Blog & News

Dangerous Electrical Appliances Still Widely Used In UK Households

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:11:01 GMT

Despite product recall notices being issued (more than 260 in recent years) it seems as though many dangerous electrical appliances are still in use.

This disturbing headline comes after news that half a million Bosch dishwashers are still in use that are at risk of catching fire – some of the fires have been serious incidents. The advice is to never leave the machine unattended and to use only in controlled circumstances. The issue is a problem with the soldering on the control panel and takes a Bosch expert an hour to fix. Only 1 in 4 of a batch of faulty Bosch dishwashers have been traced that were made over a 7 year period, leaving just under 479,000 unaccounted for.

It would seem that the current system of product recall notices is not working. In many cases the customer may have moved addresses meaning the manufacturer is now unable to trace their customers. More disturbing though is the results of a survey carried out by the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) which suggests that up to two million people in the UK have ignored a product recall notice.

This is a worry as dangerous products can ultimately cause electrocution and fire. Responding to a product recall is straightforward and potentially can be life saving. It is always worth having a dangerous electrical appliance repaired and it is carried out free of charge by the manufacturer.

There are 9000 electrical fires in homes across the UK every year. Each electrical fire has the potential to cause devastating consequences including serious injury and death and in many cases the householder has been completely unaware that the house fire was caused by a dangerous electrical appliance.

There is now a call to support the improvement of product registration and improve the traceability of electrical appliances should a fault develop. Many cards asking the buyer to register the product following purchase are simply never returned.

At Trade Skills 4 U, we fully support the introduction of a system that will effectively address this worrying issue and ultimately bring down the number of electrical fires that happen every year in the UK.

The Electrical Safety Council has set up a latest product recall notice on their website. If there are concerns over the safety of particular electrical products, this is a great place to check to see if the appliance is listed. They have also created a widget that allows us to publish the tool here:

How to use this tool

Enter the brand name or product number into the search box. Click on the one that best matches your product to find out more about the recall and how to return items. For more options click advanced search. When inputting product numbers, check carefully to ensure you are inputting the correct number or digit.

Electrical Safety Council [Click to visit www.esc.org.uk]

Latest product recalls An up-to-date list of electrical product recalls

Widget from Electrical Safety Council

Firstly unplug the electrical appliance and do not be tempted to use it. Return the product to where it was purchased from, or alternatively to your local Trading Standards Office.

Come See Us at the NAPIT Expo 6th June 2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:54:04 GMT

We will be exhibiting at the NAPIT Expo on the 6th June 2013 at the Copthorne Hotel, Effingham Gatwick. There a lots of reasons to attend such as bargain meter calibration, loads of useful Q&A sessions, free food and drink plus lots of offers and discounts on the day. To find out more read the press release below;

The NAPIT Expo will feature some familiar faces and more than a few new exhibitors. The innovative Q&A sessions that proved so popular last year will also make a welcome return, as will NAPIT’s discount meter calibration service, a bargain at just £30 + VAT. With exclusive on-the-day-discounts and great networking opportunities, this will be an industry event that’s not to be missed!

The packed list of exhibitors already set to attend includes: Aico, Amtech, Brother, Buy With Confidence, Eco Skies, Fluke, Grant UK, Kewtech, Martindale Electric, Megger, Metrel, NVC Lighting, Testo, Trustmark, and Wera Tools. This year’s EXPO will also give you the opportunity to find out firsthand why everyone’s been talking about the pioneering competent electricians register, ElectricSafe.

But it’s not just industry leading exhibitors that are set to make this year’s NAPIT EXPO bigger and better than ever before. Three unique Q&A sessions have also been confirmed. Promising to provide an insight into some of the most pressing issues affecting the industry today, each of these sessions will feature a short presentation before opening the topic to the floor for a fully interactive discussion.

‘Technically Speaking’ will turn confusion to clarity on some of the major technical questions affecting the electrical industry today and is sure to spark lively debate! Guest expert from the IET, Richard Townsend, will cover the latest version of the PAT Testing Code of Practice. NAPIT Technical Director Frank Bertie will consider vehicle charging points, regulation updates and changes to notifications. Trevor Milner from the NAPIT Technical Helpline will share some of the most interesting FAQ’s he encounters.

