Scottish electricians raise over £5,000 for electrical industry charity
More than £5,000 has been raised by Scottish electricians SELECT, the trade body for electrical professionals in Scotland, for the UK’s leading charity devoted to those working within the industry – Electrical Industries Charity. A charity which provides practical support services and financial relief to the 1.3 million people who work throughout the UK in the sectors relating to energy and electrical. Over the last year, the Electrical Industries Charity gave out more than £400,500 in direct financial assistance, as well as providing more than 7,400 people with non-financial support. The majority of the money that is raised for SELECT came through the annual SELECT Awards which were held earlier this month (October) in Glasgow. Over 350 people got together at the Raddison Blu hotel in order to help pay tribute to the leading talent within the Scottish sector. The awards this year, were hosted by the radio and tv personality Shereen Nanjiani and was though to be the biggest ceremony to date, raising more than £3,000 in their charity raffle and saw three lucky winners walking away with some wonderful prizes. SELECT President Kevin Griffin states that, “The support from Scotland for the EIC’s great work has been amazing, and reflects the valued place this charity holds within our sector.” At the beginning of June, SELECT held a Predidents walk which took place at Chatelherault Park in Hamilton and saw more than 50 walker taking on the 5-mile Green Bridge Trail. This event was dedicated to Jim McArthur, a past SELECT president and the former chairmen of the Lanarkshire Branch, who sadly passed away last year. A Teddy Bear’s picnic was held later in June, and brought together the organisation’s staff members and their families for a fun filled day, including face painting, games and entertainment. At this event the charity managed to raise a further £500 for the EIC. “Set up at a time when charities were in their infancy and safety nets such as unemployment benefits, state pensions and a national health service had yet to be thought of, the EIC has been providing assistance for more than 100 years to industry colleagues who have fallen upon hard times. The wide variety of services on offer from the EIC have been a major component in creating and maintaining the thriving industry which we work in today.” explained Kevin Griffin. As well as financial assistance, the Electrical Industries Charity also provides counselling over the phone, advice for those in debt along with support for carers, scholarships and bursary schemes, as well as legal and career transition advice. All of which are free and confidential and open to those who currently work or have previously worked in the electrical industry. Tess Ogle, managing director and CEO of the EIC, said: “We are extremely grateful to SELECT for their continued support. Thanks to their many ongoing events, and the generosity of their staff and members, we are able to continue our vital work, helping electrical workers and their families throughout the industry.” For more infomration please visit https://www.select.org.uk
SELECT prepares to mark another successful year
A year of successful campaigning on behalf of Scotland’s professional electricians will be marked at the 107th AGM (next month)(June 5, 2019) of SELECT, the trade body for the electrotechnical industry in the country. SELECT’s long-running campaign for Protection of Title for electricians has gained a high profile in the Scottish Parliament over the year and support has increased from all quarters, including from senior parliamentarians. 2018/19 has also been an outstanding year for SELECT’s industry-leading training programme which has seen record numbers of attendees at courses all over the country. The meeting, which is being held at the Grange Manor Hotel in Grangemouth, will see the appointment of Kevin Griffin as President of SELECT and Donald W Orr as Vice-President and will feature a Technical Update presented by Dave Forrester, Head of Technical Services. Dave’s technical update will focus on the new Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems in Dwellings regulations. An amendment to BS 5839-6 this year brings changes to standards for fire detection and fire alarm systems. In Scotland, further changes are coming due to the extension of the tolerable standard and updated guidance on the repairing standard that will see the introduction of enhanced fire safety requirements across Scotland’s housing stock. SELECT managing Director, Alan Wilson said: “2018/19 has been an eventful time for the organisation and I think it is fair to say that we have stepped up our efforts across a number of fronts, maintaining and improving the profile of companies and individuals within the industry. We are particularly pleased to have been able to cope with record demand on our training offering, especially for our BS 7671 (18th Edition) courses. We are also encouraged with the steady progress of our campaign for recognition of the profession of electrician which is gaining significant momentum and is attracting the attention of decision makers at the highest levels.” For more information please contact Alan Wilson, 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. Twitter: http://twitter.com/updates_select YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJVjt14CvIig8bIKwidVug
MSP Clare Adamson backs campaign to regulate electricians
