Your BESA Issue 25

Issue

25

The magazine of the Building Engineering Services Association

New attendance record for ‘hard hitting’ National Conference

www.theBESA.com

Also in this issue:

A night to remember at BESA National Awards Collaboration is ‘game changer’ for maintenance The power of patience and persistence

November 2022

high performance push-fit plumbing technology

VSH Tectite

expect more more performance

secure, reliable fittings with superior componentry and strength

more solutions four fitting options tailored to cover every application

more cost effective lower total installation cost than other metal and plastic systems

more peace of mind up to 25 year guarantee

more sustainable local supply, so less shipping miles

expect more from VSH Tectite

   customer service +44 (0) 1302 560 560 www.pegler.co.uk

David Frise

BESA Chief Executive

Contents 04 National Conference 2022 New attendance record for hard-hitting BESA Conference 12 BESA National Awards Photos and video highlights from a night to remember 15 President’s Perspective BESA President Robert Fletcher 16 World Ventil8Day Improving ventilation for a healthier world 18 Welcome to BESA! Introducing our newest Affiliates and Members

Body and soul

W

elcome to this ‘Conference Special’ edition of Your BESA. There is detailed analysis of the main messages to emerge from our first ‘in person’ National Conference since 2019 on pages 4-11 and, as one of our members noted, the event had a very pleasing ‘energy and buzz’ around it which bodes well for the future.

We had a record 270 delegates and over 50 speakers taking part. More than 400 guests also attended that evening’s awards dinner (see pages 12-13). All of which just goes to show that people are excited and energised to be back ‘in the room’ again.

Virtual events will continue to play a huge part in the work of BESA as they have become a very useful tool for disseminating information and keeping people up to date with the pace of change in our sector, but sometimes there is no substitute for that ‘off the cuff’ conversation that only happens face to face.

The Conference was also an opportunity to remind members and the wider building services community that the work you do is very important. There has been a lot of turmoil around the economy and the political situation was deeply unsettling – the news of Liz Truss’s resignation came through in the middle of our event – but it is impressive how you all just keep going as best you can.

Social good

Why is this important? Why are you important?

Because 90% of us spend 90% of our time in a building so the social good that results from quality building engineering services is massive. It plays a pivotal part in human wellbeing – both physical and mental – and is crucial to how the country deals with rising energy costs and the climate crisis.

www.theBESA.com

@BESAGroup

20 Member Spotlight Roving reporter tracks scale of IAQ problem

There was an interesting parallel between buildings and the human body that emerged as a theme through the day. We were reminded that buildings are living, breathing things and, although our work is largely invisible when everything is going well, the impact on people is clear when our indoor spaces are not well managed.

Buildings are also – like the human body – holistic, integrated systems, not an assembly of components thrown together in an approximation of the design. The way our systems perform, as a whole, is crucial because that is what delivers the best outcomes for people. That message came over loud and clear, but we also heard that due to the stressful way many of our supply chains work we were often guilty of producing ‘broken buildings and broken people’.

The former was made all too apparent in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the fact that there are two suicides everyday linked to construction is heart-breaking evidence of the mental toll taken by some of our pressurised and adversarial workplaces.

Despite all the lessons we should have learned, we still have a mad ‘hurry scurry’ build and design process rooted in conflict, and that was why we thought it important to support the Lighthouse Club mental health charity with a £10 donation for every conference delegate. Thank you for making that possible.

That money will go some way towards treating the symptoms of a broken process while BESA continues to make it a priority to build a better, fairer industry that delivers high quality buildings and treats those that do the work with respect. n

BESA Group

21 David Summerfield BESA mourns former president David Summerfield 21 New BESA Book 2023 available now Read and download your digital copy 22 BESA bitesize updates 23 Upcoming events Dates for your diaries in 2023 25 SFG20 Collaboration is ‘game changer’ for maintenance 28 REFCOM Elite The power of patience and persistence 31 VHE case study ‘Fair platform’ needed to keep up vent hygiene standards 34 BESA Academy Directory The learning solution for building services engineers 40 End point assessment New assessment is ‘fresh start’ for apprenticeships 42 BESA Webinars 2022 The must-see webinar for the building services sector

Advertising & production Open Box M&C T: +44 (0)121 200 7820 E: inside@ob-mc.co.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information given, the publisher - the BESA Group; or Open Box Media and Communications Ltd - the production managers; cannot accept liability for loss or damage arising from the information supplied.

The inclusion of adverts and information herein does not in any way imply or include endorsement or the approval of, or from, the BESA Group.

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

3

4

National conference 2022

New attendance record for ‘hard hitting’ BESA Conference

T

he influence of buildings on human safety and health and their role in delivering ‘social good’ were just some of the powerful messages to emerge from BESA’s first ‘in person’ National Conference and Awards for three years.

The event, which was sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric, broke historic attendance records with 270 delegates and more than 50 speakers – and later the same day over 400 guests attended the association’s National Awards dinner hosted by the comedian Zoe Lyons (see pages 12-13).

Delegates attended three busy conference streams at the Novotel London West addressing the overarching theme of: ‘Bringing buildings to life’. This included an examination of the industry’s current and future skills needs, the decarbonisation challenge, and how the current economic situation is affecting businesses.

CEO David Frise said the uncertain political situation (Liz Truss resigned on the day of the Conference) was unsettling but that the industry was still able to focus on the importance of its work.

a range of speakers including Arup transformation director Gill Kernick who told the conference she was “appalled” that commercial pressures were still driving poor design decisions and unsafe practices.

“Why are you important? Because 90% of us spend 90% of our time in a building so the social good that results from quality building engineering services is massive. It plays a pivotal part in human wellbeing – both physical and mental – and is crucial to how the country deals with rising energy costs and the climate crisis,” he said.

“Until we take a systemic approach to change, we cannot say that we have learned from Grenfell or honoured those who died. The merry-go-round of buck-passing is our failure. I have been appalled that nobody across the supply chain did the job the way they were meant to do it,” she told conference delegates.

BESA President Rab Fletcher also welcomed the return of ‘real life’ events pointing out there was no substitute for “being in the room”.

She also called for a change of emphasis on skills: “The industry is very focused on tackling competence but tends to stick to ‘technical’ competence because that’s what we understand best, but we need to be competent in areas like analysing why we fail and in risk management.”

“Anyone who isn’t here today may well have missed a key conversation or chance meeting that could change their business,” he during his opening speech. “And, they won’t have heard or engaged with our wide field of experts from across the industry and beyond.”

Building Safety The need for the industry to considerably speed up its preparations for new building safety legislation was one of several hard-hitting discussions. This was reinforced by

BESA Group Companies

Several conference speakers said that too many firms were still waiting to be told what to do rather than getting on with reforming their processes in line with the new Building Safety Act, which has been in force since April.

CIBSE technical director Hywel Davies said that up to 70% of the industry were doing nothing to prepare for the provisions of the Act, which he

5

“

Several conference speakers said that too many firms were still waiting to be told what to do rather than getting on with reforming their processes in line with the new Building Safety Act, which has been in force since April. described as “the most fundamental reform of building work since World War 2”.

He also said many people were still under the misapprehension that the Act only applied to high rise residential buildings whereas it covers “any building work to which the Building Regulations apply”.

Will Pitt, chair of the BESA technical committee, said responsibility for fire safety needed to be shared and the practice of passing risk down the supply chain was undermining efforts to make buildings safer.

“This is not entirely on the consultant, but they shouldn’t be throwing it over the fence to the contractors either,” he said, adding that the way safety critical products were tested needed to change.

the Building as a system “We test products, but not how they work in systems,” said Pitt. “Products are tested

www.theBESA.com

inspecting fire dampers in ventilation systems, according to Paul Downing from Compliance Air and Water.

”

against a specification, but if that changes on-site, you face problems of compatibility.”

Pitt chaired another panel looking specifically at the particular challenges related to specialist safety equipment such as fire dampers.

He pointed out that there was considerable confusion in the market caused by incorrect terminology.

Some standards, Heath Technical Memorandums (HTMs) and even Approved Document B use terms such as “fire smoke damper”, which seems to describe a product that does not exist.

FETA President Paul White told delegates that smoke control had been left out of many crucial design documents and there were other ‘grey’ areas that worried the panellists.

For example, even some experienced practitioners are wary about

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

“Most companies carrying out fire damper inspection, testing and maintenance are conversant with general ventilation installations. But fire-stopping materials are a specialist subject that should be left to those with expertise and those specific qualifications,” he said.