‘A Sustainable Future’ will see guest speaker Dr Lisa Clark from the University of Sheffield consider to the future of renewable energy, discuss different solar PV technologies and focus on the data collection methods and software tools developed at the Sheffield Solar Farm – a great source of information for budding solar installers. This Q&A session will also see NAPIT Director of Standards David Cowburn outline the latest MCS and Green Deal scheme updates.

‘Promoting Your Business’ will deliver specialist advice on how to stay ahead in the world of business. Featuring guest expert Laila Benifaida from Trading Standards’ ‘Buy with Confidence’, this Q&A session gives you the inside track with expert advice on consumer law, Trading Standards and working in a domestic setting. NAPIT’s political and consumer facing plans for the Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR) and the ElectricSafe Register, presented by NAPIT Chief Operating Officer Martin Bruno, will also feature.

With more details still to be announced, NAPIT EXPO 2013 is fast measuring up to be one of the most anticipated industry events of the year. To find out more and register for FREE entry, visit the NAPIT EXPO 2013 website at www.napitexpo.co.uk.

Review of the Megger Business in a Box

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:41:38 GMT

PAT testing is an increasingly lucrative service that can be offered in addition to electrical services or on its own entirely. It is a very is a popular option for those who are new to the electrical industry. Any business that uses electrical equipment needs to have a PAT test carried out on each item of electrical equipment to confirm that it is safe for use by employees. Such equipment would include computers, extension lead, kettles, microwaves and even radios that might be found in an office.

Some householders also choose to have PAT testing carried out although this is not compulsory, so the main market if you are thinking of becoming a PAT tester will be businesses. So having qualified as a PAT Tester, the world is now your oyster right?

Well of course, becoming a PAT Tester should have opened up your options somewhat, but if you are new to the electrical industry, one of the first challenges you will face is how to find business. This is where the Megger Business in a box comes in.

This ingenious product contains everything you need to start your own business as a PAT Tester and naturally, as this is Megger it includes the Tester! Available in two versions the PAT320 is the manual version and the PAT420 is the computerised version. Included with the tester is everything you need to diversify the direction of your business and boost your income. In a nutshell, this is your business, you have the freedom to run it well without the worry of where to gain customers from.

The business in a box comprises of a tough PAT tester that will give years of service – this will get your business off to a great start without the worry of inferior equipment. All the leads and adaptors needed to carry out PAT testing successfully are all supplied.

If you are buying the manual version, you will receive a duplicate test report book to enable results to be certified and a copy can then be issued to your customer. The computerised PAT business in a box comes with the renowned Megger Power suite Contractor PAT certification software which manages both your customers and assets including arranging appointments, diary management and billing, automatic testing, printing certificates and repairs estimates.

Each business in a box comes with a roll of 1000 pass labels which is a great start for your new business plus a guide to PAT testing containing clear step by step instructions on how to do it.

Whilst this is useful, it is important to remember that is only a guide. At Trade Skills 4 U we recommend taking a PAT Testing course even if you are an electrician already in order to gain a PAT testing qualification as well as to understand what it is about. This is an important step in gaining customer confidence.

It also includes a guide to identifying who your customers are going be and selling your PAT testing services to them. The guide includes:

At Trade Skills 4 U we feel the computerised version of the business in a box has the edge as this is going to produce the professional looking results that customers are looking for nowadays. The computer generated certificates look more professional that a hand written document. However the price tag of around £500 extra to purchase the computerised version has to be considered.

The great thing though about both versions is that everything is contained in the box to set up a successful PAT testing business. The only optional extras for both packs are a bar code reader and bar code printer.

So whether you are considering a move into the electrical industry or are thinking of offering PAT testing to compliment your services, the Megger Business in a box will get you off to a great start.

Electricians Classed As New Affluent Workers

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:01:38 GMT

It would appear that the UK is still dominated by class – and we don't mean schools on this occasion.

