Bogus manuals, putting safety at risk, highlight SELECT’s campaign for professional recognition of electricians
The ongoing threat of poor and potentially dangerous electrical work has been highlighted once again by SELECT, the industry body for Scotland’s electrical sector professionals, as it is revealed that counterfeit copies of vital IET wiring regulations are being offered for sale. The bogus PDF copies of BS7671:2018, the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) Wiring Regulations, could be devastating for electrical professionals, with missing or corrupted information potentially leading to unsafe work and risking fire, electric shock or even death. The latest counterfeiting activity reinforces the message that SELECT has been promoting in the Scottish Parliament in its campaign, backed by the Scottish Joint Industry Board and Unite the Union, for recognition of electricians as a profession. SELECT’s case was pressed recently (October) in a Holyrood debate in which evidence was presented of unqualified and under-qualified people who masquerade as electricians endangering public safety by carrying out work across Scotland. Dave Forrester, Head of Technical Services at SELECT, said: “Only a short time after the issue of safety was debated in the Scottish Parliament, we have now uncovered bogus British Standards and other manuals being offered online to companies which will put consumers in further jeopardy”. Mark Coles, Head of Technical Regulations at the IET, said that the fake PDFs, which were being distributed through a variety of channels, looked “convincing” on the first inspection. However, they are sprinkled with errors and corrupted information. The IET is now taking action to combat the counterfeiters by inserting a hologram in its Regulations, commonly known as the 18th Edition, to help users identify genuine copies. It contains the IET logo and the word “Genuine”. Mr Coles said: “Ensuring that genuine copies of IET publications are being used by electrical professionals is important in order that correct standards are used to protect the public and those working in the industry from injury and fatality.” SELECT’s campaign for protection of title has been at the forefront of its work following a speech by a Government Minister at a European electrical contractors’ conference in Edinburgh in 2015. It has been supported by unions, trade bodies and politicians from all parties. Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, recently said in Parliament that discussions would continue with the aim of bringing a Ministerial view to Parliament in due course. 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. For more information about the IET please contact Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0SB. T: 0131 445 5577. F: 0131 445 5548. E: admin@select.org.uk. W: www.select.org.uk, Twitter: http://twitter.com/updates_select, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJVjt14CvIig8bIKwidVug
Promotions at Boulting Ltd strengthen business offering
Engineering solutions provider, Boulting Ltd has made a number of promotions across the organisationto further strengthen its business offering. Glyn Shawcross has been appointed as engineering and design director, Louis Steyn takes up the role of IT director and Paul Mannion will move to the position of electrical and instrumentation (E&I) operations manager. Glyn Shawcross, who joined Boulting Ltd in 2011, has been promoted to the role of engineering and design director and will be responsible for engineering design of all mechanical, electrical and instrumentation installations across the non-nuclear business units. Shawcross is also responsible for the technical, financial and strategic responsibility of the engineering and design department, which consists of over 60 multi-disciplined designers and engineers. A chartered engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and a certified functional safety engineer with over 38-year experience in the sector, Shawcross joined Boulting as a senior electrical engineer. In addition to his role in the engineering and design team, Shawcross voluntarily undertakes the roles of professional registration advisor and continuing professional development advisor on behalf of the IET, as well as being the company’s IET representative. Alongside Shawcross’s promotion, Paul Mannion, who joined Boulting in 1990 as an apprentice, will take up the role of E&I operations manager and will continue his involvement in construction and project management in the pharmaceutical industry. His experience across the business in both engineering and managerial roles means he will continue to support the team to deliver varied client requirements. Having worked at Boulting Ltd since 2007, Louis Steyn and has been appointed as IT director for the business. Steyn has numerous years’ experience in IT management roles across a variety of sectors across the UK and in South Africa. Steyn will assist the board in developing the company’s IT strategy and improving the IT department’s service offering across Boulting’s multiple sites. He plans to improve processes and systems and create a focus on how IT can benefit the business. In addition, he will be developing an IT strategy to help assure the ongoing security of the digital services Boulting offer. “The series of promotions we have made over the past few months will continue to strengthen our business,” Josh Groarke, deputy managing director at Boulting Ltd said. “We wanted to recognise not only the hard work and dedication of these individuals, but also support our offering with an effective and resilient senior leadership team that has the experience and knowledge to push Boulting Ltd in the years to come. “As an organisation that works over numerous UK sites, as well as managing projects across the globe, we appreciate that we must invest in our people first and foremost,” Groarke continued. “The services we offer would be of little use without the knowledge and skills of our people, which is why these promotions will support our ongoing business aspirations.” Boulting Ltd is a multi-disciplined engineering solutions provider, operating across a diverse range of industry sectors in the UK and abroad. The organisation employs over 950 staff throughout the UK at its regional sites. To find out more information about Boulting visit www.boulting.co.uk.
