SSAIB add BAFE SP207 to list of certification schemes

SSAIB are proud to announce that they have achieved accreditation for BAFE’s SP207 scheme for emergency evacuation systems, which are used by Fire and Rescue services to prioritise evacuation from residential high rise buildings and ensure people at risk in endangered areas can be safely evacuated. Supporting British Standard 8629 Evacuation Alert Systems for use by fire and rescue services in buildings containing flats, this new development from BAFE – the UK’s independent register of quality fire safety providers - covers the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of emergency evacuations systems that will help to provide quality evidence of competency to deliver these services. SSAIB fire scheme manager Keith Strugnell believes this new scheme has the potential to become an essential addition for organisations looking to provide evacuation systems. Discussing the SP207 scheme in the upcoming edition of SSAIB’s annual magazine The Standard, Keith reveals: “Developed in response to a recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Phase 1 inquiry report, it is likely to become a requirement that you will need to be third-party certified to work on emergency evacuation systems going forward. “However, despite it being a brand new scheme, existing SSAIB-registered SP203-1 firms will find it comparable to their own scheme – as it utilises a similar format, albeit that the scheme document has been changed to make it more relevant to emergency evacuation systems. Therefore, in theory, you will satisfy the requirements for SP207 by default if you already have SP203-1. BAFE announced the scheme in the final quarter of 2020 and Keith went on to reveal that the leading UKAS-accredited certification body for the fire and security industries acted promptly to ensure that the organisation could add SP207 to its existing catalogue of BAFE fire schemes. Keith continues: “With regards to SSAIB, we completed training with BS 8629:2019 for our auditors and scheduled several pilot audits for those initial companies to achieve certification for this latest scheme that we provide certification for to the fire industry. We then collated all of the necessary criteria that was needed for our information packs and then we were ready to go. Through doing all this, it has allowed us to successfully add to our list of fire schemes and ensure that our firms are able to keep up with the latest industry developments.” BAFE’s director of schemes, Chris Auger, adds: “The demand shown following the MHCLG consultation is unprecedented and represents a far greater awareness of systems and competency of their installers required following the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower Fire. “With the work BAFE have performed in conjunction with the industry and Fire and Rescue Service, we are pleased to offer a route to achieving this important third-party certification. Quality evidence of competency is going to have far greater scrutiny for everyone working in high-rise blocks in the very near future which can only be a good thing. This scheme will fill this crucial gap in providing confidence to specifiers knowing they are fulfilling their due diligence and continuing the ‘golden thread’ of accountability for the life safety of residents within the building.” “The expanding portfolio of BAFE schemes represents the necessity of quality evidence of competency required for niche, but extremely important, areas of the industry. Third-party certification is going to be a key focus of attention for the built environment moving forward and BAFE need to position itself to offer schemes that are both needed and, reflect the current concerns of occupants, regulators, service providers and building owners/managers.”

Pagabo announces utilities supply framework activation

Pagabo has announced that its latest framework is now live. The National Utilities Supply Framework will provide public sector bodies a compliant procurement route for their electricity, gas and water supply contracts. The framework is split across three lots and will run for four years, enabling compliant electricity, gas and water supply contracts of any value to be accessed nationwide. Jason Stapley, managing director at Pagabo, says: “It is pleasing to see our new utilities framework go live and know we will be helping public sector bodies save time and money, whilst not sacrificing quality. “Using this framework will provide our clients with expert market intelligence and will allow for strategic utility procurement based on the daily tracking of the wholesale utility futures market. Using this insight, we will be able to advise our clients on the best time to place their utility supply contracts to deliver the maximum savings.” NPower will cover Lots 1 and 2, which focus on the supply of mains electricity and natural gas respectively. A range of supply contracts will be available from one year upwards. Under lot 1, a range of electricity supply contracts are available, including half-hourly and non-half hourly metered supplies, fixed, part fixed, flexible and basket purchasing contract options, as well as supply mixes including green, renewable energy and CCL exempt supplies. NPower will offer 100 per cent renewable as standard under the framework. Lot 2 offers supply contracts including all meter types, fixed, part fixed, flexible and basket purchasing contract options, as well as options for different supply mixes including renewable and biogas. Jason adds: “We will be helping clients cut down their energy consumption and carbon footprint, helping install sustainable activities throughout every stage of the supply chain. Respecting our value of transparency, this framework will display simplicity and stability in action with the public in mind.” Lot 3 will be covered by Water Plus and will allow client organisations to access water supply and sewerage services. Again, a range of supply contract durations will be available from one year upwards. Clients will also have access to a unique to the industry flood risk and severe weather alert function. Through working with both Npower and Water Plus, the National Utilities Supply Framework will help clients to decarbonise their services by reducing their carbon footprint in order to meet net zero carbon legislation by 2050. This can be through the use of green fuels, with improved usage monitoring to identify ways of reducing a client’s consumption of energy and water. All supply contracts offer client organisations the benefits of direct access to an account manager, access to an online portal to view, manage and receive consumption information and invoices, as well as assisted management of supplies to be provided by Pagabo. All Pagabo’s frameworks are free to access, easy to use and fully complaint with UK public procurement law.