The culture of upper, middle and working class families may well conjure up images of Victorian life where the fascination of those belonging to a certain class according to their occupation or upbringing was rife.

According to a recent BBC survey of 160,000 people, it would appear that the class system is still very much around albeit in a very fragmented format. Upon looking at the results it would seem to us that the whole system is really rather pointless and serves more as a novelty value for those who are interested in hanging on to Britain’s colourful past.

For all the tradespeople out there who have long wondered what the perception of the trade is from a non-tradespersons point of view may be pleased to know that electricians and plumbers have been defined as 'new affluent workers' who make up 15% of the population. Yes new affluent workers are part of a handful of new classes that now make up Britain’s new class system!

So what has happened to the traditional upper, middle and working class? Well they're still around, although unsurprisingly the upper class has re-named itself as the 'elite' which makes up just 6% of the population. The traditional working class makes up 14% of the population, the average age of a person in the working class is 66 and are based in pre-industrial towns and although defined as the same class as before, it has been described as a throw back to a by gone era. The 'precariat' class, which is described as deprived has broken away from working class.

The middle class has been broken up into fragments which mainly describe the occupation and age of the people within it. Only a quarter of the population fits into the 'established middle class' which is made up of people within traditional occupations such as teachers, town planners and engineers.

In addition to the affluent middle class, there are various other fragments with equally interesting names.

* Emergent service sector – a group dominated by young graduates working in occupations such as HR and call centres. - 1 in 5 of the population work in occupations such as these.

* Technical middle class – made up of IT specialists and scientists described as well paid and highly skilled are also described as culturally disengaged and socially isolated, more likely to enjoy video games over opera.

There is such fragmentation of the middle class that there is constant blurring and of course its highly unlikely that anyone has really noticed they have been defined into one of these fragments.

Mind you, we at Trade Skills 4 U quite like the term new affluent workers, it sounds quite favourable especially as we've long since being dubbed as scruffy white van types!

Paul Wood "Jarrod Sammut & Matty Blythe The Ones to Watch"

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:52:40 GMT

Warrington Wolves will be at home for the first time in 4 weeks this Sunday. Looking ahead to this weekend's crunch clash against rivals Bradford Bulls Paul Wood has identified where he feels their strengths lie.

"They've been really impressive. I've watched them a few times on Sky this year. I think Francis Cummins has done a magnificent job there and it's good to see an English coach doing really well too. Especially with the troubles they had last year, I don't think people expected them to be in the position that they are in at the moment, sitting one point behind us. But credit to them they are playing really well as a team and are attacking really well so we need to be on the ball this week if we are going to put in a good performance against them.

"I think Jarrod Sammut has been a stand-out player for them; he'll try anything during a game you've got to really keep your eye on him. Then you've got Kearney at the back who's been playing really well - I think he's one of the leading try-scorers at the minute in Super League, he's scoring tries a lot. Matty Blythe when he's been playing for Bradford has been one of their performers - we've watched highlights and Matty's been involved in quite a lot of the plays, apparently he could be back playing against us this week so will be one to watch as well."

"It feels like forever since we played here last. Just looking out at the pitch it looks like it's done it some favours - it looks a lot firmer and a lot greener. Hopefully we'll have a nice sunny day, a firm pitch and a big crowd at the Halliwell Jones, and hopefully a good win."

Paul has been working really hard this season and took a well earned rest over the weekend where he watched the team play in the cup round from the sidelines. He was really impressed with the work the team put in and commented:

"It was a good performance. I was happy to see the two debutants, Glenn Riley and Danny Bridge, I thought they put in good performances and didn't look out of place whatsoever; they did really well. I thought we got a couple of issues right that we'd talked about through the week in terms of defending. Keighley attacked pretty well and threw a lot at us but we worked really hard in defence and got a few things sorted that we needed to which was pleasing but more importantly we got the win."

Moving forwards Warrignton Wolves are now looking to defend their Trophy and Paul believes his team have started the season well.