BESA technical consultant Peter Rogers, offered this advice: “If you’re not sure whether the penetration is right or not…and you’re not an expert on the penetration itself or the fire surround, you need to note it and make your client aware that it could be faulty.”

The need to carry out more rigorous risk assessments in line with the new legislation is creating greater pressure on building owners and managers in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy. And there was a strong sense from the seminar audience that more clarity in this area was needed.

BESA is currently working on an update to its DW 145 Guide to Good Practice for the Installation of Fire and Smoke Dampers, in a bid to help clarify the situation. This is due for publication early next year. >>

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

6

National conference 2022

She said the pandemic had led to greater collaboration with more sharing of knowledge and best-practice about how to make buildings more resilient to the transmission of diseases. “People realise we can’t solve this on our own or by arguing about whose tech is the best,” added Professor Noakes.

However, she warned that this winter would be very challenging because people would be tempted to conserve energy by not opening windows so causing other health problems linked to mould and damp.

Professor Noakes, recently appointed as the chair of a new Science Quality Assurance Group (SQAG) at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), told the conference that regulatory changes could be an important tool for holding building operators to account over ventilation and air quality.

Buildings are like bodies

world ventilation day

The similarities between a building and the human body also led to a debate about the need to consider buildings as living, breathing things and, their impact on health if indoor spaces are not well managed.

The Conference also saw the launch of World Ventil8 Day – a global initiative aimed at improving ventilation standards in buildings to protect the health, well-being, and productivity of people worldwide. Read more on page 16.

“Buildings are also holistic, integrated systems, not an assembly of components thrown together in an approximation of the design,” said David Frise. “The way our systems perform, as a whole, is crucial because that is what delivers the best outcomes for people.”

It was launched by healthy building champion Professor Cath Noakes OBE from the University of Leeds during her keynote presentation. She said ventilation was the most overlooked building safety issue and stressed the importance of infection control being part of building designs.

However, he added that due to the stressful way many supply chains work the industry is often guilty of producing “broken buildings and broken people” with two suicides a day linked to construction.

Frise said the industry still has a “mad hurry scurry’ build and design process rooted in conflict”, which was one reason the Conference supported the Lighthouse Club mental health charity with a £10 donation for every conference delegate.

“That money will go some way towards treating the symptoms of a broken process while BESA continues to make it a priority to build a better, fairer industry that delivers high quality buildings and treats those that do the work with respect.”

BESA Group Companies

Better regulation and enforcement could be used to help people decide whether to enter a building or not, she suggested. “Shouldn’t you have the right to ask whether you are organising an event in a place that is healthy and safe?”

However, she acknowledged the ‘real-world complexity’ of the issue and the need to balance multiple factors, including energy, carbon, and ventilation, plus the difficulty of working out where mechanical ventilation, additional filtration or purification systems should be deployed to best effect.

The first World Ventil8 Day took place on November 8 and involved a series of ‘in person’ and online events.

7

WHO child health advocate Rosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah (left) discussed the importance of building ventilation with Professor Cath Noakes

It is being driven by BESA, CIBSE and FETA in the UK in partnership with several international bodies, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Future Urban Ventilation Network – see report on page 16.

indoor air quality World Health Organisation (WHO) clean air and child health advocate Rosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah has become a popular figure at BESA conferences. She supported the push for better building ventilation and urged the UK to learn from other countries that already have models in place to help people improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) in their homes and schools.

“We don’t need to re-invent the wheel.

Let’s look at what is already being done elsewhere – like Germany and Belgium – and adopt that. We also need to use every means of communication at our disposal to tell people about their indoor air as it is still a new concept to many – but so many are terrified of the outdoor air,” she said during a panel debate.

However, the debate highlighted how little is actually being done to address

www.theBESA.com

the UK’s growing IAQ crisis, even though delegates were told most of the engineering solutions are already in place.

“Despite the unprecedented focus on IAQ, we’re seeing very little action being taken in thousands of buildings around the country. The engineering answers are ready and relatively cheap to implement, so there is no excuse,” said Nathan Wood, chair of BESA’s Health & Well-being in Buildings group.

“

We need to use every means of communication at our disposal to tell people about their indoor air as it is still a new concept to many – but so many are terrified of the outdoor air.

”

Rosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah, WHO clean air and child health advocate

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

One of the challenges is gathering data to support regulatory change, according to Dr Henry Burridge, senior lecturer at Imperial College London, who leads a project called SAMHE (Schools Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education).

“The project looks at air quality in classrooms and its impact on learning ability,” explained Dr Burridge.

“Classrooms are unusually densely occupied, so you can use CO2 levels in a classroom to accurately measure CO 2 per person.”

However, taking a project of this scale to other markets is not straightforward: “We could extrapolate SAMHE findings to offices, but looking to prove the chronic health impacts of IAQ requires decades of evidence. Look how long it took for smoking to be banned, for example.”

However, some panel members felt that even simple monitoring was better than none. “We should not let perfect be the enemy of the good,” commented Doug Booker, CEO of National Air Quality Testing Services (NAQT). He noted that CO 2 monitoring could be a useful way to track the health of occupants. >>

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

8

National conference 2022

Despite the problems getting traction with the government, the market is paying attention to IAQ, according to Mark Grayston from Mitsubishi Electric: “We see positive trends in customer interest in IAQ through the use of mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) systems, for example.

BSRIA also notes that 2021 saw a 20% increase in MVHR sales, and this growth continues.

“But balancing the requirements of Part L on energy efficiency and Part O on overheating, for example, is a challenge,” explained Grayston. “Engineers must weigh energy use against air tightness, carbon impact and IAQ. These things can be at odds with each other. One of the solutions is to ensure that you have good system controls.”

energy crisis In his opening address, Rab Fletcher also spoke about the conflict created by the crises in energy supplies, cost-of-living, climate change, and building safety but said we should not be pessimistic.

“Many of us have been arguing in favour of energy efficiency for years, but it was hard to get clients to invest,” he told the Conference. “Now the financial argument has changed…and while politicians are looking for quick fixes and short-term sticking plasters, our industry will be central to efforts to put this right for the long-term.”

The President urged delegates to look at how commercial buildings could be re-purposed in the face of changing occupancy patterns and added that

BESA would be pushing the new government hard for a fully funded national programme of building retrofits as the most cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions in line with net zero targets.

climate change The need to upgrade buildings was also encouraged by Lord Rupert Redesdale, who said the country often missed the most straightforward solutions: “We hear a lot about technology and magic bullets, but it’s not rocket science.

If we insulated new buildings as they should be, then we could reduce emissions,” said the former Liberal Democrat energy spokesman.

He told the Conference that the UK had met the carbon reduction targets set by its Climate Change Commission but there was much further to go.

“We’ve been hitting those targets because of the closure of coal-fired power stations. The ones that were shut down were just too old to carry on. And the Drax power station is now burning wood,”.

Lord Redesdale, who is vice chair of the parliamentary Climate Change Group, said that current conditions in the energy market would make the transition to renewable energy sources more complex and that we should expect government policy to change: “We are facing a possible nationalisation of the energy retail market because problems…are coming home to roost.”

“

Carbon neutral and net zero are not the same. Carbon neutrality describes reducing emissions and offsetting the remainder. Net zero prohibits offsetting, focusing on reducing emissions and using carbon-capture technologies.

Lord Rupert Redesdale

”

Lord Redesdale also called for more clarity about the definition of net zero as the confusion is making it harder for businesses to achieve their goals.

“Carbon neutral and net zero are not the same,” he told the BESA Conference.

“Carbon neutrality describes reducing emissions and offsetting the remainder.

Net zero prohibits offsetting, focusing on reducing emissions and using carbon-capture technologies.”

There are problems with both approaches, he added: “There is very little British offsetting available and with carbon capture, the truth is that the technology really isn’t there.”

Mitsubishi Electric’s head of sustainability Martin Fahey also said offsetting or capturing carbon could not be relied on to deliver a net zero future because of problems achieving the necessary scale.

BESA Group Companies

9

We currently capture 40 Mt and would need to capture 5,635 Mt by 2050 at current emission rates. One tree will offset approximately one tonne of CO 2 throughout its lifespan of 100 years, he explained.

“The scale of this challenge means that it’s vital for us to cut our energy usage to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% while we increase our renewable energy production – as that would significantly reduce the need to capture or offset,” he said.

Heating our buildings accounts for 23% of all UK emissions so significant potential savings can be made using lower carbon-intensive technologies such as heat pumps, he added.

