News/Renewables news/Product news
Plugged in Bursary helps sparky women into industry NICEIC is helping to support three young women looking to forge careers as electricians. Working alongside Sheffield-based women’s group WEST (Women in Engineering Science and Technology), NICEIC is helping to fund Shauna Wigglesworth (pictured, left), Cariad Thomas-Cooke (pictured, right) and Geraldine Hughes as they seek to enter the industry. Together the two organisations created a bursary for the three students that will help fund their studies throughout the course. They will provide additional support to help the trio find work placements with local firms. The funding allowed 31-year-old Cariad to choose an alternative career path and she is now in the first year of her level 2 qualification. “Because of my age I don’t qualify for government funding,” she said. “This bursary means I can retrain. I was itching to do something that wasn’t stuck in an office and I really want to become an electrician because of the options it opens up for me.” NICEIC has long pushed for more women to enter the industry, and set up its Jobs for the Girls campaign four years
ago, when it discovered that fewer than one in every 1,000 electrical contractors was a woman. “The aim of this partnership is to open up the opportunities that exist within the industry to women of all ages,” said NICEIC CEO Emma Clancy. “Learning a trade means women can develop a skill that will be with them in life, allow them to work on their own or within a team, and, more importantly, give them flexible working hours to work around home or family commitments. “We look forward to following the progress of these three women and hope they go on to enjoy a successful career in the trade.”
FESTIVE MESSAGE FOR CONSUMERS NICEIC and ELECSA offered householders a range of tips on how to stay safe over the Christmas period. Research showed that 23 per cent of homeowners did not consider the impact additional lights would have on the electrical system in their home. The study, which surveyed 2,000 UK tenants and homeowners, found that 42 per cent of Brits paid more attention to aesthetics than safety when putting up Christmas lights, with one in five admitting they needed to compete with their friends and neighbours. The advice included taking steps to avoid overloading sockets, not leaving lights on for long periods of time and not attempting to rewire lights themselves. Consumers were also reminded of the need to ensure the electrics in their homes are regularly checked by a suitable, registered electrician. Faulty electrics in the home account for 20,000 house fires each year, causing upwards of 70 fatalities.
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CABLE CONFUSION WARNING The British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) has issued an industry-wide warning to cable buyers to check the harmonised codes on 6491B single core conduit wire, to ensure it conforms to the IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671. BASEC is aware of instances in the market where two different cables are both being marketed as 6491B, when they are very different. The two types are H07Z-types according to BS EN 50525-3-41 and H07Z1-types according to BS EN 50525-3-31. If these cables are confused and the wrong one installed it could lead to serious faults. This warning also extends to distributors and wholesalers to market them correctly, clearly showing their harmonised codes. Although both cable types are low smoke halogen free, there are two fundamental differences between them. H07Z has cross-linked insulation and a rated operating temperature of 90°C. H07Z1 has thermoplastic insulation (not cross-linked), and a lower rated operating temperature of 70°C. “Only the H07Z cable type to BS EN 50525-3-41 may be described by the UK cable code 6491B, as set out in the UK annex to the BS EN specification,” explains BASEC chief executive Dr Jeremy Hodge. “Although they have similar harmonized codes, they have different performance characteristics. “For example, if H07Z1 cable was installed in a circuit designed for 90°C operation, the insulation could melt and there could be dangerous faults causing short circuit, overheating, and possibly fire. Unfortunately, it could be quite an easy mistake to make if the cable is not correctly labelled and a contractor just asks for ‘6491B’. If cables cost less than expected alarm bells should ring,” he said. Contractors who may have used 6491B cable should review their installation records. If 70°C cables are identified in a 90°C circuit, it is recommended they are removed and replaced with 90°C cable type, or the circuits may need to be de-rated.
> The H07Z cable marking installers should look out for
Winter 2015-2016 Connections
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