Drayton Launches Facebook Group To Keep Installers Connected

Drayton has launched a Facebook group to help the installer community stay connected. In a time where a lot of heating engineers, plumbers and electricians are experiencing more downtime, The Drayton Community Facebook group has been launched to provide a forum where members can not only engage with each other, but Drayton can also provide them with the latest industry updates and business advice. The Drayton Community Facebook group will feature live interactive videos from the Drayton team, discussing various topics including new products, legislation, business management, training, trade body messaging, as well as fun activities such as quizzes and competitions.   This new Facebook group is just one of the ways Drayton is currently supporting installers. The online training academy, 9º Know How, already provides professional installers with a platform to expand their knowledge of Drayton’s smart heating control, Wiser, from the comfort of their own home. Only taking 30 minutes, installers can complete the training to become Wiser Approved and be ready to reap the benefits. To join The Drayton Community Facebook Group, click here, and here to access Drayton’s online training academy, 9º Know How.

Survey Launched To Help Cable Installers Optimise Productivity

IDEAL Networks has launched a survey for users of its LanTEK IV cable certifier with a view to uncovering insights that will help all cable installers to maximise productivity. The research, which all LanTEK IV customers in the US and Europe are invited to participate in, will ask a series of questions to identify the areas in which they are achieving the greatest productivity.  IDEAL Networks will share the results of the survey later in 2020 to help cable installers learn about potentially more efficient and profitable ways of working. The survey will also ask for participants’ experiences of the various features of the LanTEK IV cable certifier, such as the seven second test time for Cat6A and the VisiLINQ permanent link adapter, which uniquely provides everything needed initiate testing and view the results in the palm of the user’s hand. This latest research follows the release of IDEAL Networks’ recent White Paper ‘Cable certifiers – what really matters?’ which looks at the challenges and demands that endusers really face when using certifiers, and was the result of more than 60 hours of in-depth interviews and observations. “When we developed LanTEK IV, we were dedicated to finding a new way to certify that would help installers to work smarter, not harder,” says Tim Widdershoven, Marketing Director for IDEAL Networks.  “With this survey, we continue to focus on helping cable installers to maximise productivity and profitability.” LanTEK IV users will be invited by IDEAL Networks via email to participate in the survey. Those who have not received an invitation to join the research but wish to participate should contact: uksales@idealnwd.com . The survey closes on 9th April 2020.

Ventola Projects Suspends Projects During Coronavirus Pandemic

Mick Ventola, the founder and managing director of Ventola Projects, a Leicestershire-based electrical installations and LED lighting specialist, has announced the suspension of projects in the UK, to be reviewed in three to four weeks’ time. Mick, who works with clients in the US leisure and entertainment sector and with partners in Europe and the Middle East, is one of HM Department of International Trade’s Export Champions under the auspices of the Midlands Engine. “I’ve been running this business for over 30 years and, like everyone else, I have never seen anything that comes close to this in terms of its impact on the economy as a whole and, more importantly, us as people and as a global society,” he said in a statement. “It is a deeply unsettling time. As an exporter, the prospect of Brexit was a sizeable feature of our thinking for some time, causing us to look closely at the way we operate in search of new efficiencies and even opportunities. Strangely enough, much of that preparation work seems as if it was part of a dress rehearsal for something far more disruptive all along. In large parts, it involved us actively engaging with our partners here and overseas to better identify their needs and to gain even small scraps of local business intelligence that might give us an edge around impending changes to the regulatory framework in which we will have to operate. “That very process meant that we strengthened and deepened relationships with partners in Germany, Italy, USA and the Middle East that then led to us getting some vital early warnings about the impact of the coronavirus. Some of our partners and suppliers are tightly enmeshed with the Far East market and had access to several first-hand accounts of what was going on in Wuhan and Hubei Province, as the outbreak gathered steam at the turn of the year. As a consequence, it was as early as January 14 that we convened our initial strategy meeting to start looking at different eventualities. “Even at that stage, the information some of our partners gave us made it clear that we had to consider the serious possibility of significant disruption here in the UK. We had to consider the potential impact on the supply of equipment vital to our operation. We had to look at how we might mitigate or ride out a real interruption to our assembly capability in Leicestershire and we had to work out how best we could help our American and Middle Eastern partners cope with possible supply delays and a halt to their installation work. All at some unknown future point in time and of an unpredictable duration. “All of this underlined the huge importance of doing even more of what we’d already been doing - over years as an exporter and in our more recent preparations for Brexit – and that was to collaborate, to plan and to act. That’s our biggest learning from this whole experience and, I believe, it’s what all lighting businesses and their suppliers and partners should double down on now. “As an industry, as businesses and as a society, we have to understand that we share the same interests. From the most basic of drivers like survival – bodily and financially – to the most complex of supply chain interdependencies, we are all exactly that. Interdependent. United we stand and divided we fall - there are good reasons why there are so many clichés saying that kind of thing. “So, we got on the phone, we shared insights and we listened a lot. We plotted and schemed, we worked out different possibilities and probabilities and we ran scenarios. And ourselves and our partners became closer, gaining at every step a deeper appreciation of what we held in common. As I sit and write this, I put the fact that we now feel pretty well equipped for this difficult period completely down to collaboration and planning. Please don’t take this as any kind of bluster or complacency, as there is a lot of water to go under the bridge and so much more hard work to be done. “But my simple message is one of hope and of preparation. Speak with your suppliers and partners, find out about the problems they face and help them overcome them. Listen to their warnings, share your concerns and understand each other’s interdependencies. And work out how you can collaborate right now to make the best of the situation we all find ourselves in. And start planning ahead because, at some point in the medium-term future, there will be a time when the lights go back on, so to speak, and new opportunities appear. We need to be ready as an industry to make up for lost time, ground and revenues. “Take advantage of remote working. While some might be unfamiliar with different technologies, many others are resourceful and highly capable, so grasp this very real opportunity to learn and embrace new ways of doing things that streamline your business. Think of all the travel you can cut out in the long-term. Think of the time and money you’ll save, the hotels you won’t book, the journeys you won’t need to undertake. There are huge savings to be had and you can reinvest it all in improving your operation, delivery and service. And you’ll be doing the environment a big favour. “This isn’t a time for pessimism or defeat. It is a time to reach out to your peers and get to know them even better than you already do. It is a golden opportunity to strengthen our industry’s bonds, both here and with our overseas partners. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from the privilege and honour that is representing the UK as a champion of our innovative and forward-thinking exporters, it is that we prosper when we work in harmony. We share similar goals and we face the same threats. And we can overcome them.”

