EDF selects BigChange to support Energy Solutions Delivery

BigChange has announced that EDF has selected its pioneering JobWatch system to support the delivery of metering and energy services in the UK. EDF’s Energy Solutions division will use BigChange’s JobWatch system to manage the activities of field engineers serving business customers. Jobs will be scheduled and automatically dispatched through JobWatch, with activities allocated to the most appropriate engineer after considering a range of factors including their location and skills. Field engineers will be provided with their schedules, optimal routes, job information and worksheets through a BigChange app on their existing Android devices. With details of each job recorded on the app as it is completed, EDF’s back-office team will gain a real-time view of their mobile workforce operations and how each job is progressing. Tony Rabone, Senior Manager for Energy Solutions Delivery at EDF, comments: “We are excited by the potential of BigChange’s technology to improve our field service activities for commercial customers.   This new way of working should allow us to be even more responsive to customer needs, while reducing the administrative burden of managing field operations and improving our employees’ experience.” Martin Port, founder and CEO of BigChange, comments: “The ease with which JobWatch is deployed at scale and integrated into third-party ERP systems means BigChange is increasingly chosen by large organisations to replace legacy infrastructure and ways of working. We’ve invested heavily in innovation, integration and achieving ISO27001 information security accreditation to meet the demands of larger customers. We are thrilled that EDF has rewarded these efforts by selecting JobWatch.” BigChange's pioneering mobile workforce and job management solution, JobWatch, provides organisations of any size with a paperless means of planning, managing, scheduling, and tracking their mobile workforce operations. It is used by 50,000 mobile workers and back-office personnel at over 1,500 organisations worldwide, primarily working in the construction, facilities management, field service, transport, logistics and waste management sectors.

Signify installs UV-C disinfection lighting to safeguard Harlequins

Signify is supporting a safe future for stadium sports by installing UV-C disinfection lighting at The Stoop, home of English Gallagher Premiership Rugby Union Club Harlequins. The installation is the first at a UK professional sports club, and a world first in rugby. Signify’s UV-C Partner Powercor has installed 11 UV-C disinfection upper air units in the Honours Bar. This area is normally reserved for Season Ticket Members but currently serves as the home team players’ dressing room. Players will be the first to benefit from the new safety measures, with Members also able to enjoy a safer and more hygienic atmosphere when The Stoop can once again open its doors to the public. “Signify is a highly trusted partner and a leader in their field,” says Laurie Dalrymple, Chief Executive Officer, Harlequins. “We are proud to be the first professional sports team in the UK to use UV-C disinfection lighting technology, and we expect to see it widely utilized in future across the sports and events industry.” Mike Lancaster, Harlequins’ Head of Medical, adds, “Signify’s UV-C disinfection lighting adds an additional layer of protection to the stringent testing and operational processes we have in place to protect the squad. From a medical perspective, I am very satisfied with the way the technology has been tested in depth and fully proven.” UV-C disinfection UV-C is a well-established method of disinfection, used to prevent the spread of diseases by disinfecting air, water and surfaces. UV-C breaks down the DNA or RNA of microorganisms including viruses and bacteria, rendering them harmless. In laboratory testing, Signify’s UV-C light sources reduced SARS-CoV-2 virus infectivity on a surface to below detectable levels in as few as 9 seconds. Signify partner Powercor installed 11 units suspended by brackets 800mm from the ceiling, with potential for more to be installed in other parts of the Club at a later date. This high position, in combination with the luminaires’ design, allows the system to disinfect air as it circulates the room, even when there are people present. Natural convection moves the disinfected air back into the lower part of the room. Additionally, shielding and optics in the luminaire’s design prevent accidental exposure to UV-C radiation. “Harlequins have a long history at the pinnacle of English rugby. Top athletes work hard to keep their health at an absolute peak, which extends to managing the risks we all now face in crowded public places. We’re very proud to support the Club’s objective to offer players and supporters the very best protection,” says Andy Gowen, Director Public and Sports Lighting at Signify in the UK&I. Signify’s UV-C lighting is designed, installed, and used according to the product-specific safety instructions, and manufactured using well-controlled industrial processes. UV-C light should always be used by professionals in accordance with the safety requirements and instructions to avoid humans and animals from being exposed to it since it can damage their skin and eyes.

