INDUSTRY NEWS
INDUSTRY NEWS
ELECTRICS AND THE ELDERLY : MAKE AN ELECTRIC CHECK PART OF YOUR ROUTINE THIS WINTER
NICEIC and ELECSA are urging householders to think electrics when they carry out their checks on the elderly this winter .
Proportionately , older people suffer more fatal and nonfatal injuries from electrically related house fires than the rest of the population .
People over 65 are particularly at risk because they often live in old or poor quality housing that contains faulty electrics or old appliances .
Yet research by NICEIC and ELECSA has revealed that although many people will be looking in on an elderly relative or neighbour this winter , the one thing that could be getting overlooked is a quick check on the state of the electrics .
‘ Some of the results we found were quite startling ,’ commented NICEIC and ELECSA ’ s technical development manager Darren Staniforth .
‘ While up to 50 per cent of people will be making regular calls on a relative or neighbour this winter , less than 20 per cent of those would think to take a quick check of the electrics to make sure everything is ok .
‘ With people over 65 statistically more likely to be involved in a fire caused by faulty electrics this is obviously concerning .
‘ During the colder months the elderly are more likely to be plugging in electrical appliances such as heaters or electric blankets , many of which could be old and potentially dangerous .
‘ They could also be plugging these appliances into an electric supply around the home that might not have been checked in decades or perhaps never at all . We want to encourage those looking out for an older relative or neighbour to have a quick check of the home and make sure there is nothing there that could potentially lead to something awful occurring .’
EDA ’ S FIRST SURVEY PROVIDES LAUNCHPAD FOR ACTION
The Electrical Distributors ’ Association ( EDA ) has published the results of its inaugural survey into the issues and opportunities facing its electrical wholesaler and manufacturer members .
The survey – ‘ What keeps you awake at night ?’ – explores broad themes , including technology and online sales , supplyside and sales-side issues , employee training and how to attract a pipeline of new talent to the sector , and the key features of supply-chain relationships .
Margaret Fitzsimons , the EDA ’ s director , said , ‘ The EDA ’ s strategy must align with the needs of our members – both wholesalers and manufacturers – and our survey takes the temperature of the sector , giving us a solid launchpad for further discussions and , most importantly , for action .’
The survey findings represent the views of managers , including senior managers , from over 250 wholesaler and manufacturer organisations .
An easy-to-digest summary of the survey is available as a pull-out in the October 2016 issue of Taking Stock , the quarterly newsletter of the EDA distributed within Electrical Wholesaler magazine , and available online via the EDA ’ s website www . eda . org . uk
SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO PAST PRESIDENT DOUGLAS GEDDES AT SELECT AWARDS CEREMONY
SELECT paid a touching tribute to a distinguished past president of the organisation at an awards ceremony in Glasgow recently .
On an evening in which the Electrical Contractor of the Year was named as the CableCom Group , SELECT remembered the late Douglas Geddes , who died in March this Year .
The accolade reflected the substantial influence which Douglas had on the electrical sector over a career spanning many years and , in particular , the special contribution he made to the SELECT awards . The award , a delicate rose bowl , was collected by his partner Sheena . Newell McGuiness , SELECT managing director , who presented the rose bowl to Sheena , said , ‘ Dougie served SELECT as president from 2007 to 2009 . As with every aspect of his career , he gave the post his all and made a significant contribution to the organisation .
‘ We were all deeply affected by his loss earlier in the year and we are pleased to be able to demonstrate to Sheena and her children tonight just how important Dougie was to us all .’
The presentation was made as part of the 2016 SELECT awards which was held at the Radisson Blu in the centre of Glasgow .
ECA BACKS NEW PARLIAMENTARY ENERGY STORAGE REPORT
Following a new report on future energy provision by the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change ( ECC ) Committee , the Electrical Contractors ’ Association ( ECA ) has voiced its full support for the report ’ s recommendation to boost the UK ’ s energy storage capacity and demand side response .
Entitled ‘ the energy revolution and future challenges for UK energy and climate change policy ’, the report makes a series of recommendations , including the need for the government to :
• redesign the energy Capacity Market – the subsidy scheme designed to minimise the risk of blackouts – to incentivise innovative energy storage and demand side response ( DSR ) technologies ;
• move quickly to address other regulatory barriers faced by energy storage ; and
• set out a high level public commitment to making the UK a world leader in storage , with a storage procurement target for 2020 . ( The last two energy capacity market auctions failed to deliver any energy storage .)
ECA director of business services Paul Reeve said , ‘ We have now reached the stage where the UK energy challenge is far less about how to produce “ low to no carbon ” electrical energy , and much more about how to distribute , store and use it .
‘ This authoritative report is aimed squarely at meeting these new challenges – and opportunities – and we greatly welcome the Committee ’ s recommendations .’
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