Clare Adamson, Convener of Holyrood’s Cross Party Group on Accident Prevention and Safety has become the latest member of the Scottish Parliament to back the campaign to regulate electricians for Electrical Safety and supports SELECT, the electrotechnical trade association, for raising awareness by campaigning for recognition of Electricians as a Profession. Clare, who is the MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, has added her name to the Wall of Support, a striking graphic representation of the ever-growing numbers of organisations and individuals backing the campaign. Clare said: “I am very aware of the importance of Electrical Safety. Consumers deserve the assurance that when they engage the services of an electrician that the person is qualified and accredited to complete the work safely and to the highest industry standard. SELECT’s campaign to have the trade of Electrician recognised as a profession has shone a light on this issue and I support the progress being made in regulation of this industry to ensure that my constituents are protected and can have confidence going forward.” Ms Adamson’s endorsement of the campaign adds to widespread backing across the construction industry for the move which is also backed by the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and Unite the Union. The Wall of Support illustrates vividly the strength of feeling across a huge range of disciplines that being an electrician is a highly-skilled and professional occupation and that those who practise it must be suitably qualified. Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, said: “The Wall shows in a dramatic fashion the strength of feeling that exists within the construction sector about the issue of professional recognition. We would like to thank Clare for backing us in such a public manner. Our aim is that in future no one in Scotland should have to tolerate the anxiety and upset to which she and her family have been exposed.” Bodies which have contributed a brick in the Wall include: Electrical Safety First, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS); the Scottish Association of Landlords; the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ Group; the Association of Electrical Safety Managers; Energy Action Scotland; BAM Construction; the Scottish Building Federation; the Federation of Master Builders; and the Energy Saving Trust. For more information about Electrical Safety 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
SELECT welcomes Bill to Regulate Electricians
Introduction of a Member’s Bill aimed at regulating the profession of electricians has been welcomed by SELECT, Scotland’ electrotechnical trade association. Last week, Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston began the process by introducing a Member’s Bill to the Scottish Parliament as a first step towards the regulating the profession of electrician. Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, said: “This is a very welcome step and encourages us in our long-running campaign to make it illegal for anyone who is unqualified to call themselves an electrician in Scotland. Over 100 professions are currently protected in law, including gas engineers, but not electricians. Jamie Halcro Johnston is leading the way in highlighting the serious dangers that work carried out by unqualified electricians can create.” The issue of Protection of Title has been considered by a Working Group set up by Scottish Government but as yet no decision has been made about introducing protection for the profession. Alan added “We recently met Jamie to provide him with an update on the last Working Group meeting and we see the work he is doing on protection of title as part of a package of measures which will be necessary to protect the Scottish public”. Mr Halcro Johnston has met Scottish parliamentary officials to begin the process of introducing a Private Members’ Bill and he said: “The Scottish Government has dithered around the regulation of electricians. It has been discussed and discussed again, without any real commitments ever seeing the light of day. Electrical safety is vitally important. Every year, there are incidents of shocks and fires caused by electrical malfunctions. It is important that people carrying out electrical work are qualified and able to do so”. Mr Halcro Johnston’s move has had widespread backing across the construction industry for which is also backed by the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and Unite the Union. As part of its work in promoting this important issue, SELECT has created “A Wall of Support” which vividly illustrates the strength of feeling across a huge range of disciplines that being an electrician is a highly-skilled and professional occupation and that those who practise it must be suitably qualified. Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB said: “Support for the “Wall of Support” campaign is growing on a day by day basis and it shows in dramatic fashion the strength of feeling that exists about the issue of professional recognition. As well as a number of MSPs and Electrical Safety First, Surveyors, housebuilders, professional bodies and trade unions have all lined up behind SELECT’s stated position that Regulation of Electricians is an issue of public safety and that the profession should be protected by the full weight of the law. For more information 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.