Powell Electronics adds COAX connectors to portfolio

Powell Electronics has added COAX Connectors to its burgeoning portfolio of connector franchises in Europe, following the signing of a full stocking franchise distribution agreement between the two companies. COAX Connectors is a leading UK designer, manufacturer and supplier of high-performance standard and custom RF connectors. The company provides a complete end-to-end service from initial problem-solving, through design concepts and prototyping, to the supply of a fully-qualified production part. That is one reason why the agreement with Powell is so synergistic, since Powell is also highly experienced and able to support customers both commercially and technically. Powell Electronics’ European MD, Gary Evans comments: “When you buy a COAX Connector you do so in the knowledge that it has gone through a rigorous development process, and that the robust design will give you the reliable and enduring performance you require.” Brian Tea, Sales Manager at COAX Connectors says: “We are excited to be working with Powell Electronics. Our products often require design-in and the expansion of Powell’s European business ensures that customers will receive the support they require.” As part of its standard range of products, COAX Connectors also offers RoHS-compliant black zinc nickel plated connectors, and IP68 sealed versions of almost all of their connectors.

Makita expands its XGT 40v range of cordless tools

Makita has expanded its 40Vmax XGT range with the addition of three new tools. The new Rotary Demolition Hammer, 216mm Slide Compound Mitre Saw and 230mm Angle Grinder all feature Makita’s brushless motor technology and have been engineered to bring the benefits of cordless technology to applications. The HR005GZ01 40VMax Brushless Rotary Demolition Hammer offers rotary hammer and hammer only operating modes and is compatible with SDS-MAX chisels, drill bits up to 40mm and core bits up to 105mm. It features a variable speed trigger and delivers speeds of up to 500 revolutions per minute (rpm) and up to 2,900 blows per minute (bpm) of hammer action. The HR005GZ01 also includes features to make it easier and safer to use. This includes Active Feedback sensing Technology (AFT), which protects the user by shutting down the tool if the rotation speed reduces suddenly. It also features the soft no load function and Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT) to reduce the levels of tool vibration. The result of this is that the new Rotary Demolition Hammer has a vibration level of just 5.0m/s² when hammer drilling. The LS002GZ01 40VMax Brushless 216mm Slide Compound Mitre Saw has a mitre range of 60° to both the left and right as well as a 48° bevel range in each direction, making it simple to achieve the cut required. It also includes Makita’s Deep and Exact Cutting Technology (DXT) that allows the accurate cutting of large workpieces. The LS002GZ01 offers dust collection when fitted to an extractor, soft start and constant speed control functions as well as an electric brake to stop the blade in seconds every time for greater safety. The final new addition is the GA038GZ07 40VMax Brushless 230mm Angle Grinder. The 230mm wheel diameter makes this the largest angle grinder in the XGT range and is ideal for the highest demand applications. The GA038GZ07 is also easy and comfortable to use with an ergonomic soft grip on the tool body and a side handle that can be mounted on the left or right based on the user preference. The wheel cover position can be effortlessly adjusted without the need for tools, making work easier and faster. To maximise user safety and comfort, the new grinder has been engineered for low levels of vibration so it can be used safely for longer. It also benefits from the AFT system, includes an electric brake to stop the wheel quickly when the motor is switched off and an anti-restart function that prevents accidental start-up. All three of the new additions to the XGT range also include Makita’s brushless motors and Auto-Start Wireless System (AWS) functionality when fitted with an optional AWS chip. The efficient brushless motor minimises friction and wasted energy within the machine for better performance and extended run-times. The innovative AWS function allows the tool to connect to compatible dust extractors via Bluetooth. The wireless connection means the dust extractor can run automatically while the tool is in use, meaning simple dust management for a cleaner and healthier environment.

