REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | AROUND THE INDUSTRY
New regulator for safer construction materials A new national regulator is to ensure that the materials used to build homes will be made safer, the government has said. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick says the regulator for construction products will have the power to remove any product from the market that presents a significant safety risk, and to prosecute companies that flout the rules on product safety. The move follows testimony to the Grenfell Inquiry that highlighted the dishonest practice by some manufacturers of construction products, including deliberate attempts to game the system and rig the results of safety tests, said Mr Jenrick. The regulator will have strong enforcement powers and will be able to conduct its own product testing when investigating concerns. The governent’s overhaul of regulatory systems includes the publication of a draft Building Safety Bill, and a new Building
Safety Regulator, which is already up and running in shadow form. Mr Jenrick said: “The Grenfell Inquiry has heard deeply disturbing allegations of malpractice by some construction product manufacturers and their employees, and of the weaknesses of the present product testing regime. “We are establishing a national regulator to address these concerns and a review into testing to ensure our national approach is fit for purpose. We will continue to listen to the evidence emerging in the Inquiry, and await the judge’s ultimate recommendation – but it is already clear that action is required now and that is what we are doing.” The regulator will operate within the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), which will be expanded and given up to £10 million to establish the new function. It will work with the Building Safety Regulator and Trading Standards to encourage
and enforce compliance. The government has also commissioned an independent review to examine weaknesses in previous testing regimes for construction products, and to recommend how abuse of the testing system can be prevented. It will be led by a panel of experts with regulatory, technical and construction industry experience and will report later this year.
Hot water sizing help The Hot Water Association (HWA) has launched a tool to help consumers and heating engineers choose the right hot water system. The online homeowner ‘hot water check’ questionnaire complements the HWA’s cylinder sizing calculator. Getting the calculation wrong can have repercussions for everyone involved, says the HWA: users run out of hot water or pay over the odds to heat water they don’t use; heating engineers get called back to jobs, and manufacturers get called out to unhappy customers. HWA chair Geoff Egginton says: “The questionnaire has been created to give consumers and installers logical and sensible advice on the type of hot water system they will need, based on their household usage.” www.hotwater.org.uk
Polypipe snaps up Adey and Nu-heat Drive off in an electric van with Baxi Baxi is giving one lucky gas engineer the chance to drive away in a brand new electric van. They will be able to get behind the wheel of a Nissan E-NV200 Visia electric van, to thank them for their hard work as they get back out on the road to keep heating Britain. There are a further 500 prizes, from £10 Costa Coffee vouchers to £30 Halfords vouchers. All you need to do is sign up to Baxi Works from now until Sunday 4 April and register at least one boiler. Every boiler registered during the campaign will also submit an entry, so the more registrations,
the more chances of winning. Existing Baxi Works members can enter by submitting a testimonial using the suggestions box on the dashboard of their Baxi Works account.* Dave Cook, residential sales director, UK & Ireland, says: “It’s been a rocky start to 2021, so we are keen to show our support for installers who continue to work hard to keep heating Britain, and help them make the year ahead a success. “We look forward to spreading a bit of positivity.” www.baxi.co.uk Terms and conditions apply.*
Polypipe is growing its presence in the heating and plumbing sector, and has scooped up two specialists – Adey and Nu-heat. The company aims to broaden its reach in climate and water management, with a focus on low or zero-carbon heating. Its CEO Martin Payne says: “Adey is a pioneer and market leader in the residential heating protection market, one of the fastestgrowing segments of the UK construction market, underpinned by a shift towards more energyefficient heating systems and regulatory tailwinds. “Like Polypipe, it has a strong track record of innovation and new product development, with the acquisition strengthening the proposition for our customers and accelerating Polypipe’s growth.” Adey CEO Matthew Webber says: “We are excited to be joining Polypipe and by the growth opportunities ahead. The
companies share a similar culture and philosophy, focused on delivering sustainable water and climate management solutions.” On buying Nu-heat, Martin says: “This acquisition will enable us to further develop our underfloor heating capabilities, and to develop new and exciting ways to integrate underfloor heating, heat pumps, and air-based climate management systems.” Nu-Heat managing director David Roberts says: “We look forward to being better positioned to deliver more sustainable solutions to customers and greater opportunities for our people as part of the Polypipe Group.” Polypipe paid £210 million to acquire Adey, and £27 million for Nu-heat. The management teams of both companies will stay with their businesses. www.gassaferegister.co.uk 11
