Electrical & Mechanical Contractor - official magazine of the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) and the voice of building services contracting.

15 December 2005

	April 2003

	Centre of culture Liverpool University has seen a growth in the life sciences department, with the introduction of a new biosciences centre.

	Something borrowed Are you a small firm struggling to get finances for new proposals? Adam Bernstein outlines a potential answer to your problems.

	Industry orders up New construction orders rose by 20% in the three months to January 2003 compared to the previous three month period, according to figures released by the DTI. However, this apparently healthy figure masks falls in three of the five major sectors canvassed.

	New training facility in Birmingham Birmingham Electrical Training (BET) has opened the first AM2 Skill Test Centre in Birmingham, providing electrotechnical students in the West Midlands with a fast track to their AM2 qualification.

	Bright sparks Bright sparks: Hills Electrical & Mechanical has installed a Luxmate lighting management system in the Mansfield Cooper lecture theatre at Manchester University. The system was specified by the university’s engineering department as part of the lecture theatre’s refurbishment. Up to 20 different light scenes can be set using the system’s LM-CPA touch panel control. As well as controlling the lighting, it can be interfaced with blinds, windows and audio-visual technology.

	Savings on call Cost savings have been achieved at Midland's Project Telecom by using a lighting management system.

	Sporting performance for energy A Hager bus-based control system allows lighting levels in the Melbourne Park Athletics Centre in Chelmsford to be matched to individual sports, enabling energy and running cost reductions.

	Hot in the city Hot in the city: A new City Learning Centre has been completed at Preston Manor High School, Wembley, Middlesex as part of the Government’s Excellence in Cities programme. The Preston Manor facility provides primary and secondary school pupils with specialist learning facilities including information communications technology. Cirus, the general contracting arm of HLS Group completed the £800 000 construction and all m&e works on the single-storey building on a 26-week programme.

	C4 up and running Not a word of the Channel Four commentary from future Cheltenham Gold Cups will be missed thanks to a new electrical system at the racecourse.

	Get the Abbey habit Get the Abbey habit: Moeller Electric and m&e contractor Skanska Rashleigh Weatherfoil have completed the installation of a total power distribution solution in Abbey National’s new London head office. The client required a power supply and distribution system that would continue to perform even during maintenance. The £1.7 million project included the supply of six Modan 6000 switchboards and around 1300 m of interconnecting busbar trunking. The Modan units are flexible, modular and can be integrated with the busbar and a range of building management systems. Designed for the petrochemical industry, they meet stringent safety requirements.

	Direct from the top What should your company directors be doing to ensure the health and safety of employees? Paul Reeve explains.

	Changing colours Gordon McKinnon examines the changes that will bring the UK's low voltage cables in line with the rest of Europe.

	BBC programme exposes cowboy electricians Shoddy work, dangerous practices and overcharging in the electrical industry are uncovered in startling style on the BBC undercover series Rogue Traders.

	Call to reduce red tape The ECA survey of clients’ health and safety paperwork, designed to achieve clear and relevant documentation throughout the sector, is due for completion. If members have not filled in the form they should do so now and return it to the ECA before 11 April.

	Hole-in-one The EMC Golf Challenge 2003 in France, sponsored and supported by the ECA and Hager, was held on the courses of Val Andre and Des Ormes, near St Malo, Brittany on 20 February.

	Keith Marshall Keith Marshall has been appointed as chief executive of SummitSkills. Marshall says: “There will be challenges in bringing together the groups that SummitSkills includes, but the prize for success is enormous. “With support from employers and other stakeholders I am confident we will achieve our objective to become the recognised champion of training and development for all the industries within our sector.”

	Presidential VIEW By law a company must have employers' liability insurance. Yet a number of factors, not least the significant increase in premiums, is making the issue of insurance increasingly difficult for contractors. The ECA is calling upon government to examine ways to improve the situation. In particular, the ECA recommends: a reduction of unnecessary legal activity during the compensation process; a nationally-recognised system for rewarding companies that have improved health and safety with lower premiums; enough time to compare insurance quotes; the establishment of a workable tariff of compensation for industrial diseases.

	Employment law changes On 6 April a number of important changes to employment law will be implemented. Bills designed to assist parents and people looking to start families will make provision for flexible working hours, paternity leave and adoption leave, and provide increases in maternity leave time and payments. Current minimum redundancy payments and compensation limits will also be increased. From 6 April operatives with children under the age of six or disabled children under 18 will have the right to apply for flexible working hours. While a new right to paternity leave will qualify new fathers for up to two weeks of paid leave. The standard rate of paternity pay is £100 per week, in line with maternity pay.