Aico TV channel launched

Aico has recently launched Aico TV, the channel will utilise their current YouTube channel which is now rebranded and linked to a dedicated section on the Aico website where new video content can be displayed. Following the huge success of Aico’s two-part Virtual Conference, Smarter Homes, Safer Communities in 2020, which featured influential keynote speakers Steve Wozniak, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, George Clarke, and Dame Judith Hackitt, Aico were keen to build on the engagement gathered from the conference and wanted to deliver new content regularly. The channel will cover a vast range of topics and events from entertaining and informative news to panel-style debates, product reviews, guest speakers, expert advice, case studies, and more. Working with several industry bodies such as Corgi Technical, EDA, and ECA, as well as the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing. Aico will be delivering engaging content to customers and professionals within the sector. [embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8kNuq4iWBc[/embed] The first episode launched on 3rd February, The Smarter Way to Compliance was streamed live through the Aico TV channel. This event highlighted how important compliance is within the Social Housing sector and how technology can support social landlords. With over 800 registered attendees, Aico welcomed guest speakers from Thirteen Group, Orwell Housing, and held a panel discussion on the challenges of compliance. Following the success of the pilot episode on Aico TV, further episodes are now set to be released every week. Due to the increased demand for virtual events and to support the Aico TV channel, a bespoke on-site filming studio has been built. The studio will support Aico TV and help colleagues create a variety of content for the channel utilising several back drops including a green screen.

First fully mobile business app launches for trade professionals

A mobile app called Timter has been launched – the first tool specifically developed to enable self-employed tradespeople to run their business entirely via their smartphones. It can free up a typical trade professional to spend four more hours a week earning - potentially adding £6,000 or more to their annual income.  Timter is designed to enable British trade professionals – from electricians to plumbers, carpenters, roofers, small builders and more – to earn more without working harder, win more work through an enhanced professional image and gain better control over their projects. It is said to be the only business tool available for tradespeople that runs entirely on a smartphone. It handles most major aspects of business management including job quoting, project planning, time tracking, product ordering, stock management and invoicing. [caption id="attachment_23211" align="alignleft" width="152"] Timter launches mobile app[/caption] Timter can help trade professionals boost their earnings and cut costs by reducing inefficiencies and errors. For most, full use of the app can free up at least four hours a week to spend on fee-earning projects. For a tradesperson with an hourly charge rate of £35 who works 45 weeks a year, this could add £6,300 to their annual income - an approximately 20% increase in average pay (as Office for National Statistics figures report average tradesperson salaries around £30,000).  In addition, the app can help trade professionals save hundreds of pounds in product ordering mistakes, and it records billable extras as they arise on jobs to ensure they’re not accidentally omitted on invoices. Timter is the brainchild of Tony Short, an electrician of 30 years’ experience based near Portsmouth. Tony formed Tradecraft Tools Ltd in 2017 with two colleagues - specialists in technology and design - to develop a tool to transform the business performance of British trade professionals. After three-and-a-half years’ research, development and testing, the app is now ready to download via the Google and Apple app stores. Tony Short explains: “I knew from my own experience that there had to be a more effective way to run a trade business. It’s tough to juggle everything you need to do and there were so many inefficiencies in the way I used to work. Ordering and managing products is time consuming, it’s hard to keep track of your stock and your projects, and paperwork is the bane of most tradespeople’s lives – eating into their evenings and weekends. “We’ve developed Timter to address all of that – streamlining business processes and freeing people up to boost their earnings by doing more of what they’re best at. Timter is the only tool that’s specifically geared to self-employed tradespeople, and the only one that enables you to run your whole business from the mobile in your pocket – with no need to boot up a computer after work. “We’re thrilled to be launching Timter after three years of intense development as the most user-friendly, versatile, mobile tradesperson’s business tool on the market.” Timter is available to use for free for a 45-day trial, after which people can continue to use it without charge with limited features. 