Corporate Communications: Staying Professional During Remote Working

As enterprises face the impact of COVID-19, taking a professional broadcasting approach to corporate communications can make a big difference, says Robert Szabo-Rowe, Senior Vice President of Product Management, The Switch. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the business community, as organisations across the globe have seen the in-person, handshake approach to doing business replaced by internet enabled communications and meetings. Indeed, 82 percent of North American and 91 percent of UK marketers say their business customers are, sensibly, reluctant to schedule in-person meetings, according to a survey of over 2,200 by Econsultancy and Marketing Week. The resulting shift toward remote working, ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ is likely to stretch out for months, with organisations retooling processes that would normally take place face-to-face to a distanced approach that means using digital communications and virtual meetings and announcements. The focus is now on more effective IP-based communications via AV and other means, delivered across the internet and private enterprise networks.  The reality is, in the current business climate, maintaining ‘business as usual’ is an exceptional challenge, and there is effectively no scope for live enterprise events such as press conferences, product launches, corporate announcements, investor briefings, customer seminars, all hands meetings and campaign kick-offs. But business-critical face-to-face communications cannot wait indefinitely, so now more than ever, finding effective and professional digital alternatives is essential. It has become clear that traditional ways of doing business must be adapted to meet this new reality. The survey shows that 55% of marketers in the UK and 57% of those in North America say that their own product or service launches are delayed or under review, while a similar proportion across both markets say marketing campaigns are delayed or under review. What’s more, 55% of UK and 64% of North American marketers expect delays in product or service launches from business clients. It is right that businesses put the welfare of their staff, customers, partners and other contacts first, but the demise of genuine facetime is taking momentum out of the market and slowing progress – in turn impacting jobs, the economy and life itself.  Astute businesses are striving to find new ways to engage, inform and serve employees, customers, investors, suppliers, and other stakeholders – with many enterprises ‘going virtual’ as a way to survive and thrive, making the internet work for them in highly effective ways. When it comes to remote and virtual events, a webinar with a basic set-up won’t have the desired impact or help organisations stand out from the crowd.  Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking are needed across the board to keep the wheels of industry turning. Companies must raise their game and produce TV-like experiences that are the next best thing to being there, using a professional studio or creating a specialized remote production environment.  Going dark and stopping all activity until the crisis passes is something no company should do at this time. It remains vitally important to maintain effective communication at every level of society, including between and within businesses. And businesses must take the position that they are not simply making the best of a bad situation but communicating more effectively than ever in order to create new opportunities. Those businesses that do so are the ones that will emerge from the current crisis as strong as, or stronger than before. We at The Switch are working with enterprises to take their events beyond the level of talking heads in a poorly lit meeting room and enabling them to ‘broadcast’ to their audiences in a way that lifts the virtual event to a whole new level. Companies of all sizes and budgets are able to create the impact and gravitas of a top-caliber live business event in this way. Leveraging our two decades of live broadcast production experience and, in many instances, employing our studios in London, New York or Los Angeles, enterprises working with The Switch are able to communicate to markets across the world. Running industry summits across continents using studios – as well as other remote locations – enables people oceans away to see and speak to each other in real time. Professional broadcast facilities, such as those provided by The Switch, are supported by broadcast experts and are unencumbered by the latency/delay problems other simple off-the-rack conference solutions often come with. Furthermore, they can scale to meet the needs of enterprises of all sizes and types without breaking the budget. Making use of studios and remote production services minimises the need for travel, providing a safe environment for organisations to connect with the audiences they need to reach. Taking a professional broadcast approach to live enterprise events can make all the difference during the current COVID-19 crisis. This approach allows companies to continue to successfully launch new products, share company news, talk to their employees, and create thought leadership – in short, enterprises can more effectively bring home the messages that drive their business.

