Cover Story

MODE — THE ULTIMATE IN QUALITY, STYLISH AND FLEXIBLE WIRING ACCESSORIES

With a myriad of styles and finishes available for wiring accessories, Marie Parry, group marketing director, Scolmore Group, looks at what makes simple, white accessories the bread and butter for the electrical contractor.

The Mode range was conceived and developed as a high quality, flexible and modern solution for virtually any domestic wiring requirement The Mode range was conceived and developed as a high quality, flexible and modern solution for virtually any domestic wiring requirement, and Scolmore has continued to invest in this range since it was originally launched in 2006, with new products, enhanced testing and adherence to the strictest regulations.

Antimicrobial and antiviral credentials With an increasing emphasis on building cleanliness, Scolmore took a further step last year to ensure that the company’s wiring accessory products offer enhanced hygiene properties. The popular Mode, Mode Part M and Polar plates have now been independently tested and have shown to have anti-viral properties against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. After a contact period of four hours, all tested plates were shown to have a 99.9% kill off rate against enveloped viruses and a 92% kill off rate against non-enveloped viruses.

This new anti-viral testing is in addition to the anti-bacterial testing already carried out. Mode, Mode Part M and Polar are all manufactured using Urea Formaldehyde, which has similar inherent properties to antimicrobial additives that inhibit the growth of infectious diseases. When independently tested, all products achieved a 99.99% kill off rate across all four types of the strains of bacteria – MRSA, E-Coli, Salmonella and Klebsiella Pneumonia. Innovation highlights There have been many new products added to the collection since it was originally launched, including the addition of products in visually contrasting versions to meet with Part M regulations. 2016 saw the launch of the award-winning Mode Locating Plug Socket, which is designed to assist people with impaired vision or poor hand to eye coordination to insert a plug more easily into a socket. The contoured shape of the front plate guides the earth pin into position, and it is this plug guide which gives the product a greater focus on usability and means its use can be extended to situations where a socket isn’t easily accessible.

In 2018 a three-pin safety shutter socket, which exceeds the required safety standards, was launched. It features a safety shutter that cannot be operated using only one terminal – it requires correct insertion of all three pins of a standard UK plug.

Last year Scolmore expanded its USB wiring accessories range to include 13A two-gang socket outlets with integrated Type A and Type C USB charging ports. This was designed to meet growing demand and developments in the market for charging solutions. Originally available in the popular Click Mode range, these socket outlets are now available in all of the company’s wiring accessories ranges. By integrating both Type A and Type C on the same socket, the range has broader functionality and offers charging options for the widest possible range of devices that now use different sized ports.

Helping to fight infection Products from the Mode range have been specified and installed across a huge range of applications including hospitals, care homes, schools, hotels, offices, and leisure complexes. In a recent example, the Mode antimicrobial range was chosen to provide the solution for the newly expanded Same Day Emergency Care Unit at Conquest Hospital in St Leonards, which was opened last year.

Responsible for specifying the Mode products for the hospital unit was Mark Sellens, electrical project manager at electrical contracting firm, Booker & Best Ltd. He comments: “The Mode range really was an obvious choice on a number of levels that were important for this particular project. It is a great quality range and represents very good value, which is essential in helping to meet budget commitments, and it comes with a 20-year guarantee which is pretty unique in the industry. It also scored highly from an infection control point of view, with its antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Plus, its smooth profile means there is a reduced risk of germs being harboured.”

A ‘Grand’ solution A recent edition of Grand Designs featured a special build in rural Suffolk for a young family man, Toby Lee, who was living with a suppressed immune system and prone to infections, following a life-saving bone marrow transplant operation. The house was designed to incorporate features beneficial to Toby’s ongoing wellbeing and health and, with some 370 square metres of accommodation to contend with, a huge quantity of wiring accessories was needed for the electrical installation. After much research, Mode wiring accessories were personally chosen by Toby specifically for their antimicrobial benefits, and switches and sockets were installed throughout the six-bedroom house. He says: “As well as meeting those vital health requirements, they are very smooth, stylish looking products that look really good everywhere we had them installed.”

Scolmore, scolmore.com

Scolmore has continued to invest in the Mode range since it was originally launched in 2006

The Mode, Mode Part M and Polar plates have been independently tested and have shown to have anti-viral properties against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses