A campaign promoting the use of NICEIC and ELECSA registered contractors reached a record amount of people. The Stay Safe at Christmas campaign, launched during the festive period last year, warned about the additional electrical dangers that can arise at Christmas time and urged householders to call an NICEIC or ELECSA registered electrician if they had any concerns. The campaign featured on regional TV and radio. It also appeared in national and local newspapers across the UK, making it the most successful campaign by NICEIC and ELECSA to promote electrical contractors yet. In total, the campaign reached a potential audience of 55 million people. “Research carried out last year showed us that the NICEIC brand is the most recognised in the industry amongst consumers,” said Paul Collins, communications manager at Certsure, which operates the NICEIC and ELECSA brands. “It was important for us to build on this and to keep promoting the use of NICEIC and ELECSA registered contractors to homeowners. “This was the largest and most integrated campaign we have ever carried out, focussing not only on traditional media outlets, but social media also.” The Stay Safe at Christmas campaign launched with a series of radio interviews carried out by resident expert Tony Cable and DIY SOS Star Billy Byrne. The duo appeared on 57 national, regional and commercial radio stations – reaching in excess of 36 million potential listeners. A second radio day saw Darren Staniforth carry out 11 interviews on BBC regional radio stations – reaching another 1.3 million listeners. In addition, the story appeared on ITV Granada’s primetime news programme as well as being featured in the Daily Mirror and Daily Star. “Certsure is committed to promoting the use of its contractors to more and more people,” added Paul. “NICEIC and ELECSA registrants now carry out over 89% of all Part P jobs in England and Wales. That is an astonishing figure and one we are very proud of. “We know that these two brands win contractors more work and we will continue to promote our contractors and the benefits of using an NICEIC or ELECSA registered electrician to both specifiers and consumers.”

The focus on home maintenance and improvement is continuing apace, according to TrustMark, the Government-endorsed scheme for tradespeople, which has announced that it has recorded another bumper year of helping homeowners. More than 8.1 million search results were provided to homeowners who used TrustMark’s website and telephone helpline to find local firms and expert tradespeople to carry out their home improvements and repairs – an increase of 12% compared to the same period in 2014 and up 55% since 2013. Searches for interior designers, bedroom and kitchen specialists saw the biggest rises last year and have been among the most sought-after trades out of the 38 licensed trades offered by TrustMark. TrustMark is the only Government-backed quality scheme that covers all trades to do work in and around the home, from aerial installers to flood recovery specialists. Carpenters and joiners, followed closely by painters and decorators, have also seen increasing demand, indicating a continuing trend to improve rather than move. There was a 29% increase in search results provided for TrustMark-registered electricians, a 21% increase for plumbers and heating engineers, and similar demands for handymen. Search results provided for carpet and upholstery cleaners leapt by 58% in 2015. Following the major storms at the start of 2014, TrustMark-registered roofers and tree surgeons saw their busiest months during January and February. Unsurprisingly, homeowners began to focus on their gardens when the weather recovered, with fence installers (up 19%), garden landscapers (up 15%) and drive and patio contractors all seeing a significant increase on their searches during the spring and summer. Simon Ayers, chief executive of TrustMark, said, “Homeowners are increasingly understanding the importance of only using professional firms to do their home improvements and repair work, particularly at a time when people are concerned about their finances. TrustMark provides homeowners with extra security, the reassurances they are looking for and the confidence that they are working with tradespeople who are the best in the business. “We continue to work closely with our approved scheme operators and TrustMark-registered firms, as well as with influential consumer organisations such as Age UK, Citizens Advice and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Together we are all signposting the public to TrustMark. By providing advice and a free list of reputable firms, we can guide people through finding the right tradespeople for jobs in their homes and be a trusted avenue for support as and when needed.” All TrustMark firms work to Government-endorsed standards and are uniquely checked for three cornerstones of quality – their trading practices, customer service and their technical competence. TrustMark continues to expand its database of over 13,000 individual firms in the UK, providing national coverage with more than 21,000 licenced trades searchable on its database. For further information and to stay up-to-date with developments at TrustMark, visit www.trustmark.org.uk

The Department for Social Development’s (DSD) Review of the Role and Regulation of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) will close on 5 February. So, the charity Electrical Safety First is urging interested stakeholders to respond, if they haven’t already done so. From 2014 to 2015, over two-thirds (67%) of accidental fires in Northern Ireland were linked to electricity, with some of the worst cases of landlord neglect relating to poor electrical safety. Northern Ireland’s PRS has expanded rapidly and now accounts for over 16% of all housing stock, with the percentage of households in the sector doubling in the last ten years. “We were extremely pleased that the DSD’s review includes questions around the issue of regular electrical safety checks,” explains Phil Buckle, director general of Electrical Safety First. “We believe this safeguard will not only protect private renters, but also their landlords, as it has been conservatively estimated that electricity causes £1 billion worth of damage to property in the UK. “We would urge all key stakeholders to respond to the review and help us ensure the safety of tenants and the protection of landlords’ property.” Electrical Safety First has been working with governments throughout the UK to develop legislation that will protect both landlords and tenants. It has called for mandatory, five yearly safety checks, by a registered electrician, of the electrical installation in all PRS properties – and any electrical appliance supplied with them. The Charity led a coalition of stakeholders to ensure regular electrical checks were included in last year’s Scottish Housing Act and it is hopeful that they will also be introduced in Wales via the new Renting Homes (Wales) Act, which has just received Royal Assent. Current regulations in Northern Ireland simply state that electrics in the PRS must be safe, but do not specify a regular safety review – unlike those governing gas, where an annual gas safety certificate is required.

