Kenneth Booth

Cambashi: Building Information Modeling (BIM) software market expected to grow to $21bn by 2025

New research data from Cambashi reveals that digital transformation in the construction industry is accelerating the demand for BIM software.  Cambashi’s latest BIM Observatory research data indicates that, while the construction industry’s use of software could be described as being in the ‘Stone Age’ compared with manufacturing’s deployment of digital engineering software,

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TRAINING ACADEMY EXPANDS ITS COURSE OFFERING

The new courses will ensure employees are kept up to date with the latest health and safety legislation, improving an employee’s knowledge of safe working practices to create a safer working environment for all.  The new health and safety courses include everything from electrical safety and accident reporting to driver

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IPAF Summit 2022 speakers announced

Speakers for the IPAF Summit in, London, UK, on 10 March 2022, have now been confirmed, and will present on the theme of “The Evolution of Safety” The speakers for this year’s Summit of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London, on 10 March

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GMI to build stand-out £32 million residential development for HBD in Birmingham

New ‘SETL’ contemporary living canal side development situated in Birmingham’s iconic jewellery quarter will feature 101 apartments together with 2,350 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space. GMI Construction Group PLC an established and successful UK contractor and construction services company providing specialist design and build capabilities spanning multiple sectors

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Senior councillors approve £7.2 million district heating extension

Senior councillors have approved plans to invest £7.2 million extending the city’s flagship district heating network by 2500 metres so that more buildings can enjoy the benefits of reliable, affordable, and low carbon heating. The £47 million Leeds PIPES network supplied 13,900 MWh of low carbon heat in 2021 and

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Mitsubishi Electric to sponsor BESA National Conference

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) National Conference will take place on October 20th at the Novotel Hammersmith hotel in London.   The busy one-day event will feature a wide range of speakers from the building services sector and beyond as it builds on its successful two-day virtual conference last November

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African explosions send refrigerant warning to the world

A spate of fatal accidents linked to faulty repair work on refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in Nigeria should prompt a swift response from the international community, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). Seven people died and several more were injured in at least five explosions across the

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Latest Issue
Issue 344 : Sep 2026

Kenneth Booth

Cambashi: Building Information Modeling (BIM) software market expected to grow to $21bn by 2025

New research data from Cambashi reveals that digital transformation in the construction industry is accelerating the demand for BIM software.  Cambashi’s latest BIM Observatory research data indicates that, while the construction industry’s use of software could be described as being in the ‘Stone Age’ compared with manufacturing’s deployment of digital engineering software, evolution is definitely driving BIM software uptake.  “Remote working trends resulting from the global pandemic, as well as government initiatives and regulations, are driving digital transformation in the construction industry,” said Petra Gartzen, Lead Analyst, Cambashi. “This in turn is accelerating a growth in demand for BIM software, enabling the construction industry to evolve from the ‘Stone Age’ to the ‘Digital Age’.”   She added: “Overall, we estimate that $14bn was spent on BIM software in 2021. Despite disruptions caused by the global pandemic, the market growth has remained positive at 9% in 2020 and 11% in 2021. We forecast the BIM software market to continue with double digit growth CAGR of 12%, reaching $21bn by 2025.”  Cambashi’s research data incorporates three categories of BIM:• BIM Design, which includes software used in the design stage of building and infrastructure projects. This includes five sub-segments – architectural design, structural engineering, civil engineering, MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) and plant design.• BIM Construct, which covers software for collaboration on planning and building, such as data management, estimating and costing.• BIM Operate, which includes software for facilities management.  According to Cambashi’s Employment dataset, currently around 200 million people work in a BIM-related profession, incorporating architecture and design, civil engineering and structural engineering services, as well as building owners/operators.  Key trends covered by the research include Building Digital Twin/IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things), Simulation and off-site manufacturing of prefabricated buildings.  Visit the Cambashi website to download “BIM – evolution from Stone Age to Digital Age” 2022 Research Paper. 