"It's good to know we are the holders of it but it takes a lot of hard work to maintain it. We have done it before so we will be working really hard to do it again but we are looking one week at a time that's when we tend to be successful - when we look one week at a time and we don't look too far into the future. We've got a big game coming up against Salford at the Halliwell Jones which should be good. They are only 25 minutes down the road so it's a bit of a local derby for us. They've been a bit of bogey team for us over the years, they've always managed to turn us over when we've been expected to beat them but we have put some big scores in against them too so it should be an interesting game."

"We've started reasonably well. I think the expectations of Warrington, at the moment, are pretty high so a lot of people probably don't think we've done that well, but we've started okay. It tends to be this time of year that team's start gelling and start putting performances together. Once you get past that Easter period the league starts ironing itself out and you know which teams are going to be there or there about. Performance wise we are looking to kick on from here now and build some momentum hopefully."

As always we will be watching with baited breath and supporting Paul on Sunday. We are proud to sponsor such an impressive player.

Smart Meters, What's Happening?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:46:02 GMT

Well, yesterday 23rd April 2013 rather than celebrate St Georges day as we like to do, I took one for the team and made my way to London to join the discussion at the Westminster Forum for Smart Meter rollout in Whitehall.

All the members of the power generation companies glitterati where in attendance. EDF. E.ON, British gas, BT, G4S, The DECC, Government Ministers, Lords, MP’s and many other interested parties including our humble selves. We were there to find out if the roll out of Smart meteres means work for our customers.

Is there an opportunity for our customers to get involved? Yes we think so; we intend to get involved in the training of installers, watch this space, we’ll keep you updated!

Answered - Should You Fit A Consumer Unit On It's Side?

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:52:41 GMT

This is the first in a weekly series of blog posts intended to pose a question and gather peoples responses before we reveal the correct answer. We want trainees, experienced sparks, domestic installers and anyone else for that matter to answer the question and contribute to the debate.

So our first scenario is this. You are installing a brand new consumer unit in a domestic property but soon realise that the consumer unit is too big to fit in the same space as the old one. It will fit if you turn it on its side (i.e. rotate it by 90 Degrees). So is this OK? Can you mount a consumer unit on it’s side?

So we have had this out there for a week and collected responses which came out as follows. Nearly 80% of people said no whilst just over 20% actually gave a detailed answer:

It is a little bit of a trick question. The answer is that you should check the manufacturers instructions. Some units can be fitted on their side and others can not. Of the 22% that answered "Other" all said this as the answer so those people can give themselves a pat on the back.

Why DIY Electrical Work Is Not A Good Idea

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:55:11 GMT

DIY electrical work seems to be hitting the headlines more often as more households continue to struggle in tough economic times.

Trade Skills 4U are highlighting the message that the temptation to carry out DIY electrical in your home is never worth the possible consequences that could arise. With our homes being our main security keeping our closest family safe, its unfortunate that many householders take chances on the safety of their home electrics.

Every year in the UK unsafe electrical work in the home is the cause of 12,500 house fires, 750 serious injuries and 10 deaths. Despite these frightening statistics, 60% of UK residents are still happy to carry out electrical DIY in their homes.

We're not talking about small jobs either. Much of the electrical work carried out is notifiable under the Part P building regulations and worryingly it seems one in 10 householders are still unaware of Part P even though there continues to be a huge drive to educate home owners on the importance of Part P Electrical works. It comes as no surprise to learn that three quarters of those doing DIY electrical work aren't aware that the work they are carrying out is subject to law under the Part P Building Regulations.

A report carried out by the NICEIC is urging householders to rethink their actions as much of this work is compromising the safety of themselves and their family. DIY work is neither tested for safety not certified which could cause problems in the future if the home is sold. This is in response to the report findings which reveals one in ten home owners have broken planning and building restrictions to carry out billions of pounds worth of home improvements. Two thirds of home owners cited in the report would rather carry out electrical work themselves than employ a qualified electrician.

So what electrical DIY work are householders doing? Over a quarter – 28% - would go so far as to install new garden lighting which carries the additional risk of being installed in damp and wet conditions. The installation of garden lighting should always be carried out by a qualified electrician. Over a third of respondents said they would rewire a socket, three in ten would fit a new light switch. The NICEIC recommends that if a householder is determined to carry out their own DIY electrical work then the work must be notified to the local authority building control department who can inspect the finished job.

