MCIPHE RP Breaking the ice is just part of being a sole trader in Cambridge who can’t stay away from water…

Q A

Q

What do you love about your job?

Have you got a standout moment?

I’m in the happiness business.

When I put in something that’s new, that someone wants, I’m a heroine. If I fix something, I’m a heroine. And from my children’s perspective, the fact their mother is a plumber is wonderful. They know their mother can do anything.

Q A

How did you get into the industry?

fter I had my first child, I needed to get back to work. I needed a job where I could work school terms and hours. Cambridge Regional College needed a technician and my neighbour was having work done. So, I went up to the plumber and said ‘give me job’.

Q A

How did you get into your current role?

I liked the small jobs. A lot of the competition didn’t want the little jobs like leaky taps. I didn’t want to work 8am to 5pm because of my children so I went self-employed. I’ve never wanted for work.

A

During the Beast from the East, someone rang at 9am on a Monday. They’d moved out and turned the heating off. I went, despite the conditions.

Water was pouring through the letterbox and I had to break the ice in the box where the mains tap was. He was hugely grateful.

Sarah came to the rescue of a customer during the Beast from the East

Q

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned along the way?

A

Someone who’d been very successful in retail said when I started ‘your biggest challenge will be saying no’. And as an apprentice, I was told it’s not what you do, it’s what you know. When you do something and it doesn’t work, don’t panic in that situation.

Q A

What are the benefits of a CIPHE membership?

It’s about education and learning about the innovations. It makes

sense if you’re doing statutory work.

There are lots of untrained people on social media showing what they’ve done.

It might work, but you have to think about all the things that could go wrong.

That’s why the CIPHE matters.

Q A

Q A

In a heartbeat. There are days now when after a cup of tea, I can’t get back up again, but I still love it. It’s been a wonderful, satisfying, altruistic 17 years of my life.

Tell us something people don’t know about you

When I was at university, I learned to scuba dive and I kept it up. I’ve dived around the world; Kenya, the Maldives, Costa Rica. It’s how I met my husband. We weren’t under water at the time, I’d like to make clear...

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Would you do it again?

Get in touch Would you like to feature here?

Contact the editor on Sarah enjoys scuba diving

pandhengineering@ jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

www.ciphe.org.uk