New Seaward Chief Executive aims for further growth

Seaward Electronic is setting its sights on further market growth with the appointment of a new chief executive. Electronics industry specialist Chris Callan takes up the role after building a highly successful career working with businesses around the UK and in the USA. Since graduating as an electronics and software engineer, Chris has gained widespread experience in business development, product management and executive roles in the medical, automotive and telecoms markets. Most recently he was vice-president and general manager of an international components and test equipment manufacturer in the aviation sector. In taking up his position at Seaward, Chris believes there are considerable opportunities for the company to build on its successful market presence, both in the UK and overseas, and is targeting further growth for the company with the introduction of new products and services. He comments: “I am delighted to be joining Seaward and I am very excited about the future potential of the business. The company’s strong reputation and international success were major attractions for me and I am looking forward to working with everyone to continue to grow and take the business forward. “In particular, the company’s commitment to technical innovation and development will remain a key priority as we look to expand the product range, develop new applications and secure a bigger market share. “To help us achieve this ambition, we will be investing strongly in the company’s renowned engineering capabilities and by putting product integrity and new technology at the heart of everything we do.” The County Durham-based Seaward, with an office in Tampa, Florida serving the USA,  employs around 160 people and is a market leading manufacturer of electronic test and measurement instruments used in a wide variety of electrical, medical, industrial and energy sector applications. In 2015 Seaward became part of Metrawatt’s GMC Instrumentation Group, a collaboration of separate specialist test equipment manufacturing businesses based in Germany, Switzerland and the USA. Dr Hans-Peter Opitz, of GMC-Instruments GmbH, says: “We would like to welcome Chris to Seaward and very much looking forward to working with him. “We believe the strengthening of the management team with this new appointment will provide the basis for the successful further development of both Seaward and the group for the benefit of our international customer base.” By becoming CEO, Chris Callan takes over from interim managing director Tom Talbot who will stay with Seaward as chief operating officer.

New free Fluke products when you buy a Fluke tool

Fluke will again be offering a free product to customers who purchase Fluke products between 15th February 2021 and 30th June 2021. Customers who purchase Fluke products through authorized Fluke distributors have the opportunity to claim a free product. Claim the free product through the Fluke website with the original proof of purchase, invoice, or receipt. New choices in Free Fluke products The Free Fluke products to choose from have been updated; you will find new choices in all eight levels of free tools to claim. They are separated based on the value of your qualifying purchase, starting at as little as only £200. For each level there is a fixed range of products to claim, based on the value of the original purchase through and authorized Fluke distributor. A qualifying purchase includes Fluke electrical and industrial test tools, Fluke Networks, and Fluke Calibration products. How does it work? For example, at level one, after spending £200 on a qualifying purchase, the claim can be made for a free unique Fluke TPAK Magnetic Hangclip, a soft carrying case to protect the newly purchased instrument, a Fluke 2AC VoltAlert Non-contact Voltage Detector, or a Fluke MT-8202-05 IntelliTone carrying case.  At the top levels, levels seven and eight, a claim for the free tool can be made for a range of Fluke measurement tools such as the Fluke TiS20+ Thermal Imager, a Fluke 1664 FC Multifunction Installation Tester or a PTi 120 Pocket Thermal Camera. Fluke has everything engineers need for installation, maintenance, troubleshooting and repair in commercial, industrial and residential applications. The intuitive operation will save time when tracking down faults, meaning that the instruments immediately start paying for themselves.