Ideal Twin & Earth Stripper Tackles Flat Cable Stripping

Ideal Industries, the global leader in electrical accessories, tools and equipment, has launched a Twin & Earth cable stripper designed to make stripping of insulated flat cables faster and more consistent, with no risk of nicking the wire. Engineered and manufactured in Germany, the robust, ergonomic tool has been designed specifically for use with twin and earth cables. The self-adjusting blades offer an unlimited stripping range for fast and accurate removal of the insulation. Capable of removing the outer sheath in one swift operation, then stripping the inner cores with a second action, the tool speeds up installations without compromising on quality and consistency. Brett Smyth, General Manager of Ideal Industries EMEA, explains, “Ideal is a global leader and innovator in the design of wire strippers and that heritage makes us the brand that electrical professionals trust around the world. Ideal wire strippers were specifically requested for the manned mission to the moon because of their reputation for quality and precision, even in the most extreme environments. “The Ideal Twin & Earth Stripper makes the often onerous job of accurately removing the slug quick and easy, avoiding the potential for mistakes and speeding up installations while enhancing quality and reducing the risk of snagging.” The ergonomic design makes the Ideal Twin & Earth Stripper easy and comfortable to use with minimal pressure required to complete a clean cut for any flat cables between 0.75 and 2.5mm2 and up to 12mm wide. Users simply insert the required length of cable into the tool and squeeze the handles together. The open-throat design allows an unlimited strip length for both the outer sheath and the inner wire sheathing. The tool’s specially hardened and tempered steel blades ensure an accurate cut and an extended service life, making it an excellent investment. Brett Smyth adds, “We’re constantly on the look-out for innovation that makes life easier for electricians on site and this tool saves time and avoids mistakes, which can help reduce costs and ensure jobs are completed on time. “The way electricians strip the slug from insulated flat cables hasn’t changed for decades but we believe this tool could be a game changer.” For more information, visit www.idealindustries.com.

Snickers LITEWork Working Clothes for the Summer

The innovative new quick-drying fabrics in this lightweight workwear make them a must for the summer months. A change of season means a change of focus on what you wear on site. That’s why Snickers' new LITEWork clothing can help you keep your cool when you’re working in sunny, warm and humid environments. The ergonomic, body-mapping trousers, shirts, shorts, mid-layer jackets and windproofers have all the comfort and functionality of other Snickers Workwear stretch garments, but give extra freedom of movement on site. Just like high performance sportswear, they are super-light, quick-drying garments – with ventilation and moisture transport features - that keep you looking smart and feeling cool wherever you are on site in warm weather. After all, keeping a balanced work temperature is not just about staying cool; it’s a matter of your wellbeing and job safety. So, to make sure you get the right protection, flexibility, durability and ventilation, check out the Snickers Workwear product families for precisely the right garments to fit your workday. For further information, visit www.snickersworkwear.co.uk.