‘Glocalisation’ defines robust Spelsberg UK 2021 supply chain

2020 has presented multiple challenges to businesses, especially in terms of overcoming supply chain interruptions. Spelsberg is offering its customers the opportunity to overcome these challenges in 2021. Combining the reliability of a responsive, localised supply service with global support – the business is offering a solution to supply interruptions via glocalisation. Glocalisation refers to the combination of a local and global service, both combining to provide a more reliable supply chain. The main aim is to overcome possible interruptions in the supply chain, which have become more common during the pandemic. Of course, many customers depend on a reliable supply chain, so forward-looking suppliers such as Spelsberg are enacting this combined approach to provide it. Localised supply chains are defined by short, robust supply routes. With products travelling less distance, the chance of interruption or delays is greatly reduced. Supplier responsiveness is also improved. However, in cases where a very specialised product or a high quantity is required, global support can provide additional assurance and capabilities. When both are operating in mutual support, ‘glocalisation’ is the result. The term was first used in a 1980s issue of Harvard Business Review . For customers, it means increased assurance that orders will arrive exactly when needed, even in the face of external factors. Spelsberg operates a strong localised supply chain in the UK, backed by the largest domestic stock holding of non-metallic electrical enclosures, totalling nearly £500,000. Thousands of enclosures in a wide variety of sizes, materials and specifications are ready for high speed delivery to meet the needs of electrical design engineers, OEMs, installers and other customers. To illustrate this, Spelsberg UK offers next day delivery for 99% of orders. This is matched with a comprehensive customisation service that includes dedicated production lines and CNC machinery. Facilities exclusive to the customisation service mean that specialised products have surprisingly short lead times. Therefore, the requirement for specialised enclosures can be met domestically too. Ultimately, this combination of a large stock holding and a dynamic customisation service ensures a highly robust localised UK supply chain that is incredibly resistant to interruptions due to external factors. However, Spelsberg’s capability extends well beyond the UK. The business is a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality enclosures to the construction, marine, defence, rail, tunnel, power, renewables, food and beverage sectors. Founded in Germany in 1904, the business has manufactured enclosures for over 115 years. During this time, it has been at the centre of technological development of enclosures, holding over 80 patents around the world. This global proficiency provides added assurance to Spelsberg UK customers, ensuring that even the most local supply chain has the strong support of a highly successful multi-national organisation. Chris Lloyd, Managing Director at Spelsberg UK, concludes: “Glocalisation provides our customers with the assurance that they will receive a quality enclosure, exactly to specification and delivered at the perfect moment. This will define our approach in 2021, as we leverage our local capabilities backed by our global reach, to ensure that our supply service can continue to overcome future challenges, eliminating uncertainty from our customer supply chains.”

Save the date - CEDIA Tech Summits announced

With the roadmap out of lockdown remaining on track in the UK, CEDIA has set dates for the three Tech Summits that it plans to host in 2021. Having not been able to get out and network since the beginning of 2020, these free events will be a great opportunity for the industry to come together to enjoy educational sessions, networking, and product updates. Tech Summits 2021: London: Business Design Centre - 8th September Edinburgh: GTG Training Centre - 21st October Leeds: Leeds United FC - 9th November All events will include four training sessions that will be presented by a combination of trade supplier members. Visitors will also have the opportunity to interact with manufacturers and distributors in between the presentations and find out about their latest products and solutions in the exhibition space. More information on these events will follow in due course.

