“ECA Industry Awards recognise key achievements of the highest talent in the electrotechnical and engineering services, providing a great opportunity to showcase some exceptional work.” That was the Electrical Contractors’ Association’s message to entrants for its 2018 awards. Winner of the £5m-£20 million turnover category was W Portsmouth & Co Ltd, the
As domestic boilers are a fundamental part of homes across the UK, manufacturer of domestic gas boilers Ravenheat is encouraging customers to take care of their boilers by ensuring they have an annual service to extend the operational life; therefore saving homeowners money. The company has even offered a few
R&M increases packing density with the slim-line DRM45 DIN rail adapter for copper and fiber optic connectivity. R&M, a Swiss cabling systems developer and provider for high-quality network infrastructures around the world based in Wetzikon, is supporting high-density LAN cabling on top hat rails. With a width of 18 mm,
With little under a month to go until the highly-anticipated 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations come into force, Bureau Veritas is calling on duty holders to step up efforts aimed at reducing the safety risk posed by poor electrics. Due to be published in July, BS 7671 –
Unite the Union has gathered together representatives of both employers and employees in Scotland to press the case with the Government for the protection of title for the occupation of electrician; a move that is estimated to boost the economy by £58 million. The union supported the Electricians Working Group
Transport and heavy rigging firm Dynamic Specialized replaced a transformer at a facility in Northern Virginia, using a Hydra-Slide hydraulic skidding system, turntable and related products combined to provide a suitable alternative to a crane. The work covered the removal and relocation of one unit, in addition to the positioning
When a serious power-outage threatened the Data Centre of one of the UK’s major travel companies, PPS Power’s engineers were the first ones called. An ‘almighty bang’ was heard as one of the two back-up generators at the site failed when switching back to mains power. The site has two
Shay Casey, Sales Manager at Sika-Trocal, argued that the roofing industry has undergone massive changes over the past decade, with technology behind its growth. Now the industry can carry out BIM modelling, digital presentation and even refurbishment surveys using a drone or virtual programmes. Technical advancement has led to a
The 2 Guildford Business Park is an energy efficient 85,000 sq ft new-build will make an ideal corporate headquarters. It contains on-site amenities, including bicycle storage and showers for those wishing to take the ‘green option’ for the short trip from Guildford Station to the Business Park. The tranquil, rural
Marley Eternit was chosen to build the huts on Alton Towers Resort’s latest attraction – Wicker Man. Wicker Man is the UK’s first new wooden roller coaster to be built in over 20 years and the first to combine fire and wood. Costing over £16 million to build, it offers
“ECA Industry Awards recognise key achievements of the highest talent in the electrotechnical and engineering services, providing a great opportunity to showcase some exceptional work.” That was the Electrical Contractors’ Association’s message to entrants for its 2018 awards. Winner of the £5m-£20 million turnover category was W Portsmouth & Co Ltd, the London and Bedford-based company that is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The Awards, held this year on Friday 8th June at the London Hilton Bankside Hotel, recognise ECA member companies who have demonstrated the highest standards in their respective categories over the previous 12 months. W Portsmouth’s Managing Director Dave Norsworthy said that after 60 years, it was about time to show that taking a long-term perspective on business paid dividends. “We were asked what was our ‘star quality’ – what it was that set us apart from the competition”, he said. “Our answer was ‘being authentic to our vision’. That is what has sustained us: from our first registration as a company in 1958, to where we are today. Our vision is quite simple: always to maintain good relationships with our customers and suppliers – and deliver what we say we will deliver, when we say and to the highest quality.” Just being in business for years was not in itself a guarantee of success, though, he added. “We constantly explore new markets and evolve our methods of working; seeking sustained year-on-year growth, but with security and stability. We choose our clients with care; and we care for our workforce too, to ensure they have continuity and security of employment.” This approach has brought continued contract success, said Dave. Client contracts cited in evidence ranged from MBDA, a world-leader in missile systems and a customer for over 50 years; to University College London – a customer for over 30 years; and the NHS, the biggest project of which was Chase Farm Hospital, designed to be “the newest, most digitally-advanced hospital in the NHS”. Commercial Director Adam Harlow hailed this project as an example of how “Innovation has been key to our success”, referring to: W Portsmouth & Co.’s intimate involvement in designing the largest Barn Theatre in the UK its installation of the first Laminar Flow operating light of its kind in the UK the first full-installation in any UK hospital of the award-winning ASCOM MYCO Nurse-Call System: providing mobile handsets to all staff for full patient monitoring. ECA Group London Regional Manager Malcolm Conby praised W Portsmouth’s achievement, saying: “They have an impressive range of loyal customers, an enviable health & safety record and an outstanding record of longevity; but are right up-to-the-minute in their working methods and techniques – and they place collaborative working at the heart of their approach to business. Their success in this year’s award is a very well-deserved tribute.” The attached picture shows the delighted team receiving their award.
