Free Online Wellbeing Workshops Announced For Construction Workers

Calls to the UK’s ‘Construction Industry Helpline’ have increased 25% over the past 10 days which reflect the rising levels of anxiety and insecurity within the construction industry. To help offer support and wellbeing during these worrying times a series of free online lunchtime workshops have been announced for people working, in any capacity, in construction. From mindfulness and meditation to resilience and controlling stress anyone can take part in these bite-sized online sessions as long as they have access to an email address and access to the internet, whether via smartphone, tablet or laptop. For full details click here. Sessions, which last for 45 minutes, will run weekly starting from Thursday 16 April - each starting at 12 noon: Thurs 16 April / Top Tips for Resilience: more Fri 24 April / Build a Work Life Balance: more Mon 27 April / How to Meditate: more Tues 5 May / How to Handle Stress: more Wed 13 May / Mindfulness for You: more The ‘Wellbeing workshops’ are the result of a new collaboration between UK’s Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity and leading construction software firm Construction Industry Solutions (COINS). Bill Hill, CEO of The Lighthouse Club charity comments, “Our charity exists to support the welfare and wellbeing of all construction workers and their families in the UK and Ireland. COINS are a technology provider with a big heart and a huge social conscience. We are delighted to be collaborating with them to deliver this series of free wellbeing life skill workshops to help everyone in our industry cope and navigate through these distressing times.” Although the construction industry is rising to the challenge of creating a healthier workplace, finding the right support is not always easy and is currently more important than ever before. Another vital source of information, advice and guidance is The Lighthouse Club’s ‘Construction Industry Helpline’ (Tel 0345 505 1956 or mobile app for Android and iOS) which helps people experiencing stress, anxiety or depression as well as providing access to other areas of support such as anger management, drug and alcohol dependency, debt management, legal advice, and emergency financial aid. COINS, with over 35 years of developing software solutions for construction companies, is also passionate about giving something back to the industry. Its CEO, Robert Brown, adds, “The Lighthouse Club has been providing immensely valuable services to support construction workers and their families for many years. We are delighted once again to have the opportunity to collaborate with them in the delivery of a series of invaluable webinars which will provide construction workers with vital health and wellbeing skills during these most difficult and challenging times.”

Hamilton 2020/21 Catalogue Available Online Now

Hamilton Litestat’s new 2020/21 catalogue is now available online and provides details of its full range of quality electrical solutions, including consumer units, decorative switch plates and sockets, smart lighting control and wireless audio solutions.  The comprehensive product offering ensures Hamilton is a one-stop-shop for all electrical wiring needs, whether you are a wholesaler, installer, interior designer or specifier. New for 2020 is the Guardian consumer unit range, which will have its first public showing later this year. Available from July 2020, the product is tested at Hamilton’s headquarters in Bristol, has a 10-year guarantee and comes with the full support of Hamilton’s UK-based product technical team for any on-site installation questions. Making a Hamilton catalogue debut is the Hartland G2 collection, a value engineered upgrade to one of the British manufacturer’s most popular box-fix designs. The sleek and stylish screwless face plate is easy to install and comes in 10 finishes but without the designer price tag, making it a great solution for cost-conscious projects.  Also set to trend in 2020 is Hamilton’s range of Wide Rocker Switches, which are available in five Linea CFX collections as well as Hartland CFX and Sheer CFX. These can be found under each design collection following the standard rocker switch options.  Another new addition is Hamilton’s recently launched Wireless Audio range: the WSA50 Wireless Streaming Amplifier, 6IN 80W stereo ceiling speakers, portable Appio wireless active speaker, and the Oyster Wireless Audio Receiver, which connects to a home hi-fi amplifier and enables the streaming of music.  The catalogue comes in an intuitive, colour-coded format, all available plate finishes are illustrated, and it contains configuration information and part numbers.  View the flip-book catalogue online here. The catalogue will be delivered to Hamilton wholesalers as soon as the current isolation restrictions allow, and is also available from Hamilton direct upon request.