NICEIC Takes Steps To Assist Contractors During Coronavirus Pandemic

In light of the current COVID-19 Pandemic, the NICEIC has taken several steps to assist contractors and to ensure the safety of its customers, staff and the general public. Registered contractors currently paying via monthly installments have the option to defer fee payments for three months.  Contractors who are due annual assessments will have the option to undertake sessions remotely, utilising video conferencing technology, or reschedule free of charge. All NICEIC training courses are postponed until June 1, and the planned Live South conference (on May 21) has been cancelled. NICEIC has revealed a series of changes to its planned activities and working practices in light of the current COVID-19 Pandemic. These include an optional payment holiday for contractors, a switch to remote assessments and changes to planned training and event activities. NICEIC announced that registered contractors who currently pay via monthly instalments have the option to defer fee payments for three months. Those utilising the offer will see payments pause until July with the outstanding monies then being spread over the remaining months of this year. "We fully appreciate the stress COVID-19 is placing upon businesses and individuals,” says Kevan Parker, NICEIC, Managing Director. “The last few weeks have been a stressful and worrying time for all. The growing seriousness of the pandemic situation continues to raise questions and create new challenges.   “To date, we have focused on ensuring the safety of our customers, staff and the wider population putting processes in place to help protect lives. Now that our remote assessments are up and running, and our training and events schedules have been postponed or cancelled, we are putting all of our efforts into supporting our customers and their businesses as best we are able in these challenging circumstances.   “One stage in this process relates to finances, and we hope that today's announcement will provide some relief to those facing difficulties. Moving forward, we will continue to develop our services to support our contractors providing up to date advice and guidance as the situation evolves.”  Until further notice, NICEIC will cease to deliver face to face assessments. Those contractors who are due for an annual assessment will have the option to conduct the session, via video conferencing solutions, or reschedule their appointment free of charge. This temporary change has been implemented to protect all parties.   “Our remote model allows us to continue to safely verify current competence,” adds John O’Neill, NICEIC Technical Director. “Importantly, this process also allows us to maintain support and provide any guidance needed to improve standards during this challenging period.” When it comes to training and events, all face to face courses have been postponed until June 1. Online technical learning tools are available to registered contractors via their customer portal, and to the industry via social media channels. These will be enhanced moving forward with more information being shared in the coming days. For more details on NICEIC’s response to COVID-19, log onto www.niceic.com where you will find the company’s latest statement, links to Government advice and its FAQ document.

SELECT Says More Clarity Is Needed On Financial Support For Self Employed

SELECT, the trade body for electrical professionals in Scotland, has given a cautious welcome to the Chancellor’s measures, announced on Thursday 26 March 2020, to provide financial support to the self-employed – but insists more clarity is still needed. As a result of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement, the UK’s five million self-employed workers, many of them in the construction sector, have been offered a package of grant support and tax measures to offset the impact of their being unable to work. Critically, however, no money will be paid out until June, leaving many struggling financially in the meantime. Alan Wilson, Managing Director of SELECT, says, “SELECT welcomes the measures that have been announced, which we believe will provide much-needed help and reassurance, both for our members and other construction professionals. “However, more guidance is required on the work which the self-employed are able to do following the First Minister's announcement earlier this week regarding work on construction sites. We are expecting further guidance from the Scottish Government on Monday which, we hope, will clarify matters. “The measures are welcome but their delay has caused huge anxieties to our members for well over a week but at least they have now been announced and we will be studying closely their impact over the next couple of days. “As a leading member of the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum, we will also discuss these new developments with our fellow organisations and continue to press for further clarity and assistance for the thousands of construction professionals across Scotland.” Fiona Harper, Director of Employment and Skills at SELECT, adds, “In addition to these new measures, SELECT will continue to offer advice and support through our dedicated online hub, and our staff will talk members through their options on our many helplines. “We have received a large volume of calls this week from self-employed members who are concerned about what the future holds. While this announcement is welcome, this is only the beginning of a long and anxious period for contractors across Scotland. Our employment team will use this new information to provide further advice by any means necessary to ensure members are reassured and prepared for the coming weeks.” Before the self-employment measures were announced on Thursday 26 March, the UK Government had undertaken to pay 80% of the wages of employees unable to work because of the impact of the coronavirus. The scheme will cover wages up to £2,500 a month.

GiGaFuse White Paper Revealed

Sensata Technologies has launched a new white paper – How the GigaFuse Helps Maximise Safety in Advanced Battery Systems.   Advanced battery systems need advanced circuit protection solutions for a variety of reasons - ranging from improving battery safety and performance to encouraging greater market acceptance of Electrical Vehicles (EVs).  “The high current levels and power densities in next-generation battery systems demand equally high-performance, highly precise safety components,” writes Sensata’s Markus Beck, the White Paper’s author. “If the safety systems do not work quickly and reliably, the entire battery system can suffer a catastrophic failure that could seriously impact the product and its user.” Markus says that ‘catastrophic failure’ includes ‘thermal runaway’ – better known as fire:  “The increasing level of publicity given to EV fires has brought more attention to the danger, which is why safety concerns must be addressed in order to avoid adversely impacting public EV adoption.” This new whitepaper covers the ever-increasing demand for improved stored energy systems, the role of fuses and contactors, as well as faster and more precise next generation technology solutions for protecting EV batteries and power systems.  It shows that only by designing systems that are robust and safe, and using high-performance components such as fuses and contactors that can handle short circuits, can an EV manufacturer ensure reliability over a given vehicle’s lifetime.