SELECT welcomes Scottish Government consultation on cash retentions in construction contracts
SELECT, has welcomed moves by the Scottish Government to take action on one of the industry’s main problem areas – cash retentions. A public consultation on the use of retentions in construction contracts will take place in spring next year. This will be, in advance of any announcement on the matter in the Westminster parliament. The move follows long-term campaigning by SELECT and the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group, both of which have proposed placing all retentions into a trust-based deposit scheme. Jamie Hepburn, the Scottish Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, said in announcing the move: “Cash retention in construction industry contracts is common practice, including in the public sector. Its purpose is to ensure the contractor completes the job. However, it must be used proportionately and responsibly.” Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director of SELECT, said: “We wholeheartedly support action on this troubling issue and look forward to positive developments in the upcoming Holyrood consultation” Rudi Klein, chief executive of the SEC Group, said: “After many years, it seems that we are now making progress towards protecting cash retentions. It’s great to see the Scottish Governmenttaking the lead on this.” Many in the construction industry have expressed concern about the abuse of retentions in contracts. Prompt and fair payment has been a long-standing issue and these are undoubtedly barriers to investment, productivity improvement and growth. 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 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
SELECT ramps up number of EV charging points at its HQ
As the electric vehicle revolution gathers pace, SELECT, the trade body for the electrotechnical industry in Scotland, is leading by example by ramping up the installation of EV charging points at its headquarters. The campaigning organisation has added another four fast charge spaces at the Walled Garden on the Bush Estate, bringing the total number to six. It also plans more in the near future, including rapid points which can charge an electric vehicle in less than an hour. It means that the growing number of electrical contractors and suppliers who visit the SELECT office in their EV or hybrid vehicles will have the opportunity to charge them on site while they conduct their business. Dave Forrester, Head of Technical Services of SELECT, said: “New registrations of plug-in cars in the UK have increased from 3,500 in 2013 to more than 182,000 by the end of October 2018. It is a remarkable growth trajectory in a market which is only going to increase. “As ever, SELECT aims to stay ahead of the curve by enabling electric vehicle users to quickly and efficiently recharge, helping the drive towards zero emission motoring which will be of benefit across society.” SELECT has also completed a number of training courses in Electrical Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation, designed to keep members at the cutting edge of next generation technology. The new City & Guilds course was delivered in partnership with West College Scotland in Paisley and Moray Robertson, who runs Moray Robertson Electrical Services of Stirling, who attended one of the new courses, said: “The course was very informative about the regulations and earthing arrangements that are required for installations to be compliant.” The new course was offered through SELECT’s dedicated Training Department which was launched in September to promote and deliver training across the electrotechnical sector in Scotland. 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 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
SELECT welcomes BSI’s agreement on post-Brexit European standards
SELECT, the campaigning trade body for the electrotechnical industry in Scotland, has welcomed the approval last week (November 23) of a plan which secures full post-Brexit membership of the British Standards Institution (BSI) within European Standards Organisations (ESOs). The decision, taken separately by ESOs CEN and CENELEC, means the BSI, UK industry and other stakeholders will continue to have a central role in shaping and maintaining best practice standards across Europe. It also means that UK professionals will continue in leadership roles in committees and as policy experts engaged in maintaining and developing the 20,000 European standards that are managed by CEN and CENELEC. Dave Forrester, Head of Technical Services at SELECT, said: “This is the best possible outcome of what has been an uncertain situation. BSI Group has argued that its membership and influence in ESOs should not be affected by the UK leaving the EU and that is what it has achieved. “The approval displays a welcome pragmatism on both sides which will provide stability for the European standards system and reassure standards users in the UK that the system will continue to meet their needs.” The BSI position on post-withdrawal arrangements was supported by the UK government and confirmed by Business Secretary Greg Clark in the White Paper, the Withdrawal Act and “no deal” technical notices. The UK, through BSI, will continue to commit to the fundamental membership principles of CEN and CENELEC, meaning that all member countries of CEN and CENELEC have a consistent and coherent catalogue of national standards for industry, consumers and regulators. BSI, established in 1901, was the world’s first national standards body. It has 86,000 clients operating in 193 countries. It published 2700 standards in the past year alone and its Kitemark symbol is accepted as an indication of quality and that products are tried and tested. 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 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