IET and BSI publish the 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations
The 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations has published. The essential publication for all professionals working in the electrical industry forms the national standard to which all new and amended electrical installations in the UK are to comply. The IET urges all electrical professionals to ensure they are familiar with the changes before the new requirements come into effect from January 2019. Significant changes include: recommendations for Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) in AC final circuits, requirements for devices for protection against overvoltage, a change to the requirement for the methods of supporting wiring systems within buildings against their premature collapse in the event of a fire and a new Appendix focusing on energy efficiency. Changes have also been made to the requirements for electric vehicle charging installations with PME supplies (the most common form of earthing in new installations) as well as new guidance for the design and erection of electrical installations that have local production and storage of energy for optimising efficiency. The changes to BS 7671 come from to the revision of international and European standards, of which the UK is obliged to take on the technical intent. JPEL/64 members represent the UK on many of these international committees and the content to be included is discussed in terms of the impact on UK industry, before a new update to BS 7671 is agreed and published. Mark Coles, Head of Technical Regulations at the IET, said: “The IET is the authority for electrical installation in the UK and ensures that JPEL/64, the national Wiring Regulations committee, carefully considers all necessary updates to the Regulations to ensure they best meet the needs of the industry. The 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations contains some significant changes to the way all electrical professionals are required to carry out their work in order to safeguard themselves and the public. With this in mind, it is essential that all electrical professionals ensure that they are up to speed with the new requirements.” BS 7671:2018 and the IET’s popular suite of guidance are available here. To accompany the 18th Edition, the IET is launching online training for the City & Guilds 2382:18 qualification. The only online training to be endorsed by City & Guilds for this qualification, the Full and Update courses both offer flexible learning, in your own time at your own pace. Accessible via an app, the training also includes three, full, practice exams to fully prepare you for the real thing. More information can be found here. To find out more about the new requirements for electrical installations, you can also speak to an expert at the IET on 01438 765599 or email. About the IET Looking for images to accompany your engineering stories? Use the IET’s media image library to highlight the exciting, creative and dynamic world of engineering. Interview opportunities are available with IET spokespeople from a broad range of engineering and technology disciplines including cyber-security, energy, engineering skills, innovation, manufacturing, technology, transport and women in engineering. The IET is one of the world’s largest engineering institutions with over 168,000 members in 150 countries. It is also the most interdisciplinary – to reflect the increasingly diverse nature of engineering in the 21st century. Energy, transport, manufacturing, information and communications, and the built environment: the IET covers them all. The IET publishes more than 30 research and letters journals and over 500 books across engineering disciplines. The IET’s flagship A&I database, Inspec, is globally renowned as a source of essential research in the fields of engineering, physics and computer science. The IET is working to engineer a better world by inspiring, informing and influencing our members, engineers and technicians, and all those who are touched by, or touch, the work of engineers. We want to build the profile of engineering and change outdated perceptions about engineering in order to tackle the skills gap. This includes encouraging more women to become engineers and growing the number of engineering apprentices. For more information, click here Follow the IET on Twitter.