By 2050, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) believes that low-carbon sources should meet all UK heat demand. Heat pumps can meet around 52% of that demand, with district heating providing

www.theBESA.com

42%. According to the CCC, hydrogen boilers are likely to meet 5% of demand, and new direct electric heating 1%, Fahey added.

“One vision for the future is that in mixed-use areas with residential apartments, shops, hotels, gyms and offices, the heat ejected from one building can be used to provide a heat source for space heating and hot water production in nearby homes via networks,” he said.

“The important thing is to collaborate, as we are doing at the BESA Conference today, and to ensure that we are all on this journey together.”

refurbishment, retrofit and repurpose The need to upgrade and repurpose buildings to reduce both embodied and operational carbon was also

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

picked up during a panel session about ‘The Future Building’. Speakers pointed out that more clients, planners, and developers were challenging the industry to make existing buildings perform better rather than build new ones.

“The industry needs to get its head around the fact that refurbishment is where it is happening,” said Frances Brown, associate director of Hoare Lea. “The market is moving quickly towards re-use and repurpose and that means in-depth improvement of building performance through continuous upgrades,” she said.

“We now have developers and planners agreeing that we should not be building new but making the best of what we already have.

Clients also want us to make their existing buildings work better so they continue to make money.” >>

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

10

More also needs to be done to encourage demand reduction in buildings to meet decarbonisation goals, according to Scott Mason, chair of the CIBSE Patrons, who was part of a panel looking at potential heating solutions.

“We often jump straight into mechanical intervention and ignore ways to cut demand like façade efficiency upgrades,” he said. “People can get railroaded by tech – I’ve got a bigger heat pump than you! – and we need to avoid competing claims when it is likely to be a combination of solutions that will deliver the right results.”

Several speakers also said Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting was another driving force for clients keen to improve their carbon footprint and deliver better building ‘experiences’ for their own staff, customers, and tenants.

BESA Group Companies

future of skills One panel discussion chaired by AECOM’s Jennifer Cox focused on the technical skills that tomorrow’s engineers will need as the construction industry adopts smart technologies such as digital twinning and automation.

strong digital skills. Automation will play an increasingly important role, with options to automate elements of the design and construction processes making work more profitable. Equally, these systems can help engineers and contractors speed up decision making because they analyse large amounts of data more rapidly.

She said one of the benefits of greater adoption of new technologies that are modernising construction is that they can play an essential role in attracting young people into the industry.

However, retaining and retraining experienced staff was equally essential to ensure the industry does not lose vital ‘know-how’ about the many ‘legacy’ systems that will continue operating far into the future.

The panel agreed that while technical know-how must keep pace with technologies, it is equally vital that the industry embraces the need for greater collaboration. This reflected other conversations that were taking place at the Conference around working together and sharing information for better safety outcomes in buildings.

The panel agreed that the next generation of engineers must have

BESA President-elect Claire Curran chaired a panel debate about ‘Women

diversity in the workforce

national conference 2022

in Construction’ that welcomed the growing number of young women coming into the sector but said the building services sector needed to market itself better to attract a greater share of talent.

“A new generation of women are showing interest in careers where they can influence climate change so need to be directed our way,” said Lucy Sherburn of Fairheat. “We need to point out that we are saving the planet… while many other careers are not.”

Alexandra Knight, founder of the diversity initiative STEMazing, urged delegates to promote engineering careers in their local schools. She added that stereotypes needed to be challenged more aggressively including suggestions that STEM careers are not for women and that “you have to be amazing at Maths”.

Karen Perry, head of customer service at Daikin UK, said: “STEMazing helps to put female faces from our sector in front of children. The days of girls doing sewing and cooking at school while boys do technical things are over, but this needs nurturing.”

She noted that something as simple as the wording in job advertisements could help change the profile of applicants. “We often hear, ‘No women applied for the role’, but think about the job titles and descriptions used in your ads. We no longer refer to ‘sales engineers’ in advertisements, as we have found that word puts women off applying, and it’s not the main skill we’re looking for in that role.”

Perry was part of a panel debate that encouraged employers to take on more ‘non-engineers’ to help them achieve their potential. BESA technical director Graeme Fox, who chaired the session, said: “The growing need for more diverse skills means that engineering companies are keen to attract people from many different backgrounds who can support engineers.”

Currently, only 9% of people in the industry are female, so it is vital to present a more diverse face to encourage a broader range of people to consider careers in engineering.

“We had that in mind when organising the National Conference,” said Fox. “And this year, a third of our speakers and panellists are women.”

Panellist Diane Drummond, director of B-DACS Air Conditioning Services,

www.theBESA.com

“

A new generation of women are showing interest in careers where they can influence climate change so need to be directed our way. We need to point out that we are saving the planet… while many other careers are not.

Lucy Sherburn, CIBSE AHRAE Graduate of the Year, Fairheat

said: “I came from a retail background and liked the business side of working in an engineering business. We have brought a lot of non-engineers into business roles such as customer service and planning, which has worked well for us.”

Samantha Buckell, PA to the managing director at Bitzer UK, noted that a mix of backgrounds was valuable: “It’s great to have STEMazing go into classrooms, but I also think that we need to encourage men to take up roles on the administrative side of the business.”

collaboration “We need to break the cycle of lack of collaboration in the sector,” said Duncan Reed, business development manager for Trimble. “Perhaps we need collaboration champions to drive people to it. The current problem is that construction teams come together and break up once a project is completed.”

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

”

One positive example of cross-sector collaboration was the open forum that discussed a ground-breaking partnership between the built environment’s leading professional bodies. They are working together to align the data standards used to manage costing, carbon and building and facilities maintenance, in a bid to clear up confusion and shift the digital focus from new build to whole life building performance.

The fact that BESA, CIBSE, RICS and NBS are working together on this with support from the Government Property Agency prompted one attendee to describe it as a “game changing moment for building maintenance and operation” – see report on page 25. n For more information about the BESA Conference and Awards, including reviewing full sessions, go to: theBESA.com/conference

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

11

12

besa national awards

A night to remember

A

fter a two-year break due to the pandemic the BESA National Awards came back with a bang.

Over 400 guests enjoyed a gala dinner in the Novotel London West hotel hosted by the award-winning comedian Zoe Lyons after the Association’s annual National Conference.

The Awards celebrated the individuals, teams, and companies responsible for delivering projects, products, innovations, and initiatives that demonstrate excellence in building services engineering. All the entries were scrutinised by an expert panel of judges drawn from across the sector.

To celebrate the return of the in-person format, BESA launched several new categories which led to a record number of entries. There were new awards for Net Zero Initiative, Product Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion, Competence and Compliance, and Women in Building Services.

The Product Innovation category had a shortlist of 16 due to the huge response from all parts of the industry demonstrating an impressive array of different technologies. The event also featured a new Specialist Groups award to pay tribute to the work of the many individuals who give up so much of their time to carry out important technical work on behalf of the Association and the industry at large.

The National Awards were also the culmination of a year-long series of local heats for apprenticeship and training awards hosted by BESA’s regions and devolved nations with regional winners going forward to the national final in London.

Enjoy this spread of photographs from what was a real night to remember and visit the website for a list of all the winners and highly commended recipients.

If you missed it, watch the highlights video and make sure you book the 2023 National Conference and Awards, taking place on Thursday 12 October 2023! n

BESA Group Companies

13

www.theBESA.com

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

14

BESA Group Companies

Robert Fletcher

President’s perspective

“

Webinars, podcasts, and virtual meetings are fantastic ways to stay in touch with what is going on, but sometimes there really is no substitute for being ‘in the room’ with colleagues, friends, and competitors.

Back in the room

W

hy do we have conferences?

Why do they matter?

Why would 270 people gather in a London hotel to talk about ‘bringing buildings to life’?

But overall, it was the ‘gathering’ that mattered most. Webinars, podcasts, and virtual meetings are fantastic ways to stay in touch with what is going on, but sometimes there really is no substitute for being ‘in the room’ with colleagues, friends, and competitors.

One dictionary definition of the word ‘conference’ is: “A formal meeting in which many people gather in order to talk about ideas or problems related to a particular topic… sometimes for several days.”

BESA managed to cram it all into just one day and got through an incredible range of topics and debates and were able to drill down into what it means to make our built environment ‘fit for people, fit for purpose, and fit for life’.