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Tuning in to Construction Talk – new podcast launches for the construction industry

The first two episodes of a new podcast have already caught the attention of construction bosses this month, exploring urgent issues around the skills shortages in construction and the best ways to train the new generation. The new ‘Construction Talk’ podcast interviewed Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), for its first episode, taking a hard look at the skills crisis in construction and the impact of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Skills Plan to support the recruitment and retention of talent in the industry in 2022. Alasdair Reisner talks on the podcast about how COVID-19 acted as a catalyst for a new collaborative approach to skills issues: “As an industry we’ve never been able to work collectively. But through the CLC, it’s been the first chance to say ‘look, we’re all facing a problem with talent’ – there’s not a single bit of industry saying no, we’ve got all the talent we need. Our whole industry really struggles to recruit the employees we need, to deliver what looks like a pretty good future,” he says. “It’s crazy that, until last year, there wasn’t a single plan for our industry about how we were going to do that. So I was delighted when we did publish the CLC’s Skills Plan. For the first time we’ve got a skills plan that covers the whole industry, including measures around the attractiveness and culture of the industry, the routes into the industry and the skills for the future.”    The interview goes on to talk about the new Government-backed Construction Talent Retention Scheme and Talentview Construction which gets young people into apprenticeships, traineeships and entry roles, as well as exploring the huge impact of major infrastructure projects like HS2, creating 20-year careers and cutting-edge skills that can be exported around the world. “2022 is the year of recruitment,” says Alasdair Reisner. “The skills shortages have got worse. We really have to go out there and sell this industry. People won’t just come to us because we want them to – we have to go out there and market the brilliant opportunities that are opening up to everyone.” Episode 2 of Construction Talk tells the story of Nicola Bird, director of groundworks contractors K W Bell Group and founder of AccXel, the UK’s first industry-led education centre and a multimillion-pound facility established to tackle industry skills shortages. Nicola describes how she set out initially to develop an apprenticeship scheme to help safeguard the future of the family business, but then became motivated to pursue a much bigger project, funded by government and her local enterprise partnership, to build AccXel – the aspirational and high-tech construction skills accelerator centre based near the Forest of Dene. Nicola Bird also talks eloquently on the podcast about the importance of digital skills in construction and the expectations of young people curious about the sector. “They expect that technology to be in our industry,” she says. “The only way we are going to start getting people inspired by our industry is by a quicker introduction into digitalisation, and it will make us more efficient in the long run anyway.” The bi-weekly Construction Talk podcast forms part of a new community that Causeway Technologies is creating for its customers and the wider industry, including a monthly newsletter with six question quick-fire interviews with guest contributors, and plans for community events like roundtables, dinners and other networking opportunities later in the year. The podcast is hosted by Peter Haddock, a well-known voice in construction, and is freely available via both iTunes and Spotify. Peter Haddock says: “It’s great to be working with Causeway Technologies on creating a community that can share ideas, experiences and views on key topics impacting the construction sector now and in the future. Our podcast guests share their passion for how we improve skills development and technology integration, showing us how we can do things differently, collaborate properly and embrace change.” The most recent episode of the podcast features Mathew Ayres, group managing director at the Bennie Group, talking on the theme of “Winning the competitive edge with early technology adoption.” To listen to the first three episodes of the Construction Talk podcast, go to: https://www.causeway.com/construction-talk-podcast Causeway Technologies was established in 1999. Headquartered in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom, it serves over 2,500 customers and has over 350 employees. Causeway provides enterprise and cloud software solutions to the construction and infrastructure maintenance industries and spans the full value and supply chain. www.causeway.com

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TRAINING ACADEMY EXPANDS ITS COURSE OFFERING

The new courses will ensure employees are kept up to date with the latest health and safety legislation, improving an employee’s knowledge of safe working practices to create a safer working environment for all.  The new health and safety courses include everything from electrical safety and accident reporting to driver awareness and food allergy awareness.  Sontay, a leading manufacturer of sensing devices that can monitor and report on a building’s conditions, established its Academy in 2014. Since then, it has evolved to become more than just a specialist training academy for the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Climate Control Industry. It now offers more than 130 courses in everything from Human Resources to Business Compliance, including, now of course, Health and Safety. Commercial & Marketing Director, Stacey Lucas said: “We are delighted to build on the success of the Academy by expanding the role that the Academy plays. We can only do this because we have worked hard to develop training partnerships and by talking to people in the industry, we were able to identify knowledge gaps. As a company we want to upskill not only our staff but those who want their staff to be able to understand and manage risk helping to keep everyone safe.” The Sontay Academy has partnered with a market-leading provider of online Health and Safety and Compliance Training. All courses are completed through an online Learner Management System. Candidates are issued with a certificate upon completion of the course. 