Solihull Hospital’s Fire Alarm System Gets Live Upgrade

Static Systems Group (SSG) recently completed a ‘live’ upgrade of the fire alarm system at Solihull Hospital. The contract to replace the hospital’s existing closed protocol fire alarm network and panels with an open protocol solution was awarded to electrical contractor Harrold Jones Services (HJS) in January 2019.  Having previously worked with SSG on a fire alarm upgrade at Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, HJS appointed SSG to supply, commission and maintain the hospital’s new fire alarm system, adhering to the Trust’s requirement that the existing detection devices were to be reused where possible. The hospital was also already acquainted with SSG as they had been contracted to upgrade the site’s nurse call systems over the past four years.  Managed by the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Solihull Hospital is an acute general hospital in the West Midlands. The facility provides general and specialist hospital and community care for the residents of East Birmingham, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth and South Staffordshire.  The hospital has 229 beds, around a quarter of which are single-bed rooms.  Brian Rowley, Managing Director at HJS, comments, “Having worked with Static Systems on a previous fire alarm upgrade, we knew they would deliver the same professional level of service on the Solihull Hospital project. This, coupled with their product offering and ability to deliver a cost-effective solution, made it an easy decision to include them as a named supplier in our tender submission.”  Matt Thompson, Senior Account Manager (Healthcare) at SSG, comments, “We were involved from the outset of the project, offering support to the Trust and IBSEC (the Trust’s chosen M&E Consultant) in terms of formulating the planned scope of works. This involved producing an initial site report of the existing system and then outline proposals for moving the project forward.  “Our engineers undertook a number of site visits as part of their investigation works as only limited information was available on the existing system and its operation. This ensured a thorough understanding of the original system’s cause and effect and enabled us to replicate it with the new panels and, where appropriate, offer additional suggestions for improvement.” The solution recommended by SSG was a networked fire alarm system comprising 19 sector panels, two repeat panels and four graphics displays from the company’s Evo2 product range, as well as a BMS interface to the Drax System. The Evo2 system is ideally suited to large multi-panel sites such as hospitals as it provides true peer-to-peer networking.  One of the areas to be connected to the network was a remote building which would ordinarily have required extensive groundwork in order to install cabling. To avoid this costly and disruptive exercise, SSG provided wireless connectivity between the fire alarm panel in the remote area and the nearest panel connected to the network. Having installed a new network and the new panels, SSG put the system on soak test for a week before starting the process of transferring the existing Apollo detection circuits to the new fire panels. Then, once all the detection was transferred across, engineers undertook the cause and effect testing to prove that the new network and panels were up and running, and that the software was working correctly.  This work took place within a live hospital environment, with very little disruption. Most of the work was undertaken during normal working hours, however the swap out of the existing detectors in a couple of the departments had to be undertaken out-of-hours. Similarly, commissioning in the hospital’s theatres was also carried out out-of-hours to avoid any disruption to operations. Commissioning ran very smoothly, as did the installation works which took place over a 10-week period.  SSG provided maintenance support to the hospital throughout the changeover from the old to the new system.  Neil Turnbull, Electrical Estates Officer at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, adds, “SSG’s commissioning engineers were highly experienced in working in a live hospital environment, which was vital for this particular project. They also communicated with the hospital’s departmental staff when carrying out the detection changeover and testing, which further aided a smooth transition.”  Matt concludes, “Having previously undertaken a number of nurse call upgrades at Solihull Hospital, we were delighted to be tasked with upgrading the fire alarm system. We worked closely with HJS and the Trust’s project team throughout the planning, commissioning and installation process, which helped to ensure clear communication and very efficient project delivery. As a result, the Trust now has a full understanding of how the system works and is wired. They also have peace of mind that the system is open protocol and, importantly, have the flexibility to carry out elements of work themselves or involve thirds parties should they wish.” The new system is fully HTM 05:03 compliant and the Fire Alarm Panels are EN54-2:1997 and EN54-4:1997 compliant.  SSG will continue to provide ongoing support and maintenance as part of its contract with HJS and the Trust.