BESA Rotherwick House, 3 Thomas More Street, St Katharine’s & Wapping London E1W 1YZ T: +44 (0)345 646 1044 E: enquiries@theBESA.com www.theBESA.com

www.theBESA.com

With a record 270 delegates rubbing shoulders for BESA’s first ‘in person’ national conference since 2019, there were several crucial, unplanned conversations that could make all the difference to many of our businesses in the months to come but would not have happened in the online world.

We are extremely grateful to all our speakers for giving so generously of their time and expertise, and to our headline sponsor Mitsubishi Electric for making the event possible.

There was a real buzz around the conference – and a different sort of energy at the later BESA National Awards dinner – and, above all, that should give us hope at a time when we could be forgiven for feeling a bit pessimistic.

The role of our industry in addressing the big challenges of today was

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

”

debated and celebrated. The need for high quality building engineering is greater than ever, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves of why our work matters.

The world’s most famous campaigner Greta Thunberg has just published The Climate Book in which she says that hope is not something that can be gained “passively” but rather something we must create through our actions.

“Right now, we are in desperate need of hope, but hope is not about pretending everything will be fine,” she writes.

“Hope is taking action. It is stepping outside your comfort zone.”

As an industry, we have the enormous privilege of being able to create hope for others – as well as ourselves. We are part of the solution to climate change… and the energy crisis…and indoor air pollution…and building safety. Things that matter to our society.

That came over loud and clear at the Conference as you will see from our coverage on pages 4-11, but above all it reminded us why we need to keep pushing ahead and creating hope for the future. n

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

15

16

WORLD Ventil8 day

B

ESA helped to organise the first ever World Ventilation Day (#WorldVentil8Day) on November 8th which was hailed as a huge success by health experts, engineers, scientists, and academics.

21 organisations, including professional bodies, universities, and environmental groups from across UK, Europe, North America, and Australia, backed the campaign to raise public awareness of the vital role played by building ventilation in supporting people’s health, well-being, and productivity.

The Association pulled together marketing, content, and a media plan in just three weeks but the campaign still achieved five million mentions on social media networks in 30 countries. The hastily prepared website attracted over 15,000 visitors from 75 different countries and print media coverage had a reach of 382 million across 12 countries.

The theme of the day was: ‘Improving Ventilation for a Healthier

BESA Group Companies

World’ and it was followed on social media by high profile figures, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the UK’s chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance, Minister for Health Ireland Stephen Donnelly, and UK Green Party peer Natalie Bennett.

The Sun, Daily Mail, Independent, and Sky News all mentioned the campaign in the UK as did several radio stations.

BESA ran a webinar from the HQ of affiliate member Airflow Developments in High Wycombe

followed by a roundtable discussion about next steps for the campaign. There were also in person talks, new research launched, and a range of ventilation experiments all over the world demonstrating how good ventilation can reduce exposure to air pollutants and infectious diseases, aid human productivity, improve sleep, and reduce mould and damp in buildings. n www.worldventil8day.com

“

21 organisations, including professional bodies, universities, and environmental groups from across UK, Europe, North America, and Australia, backed the campaign to raise public awareness of the vital role played by building ventilation in supporting people’s health, well-being, and productivity.

”

Besa member offers

launch exclusive BESA member offer

on your first purchase*

Autodesk Construction Cloud combines advanced technology, the industry’s largest builders’ network and predictive insights to connect people and data across the building lifecycle, from design through operations. Autodesk Construction Cloud empowers construction teams to connect workflows across every stage of construction to reduce risk, maximise efficiency and increase profits.

At the centre of Autodesk Construction Cloud are powerful, simple and purpose-built collaboration solutions:

• Autodesk Build: Unites the best of PlanGrid and BIM 360 with

additional new functionality to create a comprehensive field and project management solution. Autodesk Build also includes the PlanGrid Build mobile app with additional new capabilities for field workers.

• Autodesk Takeoff: Empowers estimators to automate 2D

and 3D quantification from a single comprehensive platform.

• Autodesk BIM Collaborate: Enables project teams to align and

execute on design intent by managing the entire design collaboration and coordination workflow from a single solution.

• Assemble: Enables construction professionals to condition,

query, and connect BIM data to key workflows including design reviews, takeoffs, estimating, change management, and value engineering to reduce risk and improve efficiencies during project planning and execution.

Start saving and take advantage of your 15% discount by clicking here *BESA members can save 15% on their first purchase of any Autodesk Construction Cloud product they are not already using.

offer BESA members exclusive discount HandsHQ is the UK’s most trusted safety software, helping customers of all sizes create better RAMS in less time and effortlessly manage their training matrix.

HandsHQ’s risk assessment and method statement (RAMS) software allows you to create better RAMS in less time: Save time and create high quality consistent RAMS with our easy-to-use software and benefit from our extensive library Improve your reputation with professional-looking RAMS that can stand out from the competition and win more business

If you are in charge of your employees training, then HandsHQ’s training matrix software, Training Register, will enable you to effortlessly manage your team’s training requirements and keep your team safe and compliant: • Stay on track of employees’ training by receiving automated email updates of expiring training

@BESAGroup

• Ensure compliance by generating training reports at the click of a button - no one is sent to site without the right training • Enrol team members in over 140 high-quality iHASCO eLearning courses • Integrate your training matrix with our RAMS product to pull through training records for your projects.

To take advantage of your exclusive discount contact sales@handshq.com and let them know you’re a BESA member.

Bring all your teams together in one platform and promote better collaboration within your business.

www.theBESA.com

• All your training records and evidence in one place - access them from anywhere

*BESA members get 25% off their first-year subscription of HandsHQ enterprise packages

“

HandsHQ was a no-brainer for us. It empowered our contracts managers to create high-quality RAMS themselves.

”

Claire Curran, Managing Director, Linaker and BESA president elect

BESA Group

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

17

18

welcome to besa!

Welcome to our newest Affiliates Atkore Atkore Unistrut is the premium brand in metal framing, electrical and mechanical supports, with a history dating back to 1920’s. The original Unistrut Metal Framing system provides a quick, economical, and easy way of building both temporary and permanent structures as required. www.atkore.com

Sager Manufacturing high quality insulation materials in Dürrenäsch, Switzerland since 1949, Sager is a family run company working closely with our UK distribution partners who keep comprehensive local stocks for the HVAC market.

Their Swiss engineered products combine a market leading thermal performance of mineral fibre insulation with easy installation, which gives our customers best value and optimum energy savings. www.sager.ch/en-gb/technical-insulation

Fieldmotion Fieldmotion provides a cloud-based digital platform for field workers. It allows job scheduling and data capture in real-time, facilitating effective communication, real-time decisions, accountability, and time management.

ViewmyAir

As well as facilitating businesses across Ireland and the UK, Fieldmotion operates in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, and South Africa, providing a solution to many different industry sectors.

The Award-Winning indoor air quality monitors by viewmyair serve as a global target for schools, businesses, and governments to improve their occupant’s indoor air quality by promoting good health and wellbeing. The viemyair score chart makes something complicated, easy to understand for everyone.

www.fieldmotion.com

www.viewmyair.com

Congratulations to our newest members Essex Thermal Services Ltd Essex Thermal Services commercial HVAC projects include both new ductwork lagging and air conditioning projects as well as replacement and service works. Occupied and fully operational job sites are never a problem. They also plan, manage and build multi-phase jobs.

City M&E Ltd

Harvey Group Plc Harvey Group has been delivering M&E services for 40 years. They enjoy a sound reputation for delivering their projects on time, on budget, safely and to a first-class finish.

Orion Building Engineering Services Limited

City M&E are dedicated to providing mechanical and electrical services to the highest possible standards.

From emergency plumbing issues to complex engineering fire safety installations, Orion have a highly experienced team of installers, engineers and consultants are on-hand to help businesses and homes throughout the home counties and beyond.

They combine exceptional knowledge with a skilled and trusted workforce, using the latest technology to ensure minimal service disruption, whilst providing unrivalled peace of mind.

From small projects to the larger more complex, we are here to ensure all of our clients receive truly exceptional results.

Through innovation and their ability to develop as a team, Harvey Group continually strive to add to the “First Class” services that they offer including; design, develop, install, maintain, renewables.

www.orionbuildingengineering.com

www.cityme.uk

www.harveygroup.co.uk

www.essexthermalservices.co.uk

BESA Group Companies

Discover R32 refrigerant

with low GWP

Leaders in the development of R32 technology low GWP

The GWP of R32 is one-third lower than R410A (the most widely used refrigerant gas for air conditioning) and it has zero ozone depletion As a single component refrigerant, R32 is easier to recycle and reuse The use of R32 means chillers can achieve a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) that is 10% better than earlier models using R410A

Today, Daikin is the brand with the highest number of R-32 installations in the world, as a testimony to the experience, the knowledge, the quality, and the reliability of its R-32 products in the Bluevolution range.