Schneider Electric Announces New Training Webinars and Podcasts

In an effort to help train the industry, Schneider Electric has unveiled a series of webinars, e-learning modules and podcasts that will enable ECN readers to boost their skills. The next three webinars to take place are as follows: April 7 at 12.30pm - Electrical fire prevention - session 2 Electrical installations can deteriorate with age. This can depend on environmental factors such as heat and humidity, as well as damage during use. Potential hazards such as electric shocks, burns, explosion and fire can occur if proper safety precautions are ignored or neglected. But hazards can also exist because the electrical system of a facility or home was not designed or installed properly. In this CPD, Schneider will consider the six most common causes of electrically ignited fire, and focus on the latest solutions to help mitigating such hazards. This CPD will be presented by Category Marketing Manager, Christos Archeos. April 9 at 12.30pm - Customer Architecture (CPD) This CPD will introduce customer architectures and explain how by combining functions in an integrated way, design efficiencies can be realised. In order to reference the presentation, Schneider will consider a data centre application including philosophy, resilience, electrical, mechanical and digital architectures. This CPD webinar will be presented by Electra Power System Engineer, Vincent Bollard. April 16 at 1.30pm - Ecostruxure Plant Builder Learn with Schneider's specialists how to simplify and optimise the way you design your automation architectures. Further details on all of the webinars are available on Schneider Electric's website, and the company also has on-demand webinars and e-learning modules available on its electrician portal. These cover topics including the 18th Edition of the Wiring Regulations, RCD technology, surge protection and how to make an effective website. Electricians can join the portal for free by clicking here. Schneider is also launching a range of podcasts, which will be available via this Spotify link in the coming days. Planned episodes include the Electrical Industries Charity, Voltimum's training academy, marketing for small businesses, connectivity, RCDs, EV charging and more.

KNX UK Announces New President

Paul Foulkes, UK KNX Business Manager for Theben, has been elected as President of the KNX UK Association with immediate effect. He succeeds integrator Iain Gordon of GES Digital, who has led the Association for most of the past 13 years and who will continue his active support of the Association as Vice President. Stephen Payne has stepped down as Vice President, but remains committed to the Association and to continuing as an active board member. The full board is listed on the KNX website. Paul Foulkes has been an active and enthusiastic KNX UK board member for the past three years, and takes the reins at an exciting time, the Association says. KNX is celebrating its 30th birthday this year and is introducing new software with features that will bring KNX, the only truly open-source technology, to a wider marketplace. Foulkes comments, “KNX is the lingua franca of intelligent building control. We want to ensure that everyone has a chance to speak that language as well as benefiting from the functionality and energy savings that only truly-integrated control across all applications can deliver.” The UK KNX Association has been formed by a partnership of UK KNX manufacturers, integrators, wholesalers and training establishments along with other interested parties to promote the KNX standard within the UK.

NICEIC and Elecsa to Chair Industry Webinar on April 7

The NICEIC and Elecsa have come together with the Federation of Small Businesses and the ECA to deliver a webinar looking at the support available to small businesses and the self-employed during COVID-19. Chaired by Darren Staniforth, Senior Technical Presenter NICEIC & ELECSA, the webinar is open to all and aims to deliver tailored guidance and advice for anyone working in the electrical contracting industry. Staniforth comments, "These are truly unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic has far-reaching implications for every area of society, and its impact is being felt by all. By way of supporting our registrants and the wider electrical contracting industry through this difficult period, we are working with various organisations to ensure contractors are up-to-date and armed with the best advice. "As part of this commitment, we have invited Martin McTague, Policy and Advocacy Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses, and Rob Driscoll, Director of Legal and Business from the ECA, to join us on a 45-minute webinar to discuss the current Government support packages open to small businesses and the self-employed. "This session aims to provide clarity; we will outline the assistance contractors and businesses are entitled to, the processes which need to be followed in order to obtain it, and the timescales involved in receiving it. All vital information in these uncertain times." The free-of-charge webinar will be streamed live at 1pm on Tuesday, April 7. To register, visit www.niceic.com/covid-19-support-webinar.