Whatever method is used to install home electrics whether by using a qualified electrician or carrying out DIY work, a Part P certificate must be obtained.

If you do really want to re-wire your own home you can get qualified in electrical installation and then notify any major works to building control who will issue your customer a Part P certificate. Our Bronze Course package will bring you right up to speed with the skills in installation, testing, wiring regs and building regs.

The Future Belongs To The Few Of Us Willing to Get Our Hands Dirty

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:09:07 GMT

We have just had some new signs put up in the centre to brighten the place up a bit. The intention is also to help our students realise their potential and understand that they have the ability to really change their lives when they train with us. The idea behind the signs is simply a number of motivational quotes that we have found or come up with. The signs are quite large and as we walk around the centre we do now see a number of students pondering what they say.

We already boast excellent pass rates but we hope that with a bit of extra motivation we can push these up even further. My favourite of all these signs is this one:

It does seem at present that so many people opt to work in a service or office based profession. So often young people end up just chasing the big salary without considering the other benefits of working with their hands, in a trade that offers lots of freedom and job satisfaction.

In fact many of the most successful people I know are those who have got their hands dirty and really got stuck in to a trade. Self-builders and industry professionals alike seem to excel in life and having a trade under your belt often means you can make large profits from renovating your own home or an investment property. There also appears to be a great deal of job satisfaction in completing a project. This is often on top of earning a generous hourly rate for the work you do.

I like the saying above because it sums up how I see the working population at the moment. You have those who want to simply work behind a desk usually for someone else and those who want to get stuck in, don’t mind a bit of manual labour and realise the benefits of working in a skilled trade.

This is something that I think school leavers need to understand more. Most see University as the only way to build a successful career, however apprenticeships are starting to offer real competition to the University route and the more bright students that realise this the better. At the moment apprenticeships are almost seen as a fall back option if you don’t make it into Uni. Anyone thinking about their next step should seriously think about this saying and what it represents.

Are You Ready for Part P Changes on the 6th April?

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:53:09 GMT

Hopefully if you have been following our blog you will be fully aware of the changes that are taking place in the industry on the 6th April 2013 otherwise known as Saturday this week! Wow how time flies.

This has been a date in many electricians calendar for some time as on this date a number of changes will come into force that impact on 2 things:

So for those already out there working in the industry actually it means that there is a little bit less paperwork to do. From the 6th April 2013 kitchens are no longer classed as special locations. As such minor works in a kitchen no longer need to be notified to building control or your Part P scheme. This is great news for kitchen fitters and the like, however the new Part P regs do stipulate that anyone installing electrics needs to be competent to do so and any installation should comply with the latest 17th edition regulations whether it is notifiable or not. If unsafe work is found then legal action can be taken.

Also from the 6th there will be a register of third party electricians who are able to sign off the work of others. Currently this role is only fulfilled by building control, however soon they will have competition from private electricians who will be able to inspect and test third party installations. It looks as if this register of third party electricians is a little way off just now. The industry is yet to confirm exactly who will be able to register on this. Anyone who has completed a 2391, 2395 or Qualified Supervisor course are most likely to get onto the register but at present this “third party register” is still to be finalised.

Currently you must have passed your 17th edition in order to register on a competent persons scheme. You must also be able to pass the assessments, which means you should be able to re-wire a house, be competent in inspection and testing as well as have a good grasp of the Part P building regs. However officially from the 6th April you will need to have also passed a qualified supervisors course before you can register. At present it appears that until these courses are more widely available in the UK some scheme providers will still register you under the current requirements. We don’t know how long this will continue so if you are looking to register the advice is speak with a scheme provider first so you know for sure you will get onto the scheme. We highlighted recently that ELECSA have already said they expect to register people under the current requirements for the foreseeable future. However that is a little vague, it does suggest at least for the next few months you should be ok, but don’t hang about if you do want to get registered.