For all your AHU, Chiller, Spares & Service enquiries contact us on:

0345 565 2700

www.daikinapplied.uk

20

member spotlight

“

T

he world’s most widely read newspaper website, the Mail Online, worked with two BESA members Nuaire and Farmwood M&E on Clean Air Day earlier this year to build up a picture of the scale of the UK’s indoor air quality crisis.

Armed with a portable handheld air monitoring device, the Mail’s roving reporter measured CO 2 levels, particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in five popular indoor locations around Central London.

She studied the London Underground (Piccadilly Line), MailOnline offices, a Sainsbury’s Local, a Wetherspoons pub, and a McDonald’s restaurant.

The journalist also measured pollution levels around Piccadilly Circus as an outdoor comparison.

The resulting data showed air pollution levels were well above recommended limits, with contamination in some indoor locations more than five times higher than outdoor levels. McDonald’s and Wetherspoons recorded worryingly high levels of CO 2 , PM, and VOCs. Alarmingly the readings showed that both these popular social eateries – had air quality readings similar to the London Underground tube carriage.

In fact, while CO2 levels on the London Underground came close to the recommended healthy limit of 1000ppm (coming in at 835ppm), both McDonald’s and Wetherspoons recorded measurements well above this mark.

BESA Group Companies

The lowest levels of all recorded pollutants were found at Piccadilly Circus.

The fact that a busy traffic interchange recorded lower levels of pollution than all of the indoor levels measured, serves to highlight the importance of taking action to improve IAQ.

”

Roving reporter tracks scale of IAQ problem Staggering

VOC levels were also leagues above the recommended limit (0.5-0.75ppm), with McDonald’s recording a reading of 58.4ppm, and Wetherspoons a staggering 99.5ppm – more than seven times higher than the outdoor reading at Piccadilly Circus.

Nuaire’s James Edwards said the worst places recorded were public spaces “where you would naturally assume ventilation would be at its best”. He pointed out that there could well have been good ventilation systems in place “but as premises change and adapt, the systems aren’t always checked, maintained and reviewed”.

While results were more encouraging at Sainsbury’s and the MailOnline offices, with both recording CO 2 and PM levels within healthy limits, VOCs were still much higher than the ideal range recommended by air quality professionals.

The lowest levels of all recorded pollutants were found at Piccadilly Circus – the only outdoor location.

The fact that a busy traffic interchange and popular tourist destination recorded lower levels of pollution than all the indoor locations measured,

serves to highlight the importance of taking action to improve IAQ. Nuaire has also discovered that over the last five years and particularly since the pandemic, British people are spending up to 11 additional hours inside per week – or 23 extra days each year.

“If we could see how polluted our indoor air is we would act on it immediately, but the issue is it is invisible and therefore an unknown problem,” said Edwards. “Our data shows that people are not helping matters either; one in 10 only ventilate their homes by opening all the windows once a year and a similar number (9%) never do.

“Almost half (45%) also use bleach products for cleaning and just a third (35%) realise that cleaning sprays can have negative effects on our health,” he added.

BESA’s Health & Well-being in Buildings Group continues to promote improvements to IAQ through its series of free to use guides and its ongoing ‘Buildings as Safe Havens’ campaign.

It is also part of the international coalition that created the first ever World Ventil8 Day – see page 16. n www.theBESA.com/iaq

david summerfield

T

BESA mourns former president David Summerfield

he Association was sad to hear of the death of its former President David Summerfield in September.

An extremely popular figure throughout a long and successful career in the building services sector, Summerfield served as BESA (then HVCA) President in 1999-2000. He worked for a clutch of highly respected industry companies including Climate Services, MITIE, and Estimation, but was best known as the long-serving chief executive of How Group.

Former presidents of BESA, including David Summerfield (second from left)

As well as his time as President, he served as a board director of the Association’s employment services provider Welplan for more than 15 years and was a director of the refrigeration and air conditioning industry registration scheme REFCOM.

His commitment to raising professional and technical standards was unquestioned and he was a powerful advocate for improving career prospects for young engineers.

On being elected President he said the “search for quality” should be the main preoccupation of the heating and air conditioning sectors.

“Above all, we must strive for quality in the young men and women we recruit – some of whom will be the managers, the leaders, the innovators of the future,” he said. “We must have in place a quality training infrastructure to ensure that these individuals realise their maximum potential.”

BESA chief executive David Frise described Summerfield as “an inspirational figure” who continued to provide advice and support to the Association and its members long after he retired.

“I don’t think anyone ever had a bad word to say about David,” said Frise. “He was a consistently cheerful presence who will be sorely missed. He was a unifying figure who played a key role in bringing the industry together to address the difficulties our members had with onerous contract conditions and unfair payment practices.” n

THE BESA BOOK 2023 AVAILABLE NOW An annual industry directory published on behalf of the Building Engineering Services Association

THE BESA BOOK 2023 A Client’s Guide to Building Engineering Services

www.theBESA.com

www.theBESA.com/the-besa-book www.theBESA.com

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

21

22

BESA Bitesize Updates BESA honours John Miller

The Association presented its former President John Miller with its Distinguished Service Medal during October’s National Awards ceremony in London.

This is the Association’s most prestigious award and has only been presented to a handful of individuals over the years in recognition of outstanding long-term commitment and service.

“All recipients of the BESA Distinguished Service Medal have given generously of their time and expertise to support the BESA community and the industry at large,” said CEO David Frise. “It is this kind of unstinting service that underpins the work of the Association and makes it possible for us to grow and develop.

CSCS brings together 38 card schemes A new alliance bringing together 38 different card schemes under the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) banner has officially launched.

Jay Parmer, chair of the Alliance said “the Alliance has a critical role to play in ensuring that principles which underpin the Building Safety Act and concepts such as the golden thread, greater collaboration, improved visibility and sharing best practice are achieved throughout all processes, including verifying the training and qualifications of individuals.

“Industry-defined requirements for fire safety training and the introduction of continuing professional development will also need to be displayed on CSCS cards and validated at the site.”

Read more

“John Miller is a most worthy recipient. His dedication and service is an example to us all.”

As well as serving as President from 2007-8, Miller was a member of the Welplan board for more than 20 years. He also played a crucial role in helping to safeguard the future of the Association as chair of its Finance Committee.

Apprenticeship Standard Consultation The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) needs your expertise!

IfATE are looking to commence the review and revision of six building services engineering apprenticeships. We need employers for the trailblazer group to help us ensure the content within the apprenticeship creates employees for future with the competence they need to be successful in the building services engineering industry.

Can you help? If so, please contact Karen Oakes at karen.oakes@education.gov.uk Please share with your colleagues and networks.

Image: www.associationexcellenceawards.co.uk/2022-winners/

BESA Academy wins Digital Transformation Award BESA Academy has been awarded a prestigious Association Excellence Award (AEA).

The online technical training service came out top in the crowded Digital Transformation category and was recognised by the judging panel because of its rapid response to increased industry demands for digital services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fantastic achievement, well done to the BESA Academy team!

BESA Group Companies

upcoming events

Dates for your diaries SAVE THE DATE!

Specialist group dates Ventilation Group 26 January | 25 May | 12 September Service and Facilities Group 9 February | 8 May | 4 October Heating and Plumbing Services Group 23 February | 13 May | 19 October

Thursday 12 October

Joint BESA/CIBSE Northern Ireland Clay Pigeon Event

2023 Member meeting dates Region East/West Midlands Eastern Counties London and South East North East North West Northern Ireland Scotland South West Wales Yorkshire

10 March 2023 TBC

Feb/March November 1 March 8 November 2 March 9 November 28 February 7 November 16 March 16 November 14 March 14 November 9 March 28 November 7 March 30 November 21 March 21 November 22 March 22 November 15 March 15 November

BESA Scotland Golf Day 28 April 2023 Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Peebles

Joint BESA/CIBSE Wales Clay Pigeon Event 6 October 2023 South Wales

To book your place at a member or specialist group event, or to reserve your team for the clay pigeon or golf days, please contact: martina.stocker@theBESA.com

www.theBESA.com

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

23

24

Consistently hitting deadlines for our clients has kept us a valued part of supply chains for more than 35 years.

Critical Compliance in Plastics Engineering One of the few BESA specialist members with in-house plastic ductwork fabrication and installation

Ensuring projects stay on track even with tight deadlines never compromises our quality as we know system safety is paramount.