18th Edition Amendment 1 - What You Need To Know

The first Amendment to BS7671:2018 was released in February. ECA’s Energy Solution Advisor, Luke Osborne, unpacks the changes contractors need to know about. A key aim of Amendment 1 of the Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2018) is to enable advances in electric vehicle charging technologies which weren’t available at the time of the original publication. Amendment 1 is solely focused on section 722: electrical vehicle charging installations. It is a response to changes in technologies that are now available which enable the increased roll-out of safe and practical electric vehicle charge points (EVCPs). The main changes Aside from several minor alterations, the main change to 722 is in 722.411.4.1. This lists the exemptions for when a PME earthing facility may be used as the means of earthing the protective conductor contact of a charging point, if located outdoors or when it might reasonably be expected to be used to charge a vehicle located outdoors. The main change has been the addition of regulation 722.411.4.1 (iv). This gives an option specifically for protection against electric shock in a single-phase installation, by using a device which electrically disconnects the vehicle from the live conductors of the supply and from the protective earth within five seconds. ECA contributed to BS 7671:2018 Amendment 1 and regards it as a welcome development. It takes on board advances in technologies not previously available. It will offer electrical contractors a method of providing safe, compliant electrical vehicle charge point installations for buildings with a single phase electricity supply, without having to undertake potentially dangerous groundworks or an using expensive and heavy isolation transformers. The future of transport? According to a report by EuropeOn, which can be read in full here, by 2030 nearly 200,000 jobs will be created in the electric vehicle sector as a result of a shift to electric cars - more than twice the number that could be lost in traditional car manufacturing. The potential commercial opportunities in this area are clear. ECA has produced guidance notes to help members navigate the process of registering with the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) in order to access and facilitate installation grants for customer installations. The guidance covers both registration for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge scheme and the Workplace Charging Scheme. More information can be found at www.eca.co.uk. More information The Amendment also includes the addition of 722.411.4.1 (v), which gives the opportunity for industry to develop alternative devices to those listed in 722.411.4.1 (iii) and 722.411.4.1 (iv), which provide protection against electric shock, as long as these devices do not result in a lesser degree of safety than those of (iii) and (iv). This will remove the necessity for hastily updating the Wiring Regulations in the advent of new technologies coming through. The full Amendment can be viewed for free, or downloaded for £5, at electrical.theiet.org/bs-7671/updates For more information about the Wiring Regulations and further changes, visit eca.co.uk/Project18.

Scolmore Group remains open for business

These are without doubt very challenging times for the industry. Working with a much scaled back operation, and with the safety of its staff a priority, Scolmore is able to continue to supply its full range of products to the professional electrical market. The company's ability to always hold vast stock levels means that it is able to fulfil orders from across the group, with its full range of wiring accessories from Scolmore, lighting and lighting control products from Ovia, security and fire protection products from ESP, and cable accessory products from Unicrimp all currently available. The Scolmore Group appreciates that there are many in the industry unable to work at the moment, but believes that this can be seen as an opportunity to spend time we may not normally have, to catch up on some of the latest industry news and developments, get up to speed with recent new product developments and legislation, and maybe even to add to our skillset. Across the Scolmore Group of companies there is a wealth of resources that contractors and wholesalers can access. Each group company website hosts a vast range of products, including range catalogues as well as technical specification brochures. Product videos that make it easy to understand the workings of individual products can be accessed on YouTube. There are case studies demonstrating how products from the group have been specified and installed to provide solutions for specific projects, and these include the recent use of Mode antimicrobial wiring accessories at a newly expanded emergency care unit. The ‘in the press’ sections provide some in depth articles covering a range of topics from smart solutions, to fire-rated downlights safety. Scolmore Group’s dedicated YouTube channel - SGTV – features insightful interviews with contractors who are giving their views on some the issues they face on the job and how they have overcome them. At the beginning of the year, the Scolmore app was updated to incorporate all the businesses within the group. This means users can now access the full range of products and services from Scolmore, Ovia, ESP and Unicrimp with just one click. Scolmore's technical teams are available during working hours to help with any queries and can be contacted by phone or by email.

Win £100 voucher with Scolmore’s Easter Egg Hunt

We may not be able to get together with family and friends for this year’s Easter celebrations, but the team at Scolmore wants to spread some cheer and bring a little 'eggcitement' your way with the chance to win a £100 voucher via its Easter campaign. Throughout April, Scolmore will be hiding a quantity of Scolmore Easter Eggs across its social media platforms – including the SGTV YouTube channel. A few well-known contractors will also be posting something related to the campaign, so there is a chance some eggs may even be hidden there. Each Tuesday in April on Scolmore’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels, the company will be giving clues to help you find where the eggs have been placed. For the chance to win the £100 multistore voucher, plus some Easter chocolate treats, all you need to do is comment how many eggs you have found in April on this dedicated Easter video. All correct entries will be entered into a draw to pick the overall winner. The ‘One4all’ Multistore card can be used in over 55,000 stores nationwide and online. You can choose to spend your voucher on anything from travel, sports and fitness, restaurants, department stores, activity days and locations, home and garden, hotel and accommodation, music and entertainment. Good luck!