As domestic boilers are a fundamental part of homes across the UK, manufacturer of domestic gas boilers Ravenheat is encouraging customers to take care of their boilers by ensuring they have an annual service to extend the operational life; therefore saving homeowners money. The company has even offered a few suggestions on the topic of servicing and boiler health. Explain the benefits of servicing One of the easiest ways to talk to your customers about why they should get their boiler serviced, as well as what they should do with it during summer, is to discuss it when you are there for other work. Whether you are reminding them to get their boiler serviced annually before you leave or just having a chat over a cup of tea, make sure you break down the reasons why it is good for them. Of course, that includes lower chances of breakdowns in the winter and a longer serviceable life. Leave a card Put the stack of business cards you have to good use and write down the date of a recommended service on the back. That way, the customer has your details and can call you when the date comes around. Alternatively, service reminder stickers on the boiler itself with your contact information on them are another good option. Use social media to let them know Social media is a valuable tool to promote your business and services, but it is also a great way to share your knowledge with your customers. Ravenheat use their own social media to share tips with homeowners, like how to defrost their condensate during the winter, which prove to be very popular. A Facebook business page is ideal for sharing advice on why and how often customers should get their boilers serviced and also to recommend they turn on their boiler at least once a month to keep everything in working order. Let them know about manufacturer FAQs Like many companies, Ravenheat has a list of frequently asked questions for both installers and homeowners on its website, including advice on why annual servicing is important and how to organise a service. If homeowners are looking for manufacturer advice on what to do, refer them to the FAQs. Over the summer, Ravenheat will be using its own social media channels to share tips and information on the importance of services and boiler health. Engineers are welcome to share their posts to help raise awareness among homeowners.
R&M increases packing density with the slim-line DRM45 DIN rail adapter for copper and fiber optic connectivity. R&M, a Swiss cabling systems developer and provider for high-quality network infrastructures around the world based in Wetzikon, is supporting high-density LAN cabling on top hat rails. With a width of 18 mm, the new, slim-line DRM45 DIN rail adapter corresponds to 1 HP (horizontal pitch), the typical pitch pattern on standard 35 mm top hat rails (DIN EN 50 022). When it comes to structured cabling for Local Area Networks (LAN), planners, installers, and building owners want compact solutions. Increasingly these days, small building distributors or switch cabinets for industrial, functional, and residential buildings not only require controllers, network connectors, and other technical building system components, but also RJ45 network connections. These are needed, for instance, for the Internet of Things, industrial Ethernet, internet connections for machines, and controllers for smart buildings. In such cases, the 35 mm top hat rail is often the installation platform of choice. R&M has developed the slim-line 1HP DRM45 adapter to meet this demand. Both the shielded and unshielded versions of the RJ45 copper modules Cat. 6A EL, Cat. 6A ISO, and Cat. 6A coupler fit into the housing. In fiber optic cabling, the adapter supports LC Duplex and SC Simplex connections. The adapters can be clicked into and snapped out of the top hat rail in just a few steps. The copper and fiber optic adapters are equally easy to insert, click in, and if required, replace or remove. The plug connections can still be accessed from the front with a higher packing density. The integrated ground spring can also be enabled or disabled from the front. A hinge connects the dust cap with the adapter so that the cap does not get lost. There are nine cap colors available to denote individual network services. If the adapter is not in operation, the dust cap can be closed in a flash. The labeling window is also accessible from the front. The labels can either be written by hand or printed. More information: https://www.rdm.com/gbr_en/Company/Media/News/Bringing-LAN-cabling-to-top-hat-rails