That’s why IEP is a market leader in DW154 plastic ductwork fabrication and supply.

• A BESA-audited leading edge production facility, fabricating plastic ductwork to DW154 using PVC, PVC/GRP, PPs and FBPP/GRP • A nationwide distribution service and extensive stocks of vent pipe and fittings, sheet and rod

www.iep-ltd.co.uk Distribution: 0121 771 2828 Fabrication: 01428 751 200

BESA Group Companies

sfg20

Collaboration is ‘game changer’ for maintenance

I

n what has been described as “a momentous game changing moment”, BESA is collaborating with RICS, NBS and other industry bodies to align the data standards that are used to manage costing, carbon and building and facilities maintenance.

The plan is to bridge the gap between the collection of digital information at the construction stage or during refurbishment projects, to help building managers develop accurate asset registers that can inform maintenance plans, asset renewal/life cycle plans, and carbon assessments.

This is in response to demands from the government and building clients for more clarity around the way data is shared to inform decisions on life cycle costing, carbon assessment and digital led maintenance. It also seeks to shift the current digital bias from new build to whole life building performance

Impossible

The market for UK building maintenance is estimated at over £60 billion/per annum1 , but the industry bodies fear that a significant proportion of that money is not being properly targeted to reduce running costs and carbon emissions, with inappropriate funds allocated to keep buildings operating safely and efficiently.

Therefore the industry bodies are working together to align SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance developed by BESA, with the RICS New Rules of Measurement (NRM) for building works and the BIM Construction Classification (Uniclass) developed by NBS, together with CIBSE’s Guide M best practice guidance for management and maintenance of engineering services.

www.theBESA.com

“More than 80% of the total cost of ownership of any built asset is in ongoing operation and maintenance, but many clients find it almost impossible to get a clear handle on how much they should be spending and on what,” said BESA chief executive David Frise.

“Many building owners and occupiers tell us they are sick and tired of not having access to complete cost and asset specific data about how their buildings need to be designed and built in a way that will optimise how they are run and maintained.

They now desperately need to cut running costs, whilst making sure their buildings are safe and compliant, and get on with delivering their net zero carbon reduction targets.”

This new collaboration will also address the ongoing problem that decisions made at design stage to cut upfront expenditure often lead to much

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

higher lifetime maintenance costs, therefore passing on the problem to clients and people further down the supply chain.

By aligning SFG20 schedules with Uniclass classification and NRM 3 cost structures and CIBSE’s Guide M expected life tables, this can ensure the necessary information from ‘as built’ projects are handed over, to enable fully costed plans for the lifecycle operation and maintenance of buildings, saving precious time and money.

Uniclass is embedded in the BIM process, but all the industry data bodies have agreed that there is a major problem at project handover, which leads to much of the design information not being used in surveys to help set the relevant maintenance schedules and upload data into CAFM systems.

To support the collaboration, BESA has developed SFG20 Resource Modeller, a tool that allows maintenance professionals to cost their requirements and identify exactly what resource is required. n www.sfg20.co.uk Economic significance of maintenance report 2022, BCIS. 1

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

25

BESA Pipe Plus

+

Find the right pipe for the right job, every time!

Quick and easy selection of metal pipe and fitting products Product compatibility and application guidance Confirmation of current specifications Access to manufacturer and distributor information Improved awareness to reduce project risks

In partnership with

27

Helping you to achieve compliance

Air

Ventilation cleaning and testing to TR19® and BS EN 15780 & fire damper testing

Water

L8 Legionella control (ACOP) & water tank cleaning

Fire

Kitchen extract cleaning to TR19® Grease & grease trap cleaning

For more information, call now: 0800 243 471 or visit our website: www.swiftclean.co.uk

GEYSER SKY Reversible heat pump with natural refrigerant • Ideal for boiler replacement • High comfort thanks to the variable speed technology • Propane (R290), future proof refrigerant • No Ozone layer impact & close to zero global warming potential • Meets the highest seasonal efficiency standard

Visit: www.swegon.com/uk to find out more

www.theBESA.com

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

28

refcom elite

The power of patience and persistence

C

hange takes time, especially if you are aiming to reform an industry’s culture and working practices. As he takes up the Presidency of the Institute of Refrigeration (IoR), BESA technical director Graeme Fox reflects on why patience will always be a virtue.

They took part in multiple meetings at DEFRA’s London offices and repeatedly remodelled the scheme. This work proved to be a godsend for the government when the F-Gas Regulation came along as it meant there was a template for the statutory registration scheme it was going to need to help it enforce the European legislation.

It was back in 1996 that a group of BESA (then HVCA) members set about changing the world of refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC). In those days, the sector was effectively unregulated, so this was not about compliance, it was all about ‘doing the right thing’ by raising professional standards and keeping people safe.

“The government accepted our estimate that there were around 5,000 companies operating in the sector at the time – and the fact that REFCOM is now approaching 8,000 registrations shows how far we have come,” says Davidson.

The Association’s RAC Group got behind several pioneering members and developed what is today’s REFCOM Elite scheme. BESA’s now director of certification Rachel Davidson was instrumental in translating the vision into an operational reality ably supported by Welplan chief executive Bruce Kirton and prominent members Norman Mitchell and Tony MacWhirter.

BESA Group Companies

Enrolled

There were also around 45,000 individual engineers enrolled on F-Gas training by the end of the first year of statutory registration in 2009 – three years after REFCOM was first approached by DEFRA officials for help.

In the end, the government’s statutory scheme was a ‘’lighter touch’ version of the original, hence the need for the more ambitious ‘Elite’ scheme that continues to cater for those firms who

want to do more than simply achieve regulatory compliance.

With all firms in the sector legally required to maintain F-Gas certification to comply with refrigerant management regulations, the voluntary Elite scheme goes further by promoting codes of best practice and wider technical and business quality. It also advertises members’ commitment to reducing harmful emissions and their desire to minimise environmental damage.

Members must re-register every year and are inspected every three years by independent auditors to ensure they are maintaining high standards. Any customer complaints are recorded and followed up by the scheme’s managers.

Membership is open to contractors, end-users and equipment and refrigerant distributors who want to set themselves apart from the competition. It provides third-party evidence that the member can competently install, commission,

29

decommission or maintain a system containing refrigerant. It also shows that they are licensed waste carriers and only use staff who are qualified to handle refrigerant gases safely.

account for all refrigerant used and recovered. They must also only use appropriate, purpose-designed refrigerant recovery equipment – and this is verified during their inspection.

It now has more than 300 voluntary members and was extended in 2019 to include distributors and wholesalers, who share the aspirations of the contractor membership for higher professional standards cross the whole supply chain.

Members benefit from an Elite scheme certificate, which is valid for 12 months, and their details are published on a public database of certified firms used by refrigeration and air conditioning owners/managers looking to appoint high quality contractors. Members also benefit from discounted insurance cover.

“Today’s landscape would look very different if those HVCA members did not have the foresight to set up the original voluntary scheme,” comments Rachel Davidson. “REFCOM Elite is an industry driver. It is trusted and respected and represents the very best contractors committed to doing the job in a competent, compliant, and environmentally friendly way, but it took considerable patience and perseverance to get to this point. This level of change does not happen overnight.”

REFCOM Elite members meet all legal and regulatory obligations, they must have auditable procedures for the proper control of refrigerants and be able to

Ambitious Changing the European F-Gas landscape is one thing, but how much more patience do you need to change the industry on an even more ambitious scale?

It is now almost exactly 10 years since Fox launched the idea of an international ‘Refrigerant Drivers’ Licence’ at an ASHRAE Conference in New York. Next February, the scheme to help developing nations achieve higher competence standards in safe

“

The government accepted our estimate that there were around 5,000 companies operating in the sector at the time – and the fact that REFCOM is now approaching 8,000 registrations shows how far we have come.

”

Rachel Davidson, BESA’s director of certification

www.theBESA.com

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

refrigerant handling, moves beyond the pilot stage to a full launch at the ASHRAE Conference in Atlanta.

“My presentation stirred up a bit of a hornet’s nest at the United Nations,” he recalls. “They hadn’t considered that one of the consequences of limiting the use of conventional refrigerants to address climate change was that many developing nations with minimal expertise would soon be handling large amounts of highly flammable ‘alternative’ gases.

“The safety implications were alarming then – and are even more alarming today – but it has still taken almost a decade to get this off the ground. Outside observers might look at what we do and think why on earth is it so difficult to launch a global competence training programme?