Multifunction Installation Testers Offer from Fluke

Until June 30, 2020, and while stocks last, Fluke UK is offering two 1660 Series Multifunction Installation Testers with a free Digital Multimeter (DMM), plus data management software. The Fluke 1664 UK-DMM comprises a 1664 FC multifunction installation tester with a free Fluke 115 DMM, plus free Fluke DMS data management software; while the Fluke 1663 UK-DMM comprises a 1663 multifunction installation tester with a free Fluke 114 DMM, also with free Fluke DMS data management software. The Fluke 115 DMM is ideal for electrical and electronic testing in field service, industrial and applications where more than the basic functions are needed, and the Fluke 114 DMM is ideal for electrical troubleshooting and straightforward 'go/no go' in residential/commercial testing. These offers and other Fluke spring specials may be found at www.fluke.co.uk, under the 'Where to Buy/Seasonal Promotions' section. Safety and performance are two of the most critical requirements for any electrical system. Good quality insulation, a properly working grounding system and active protection assure the safety of people, electrical systems and buildings, and protect them against electrocution, fire and other equipment damage. The Fluke 1660 Series of multifunction installation testers put more power in users’ hands by quickly and efficiently testing fixed installations to BS7671 (17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations). They are designed to verify insulation resistance, loop impedance, resistance of the earth connect, resistance to earth, RCD performance in TT and TN systems, phase sequence, and loop/line impedance and RCD tests in IT systems. Fluke DMS data management software uses the captured results from the Fluke 1663 or 1664 for data recording, offers easy-to-use administration and reporting, and provides printing of test reports. The Fluke 115 technicians’ DMM is a general-purpose troubleshooting tool. Its simple, one-handed operation and compact design meets the needs of a wide variety of field service technicians. With a CAT III 600V safety rating, it measures true-RMS voltage and current to 600V/10A as well as resistance, continuity, frequency and capacitance for quick verifications. The compact Fluke 114 electricians’ DMM is the perfect troubleshooting tool for go/no go testing. With a CAT III 600V safety rating, it is designed for easy one-handed operation. Its AutoVolt capability automatically switches to measure AC or DC voltage - whichever is present. The LoZ function helps identify so-called 'ghost voltage' and prevents false readings. It displays true-RMS voltage readings and measures frequency, continuity and resistance. The Fluke 1664 FC is the only installation tester on the market that helps prevent damage to appliances that may be inadvertently connected to the system under test, and it also makes it easy to share test results over a smartphone using Fluke Connect. The 1664 FC features an Auto Test function that does seven installation tests in one sequence, reduces the number of manual connections, decreases the possibility of making errors, and reduces test time. It also ensures compliance with BS7671 (17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations). The wireless 1664 FC model is part of Fluke Connect - the industry’s largest system of software and wireless test tools. Measurements from the tester can be wirelessly transmitted to the Fluke Connect app on smartphones or tablets and automatically uploaded to FlukeCloud Storage, eliminating transcription errors. Technicians can collaborate in real time with other colleagues with ShareLive video calls, increasing productivity in the field. Measurements from the 1664 FC can be combined with measurement data from multiple Fluke Connect test tools to create and share comprehensive reports from the job site via email. Information about all Fluke products can be obtained via the Fluke website at www.fluke.co.uk.

Lighting Control Made Easy

Beckhoff’s TF8050 Lighting Solution software is a ready-made PLC application library for its PC-based control system. Offering easy configuration, control and monitoring of DALI/DALI2 devices, TF8050 is decentrally scalable and supports limitless DALI lines each with a combination of up to 64 ballasts and switching devices. Fast functional changes, address changes, system expansions and cross-DALI line groupings can be carried out without operational interruptions. Based around the 'human-centric' control concept, TF8050 provides simple, programless configuration of complex lighting systems. With features such as colour temperature control, daylight control, constant light regulation and scheduler/holiday setting, a web browser is all that’s required to configure, define functionality and commission the system. Alternatively, configuration can be achieved via an Excel spreadsheet which provides a secure way of backing up and restoring lighting projects. To simplify the maintenance and management of lighting systems, information such as hours run, power consumption, readdressing of ballasts and fittings, and error and status monitoring is instantly available to facilities managers. This information can also be displayed on any device with a web browser or via one of Beckhoff’s panel-mounted or in-wall display panels. TF8050 supports the latest generation of DALI2 sensors, including motion and Lux sensors from the likes of Steinel and BEG. Regular push-button and retractive switches can be simply incorporated into the system using Beckhoff’s standard digital input terminals. BACnet/IP connectivity also enables the lighting solution to be incorporated into a wider building management system, giving it an advantage over typical standalone lighting control systems. For more information, visit www.beckhoff.co.uk/building.