With little under a month to go until the highly-anticipated 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations come into force, Bureau Veritas is calling on duty holders to step up efforts aimed at reducing the safety risk posed by poor electrics. Due to be published in July, BS 7671 – IET Wiring Regulations 18th edition will apply to all new and rewired installations designed after January 2019. The legislation is set to include a number of significant changes in relation to protection against fire, protection against overvoltages and clarity on special location installations, in a bid to optimise safety in domestic, industrial and commercial locations. The more stringent standards will look to address the risks presented by faulty electrical installations and wiring systems, after estimates show that electricity is the leading cause of over 20,000 accidental fires in the UK each year1. In the run up to implementation, global certification firm Bureau Veritas is urging all duty holders to review their existing electrical safety standards and intensify their ‘safety first’ approach to compliance. Nathan Cliff, electrical principal engineer for electrical systems at Bureau Veritas, said: “With poor electrical installations still responsible for five accidents in the UK every single day, it’s no surprise the 18th Edition will force us as an industry to place a greater emphasis on the protection of people. “For duty holders, our advice is clear – do not wait until the regulations take hold to take action. Instead, start by reviewing existing electrical safety protocols to ensure they take a ‘safety first’ approach to protecting employees, students and residents so that best practice is achieved every step of the way.” According to Bureau Veritas, one important aspect for duty holders to consider is that the 18th edition puts a greater onus on a risk assessment when it comes to protection against transient overvoltage (e.g. lightning) required for buildings to protect against the risk of fires and loss of supply. In addition, protection must be provided for high risk and sensitive locations, such as medical locations, heritage buildings, banks, IT centres etc. Nathan adds: “For many, these new regulations will no doubt be hard to decipher and put into practice. However, it’s literally a matter of life and death for duty holders to get to grips with these reforms as soon as they can as achieving compliance now ahead of the January 2019 deadline will, ultimately, help to save lives.” To find out more about Bureau Veritas please call 0345 600 1828 or email info@uk.bureauveritas.com. Alternatively, please visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk
Unite the Union has gathered together representatives of both employers and employees in Scotland to press the case with the Government for the protection of title for the occupation of electrician; a move that is estimated to boost the economy by £58 million. The union supported the Electricians Working Group which was convened at Holyrood following a concerted awareness-raising push by electrical employers’ association SELECT, the Scottish Joint Industry Board and the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust. “With this whole-hearted support from our industry partners Unite the Union, there is now a discernible groundswell of opinion in favour of regulation and in particular protection of title for electricians,” said Fiona Harper, the Secretary of the SJIB. The Government is asked to recognise the skills, knowledge, training, experience and qualifications of electrician and their vital role in the functioning of a modern society. The supporters are also asking for the Government to take into consideration the risk to public safety of unqualified or underqualified people being able to pass themselves off as electrician, especially when carrying out work for vulnerable householders. “Our members have expressed their frustration that people in such a safety-critical occupation are able to use the title of electrician when they have not met the established national and industry standards,” said Pat Rafferty, the Unite Scottish Secretary. SELECT proves in a report from 4-Consulting on the economic impact of regulating electricians in Scotland that protecting lives and property in this manner could save the country around £58 million a year. It pointed out that 10 people were killed and more than 600 injured in electrical fault-related incidents in 2016 alone. “We do not want to leave people behind if they want to operate as competent and safe electricians and we have taken steps to ensure that there are a variety of ‘routes to qualification’ to make the profession as inclusive as possible,” said Newell McGuiness, SELECT Managing Director. SELECT’s 1250 member companies account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people.