“Changing an industry takes time.

We have spent nine long years of negotiations, compromise, persuasion and many lost weekends, creating and fine tuning the scheme.

It all takes time, but we are getting there now – and countless lives will be saved as a result. So, is the price worth paying? Yes, absolutely.”

The UK industry will have to show similar patience and perseverance to see through the provisions of the new Building Safety Act as it sets in motion the most profound change to building work in more than half a century. These things all take time!’ n www.refcom.org.uk/elite

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

vhe case study

W

‘Fair platform’ needed to keep up vent hygiene standards

ith end users facing increasing financial pressures, BESA members are concerned some may be tempted to cut costs at the expense of vital maintenance services.

However, the Association’s Ventilation Hygiene Elite (VHE) register is playing an important role in keeping up the profile of this particularly critical area of building safety, according to one of its newer members Howells Bradford.

The company, which covers the whole of the UK from its bases in the Midlands, Essex, and Kent, has been active in the ventilation hygiene market for more than 15 years. It says that being part of VHE is an ideal way to demonstrate its professionalism and show clients why this work is so valuable to them.

“One of biggest challenges facing the industry is ensuring that the standards, which have been developed over several years are upheld to ensure compliance in the face of the challenging financial climate,” says director Loretta Bradford.

“Businesses in the hospitality sector are under particular cost pressures so are looking closely at all areas of expenditure. There is a danger that they might be tempted to reduce the frequency of cleans, but this can be risky for them.

Widely recognised

“We believe the best way to prevent a reduction in standards is for there to be a fair platform for competing businesses to offer a quality service, which is audited, regulated, and widely recognised. VHE is that platform.”

www.theBESA.com

The register, allows firms to provide evidence that their ventilation cleans meet the long established and recently updated industry specification TR19® Grease. This is the best way to provide peace of mind to clients that their systems are being maintained in a way that reduces the risk of fire.

“Vent Hygiene is not just cleaning, it is technical and requires experience and skill; we feel that VHE recognises this,” adds Bradford. “Being part of it helps to make our technicians feel valued and that their professional skills are recognised.”

She said being able to provide clients with an official TR19® certificate was persuasive as it showed the work was properly regulated, audited, and carried out by a fully trained workforce.

Access to the latest industry information and technical help when needed was another “huge benefit” of VHE membership and helped them provide advice to their customers, she added.

The VHE register is run by BESA subsidiary Building Engineering Services Competence Assessment (BESCA), which is having a busy year. The importance of being able to provide proof of technical competence has been further reinforced with the

introduction in April of the Building Safety Act – seen as the biggest reform of building and maintenance work since World War 2.

BESCA recently ran a campaign: ‘Don’t Delay Verify Today’ to further reinforce the message about the importance of notifying TR19® compliant cleans so that regulators, along with clients, insurance companies, and others can access all the information they need to verify that ventilation systems are being fully cleaned and maintained.

All of this makes the considerable preparation work for joining the VHE register worthwhile, according to Bradford. “It does feel daunting at the outset, especially if you are a small business,” she says. “There is a lot of administration work to ensure your business meets the requirements, but help is always on hand from the VHE team along the way.

“We were confident that we already worked to the guidelines but there is always more to learn and being part of VHE ensures you maintain a very high level of quality and consistent standards. Making the effort to join was definitely worth it in the end”. n For more information about the VHE register go to: www.BESCA.org.uk

“

We believe the best way to prevent a reduction in standards is for there to be a fair platform for competing businesses to offer a quality service, which is audited, regulated and widely recognised. VHE is that platform.

Loretta Bradford, Director, Howells Bradford

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

”

31

Have you downloaded the Smart Check app?

A quick, easy and secure way of ensuring everyone on site has the right qualifications and training for the job

Find out more at www.skillcard.org.uk/smart-skillcards SKILLcard is a BESA group company

The learning solution for building services engineers

Browse our range of courses and free CPD, plus get advice on careers, apprenticeships and much more.

Exclusive discounts on courses for BESA members.

Visit: thebesa.com/academy

ACADEMY

34

BESA ACADEMY training directory

BESA Academy The learning solution for building services engineers We provide a specialist range of training courses, assessments and CPD enabling you and your engineers to develop your careers.

All our courses are flexible, can be completed at your own pace and accessed from your PC or laptop whilst at work, home or on the go.

Website: theBESA.com/academy

Start your learning journey with us today by registering with besa.academy.

Telephone: 0800 917 8419

BESA Health and Safety Environment Online Couse and Test In partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, we have developed an online Health and Safety Environment course and test.

The test meets the H&S requirements for all Craft and Operative SKILLcards and is designed for those within the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration occupations.

The test is 100% online and takes less than two hours to complete.

Save time and money spent on resits by booking the course and test.

Book now

BESA Heat Pump Installer Course In partnership with Worcester Bosch and the Home Builders Federation, we have developed a Heat Pump Installer course for plumbing, heating and F-Gas engineers looking to upskill.

Email: academy@theBESA.com

BESA F-Gas Renewal Course Category 1 and 2

Developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Electric.

This course is the only online F-Gas Renewal course on the market and is aimed at refrigeration engineers who are either approaching the end of their five-year certification period for Cat 1 and Cat 2 F-Gas or want to ensure they are up to date with the latest mandatory F-Gas requirements.

Learn how to correctly specify, install and maintain domestic heat pumps.

Renew your F-Gas qualification in less than 6 hours, with immediate assessment results and a downloadable certificate if passed.

Visit the website to find out more.

Renew now

BESA Group Companies

35

Interested in working with BESA Academy?

Free online accredited CPD

If you have course content you would like to provide or if you are interested in developing a course with us, then get in touch!

Understanding Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery for Commercial Applications

Email academy@theBESA.com

Join this course with Ian Palmer, Head of UK Specification at Airflow to learn about the following;

BESA F-Gas Awareness course

• Why do we need ventilation?

• Why is ventilation with MVHR an ideal solution?

• How MVHR works and its key drivers • Legislation • Types of heat exchangers • Energy saving via different MVHR technologies

This short online course will provide you with fundamental awareness of some of the F-Gas terms and regulatory requirements which must be adhered to, by those working in the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry.

• Typical MVHR applications Register now

This course will give you the confidence to communicate with customers and your staff alike, ensuring a professional and efficient service.

History of Legionella and Legionella Within Hot and Cold Water Systems

Book now

Join Altecnic for an insight into the history of Legionella, Legionnaires Disease and managing the risk in water systems.

Working with Flammable Refrigerants

On this course you will learn how the systems we use today can be managed to reduce or remove the risk of Legionellosis and associated bacteria.

Register now

As environmental legislation drives the sector towards lower global warming potential refrigerants, our technicians are increasingly having to deal with and handle flammable refrigerants.

HVAC System Air Filtration for Clean Healthy Indoor Air Quality

This course will upskill qualified f-gas engineers to ensure they are aware of the specific requirements which must be applied when handling these refrigerants.

This course provides practical measures that can be used as a strategy to deliver clean safe air inside buildings. HVAC system maintenance with use of PPE should be made in adherence to current safety guidance. Enhanced air filter efficiency and reduced running costs can be made using Low Energy Air Filters.

Book now

Register now

www.theBESA.com

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

36

BESA ACADEMY training directory

Free online accredited CPD

Variable Volume Pressure Systems This CIBSE accredited course will outline the design considerations for variable volume systems. In this short course you will learn:

Monitor, React and Prevent Corrosion

• Correct application of commissioning products

During this CIBSE approved course, you will learn:

• Application and positioning of differential pressure control valves

• Why systems corrode

• How to improve system commission ability • How to introduce energy savings by correct commissioning

• Why poor pressurisation is often the cause of corrosion problems

• How to maximise cost savings

• The benefits of an early warning system

Plus much more.

Register now

Reducing Risk When Specifying Building and Industrial Services Pipework Join TATA for this course on reducing risk when specifying building and industrial services pipework.

You’ll learn how to correctly specify project pipework, review application and installation case studies to identify best practice and discover more about new innovations such as BIM and the use of VR, which will have a positive impact on the industry.

Register now

Register now

Air and Dirt Separation Water Systems for Modern Buildings This CIBSE accredited course outlines the design considerations for water services systems and covers the following: • Energy efficient, hygienic and instantaneous domestic hot water generation plant sizing and selection • Legionella control in domestic hot and cold water systems • Pseudomonas control and management in cold water systems Plus much more.

