Industry News

MATERIALS SHORTAGE – COMPANIES WARNED TO PLAN AHEAD

Increasingly long lead times for many products has prompted ECA and Select to alert their members to the extended delays and urge them to plan ahead and order early.

The warning comes hot on the heels of a recent warning by BEAMA that demand was likely to outstrip supply for many months to come. The manufacturer’s trade association said a dramatic reduction in global steel production in the early days of the pandemic had led to severe shortages.

It added that, since mid-2020, the call for the types of steel used in cable management products, along with other applications, has increased as businesses attempt to meet a growth in demand and complete unfinished projects.

Alan Wilson, Managing Director of Select, says: “Shortage of materials is an issue that will affect all contractors, so it’s vital for everyone to plan ahead and take proactive measures now.” Select, select.org.uk

CEF LAUNCHES LATEST TRADE CATALOGUE WITH OVER £58,000 WORTH OF PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

CEF has launched the latest edition of its trade catalogue with a brand new ‘Buy to Win’ competition, offering customers the chance to win over £58,000 worth of prizes.

The new catalogue is packed with almost 30,000 essential electrical products, all at everyday value prices and features 900 new products together with new ranges from top brands.

Within the 1,700 product packed pages, this edition also features a brand new ‘Get Set for Summer’ supplement, showcasing electrical essentials for the summer season.

Customers can also win an amazing trip to Dallas for two plus £10,000 worth of tools in the all new ‘Buy to Win’ competition. Two lucky runners up will also each win £10,000 worth of Super Rod and Klein tools – with hundreds of other daily, weekly and monthly prizes up for grabs.

The new ‘Buy to Win’ competition runs through to 31 August. Full details including how to enter and the prizes available can be found in the new catalogue or at cef.co.uk/buytowin. CEF, cef.co.uk

ECA AWARDS NOW OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS

The ECA Industry Awards 2021 are now open to entries. These prestigious awards recognise the key achievements of the highest talent in electrotechnical and engineering services, providing a great opportunity for contractors and wider industry associates to showcase their exceptional work.

This year’s awards will also combine Member projects and activities from 2019 and 2020 and the full list of award categories is as follows: • Large Contractor of the Year – over £30m Turnover, sponsored by

Schneider Electric • Contractor of the Year – £15m to £30m Turnover, sponsored by Eaton • Contractor of the Year – £5m to £15m Turnover, sponsored by ABB • Contractor of the Year – £1m to £5m Turnover, sponsored by the JIB • Contractor of the Year – under £1m Turnover, sponsored by

Edmundson Electrical • Excellence in Training & Development – over £15m Turnover, sponsored by JTL • Excellence in Training & Development – up to £15m Turnover, sponsored by

Ideal Industries • Best Health & Safety Initiative, sponsored by Electrical Safety First • Best Fire & Security Project, sponsored by NSI • Best Client/Partnership, sponsored by Markel • Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sponsored by CHAS

In addition, the FSA will be presenting its two annual awards for contribution to the fire and security industries during this event.

Entries for this year’s ECA Annual Awards close on Friday 23 July 2021 and are open to all ECA Registered Members. ECA, eca.co.uk

GOALKEEPER BUYS IN TO NEW BUILDER APP AFTER HOME RENOVATION

West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper, Sam Johnstone, has become a shareholder in a new app aimed at putting an end to payment disputes between tradespeople and their customers.

Sam was one of the first users of the app, having been asked to beta-test it during the full refurbishment and extension of his family home in Altrincham. He was so impressed by the experience he has now become a shareholder in the company, which is aiming to transform relationships between trades and customers.

Launched in April 2021 by a Lancashire-based tech start-up, the Kiistone app allows tradespeople and customers to agree job specifications and budgets ahead of work commencing. Payment is then taken and held independently, by the largest Escrow provider in Europe.

Monies are then diverted to the tradesperson in stages, based on the successful completion of the works specified in agreement with the customer, thus providing greater control and accountability to both parties.

As well as the Escrow solution, the app provides further functions to help tradespeople manage their projects, diary, cashflow, admin and communication. It also links to the Kiistone Community website, providing industry news, guidance and support for trade businesses and homeowners.

Kiistone, kiistone.co.uk

454 HARD HATS REPRESENT THE NUMBER OF UK CONSTRUCTION SUICIDES EACH YEAR

A total of 454 hard hats have been laid out at a building college to represent the number of construction workers who die from suicide each year, as new research finds that almost half (49%) of UK tradespeople experience mental health problems due to work.

The exhibition was organised by IronmongeryDirect as part of its wider campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues amongst the UK trades.