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IPAF Summit 2022 speakers announced

Speakers for the IPAF Summit in, London, UK, on 10 March 2022, have now been confirmed, and will present on the theme of “The Evolution of Safety” The speakers for this year’s Summit of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London, on 10 March 2022, have been confirmed, with presentations on a theme of “The Evolution of Safety”. The IPAF Summit 2022 will mark a return to in-person global events for IPAF and event partners KHL – and will be the first time the event has been held in the UK since 2017. In the evening of the summit, will be a gala dinner to celebrate the category winners in the International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs). The Summit and IAPAs will both be hosted by Mark Durden-Smith, a TV presenter best known for work covering top-level English rugby. In the morning of the IPAF Summit, will be the IPAF AGM, during which the IPAF Annual Report will be published and new IPAF Presidential Team and Board members confirmed. The event is now almost fully booked. The theme of the Summit – The Evolution of Safety – will consider how, in the ten years since IPAF started its accident reporting project – our industry has witnessed advances in technology, training and regulation to provide a safer working environment for operators. The project has been central to many changes within the industry including influencing training programmes, guiding standards, and informing good practice guidance. However, accidents still happen. What is the future for safety within our industry and will we ever get to a time when there are no deaths while using powered access? IPAF Summit speakers are as follows: Welcome and introduction from Peter Douglas, IPAF CEO & MD, and Norty Turner outgoing IPAF President. Mark Keily, SHEQ Director at Sunbelt Rentals and Chair of the IPAF International Safety Committee, and Brian Parker, IPAF Head of Safety & Technical, present on the IPAF accident reporting project. Madeleine Abas, Senior Partner at Osborn Abas Hunt, presents a case study of an accident.     Remi Heidelberger, Group Product Marketing Manager at Haulotte Group, and Jonathan Dawson, Managing Director of Power Towers, will discuss safety improvements in the industry. Dr Shaun Lundy, Director of Strategy and Innovation at Tetra Consulting, will present on safety and behaviour in “A changing workforce and what it means for safety”. Jim Waldron, Product Safety Manager of Skyjack UK and Chair of the IPAF Manufacturer’s Technical Committee, will cover the globalisation of industry safety standards. Oana Samoila, Key Accounts Sales Manager of AlmaCrawler, will present “Safety and Storytelling”. Paul Roddis, IPAF Training Manager, will cover developments in training. Martin Hall, Health & Environment Director at Morgan Sindall-Safety, will give a talk entitled “Safety: A contractor’s view.”   Pedro Torres, CEO of Riwal; Andy Studdert, ex IPAF President and CEO; Paul Rankin, Powered Access Division, Chief Operating Officer at LOXAM; and Will Temple, Head of Powered Access, Sunbelt Rentals, will participate in a panel discussion about how rental companies can improve safety for customers, chaired by Murray Pollok, KHL. Dinolift’s Karin Nars, newly confirmed President of IPAF, will give final comments and close the conference. Peter Douglas, CEO & MD of IPAF, says: “Last year the IPAF Summit was held as a digital event, owing to the ongoing restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic; it was a successful format, but it is great to get back to in-person events and for the Summit & IAPAs to be back in the UK for the first time in five years. “Along with event partners KHL, we’ve worked hard to put together what we feel is a strong line-up of speakers, and we think this event – along with the evening event to toast the IAPAs winners – will be a memorable occasion. We really hope you are able to make it and urge you to book now if you want to join us in London in March.” Murray Pollok, Events Director at KHL, adds: “The confirmed line-up of IPAF Summit speakers is fascinating; it will be good to see everyone back in the room together for what promise to be quality presentations around the theme of the evolution of safety. It was a strong set of submissions to the IAPAs categories, with a record number of entries received this year, so we hope you’re able to join us to enjoy the IPAF Summit and to celebrate all the IAPAs winners, as well as for some long-overdue networking!” ● The IPAF Summit on 10 March, pre-event networking at the Science Museum on 9 March, and the Niftylift production plant site visit on 11 March are now almost completely booked up, while the IAPAs dinner is now fully booked with a waiting list in operation; please see more at www.iapa-summit.info

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Heat pumps, sustainable building materials and energy efficient tenements among the attractions planned for CICV’s upcoming Green Home Festival