Bosch Professional ramps up #builtwithBosch to the EXTREME

Bosch Professional UK is building on the success of its hugely popular #builtwithBosch campaign and taking it to the absolute EXTREME in 2021. The new #builtwithBosch EXTREME programme sees Bosch offering a massive 500 tools throughout the year to be put through their paces by tradie testers, who will share short videos about real-life usage on site. The best bit is that testers can then keep the tools free of charge! All 500 tools are from the BITURBO Brushless range which brings together Bosch’s best battery (the ProCORE18V) with its best 1800W brushless motor. Delivering a superior range of lightweight, easy to handle, cordless tools that perform with the power of their corded equivalents and the convenience of cordless use. There will be three rounds of #builtwithBosch EXTREME throughout this year with the first launching via the new Bosch Professional Instagram channel in April offering three BITURBO tools to choose from: • GKS 18V-68 GC Cordless Circular Saw: brings cordless flexibility with corded power and even faster cutting speeds • GBH 18V-36 C Cordless Rotary Hammer: maximum power with a class-leading compact design (weighing in at just 6.1 kg) and intelligent interface • GCM 18V-216 Cordless Mitre Saw: Equal power to a corded 1,600 W mitre saw, lightweight and ergonomic with a cutting depth of 70 mm. Over the course of ten weeks, chosen testers will film two or three videos per week for Bosch Professional to share via its newly launched Instagram channel. Kate Pritchard, User Marketing Manager for Bosch Professional UK, comments: “We’re really excited to launch #builtwithBosch EXTREME and significantly widen out the number of tradespeople that can get their hands on, and test our latest cordless BITURBO Brushless tools. We’ve already built a great community of testers from the initial #builtwithBosch programme – the user feedback benefits our R&D and it’s great to see the testers supporting each other with ideas and building their own ‘band of Bosch’ community.”

£1m boost for renewable energy in the South East

Nearly £1m of smart investment in the South East’s electricity network is set to pave the way for new generators of renewable energy to connect to the grid. UK Power Networks is rolling out new ‘load blinding relays’ across Kent, Surrey and Sussex to unlock capacity for new connections. The £932,000 project will see the devices installed on 80 transformers across 35 sites, from now until 2024. In total the new protection relay technology will release 469 Mega Volt Amperes (MVA) – unlocking enough capacity to install a rooftop solar panel on 127,445 houses. That’s the equivalent of connecting a new solar panel on every house in a town the size of Eastbourne, East Sussex. Installing the new smart devices is also significantly cheaper than replacing existing equipment or building new, and the South East was chosen because it already hosts many wind and solar farms. Director of Asset Management Barry Hatton says: “We’re excited about this programme because it shows just how far we can go if we think a bit differently and re-imagine what’s possible on our network. Strategic, smart, specific investment like this, is exactly how we plan to help enable net zero by 2050.” Traditionally, protection devices switch off parts of the electricity network if faults occur. They are used to keep employees and the public safe and protect the company’s electricity networks across London, the East and South East, which include more than 170,000 generators of electricity and enough renewable energy to power 3.5 million homes. The new smart devices can tell if power flows are related to a problem on the network or not, so they release more network capacity by safely allowing more power through. Increasing the UK’s use of renewable energy like solar and wind is a key part of reaching the national net zero emissions target by 2050. Energy generation currently makes up 23% of total UK emissions, however since 2013 the carbon intensity of the UK’s energy system has dropped by more than 65%. UK Power Networks has already connected more than 7GW of renewables and forecasts this will double by 2030, meaning 80% of homes and businesses will be powered by clean energy.

Shrewsbury electrician wins his weight in chocolate 

While many of us will have already polished off all of our Easter eggs, one man from Shrewsbury still has a long way to go if he’s to get through all of the treats he received for Easter! William Aston, 43, won 80kg of chocolate after entering a competition with electrical wholesaler ERF. The competition which aimed to drum up interest in ERF’s monthly newsletter involved participants signing up to win their own weight in chocolate. Following more than 500 entries, Mr Aston was drawn as the winner and received a delivery of multiple boxes of all sorts of chocolate. The electrician, who started his own business WA Electrical two years ago, said his friends are now desperate to change his name to Willy Wonka. He said: “Winning the competition has really brightened my week, providing some light-hearted moments during an uncertain time for small limited companies like mine. “I have received jokes about being sure to turn up on site with chocolate and I am hoping that the banter about changing my name from Will to Willy Wonka doesn’t stick!”