SELECT president Kevin Griffin recognised at fire and safety ceremony
Kevin Griffin, SELECT’s president was this year’s recipient of The Ian Marsh Award, which recognises individuals who demonstrate enthusiasm and selfless concern for the fire and emergency systems industry. The award was made on behalf of the Fire and Security Association at the IFSEC’s ‘Security and Fire Excellence Awards’ held on November 21. Kevin’s long involvement in the crucial fire and safety side of the electrical profession was highlighted in front of nearly 1000 of the industry’s foremost practitioners at the prestigious event. Kevin runs Logic Systems Fire & Security in East Kilbride, a company which has specialised in providing life safety and security solutions from its Lanarkshire base for the past 25 years. It employs four people. Kevin has been chairman of the Lanarkshire branch of SELECT on a number of occasions and has been closely involved with the work of the Fire & Security Association, for a number of years. He said: “I am humbled and extremely gratified to receive this unexpected recognition, especially from fellow professionals who have also dedicated their efforts to keeping people safe in the workplace and at home. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do in the electrical sector and I would wish to share this award not only with the people in my own firm but also in SELECT, which continues to do invaluable work in this field.” Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, said: “This is a particularly well-deserved award to our President, who has been active in SELECT for many years and has diligently carried out a series of roles, including branch chairmanships. “His work in the realm of fire and security systems has always been of a great standard and to have it recognised at an event of this caliber is an honour indeed. The Security and Fire Excellence Awards, supported by IFSEC and FIREX, have consistently broken new ground in highlighting the very best people, projects and processes that the security and fire sectors have to offer. 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 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
Electricians’ campaign top of the agenda at Scottish Parliament debate
The long-running campaign by SELECT, the electrotechnical trade association, which is also backed by the Scottish Joint Industry Board (The SJIB) and Unite the Union, for recognition of Electricians as a Profession achieved a major milestone last week (Oct 25) when the issue was debated in the Scottish Parliament. In a wide-ranging discussion, MSPs from all parties debated the call for the privilege of calling a person an electrician to be limited only to those who are qualified in this highly-skilled profession. The Holyrood debate was opened by Jamie Halcro Johnston, Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for the Highlands and Islands, who has backed the campaign in the interests of public safety from its early stages. During the debate, Mr Halcro Johnston told parliament that he had been staggered to learn that the people who entered our homes and businesses to install and maintain our wiring, fuse boxes and appliances need have no qualifications at all and yet they can still call themselves electricians. Responding to the debate, Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, thanked MSPs for their contributions and said that discussions would continue with the aim of bringing a ministerial view to parliament in due course. Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, thanked the MSPs who initially signed the Motion and who took part in the debate. He said: “Protection of Title has been at the forefront of our work for a number of years and in fact our recent campaign was triggered following a speech by a Government Minister at a European Electrical contractors conference held in Edinburgh in 2015. We are very grateful to have received support from Unite the union, the SJIB other trade bodies and politicians from all parties. “It is a major issue. The overall cost of poor and potentially dangerous electrical work in Scotland is around £120 million a year. “Recognition of the vital role that qualified electricians play in all parts of Scottish society is long overdue. These are highly-trained, uniquely qualified professional people whose contribution to modern life is immense.” Mr Halcro Johnston pointed out that, while more than 100 regulated professions exist in the UK – including gas engineers and even door supervisors at clubs – there is no protection afforded to electricians. His motion asked Parliament to recognise that improperly-installed electrical work creates a significant risk of fire as well as other harm to householders and that the installation of electrical work by unqualified or part qualified individuals carries a major safety risk. 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 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