Sustainable building materials, heat pump myth-busting and a tour of an energy efficient tenement will be among the shows at this year’s Green Home Festival, organisers have revealed. Alternative heat sources and exploring how we will live and travel in 2045 will also be high on the agenda at the five-day hybrid event, which is being organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV). Running from 8-12 August as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe and delivered via a mix of in-person and virtual presentations, the festival will deliver practical assistance and advice to help Scotland become a net zero nation. CICV organisers have narrowed down the itinerary to around 12 shows, which will be suitable for both the public and construction industry, with topics including: Building sustainable neighbourhoods Hydrogen as a potential future heat source Commercial buildings of the future Retrofitting traditional buildings and other house types Taking a fabric-first approach to energy efficient homes Sustainable construction and asset management Upskilling the workforce for sustainable construction Feasibility of electric vehicles and home charging points Carbon, nitrate and water capture through roofing Global case studies on successful low-carbon projects. A special Green Home Festival family day is also in the pipeline, featuring a series of interactive activities and games based around green energy and low-carbon living. Event organiser, John McKinney, Secretary of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, said: “We are extremely excited to reveal some of the topics for the inaugural Green Home Festival, which will deliver a wealth of demonstrations and hands-on guidance. “We are particularly excited about the planned tour of a tenement that has been made energy efficient, which will demonstrate how Scotland’s traditional buildings can be retrofitted to minimise carbon emissions. “We are also looking forward to demystifying the buzz around heat pumps and hydrogen, and exploring how the construction industry can work together in a variety of ways to mitigate climate change and build a greener Scotland for everyone.” Presenters at the show will include experts from the CICV and other organisations including the Scottish Futures Trust, Leeds Sustainability Institute and Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association, with venues, dates and booking details to be revealed later this year. Co-organiser Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, added: “We have been working very hard on the planned itinerary to find a balance and ensure that the events will be suitable for the public and the construction industry itself. “As well as shows the about the house of the future, electric vehicles and the truth about heat pumps, other sessions will take a professional perspective on the multi-disciplinary approach required to build a more sustainable and healthy environment. “Whatever the topic, every show will have the same mission – to engage audiences and help everyone reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient.” Targeting homeowners, professionals, local authorities, housing associations and local authorities, the CICV is aiming to make the Green Home Festival an annual event that will build a long-term legacy. The event is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation as the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum in March 2020. Made up of 29 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.

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GMI to build stand-out £32 million residential development for HBD in Birmingham

New ‘SETL’ contemporary living canal side development situated in Birmingham’s iconic jewellery quarter will feature 101 apartments together with 2,350 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space. GMI Construction Group PLC an established and successful UK contractor and construction services company providing specialist design and build capabilities spanning multiple sectors has today announced that it has been appointed by leading property developer HBD to construct a new residential-led scheme in Birmingham’s iconic Jewellery Quarter. The development, titled ‘Setl’ is HBD’s first city centre development in Birmingham and has been designed by leading architects BPN, based in the jewellery quarter. 101 apartments will be accompanied by an array of residential amenities and 2,350 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space.  The scheme will feature a courtyard, workspace, a lounge and a gym, along with a rooftop garden on the upper floors of the six-storey building. Speaking about the announcement Andy Bruce, Divisional Marketing Director GMI Construction Group said: “We are very much looking forward to seeing this contemporary new development coming out of the ground, which will transform a redundant site into a modern, attractive development right at the heart of Birmingham’s iconic jewellery quarter. “GMI is proud to be have been trusted by leading developer HBD to deliver its first city centre development in Birmingham in an area with such a strong commercial history.” GMI continues to make good strides in Birmingham and the Midlands with over £100M of projects secured in our order book with new and established customers including HBD, St Modwen, Graftongate and St James Securities and across multiple sectors including residential, industrial/logistics, commercial, hotel and student. Simon Raiye, Director at HBD, said: “Setl is one of the city’s most exciting new developments, creating high-end, design-led apartments in one of Birmingham’s most sought after areas. We look forward to working with GMI to bring our vision to life.”