	The winners of the London Training Forum Apprentice Awards The winners of the London Training Forum Apprentice Awards have been announced. Level One winner was Daniel Bitmead who works for the London Borough of Hammersmith. The Level Two award went to Adam Cohen of Metricab Power Engineering; and the Level Three winner was Christopher Richards of T Clarke (pictured receiving his award from ECA president David Dennison). A special award went to Nicholas Muwonge of Hounslow Homes, for his effort and achievement, as he only moved to the UK from Africa three years ago.

	BSBP part of Excellence Building Services Best Practice (BSBP) will operate in 2003-4 as an integral part of Constructing Excellence, which was created by the amalgamation of Construction Best Practice (CBP) and Rethinking Construction. The five BSBP partner organisations – BSRIA, ECA, CIBSE, FETA and HVCA – will continue to be fully involved in its running.

	KYE fined for electrical safety lapse KYE of Lowestoft has been fined £3000 by Lowestoft Magistrates Court following an incident in which the company’s site electrician sustained serious thermal burns.

	Halo effect Halo effect: Blue halos at Greenside Place in Edinburgh use Prodigy and Chamelneon cold cathode lighting from Oldham Lighting. The lighting design for Greenside Place, which is situated within a World Heritage site, was by Arup Lighting. Designers devised the lighting scheme to transform columns into decorative features or ‘light trees’. These incorporate hidden cold cathode lighting that changes colour with the time of day. Forth Electrical Services acted as electrical contractor on the project.

	Alliance lets others in The inaugural conference of Taylor Woodrow's strategic alliance partnership saw members demonstrating the financial benefits of working together.

	Counterfeits a danger Speaking at the Electrical Distributors Association's (EDA) annual dinner on 13 March, Lawson stated: "Counterfeiting is a serious and growing problem and is a major problem in the overseas market.

	HVCA starts assessment From 1 April, all applicants for HVCA membership will have to pass the Association’s new independent inspection and assessment regime.

	Sound proposition Sound proposition: AET’s Flexible Space System, featuring Hiross underfloor air conditioning, has been installed in Fleet House, London by m&e contractor Lowbeck. The Clerkenwell Road site is the London hq of digital audio broadcaster Music Choice. The system overcame low ceiling heights and a major office reconfiguration to provide a comfortable and flexible environment. A total of 12 conditioned air modules and 79 fan-assisted terminal units have been installed.

	White Paper pushes energy efficiency and renewables The Government championed a further push for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in its long-awaited Energy White Paper.

	Hospital health Building services engineers are seeking answers in the battle against deadly secondary infections in hospitals. Ewen Rose reports on new guidance.

	Dream finances? Regarding Michael Wiltshire's recent letter ('Money for nothing', EMC, March, p5), the way he describes the news item he is quite right to rant and rave. Unfortunately, he is not correct. If he had managed to wait until the end of the presentation he would have heard that electricians were to earn over £60 000 pa at Heathrow T5.

	Waste management Three market leaders from the logistics, waste and recycling industries, Endeva, Biffa and EMR, have joined forces to develop a national scheme for redundant electrical appliances. Transform should help contractors comply with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. This European-led Directive comes into UK law in 2004 and will place new environmental burdens on manufacturers, retailers and contractors.

	Stopping the rot Specifying a high quality paint finish on sheet-steel enclosures for use outdoors or in other demanding environment may not be enough to prevent costly damage from rust and other forms of corrosion. It's quite usual for users to buy well-finished enclosures and then cut holes in them to mount instruments and switches. What they often forget is that the edges of these holes are no longer protected by the paint finish. It is such exposed edges that give corrosion a toehold. After a surprisingly short time this corrosion can spread, seriously damaging the integrity of the enclosure.

	Getting into the zone With the help of lighting, Home Zones become streets where cars, pedestrians, cyclists and children co-exist in safety.

	Quality time There are important changes in the latest quality assurance standard. Chris Ottaway reports on the underlying principles.

	Light show Who scooped the top prizes at the 2003 Lighting Design Awards?

	Extract danger Kitchen extract ventilation systems are concealing potential fire hazards in dangerous proportions. EMC explains the need to reduce grease build-up.

	To 2010 and beyond How should the m&e sector meet the challenges of the future? Karen Fletcher reports from Think 2010.

	When the price is light Need to put some va-va-voom in your latest retail lighting project? Then put down that faux industrial fitting and try something less boring instead. Mark Faithfull gives some of his top tips.

	Record results but market trouble ahead T Clarke announces record results in 2002 but warns that buoyant markets will not last with evidence of order deferral and cancellation.

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