Pro Installer February 2018 - Issue 59 | Page 8

News
8 | FEBRUARY 2018

News

DO YOU KNOW WHAT’ S ON YOUR GLASS DELIVERY?

Over-reliance on the integrity of their supply chain, could mean that glass processors and installers are inadvertently supplying the wrong specification of glass or insulated units into the UK construction industry, according to Bohle.
The warning comes amid growing industry discussion and concern, particularly surrounding IGUs, that what is being specified by fabricators, installers and glass processors, is in fact, what is being delivered and installed.
“ What we would say is that we need to be measured about this”, said Dave Broxton, Bohle.“ I personally can’ t think of a single glass processor or IGU manufacturer who I have met in the entirety of my career, who would deliberately or knowingly supply out-of-spec product”, he continued.
“ Mistakes can and do, however, happen and when they do, it can be very difficult to distinguish the properties of one type of glass from another – particularly where a PVB interlayer or coating is being used.
“ In this case liability sits with the whole supply chain. This includes the threat of prosecution where products can be proven to have been supplied outside specification under Building Regulations – even if errors are genuine.”
Bohle provides a potential solution in the Glass Buddy and Glass Buddy Plus, which eliminate the risk of inaccurate supply of product by providing an instant analysis of glass properties ahead of manufacture or installation.
Capable of analysis of single pane through to laminated or insulated glass units, Glass Buddy uses laser technology to deliver an instant analysis of glass properties. This includes thickness, the structure of the pane, the
Low-E coating, PVB interlays and their position to the accuracy of 0.1mm.
Broxton added:“ There are two issues here. The most important one is the issue of public safety. Labelling errors are common, you may genuinely believe that you’ re supplying fire glass but if you’ re not there’ s no way of telling. The ramifications of this can be catastrophic.
“ The second, is the threat of prosecution and the damage to reputation and contractual relationships. Glass Buddy eliminates doubt and allows you to pick up those errors before they impact on your business – it’ s peace of mind for a‘ couple of hundred quid’.”
For more visit the Bohle website www. bohle-group. com email info @ bohle. ltd. uk or call the customer services team free on 0800 616151 for more information.
Alternatively watch the Glass Buddy on YouTube.
Read online at www. proinstaller. co. uk

Helping tradesmen get their businesses online

A partnership from Plentific & Web. com is helping trade professionals realise their full potential online.
Tradesmen signing up to Plentific or Web. com can enjoy features provided by both companies in a single offering. As well as lead generation and domain creation with Web. com, pros will also have access to Plentific’ s centralised and ever-evolving platform, allowing them to message customers, send quotes and collect payments in one secure location.
Plentific is dedicated to providing a marketplace that makes it simple for tradesmen to manage their work and find new leads. All jobs booked on Plentific are covered by the‘ Plentific Guarantee’, a unique policy that can cover a customer’ s project and give them much more confidence in hiring a tradesman.‘ Verified Pros’ can also offer two year insurance-backed protection for their jobs.
At the end of last year, Plentific also launched its Notting Hill Housing platform, which found its first pro in less than 45 minutes.
Notting Hill Housing partnered with Plentific to develop this property management solution. The self-serve platform is designed to cut down the amount of time spent organising maintenance and repairs, as well as admin tasks such as invoicing and sending payments.
More details can be found at Plentific. com.

BLAZING A TRAIL IN TRAINING

Epwin takes training and development seriously, a commitment reflected in the company being awarded the Training & Development Initiative of the Year at the G 17 Awards. Katie Leese, Programme Manager for Excellence as Standard at Epwin, said:“ We are proud to have won this
award, not least because it’ s an endorsement of our people development ethos.”
Another reflection of Epwin’ s commitment is the central role training and development plays in the company’ s membership programme, Excellence as Standard, which aims to drive and promote excellence at every level of member businesses.
The EAS Academy offers two routes to creating a skilled workforce: discounted NVQ training and apprenticeships. Both routes are managed by the award-winning The Vocational College( TVC), the largest provider of glass related qualifications in the UK.
Excellence as Standard has been praised for blazing a trail in the industry, particularly when it comes to training and development.
www. epwin. co. uk