Transport and heavy rigging firm Dynamic Specialized replaced a transformer at a facility in Northern Virginia, using a Hydra-Slide hydraulic skidding system, turntable and related products combined to provide a suitable alternative to a crane. The work covered the removal and relocation of one unit, in addition to the positioning of a larger transformer on the vacated foundation. “This was a difficult project for us to secure as the local crane company had done a very good job of convincing the client that a jacking and sliding system was simply too slow and they could beat our schedule. While our method was already more cost effective it took some convincing to demonstrate that we could get the work done at the same pace, once they factored in crane set-up time etc.,” said Josh Sohler, operations manager at Dynamic. The existing transformer weighed 190,000 lbs. and measured 20’5” x 18’ x 14’9”, while the other (to be kept as a spare) was larger, at 28’2” x 18’6” x 18’1, and weighed in at 300,000 lbs. The solution used during the process involved Dynamic Specialized’s heavy track hydraulic skidding system and a Hydra-Slide turntable. The HT500 was employed to slide the loads, while the turntable rotated the larger transformer 90 degrees. Although the initial plan was for the transformer to be disassembled, drained and have all the bushings removed, once on site, the team decided to move the heavier transformer fully dressed, saving time. With the help of Hydra-Slice system that was possible. “The Hydra-Slide staff and products are second to none. The system and support have been, and continue to be, well over our expectations and we could not be happier. Many of our local competitors are either still utilizing older, ‘homemade-type’ systems or utilizing larger class (and much more expensive) cranes to do the same work. The Hydra-Slide system is quick, clean, safe, and controlled; we continuously receive compliments before, during, and after projects,” Josh concluded.
When a serious power-outage threatened the Data Centre of one of the UK’s major travel companies, PPS Power’s engineers were the first ones called. An ‘almighty bang’ was heard as one of the two back-up generators at the site failed when switching back to mains power. The site has two generators that are synced together to provide power to the whole building in cases when mains power is unavailable PPS Power’s engineers arrived on-site at 9pm and discovered that the generator day tank had run out of fuel. Due to the fact that the fuel transfer system is electrically driven, the automatic fuel transfer between bulk tank and day tank was not possible with any mains power available. Moreover, the on-site uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which would provide emergency power during input power source or mains power failures, had only five per cent of autonomy time, equating to just five minutes of available power supply. “When we are called out to work like this we do what is necessary for the client. I wouldn’t describe it as a Mission Impossible but there was obviously a race against the clock and some challenges to restore power and reinstate the fuel transfer system and the generators. As the UPS would only supply power for five minutes, it meant that engineers had to work safely but at speed to beat the clock,” said Ian Townson, Technical Manager for PPS Power. With data at risk, PPS Power engineers arranged a temporary supply from the UPS in order to connect to the fuel transfer system, managing to transfer enough fuel to allow the main generator to be brought back up and running. It also supplied the building’s power needs and then manually transferred fuel during the night to ensure a reliable power supply. Because the source of the original generator’s fault had not yet been identified, during the course of the essential repair work, the data centre was powered by only the back-up generators. PPS Power’s engineers carried out repairs to the fuel transfer system, discovering a defective flow switch, and electrical components. PPS Power’s work ensured that no data was lost as a result of the initial power outage, with engineers working through the night to deliver an outstanding service, and that this major travel company can now be confident that their critical systems will operate as expected.