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Senior councillors approve £7.2 million district heating extension

Senior councillors have approved plans to invest £7.2 million extending the city’s flagship district heating network by 2500 metres so that more buildings can enjoy the benefits of reliable, affordable, and low carbon heating. The £47 million Leeds PIPES network supplied 13,900 MWh of low carbon heat in 2021 and continues to grow. It is set to become one of the UK’s largest heat networks. Five new extensions will see the Leeds PIPES district heating network expand into new areas of the city. The council has identified at least nine sites that will be able to connect because of the approved extensions—potentially using another 11,600 MWh of sustainable heat every year. By using heat and energy recovered from non-recyclable waste at the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF) to provide hot water to buildings in the city, the network offers a reliable and significantly lower carbon alternative to traditional fossil fuel powered heating systems. The scheme currently supplies heat recovered from the waste of approximately 10,700 Leeds households saving more than 2,000 tonnes of carbon from being emitted in 2021. Buildings and new developments located near the network can choose to connect at any time. Almost 2,000 homes, commercial and public buildings have already connected to the scheme. The project has also helped employ more than 430 people in the local low carbon sector including 36 apprentices. Energy used to heating and power buildings is responsible for around a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions. In its ‘Heat and buildings strategy’ published last year, the UK Government set out how low carbon heat networks will play an increasingly significant role as the country tackles climate change. New regulations are expected to be introduced by 2025 which will give councils the power to require certain existing buildings and new developments to connect to networks in pre-defined zones. Leeds City Council is now working with government to test the methodology used to establish these zones before a wider rollout.  Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Infrastructure and Climate, said: “Our city’s waste-powered district heating network is a great example of an innovative scheme that supports our long-term net zero carbon ambitions whilst enabling residents and businesses to enjoy reliable and affordable heating now. “Economically, the planned expansion is also a fantastic investment for the council as well as those privately connecting. As the wholesale price of gas rises and as more and more building managers and developers seek to reduce their carbon footprint, our district heating offer has become even more competitive.” Mike Cooke, Managing Director (North & Scotland) of Vital Energi, said: “As a result of visionary investment and working collaboratively with partners, Leeds PIPES has very quickly established itself as one of the UK’s major heat networks. “As the network continues to grow it becomes more efficient and accessible to potential connections, enabling the transition from fossil fuels to deliver more carbon savings and contribute to a cleaner, greener Leeds.” A report to executive board with the recommendations approved by councillors on Wednesday can be read online.

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Mitsubishi Electric to sponsor BESA National Conference

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) National Conference will take place on October 20th at the Novotel Hammersmith hotel in London.   The busy one-day event will feature a wide range of speakers from the building services sector and beyond as it builds on its successful two-day virtual conference last November which attracted more than 500 delegates.  Mitsubishi Electric will be headline sponsor of the Conference and the Association’s National Awards gala dinner, which will take place on the evening of the Conference.   The Conference, which is returning to an ‘in person’ format after two years online, will include plenary sessions, workshops and a technical stream that will focus more closely on some of the key technology areas of interest. The programme will be built around the Association’s technical agenda and the industry’s growing focus on competence and compliance.  This major sponsorship is the latest in Mitsubishi Electric’s long-term collaboration with BESA, which involves a particularly close working relationship with the Association’s Health & Well-being in Buildings group.   The company supported the production of the group’s ‘Beginner’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality’ last year and is currently working on another piece of related guidance: ‘Delivering safe havens – a practical guide’ which will be launched at BESA’s London, Midlands, and South Regional Awards in April.  Centenary Mitsubishi Electric, which celebrated its centenary last year with the launch of several high-profile sustainability initiatives, also sponsored last year’s online BESA National Conference.   It has also developed several training courses with the BESA Academy including the Health and Safety Environment course and test, a six-module programme which formed a key part of the industry’s response to the challenge of keeping its workforce safe during the pandemic.  It was also one of the first adopters of the Academy’s Skills Advisory Service, which is a free resource designed to help employers and potential apprentices navigate the increasingly complex recruitment and training process. The service helps people find the right qualifications, training providers and sources of funding.   Mitsubishi Electric is also sponsoring BESA’s regional awards this year, reflecting its commitment to local networking and the development of apprentices.  “We are delighted to be the headline sponsor of the BESA National Conference once again,” said Rachel Lekman, marketing manager at Mitsubishi Electric. “We have built up a very productive partnership with BESA in recent years and have already collaborated on a number of important projects with particular emphasis on indoor air quality, sustainability and skills.  “This kind of collaboration will be increasingly important as the sector continues to recover from the pandemic and builds towards net zero. We have complementary strengths that can help tackle the industry’s skills gap and deliver cutting edge solutions to support contractors’ work in critical areas like the health and well-being of building occupants,” she added.  “We look forward to digging even more deeply into these topics during this year’s Conference.”  For updates about the BESA National Conference go to: www.theBESA.com/conference

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AEI Cables sends out message to building owners on Category 3 Control fire performance cables