The vast collection of hard hats was displayed at the Leeds College of Building to visualise the scale of the suicide problem within the construction industry. Shockingly, male builders are three times more likely to take their own lives than the average UK man, with almost nine tragedies a week.

Mental health problems are unfortunately common amongst tradespeople. Nearly three in five (58%) deal with some form of issue, such as stress, anxiety or depression, at least once a week, resulting in over a quarter (28%) taking medication. Finances are the biggest cause of stress (38%), but tensions with customers (31%) and suppliers (29%), as well as high workloads (26%), also add to the strain. Sadly, more than one in four (29%) tradespeople say they do not feel comfortable talking to anyone about their mental health.

As part of its campaign, IronmongeryDirect has partnered with the mental health charity, Mind, and donated £5,000 to support its crucial services.

Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, says: “Unfortunately, mental health problems are common in the construction industry, but lots of people don’t feel able to talk about their feelings. This stigma needs to be addressed if the awful suicide statistics are to be lowered, so hopefully by raising awareness of the issue, things can start to gradually improve.” IronmongeryDirect, ironmongerydirect.co.uk

83% OF BRITS ARE REDECORATING THEIR HOMES READY TO IMPRESS GUESTS

With Brits now able to welcome people into their homes and gardens, new research from Checkatrade has found that a huge 83% of Brits are planning a home refresh over the next 12 months.

The top renovations UK homeowners are planning to make in the future are:

• Redecoration of living room/bedroom/bathroom – 30% • Garden revamp – 23% • Replacing flooring – 22% • A new kitchen – 19% • Replacing windows – 15% • New external doors – 13% • Building a shed – 10% • Knocking walls through/building walls – 8% • Installing a conservatory – 7% • Creating a home office – 6%

The new study also reveals that eco upgrades are on the agenda, with one fifth (19%) of Brits keen to make environmentally friendly improvements like installing insulation or solar panels.

Meanwhile, when it comes to home inspiration, most homeowners are influenced by TV shows (21%) and magazines (19%), while social media was also cited by many as a source of inspiration, including Pinterest (12%), Instagram (11%), and Facebook (9%).

Checkatrade, checkatrade.com

CREATING INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES WITH EIC

The Electrical Industries Charity’s latest campaign is focussing on ‘its OK to be you’. Within the construction industry, 71% of LGBTQ+ workers felt they had to hide their sexuality on site and 51% felt their sexuality prohibited them from career progression.

Tom, a generation and renewables employee, had to hide his sexuality when he joined a new project. Tom’s workplace was an enjoyable environment and him and his partner often attended work functions together. After three years Tom accepted a new role in a different plant. Tom brought his partner with him to work drinks and he began to receive derogatory comments. Tom asked colleagues to stop but unfortunately, the prejudice continued. Tom spoke to his line manager, but he labelled the discrimination ‘workplace banter’. Tom then contacted the Electrical Industries Charity.

The Charity encouraged Tom to speak to his line manager again. Tom’s charity caseworker also advised him to speak to the HR department. Tom spoke to his line manager again and he was extremely apologetic. Tom’s charity caseworker was contacted by Tom’s manager and together they ensured Tom was well supported. The Electrical Industries Charity recommended welfare and diversity training for staff and encouraged the plant to hold wellbeing sessions. The plant also appointed a wellbeing champion.

The Electrical Industries Charity supported Tom so he could always be who he is, no matter where he is. The Electrical Industries Charity can support you with free and confidential advice. Contact the welfare team on support@electricalcharity.org or 0800 652 1618.

MOVERS & SHAKERS…

Chris Mottram has joined Niglon as the company’s new Product Manager and will have oversight of new products introduced, as well as existing ranges. He started his career with Tenby Electrical – which was later acquired by Legrand –mixing hands-on experience in the design office with qualifications attained at college. Before joining Niglon, Chris had spent 10 years as a Product Development Manager of Wiring Devices for Scolmore International and was responsible for the design and development of new and existing products.

The Lighting Industry Association (LIA) has welcomed Matt Sturgess to the position of CEO. He took up his position in April, replacing interim CEO, Paul Crisp. Matt started out professional life as an electronics graduate engineer, sponsored by a Thorn EMI business. Early on, he moved into sales and progressed into senior roles in different industries, with a passion for personal learning and development. More recently he has worked within the lighting industry, having operated as the Commercial Director of Sylvania Lighting and also held the position of Managing Director at Simmonsigns.

Centiel UK has expanded its hardware sales team with the addition of Graham Murray as sales engineer. Graham will be responsible for external hardware sales, specialising in UPS system replacements. Before joining Centiel, Graham was a sales engineer at Kohler Uninterruptible Power UK for more than four years and prior to that, he worked at UPS Systems plc for several years as a Technical Sales Account Manager.