JWD has partnered with Crystal Direct, a leading UK manufacturer of PVCU windows, doors and conservatories. The partnership provides JWD with access to Crystal’s unique and contracted routes to market, including the buying power of the NMBS, the National Merchant Buying Society, a centralised buying society for Independent Builders, Timber, Hardware, Plumbing and Heating Merchants, with over 1000 members and over 3000 national depots. Crystal is also the approved and contracted supplier to both the National Buying Group LLP and Fortis Merchants Ltd. These buying groups, themselves all members of the NMBS, represent approximately 600 outlets with combined revenues totalling £1.7b, coupling this with Crystal’s direct relationship with the two largest ‘regional’ merchants in the UK, who purchase independently of any buying society, genuinely provides unique access to the entire independent builders merchants sector of the UK   Via a further partner Crystal has NEW direct supply relationships with over 12,100 builders, as a result of Crystal products being embedded within this subscription estimating & specification software,  JWD have already completed several installation projects.   In addition, Crystal has recently been chosen to be the “voice of the merchant sector” – for PVCu products – within the BMBI report, a Builders Merchants Federation initiative, which in its early days is already influencing opinion and decision, aside from the platform and data this position delivers it also provides access -via common BMF membership –  to the national merchants – Travis Perkins, Jewson, Wolseley and Grafton Group, with whom supply (and installation) has already commenced.   Prior to the partnership, Crystal were able to provide the building trade with window, door and conservatory products, but unable to offer a survey or installation service. Thanks to JWD as their preferred partner, Crystal are now able to offer a full survey, supply and install service to all customers.   Through this new partnership, JWD are able to strengthen their position as the leading and preeminent installer of energy efficiency measures and services for trusted partners across all sectors and gain lucrative & potentially exclusive access to Crystal’s diverse routes to market.

Balfour Beatty has been fined £1m after a worker was killed by a crane while repairing a central reservation barrier. A team from Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering set out on 1st October 2012 to install temporary traffic management on a stretch of the A2 near Barham in Kent to repair barriers after a road accident had left them damaged. A truck-mounted loader crane was used in an improvised attempt to remove the footings of a post that had snapped off. There was no method statement. The crane slipped from the concrete footing, and swung back towards the barrier, hitting 37-year-old Larry Newman on the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Limited, of Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, was fined a total of £1m at Canterbury Crown Court, and ordered to pay £14,977 in costs after pleading guilty to offences under Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. After the hearing, HSE inspector Andrew Cousins said: “This was an entirely preventable incident that could have been averted by simply creating and implementing a safe system of work. If a suitably sized excavator had been used to remove the footing mechanically it would have prevented this tragic loss of life completely. “Employers have a responsibility to create safe systems of work for hazardous activities that their workers may be undertaking. The workers should be trained in safe systems of working and adequately supervised. Safety needs to be proactively managed and not just left to chance.” Balfour Beatty has since been working with the Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers & Importers (ALLMI) on loader crane safety issues. ALLMI represents the entire loader crane sector, including users, and works to promote their safe use.

IJM Construction Ltd is a local family run construction firm with over 20 years of experience in the building industry. We are a relatively young company that offer a wide range of bespoke construction services, from new builds and renovations to extensions and conversions. We are based in Halifax, West Yorkshire at the Tenterfields Business Park.   In June 2015 we moved into a new office with attached storage unit as the company was expanding. We put everything back into the business to build up our store of machines, tools, office equipment etc. and made internal renovations to suit our business needs, however, on Boxing day this all changed.   Everything we had worked so hard for and built up over the years, but in particular the last 6 months was gone! Washed away in the floods. The pure force of the water blasted a 80-foot hole through the wall of the Victorian Mill that has stood for more than 200 years, taking peoples lively hoods with it.   The destruction and devastation it caused to the whole site was un-imaginable as our video shows (see link below).   We were able to enter the building the following day once the river levels dropped and the sight before us was just carnage. The whole of our unit and office had been 5-6 feet under water. Machinery, timber, desks, shelving, everything, had swirled around to be left in a wet contaminated heap.   It is devastating seeing your business reduced to just the contents of a skip! We work so hard, not only to give our customers satisfaction on completion of their job but also to look after the lads who work hard for us. These guys are what makes IJM Construction the business it is, they rely on us to pay their wages and keep the work coming. It is this and the huge amount of support from family, friends even strangers that gives us the motivation to carry on and start again.   So what next for IJM? At present we have no office or unit and need to begin to re-build our stock and business equipment to get our business back up and running. Although without the equipment there is not much we can do, our lads are down on site helping out where they can and doing odd jobs for customers.   Despite the floods that have devastated the area on Boxing Day, we are now fighting back! Over 100 businesses have joined forces in ‪#‎CalderdaleRising – a crowdfunding campaign organised by Business for Calderdale. If you could share the news of this fantastically positive step, that would be fantastic. http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/calderdalerising   We will be back! #CalderdaleRising will help us do that. Our enthusiasm, experience and love of the job was not washed away – IJM Construction will not be beaten! https://www.facebook.com/andy.brown.1612/videos/vb.1212588884/10208854128129815/?type=3