"It can be risk assessed out"- six fatal words from contractors

The very unsettling words “it can be risk assessed out” are ones often spoken by contractors when referring to secondary power supplies for firefighters’ lifts. They are often referring to a misperceived loophole in the BS 9999 regulation, one that is alarmingly misjudged by all too many. In January 2017, the most recent revision of the BS 9999 was released, a code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings. A regulation that provides a best practice framework for fire safety, aimed at facilities and building managers, designers, surveyors, and fire risk consultants. The regulation includes specific guidance on primary and secondary power supplies for such fire safety systems, including firefighters’ lifts. [caption id="attachment_23193" align="alignleft" width="300"] A code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings was released in January 2019[/caption] Power Control believes that the confusion stems from Clause 45.9, Evacuation Using Lifts. This clause refers to risk assessments to evaluate whether the lift meets the recommendations given in Annex G and suggests that a lift not specifically designed to be used for evacuation purposes (i.e. a firefighters’ lift) can be used, provided that it gives the same functionality as an evacuation lift and there is a suitable risk assessment carried out. However, Clause 37.2.3.3 – H (Note 5) details that if the power supply arrangement is being used for applications additional to an evacuation lift (i.e. a firefighters’ lift or other fire safety reasons) then a secondary power supply is required, and therefore cannot be risk assessed out. “For evacuation lifts, it is often acceptable to provide a supply from a single intake to the premises, provided that in all other respects the configuration of the circuits within the building and other fire protection measures detailed above and in BS 8519 are as recommended. A secondary power supply from a separate substation or standby generator is not required unless that supply arrangement is necessary for other fire safety reasons (e.g. to supply a firefighters’ lift or smoke control system)”. When a secondary power supply is required, the simplest option is often one that is overlooked. Only considering the more traditional and challenging methods, a supply from a separate substation or standby generator is the reason contractors have tried to skirt around this regulation. However, what they may not realise is by doing so they are putting lives at risk. “It’s worrying when, even after a recent high-profile disaster, advice is being given to ‘risk assess out’ a critical piece of infrastructure in order to save on cost or make the project easier. How many buildings have risk assessed out equipment that could one day save lives?” says Matt De Frece, Divisional Sales Director at Power Control. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is easier to install, maintain and is often more cost effective than the incumbent methods. UPS solutions suitable for firefighters’ lifts must meet EN 50171 guidance which requires a UPS to have 120% permanent power overload capacity, an isolation transformer and protect against battery inversion – a critical feature for regenerative loads such as lift motors.

Golden girl, Helen, calls time after 50 years’ service with Sangamo

When she left school for the last time on Friday, 29th January 1971, 15 year old Helen Pettigrew from Greenock, had little time to feel nervous about starting her first job the following Monday, with local firm, Sangamo. Fast forward 50 years and Helen has clocked up an impressive 50 years’ service with Sangamo - hanging up her work overall for the very last time on Tuesday, 2nd February 2021. Along with five other new recruits, Helen started work on the Sangamo production line, where she had a vital part to play in the production and assembly of Sangamo’s Round Pattern Time Switches. Sangamo has been manufacturing its famous Round Pattern Time Switches since the early 1950’s. Like loyal employee Helen, these switches have more than stood the test of time. More than 11 million units have been sold to date and because the original design has never needed to be updated, a time switch you buy today is completely interchangeable with one bought decades ago. Whilst the product that she worked on may have seen little change over the decades, the same can’t be said of Helen, who has witnessed many events on a local, national, and global scale. She became lifelong friends with some of her closest work colleagues, met and married her husband Billy, a shipbuilder with Ferguson Marine Ltd and attended the weddings of many of her own friends and family. She saw the size of the Sangamo workforce reduced from the many hundreds when she first started, to the 19 that are employed there today, as new machinery, technology and changing working patterns were introduced. It was when she was furloughed during the first coronavirus lockdown last year, that she decided she wanted to spend more time sharing the care of her elderly mum with her sister and soon her retirement plans became reality. When asked to sum up her time at Sangamo, Helen had this to say: “I could never have imagined when I came here for my interview back in 1971, that I would be happily working for the same company, on the same production line, with some of the same close friends 50 years later. I can honestly say that I have really enjoyed every day working here. I would describe us as one big happy family. From day one I was made to feel like an important part of the company. I have made so many great friends and have always been fully supported by the different managers along the way. Obviously, there is a big part of me that will be sad to say my goodbyes and clock out for the final time. It still doesn’t feel real somehow.” Sangamo was acquired by Scolmore Group in 2018 and the Sangamo range of specialist time switches and heating controls became part of the ESP portfolio of products at this time.