Ideal Industries builds its wholesaler network with AIEW deal

Ideal Industries has extended its wholesaler network thanks to a new deal with independent buying group, Associated Independent Electrical Wholesalers (AIEW). A member of GEWA (the Global Electrical Wholesaler Association) with 107 member wholesalers across six UK regions, AIEW enables smaller, independent electrical wholesale businesses to offer their customers market-leading products at competitive prices thanks to the buying group model. The buying group was keen to work with a leading supplier that could provide push-in and lever connectors for cable terminations and was impressed by both the quality and value offered by Ideal Industries. Andy Gardner from AIEW comments: “Our goal is to help our members to compete effectively with bigger wholesalers and that doesn’t just mean negotiating a good deal on price, but also giving them access to innovative new products and solutions that enable faster, safer and simpler electrical installations. “The quality and value offered by Ideal Industries is fantastic and, because their product development is focused on robust products that are faster and easier to install, their range is very popular with our members’ customers. We’re delighted to have secured this deal, which means our members’ customers can benefit from great local service, while benefitting from Ideal Industries’ competitive pricing and industry-leading products.” The AIEW deal follows Ideal Industries’ agreement with a number of other groups  focussing on making the company’s In-Sure Push-in and Lever Connectors available , along with the wider Ideal Industries range. Brett Smyth, general manager of Ideal Industries EMEA adds: “We have a growing network of distributors around the UK and across Europe and it’s important to us that we continue to build on the availability of our products so that electricians can buy them from trusted local suppliers. We are delighted to be working with AIEW and look forward to continuing to build our wholesaler network.”

Riello UPS helps hospice hit heights with Balloon Fundraiser

Leading uninterruptible power supply manufacturer Riello UPS is helping a hospice hit new heights by supporting its new hot air balloon-related fundraising campaign. The power protection specialist is one of an exclusive number of corporate supporters for Nightingale House’s ‘Build a Balloon’ initiative, which will play a central role in the Wrexham-based hospice’s 25th anniversary celebrations. COVID-19 has hit the charity extremely hard, forcing the cancellation of many of its regular face-to-face fundraising events. As an alternative way of generating much-needed income, it came up with the idea of creating a hot air balloon where businesses and local people could sponsor a panel. The balloon will take to the skies to mark several of Nightingale House’s fundraising activities over the coming months. Leo Craig, Managing Director of Riello UPS, comments: “Many of our team and their families or friends have first-hand experience of Nightingale House’s vital and amazing work. “Despite the massive challenge of COVID-19, which has had a huge impact on their fundraising activities, they’ve always been there to support loved ones when they need it the most. “Everyone at Riello UPS is proud to support Nightingale House’s exciting new ‘Build a Balloon’ campaign, which will help the hospice carry on making a big difference throughout our local community.” Sarah Povey, Community and Events Fundraiser for Nightingale House, says: “Our truly unique ‘Build a Balloon’ campaign was put together to help raise crucial funds which enable us to provide care for the most vulnerable people in our community. “We are asking members of the public to sponsor a panel on our hot air balloon, so they can be part of something special... something exciting... and it’s a great way of recording a happy memory that will stay with them and Nightingale House for years to come. “The campaign also allows corporate partners to get involved by sponsoring their own panel on our Nightingale House balloon which will feature their company logo. We are incredibly grateful to Riello UPS for their fantastic support, this venture would not be possible without their backing and we are excited for this magnificent spectacle to take to the skies this summer.” Nightingale House provides specialist palliative care services and essential physical, emotional, spiritual, and social support to people living with life-limiting illness and their families across North East Wales. Its services are completely free-of-charge and include a 12-bed inpatient ward, a 15-patient day services unit, an outpatient clinic, occupational therapy, complementary therapies, physiotherapy including a hydrotherapy pool and an ambulance service.

Kingston boosted by £4.2m electricity supply upgrade

Thousands of residents in Kingston are benefiting from a £4.2m electricity network upgrade. UK Power Networks has completed a four-year project which will future proof a substation that helps to deliver safe and reliable electricity supplies to more than 73,000 local homes and businesses. Electrical engineers have installed four new pieces of equipment, known as transformers, which reduce voltage to deliver electricity safely to other local substations and on to homes. Paul Rogers, project manager at UK Power Networks, says, “We energised the last of four new transformers at the substation, marking the culmination of a significant investment project that will maintain reliable electricity supplies for the residents, businesses and communities we serve in Kingston. “The upgraded electricity substation is well equipped to meet future growth in demand for electricity and keep electricity supplies flowing to the local community for years to come.” The essential equipment plays a key role in enabling people to heat and light their homes and businesses, charge smart phones, power TVs and computers. The new transformers replaced equipment installed in the 1960s, which was well maintained. Each new transformer, weighing approximately 90-tonnes, receives electricity at 132,000-volts and lowers it to 33,000-volts. The project in Kingston forms part of the £600 million UK Power Networks is investing in the electricity network across the South East, London and East of England this year. From schools to hospitals, water supplies to railway stations, the electricity network helps to keep a large part of the country running smoothly. More than eight million homes and businesses are connected to electricity via the company’s cables and substations in total.