Shay Casey, Sales Manager at Sika-Trocal, argued that the roofing industry has undergone massive changes over the past decade, with technology behind its growth. Now the industry can carry out BIM modelling, digital presentation and even refurbishment surveys using a drone or virtual programmes. Technical advancement has led to a marketplace brimming with new products and systems, with greater choice and increased competition. The introduction of a wide range of new membranes has seen contractors adapt specifications to ensure the most cost-effective installation; an option not available to architects or clients who no longer have the power to uphold the original specification. Due to the rise of extended payment terms and retentions which have proven a huge burden to buyers and suppliers, roofing contractors must be more financially aware. In addition, firms have also had to adapt to new ways of self-marketing such as social media. A large LinkedIn or Twitter presence can spread positive word of a contractor’s service offering in a matter of seconds. Other factors that brought change into the roofing industry include the environmental concerns that led to the introduction of green and cool roofs, solar panels and further developments in roof lighting. The Green Guide has led to vast improvements in recycling, manufacturing footprint and roofing performance in terms of thermal values and sustainability. A hi-tech revelation is virtual reality, available for those with a taste for risk-averse exhilaration. In the coming future, it is likely that virtual reality will also prove useful to the roofing sector, allowing stakeholders involved in a project to visualise how it will look when completed. This will help minimise misunderstandings between parties which can lead to frustrating, costly delays for the client. The roofing industry will doubtless face many challenges over the coming decade, and as practices and systems change, members will be required to adjust accordingly. With the support of trade associations such as SPRA and NFRC, the future should hold no fear for those involved in the roofing sector.
The 2 Guildford Business Park is an energy efficient 85,000 sq ft new-build will make an ideal corporate headquarters. It contains on-site amenities, including bicycle storage and showers for those wishing to take the ‘green option’ for the short trip from Guildford Station to the Business Park. The tranquil, rural views from the terrace will conceal the excellent access to motorways and rail communications. The lightning within the offices and core areas will be controlled by the Lightning Controls Ltd. Network with daylight dimming and motion detectors. The area controllers will regulate the localised network zones in half floor sectors, on a floor to floor basis or across the whole building, depending on how the facility will be leased. In addition, the double-height atrium will incorporate scene set plates for easy to use local lightning flexibility. Lighting Controls Limited manufactures state of the art control equipment for commercial and high-end domestic lighting and ancillary systems. Their designers and engineers have many decades of combined experience in the field of lighting control, and these British-designed, British-manufactured products reflect this experience and the company’s commitment to reliability and ease of installation and use.
Marley Eternit was chosen to build the huts on Alton Towers Resort’s latest attraction – Wicker Man. Wicker Man is the UK’s first new wooden roller coaster to be built in over 20 years and the first to combine fire and wood. Costing over £16 million to build, it offers riders a truly immersive experience, with a fiery twist. As part of the story, which is set in the world of the Beornen, a fictional community living in the woods, a few huts were placed around the wooden track. In order to continue the woodland theme, the company supplied 327 bundles of its Blue Label Western Red Cedar Shakes, which were used to create over 800 m2 of roofing for the roller coaster. “The task of building a rollercoaster which combines fire and wood required careful planning in order to bring our vision to life. However, for us, it’s not just about creating the ride itself but also its surroundings to deliver a truly immersive experience to our guests,” said Neil Walker from Merlin Entertainment, who also project managed the construction. The choice for Marley Eternit’s Shakes was due to their robust finish and the reassurance provided by the accreditation to the Certi-Grade quality assurance label as certified by the Cedar Shingle and Shake Bureau (CSSB). Moreover, the shakes also require low maintenance and blend into the wider surroundings very well. Another one of the benefits of using the Western Red Cedar Shakes is that it has one of the lowest carbon footprints, representing a new carbon sink upon delivery. This means that more carbon is stored in the shake than is emitted during its harvest, manufacture and transportation combined. “It was crucial the new huts were designed sensitively to blend into the wider design of the Wicker Man ride, complementing the overall aesthetic Merlin was keen to achieve. In commercial projects such as this, the lightweight nature of our Shakes together with their ease of installation, play an important role in ensuring they were able to meet the deadline,” commented Daniel Redfern from Marley Eternit.