Owners of high-risk buildings are being warned of the dangers of not using approved cabling under a new British Standard Code of Practice by cabling leader AEI Cables. The systems powered by these cables – including smoke and heat extraction systems – assist fire services in firefighting and a safe evacuation in the case of life safety. Installations and types of buildings which come under the new Code of Practice include evacuation alarms for the disabled in care homes and emergency voice communications systems and voice alarm systems in tall buildings, office spaces, hospitals, shopping malls and stadia. Stuart Dover, General Manager of AEI Cables, said: “There isn’t a lot of widely available information on this issue. Building owners need to be aware of the dangers of not using approved cabling in these applications and ask their contractor what type of cable they are installing. “If these systems fail because the cable is not able to function properly the consequences could be critical. Lives and property are at stake here. Category 3 Control fire performance cables reduce harmful smoke, toxic gases and flame spread in the event of a real fire. “Our customers are seeing the peace of mind of installing approved cables which provide continuity of power for these systems, and we think building owners should be aware of the same information.” The wider fire safety industry and professionals have also welcomed the message including the professional fire safety membership body the Institution of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO). AEI Cables is the only supplier in the UK with independent approval from LPCB for BS8519 Category 3 Control fire performance cables with a fire survival time of up to 120 minutes. AEI Cables’ Firetec Enhanced cabling has been approved and certified by LPCB to BS8519 (Annex B), Category 3 Control in addition to Category 2 Control. The BS Code of Practice under BS8519 contains six categories of cables, three for power cables and three for control cables each covering survival times of 30, 60 or 120 minutes. All AEI Cables’ products are supplied with approvals from independent bodies including BASEC and LPCB. It also holds approvals from organisations including Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail and LUL and works to international

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African explosions send refrigerant warning to the world

A spate of fatal accidents linked to faulty repair work on refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in Nigeria should prompt a swift response from the international community, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). Seven people died and several more were injured in at least five explosions across the city of Abeokuta, according to reports in the Cooling Post. As a result, local officials have banned refrigerant sales and shut down the industry’s service and maintenance operations. Initial reports suggest the explosions may have been caused by counterfeit or damaged cylinders, contaminated gas and human error; and the state authorities have issued dire warnings to anyone who ignores the ban. Two engineers were killed while reportedly recharging an air conditioning unit and a young child was among the victims of another incident when a technician was trying to repair a domestic fridge. It is thought that in some cases engineers were putting the wrong gas into the units. BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox said these reports were probably “the tip of the iceberg” and called for a concerted response from the “worldwide refrigeration and air conditioning community”. Fox, who is a former president of the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration European Association (AREA), was instrumental in setting up an international ‘Refrigerant Driving Licence’ scheme for safe refrigerant handling on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). EmergingWhen the project launched six years ago, UNEP was growing increasingly concerned about the lack of understanding and training to improve safety in many emerging markets. The idea was that the developed nations would share their expertise with emerging industries to improve safety and professionalism. “These latest reports from Nigeria emphasise just why this scheme is so important. It was delayed because pandemic travel restrictions prevented the experts from training the trainers in each pilot country,” said Fox, who is also head of technical for the UK’s main F-Gas register REFCOM. “It now needs to be restarted without delay. Accidents are happening daily, and it is a miracle we have not had more deaths especially with the growth in use of new alternative gases, many of which are flammable.” The phase-out of HCFCs and ongoing phase down of HFCs has led to the development of alternatives with lower global warming potential – some of which operate at higher pressures and some of which are toxic and/or flammable. Many manufacturers have warned that some are being used as ‘drop-in’ replacements for their equipment when they are not appropriate or safe. “In the UK, we enjoy the support of the long-established refrigerant handling registration scheme REFCOM that has helped to drive up professional standards across our industry. We have a moral duty to share that expertise with other countries – and save lives,” said Fox. He also warned against complacency in the UK and Europe pointing out that there was a recent near miss here when an engineer vented flammable R290 (propane) in a kitchen served by a grease extract system that could easily have ignited and caused severe damage. “The growing amount of flammable gas being used by our industry means we must up our game on competence training – something we are focusing on strongly through the BESA Academy. Getting our own contractor base trained up is clearly a priority, but we should be simultaneously sharing our knowledge with our colleagues around the world. “The demand for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment continues to grow rapidly worldwide and we should be extremely proud of the important role our industry plays in every aspect of modern life. However, greater commercial success also brings greater responsibility,” said Fox.www.refcom.org.uk

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