Register now

BESA Group Companies

Compensation for Thermal Expansion This course highlights the need for flexibility analysis in pipe work systems. It shows how expansion and building movement solutions for specific problems in systems can be compensated and covers flexibility solutions for specific problems.

Register now

Join Flamco for this CIBSE accredited course on Air and Dirt Separation.

On this course you will learn: • Theory use and application of air and dirt separation equipment • The principles of operation • Theory behind air release • Common symptoms of sealed system equipment containing too much air and dissolved air Register now

37

New Boilers on Old Systems – Hydraulic Separation This 2-part CIBSE accredited course looks at system design in commercial heating applications.

Learn about the difference between sealed and open vented heating systems and how to assess and choose the best method of separating the primary and secondary circuits.

Euroclass A2 Vertical Façade Membranes In this course we look at UK Building standards for A2 vertical wall systems for membranes in high-rise buildings and high-risk buildings, Euro class A2 façade breather membranes in vertical rear-ventilated façades and applicable building types.

Register now

Register now

Metal Air Bricks for Building Applications into External Walls SCA Guide to Common Escape Routes This course outlines why a guide was required for fire engineers based on fire data by improving the understanding of smoke control systems for the benefit of building residents.

It also includes practical layouts for a consultant and installer to consider when fitting an air brick.

Register now

Needlepoint Bipolar Ionisation

Register now

This CIBSE approved course provides an overview on the Needlepoint Bipolar Ionisation as an advanced technology in helping produce more productive indoor environments.

Understanding UK Building Regulations relating to MVHR

Register now

This free CIBSE accredited course describes the different types of mixing valves available and also explains how to manage the risk of bacterial growth.

This CIBSE accredited course explains why we need ventilation with heat recovery and the benefits of using this type of system, along with some good practice installation examples.

Register now

Register now

www.theBESA.com

This CIBSE approved course focuses on the importance of system hydraulics and the application of realtime, condition-based corrosion monitoring that will safeguard users and service providers from unforeseen events that can lead to increased corrosion levels.

In this CPD we gain an insight into the use of a metal air brick supply, exhaust and why a metal air brick was required for smoke control to Class A2 S1 do.

Register now

Thermostatic Mixing Valves

Don’t take a chance on corrosion. Change!

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

Your BESA Issue 25 | November 2022

38

BESA ACADEMY training directory

Free online accredited CPD

Managing people Energy Saving course, presented by EnCO This BEIS endorsed online course is for energy professionals working within energy-using organisations, consultants advising clients, or anyone interested in effecting behaviour change in organisations to enable significant energy savings through people.

Find out more or register your interest

Firestopping of Service Penetrations Learn all about the design process for the selection of fire stopping of service penetrations, how to apply the nine golden rules, understand the importance of early engagement, as well as the terms and definitions used and the key questions to ask to ensure a compliant installation of fire stopping.

Register now

Browse our full range of courses today!

Interested in working with BESA Academy?

If you have course content you would like to provide or if you are interested in developing a course with us, then get in touch!

Email academy@theBESA.com

BESA Group Companies

Promoting a culture of fairness, inclusion and respect brings many business benefits to the companies that work to achieve it.

As a sector, we need to embrace FIR in order to attract, recruit, train and retain the skills in order to address the industry-wide skills shortage.

Clients and large contractors are increasingly expecting their supply chain partners to work with them to achieve this.

Our vision is one of a more inclusive built environment sector, that is better able to attract, recruit, train and retain talent and meet the expectations of all our stakeholders.

We provide a range of free CPD which addresses how leaders and managers can increase the effectiveness of their team and their organisation by considering fairness, inclusion and respect.

Find out more or register now

CIBSE verified mechanical calculations with Stabicad Have confidence in the accuracy of your calculations in Revit.

Stabicad is the UK’s first product to complete CIBSE’s pioneering Software Verification Assessment program.

Learn more at mep.trimble.com/calculation or call 01908 608833

40

END POINT ASSESSMENT

New assessment approach is ‘fresh start’ for apprenticeships

B

ESA has formed a partnership with a specialist End Point Assessment Organisation to secure the future of high-quality apprenticeships across the building services sector.

It has handed over responsibility for ‘end point assessment’ (EPA) of building services engineering (BSE) apprentices to the Construction EPA Company (CEPAC), which already assesses a wide number of construction-related apprenticeships.

This will allow BESA to focus on its core strengths of developing qualifications and courses, with particular emphasis on the forthcoming review of England’s building services engineering apprenticeship standards.

EPA is the crucial final stage of an apprenticeship programme when candidates are given a test to ensure they have developed the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviours to equip them for the ‘real world’ of work. BESA was an accredited EPA organisation but now recognises the need to extend this service by working with a specialist provider.

BESA Group Companies

“This partnership gives us a fresh start by allowing us to focus all our efforts on understanding the skills needs of the industry, developing the right qualifications and courses to drive the competence of the future workforce,” said BESA’s director of training and skills Helen Yeulet.

“We will then continue to partner with colleges, training providers and assessors to deliver the best outcomes for employers across our sector.”

Delivery

“CEPAC will help us maintain the momentum towards modern standards where qualifications are regularly re-assessed to ensure skills and competency are keeping pace with technical and regulatory changes,” she added.

“Setting new standards in apprenticeships, backed up by meaningful end point assessment,

is the starting point for a qualification for life that can be regularly refreshed via continuous professional development (CPD) and targeted specific short courses for upskilling.

“Working with CEPAC means we know exactly the quality of the standards each candidate will be assessed against, assuring a competent workforce for employers,” said Yeulet.

CEPAC chief executive Samuel Riley thanked BESA Academy for their hard work and support during the handover process.

“We will be building on the excellent work BESA has done to develop a suite of newly enhanced building services EPAs,” he added. “CEPAC is committed to supporting the sector as the only Ofqual recognised, specialist construction EPA Organisation. We look forward to supporting all the sector’s apprentices, employers, and providers.” n

“

Working with CEPAC means we know exactly the quality of the standards each candidate will be assessed against, assuring a competent workforce for employers.

Helen Yeulet, BESA director of training and skills

”

42

BESA webinar series

BESA Webinars 2022

The must-see webinar for the building services sector All webinars take place on Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 – 1:00pm GMT

View the 2022 webinar series today Tuesday 6 December

Why motors matter – the costs you can’t see

Thursday 8 December

Thursday 15 December

Building a Workforce for the Future – the role of Technology in Construction

Field management solutions for a more efficient business

But did you know that HVAC

Construction is central to national life in the UK. As

Fieldmotion is an easy-to-use

20% and 35% of the energy

year, the industry employs 2.7 million people in a

allows field workers to capture

Energy bills are on all our minds. motors account for between costs of a typical commercial

building in the UK? A surprising figure but it can be reduced

through more efficient motors.

well as contributing £117bn to the economy each

whole host of roles. But it’s a transformative time for UK construction and the people that work within it – which is requiring companies of all kinds to adapt.

Some of the changes underway are very positive.

Future Motors will join BESA to

At a regulatory level, government and industry

and talk through a recent case

quality and productivity. The webinar will outline

discuss these hidden costs study where a commercial retrofit saw dramatic

reductions for the customer.

Find out more or register now

bodies are working to set new standards for safety, solutions to improve ways of working, deliver better outcomes and ultimately make construction

more predictable – and even more profitable. The speakers will draw on recent Autodesk research

which highlights the concerns of UK construction

firms, including the impact of skills shortages and the image problem in the industry.

Find out more or register now

BESA Group Companies

cloud-based digital platform that information on jobs in real-time,

using their mobile devices. Being an all-in-one platform you can

schedule reactive and planned

appointments, manage contracts, let customers get easy access to the information within the

Customer Portal, CRM software,

create invoices/quotes/purchase orders, and manage workflows.

Better traceability with field staff and visibility information allows

for better planning, giving a more efficient and profitable business.

Find out more or register now

3 Point press

Flame-free Water

Q Q Q

Flame-free Unpressed joint indicator Available in sizes 15 - 54mm

conexbanninger.com

Gas

Solar

BUILT IN

EXPECT EXCEPTIONAL nanoeTMX technology providing cleaner air.

The smart, new PY3E 60x60 cassette provides: Superior Air Quality | Compact Design | High Efficiency Remote Control | Smart Control | nanoeTMX Technology

EXPECT COMPACT EXPECT EFFICIENCYEXPECT REMOTE EXPECT SMART EXPECT INDIVIDUAL

Visit panasonic.com/uk/nanoe to see how nanoeTMX can help your business