Your BESA Issue 21

YOUR

Issue 21

National Conference 2021 preview Celebrating 25 years of REFCOM Elite www.theBESA.com

Also in this issue BESA takes up WHO challenge P12 20 years and counting for SKILLcard P18 Industry welcomes free training service P19 Celebrating one year of BESA Academy P20

@BESAGroup

BESA Group

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BESA chief executive David Frise

Welcome

YOUR BESA - ISSUE 21 In this issue:

David Frise

BESA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021

P04

REFCOM

P08

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

P12

Skillcard anniversary

P18

BESA ACADEMY TRAINING DIRECTORY

P22

BESA AFFILIATES

P26

BESA JOBS BOARD

P35

We’ve seen it all before The current state of UK economic upheaval might seem unprecedented, but those of you old enough to remember the 1970s might be feeling a sense of déjà vu.

Soaring gas and electricity prices and queues at petrol stations were also common sights during the energy crisis that sparked social unrest and a surge in unemployment nearly 50 years ago.

The Conservative government of the day were panicked into super heating the economy, which led to high inflation. Current leadership please take note.

However, the background to today’s supply problems is a bit different.

Our economy is only just getting back towards pre-pandemic levels from the biggest economic shock in 300 years. A surge in demand for goods and services worldwide will see global growth of close to 6%, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

This is ‘Keystone Cops’ territory with everything happening at breakneck speed leaving companies and organisations scrambling to keep up. For reference, the last time we hit that kind of level was 1973.

We know from talking to members that you are experiencing rapid growth, rising demand and serious pressure on prices and delivery. According to the market analysts Turner & Townsend, construction tender prices are expected to rise by up to 10% in the final quarter of this year.

This is a huge revision as it previously predicted increases of just 1.5%, but its new figures reflect a 20% rise in material prices year-on-year and more than 14% higher labour costs. It said firms were now “more stretched than at any point in the previous five years” with contractors’ order books up by 29% since the first quarter of 2021.

Unless you are able to buy large amounts of materials in advance – and few have that luxury – it is very hard to insulate your business from market volatility on this scale. As a result, supply chains all over the country are creaking under the strain. The work is there, but it is getting harder to complete it.

However, most economists are trying to strike a cheery note. This is a blip – albeit a rather shocking one – but the crisis will pass, and the recovery will move at a calmer pace next year.

And anyone who has been in our industry for any length of time will know these cycles do have a habit of

evening themselves out. These are unprecedented times, but they do follow a familiar pattern.

In this issue of Your BESA, we reflect on the many issues that are contributing to our fast moving market, but we are also celebrating a couple of key anniversaries that remind us of our ability to roll with the punches over the years.

On page 8, we congratulate REFCOM Elite on reaching its 25th anniversary in rude health and still upholding the highest standards of refrigerant safety and best practice; and SKILLcard, which has arrived at its 20th birthday with more than 60,000 users is celebrated on page 18.

So, yes, everything changes, but we always seem to find a way to adapt and keep moving forward and your BESA community is always here offering friendly advice and a shoulder to cry on! n Your BESA Magazine is produced and managed

by Open Box Media and Communications Ltd. • Tel: +44 (0)121 200 7820 • www.ob-mc.co.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information given, the publisher - the BESA Group; or Open Box Media and Communications Ltd - the production managers; cannot accept liability for loss or damage arising from the information supplied.

The inclusion of adverts and information herein does not in any way imply or include endorsement or the approval of, or from, the BESA Group.

Open Box Media & Communications are proud to be corporate sponsors of Heart Research UK (Midlands)

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BESA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021

TV star says building engineering is in a ‘fascinating place’ comfortable indoor spaces. The pandemic has thrust this industry into the public eye as people have become much more conscious of the role buildings play in their health and well-being.

Architect and TV personality George Clarke will deliver a keynote address

“I am really looking forward to sharing my thoughts and ideas with BESA, its members and the conference delegates,” he added. “I am also hoping to gain greater insight myself into some of the exciting technologies and new working practices that will transform building engineering in the coming years as we all take on the massive net zero challenge.”

Focus

Architect and TV personality George Clarke and the leading government ventilation adviser Cath Noakes will both deliver keynote addresses at this year’s BESA National Conference.

The two-day event, which is sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric, takes place online on November 3 and 4 and is structured around an overall theme of ‘Building Back Better, Safer, Greener’.

It will have a strong focus on the detailed technical elements of rebuilding from the pandemic, delivering the requirements of new building safety legislation, modernising the sector’s workforce, and pushing on towards a net zero emissions future.

Clarke is best known for Channel 4 programmes The Home Show, The Restoration Man and George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. After opening the Conference, he will discuss a range of industry topics in conversation with BESA chief executive David Frise.

“The building engineering sector is in a fascinating place right now,” said Clarke. “There is huge demand for specialist services that can deliver healthier, safer and more

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BESA Group Companies:

Last year’s conference had 1,200 registered delegates and BESA is returning to a similar format, but with an even stronger technical focus. It will reflect on the steep learning curve experienced by building engineering contractors during 2020 as they answered the call from essential services like hospitals, schools, and supermarkets for critical building services support.

Professor Noakes will kickstart Day Two of the conference with a keynote address on the growing role being played by ventilation and the increased awareness of its importance to the health and wellbeing of building occupants.

She is Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings at the University of Leeds and a member of SAGE, the body that advises the UK Government on scientific emergencies. She has been providing expert guidance on ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ) to ministers throughout the pandemic.

3-4th November 2021

Building Back Better, Safer, Greener Anna Leech, deputy chief economist at the CBI, will update delegates on the ‘new normal economy’ and the implications for construction and engineering.

Professor Cath Noakes

“Over the years, we have neglected the role that the air circulating inside a building plays in the way germs and viruses may spread between people. The pandemic has exposed that deficiency in our understanding and the way we seek to make buildings safer to use,” she said.

“We need to introduce new mechanisms that keep pathogen levels in the air flow in buildings and other enclosed spaces to a minimum. That approach can be achieved with technology backedup with a requirement to meet new standards.”

Her keynote will set the scene for wider discussions led by BESA’s Health & Well-being in Buildings (H&WB) group on the role of IAQ particularly in light of new guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The conference will hear about the challenges facing the building engineering sector in translating scientific findings into practical and affordable ventilation and filtration solutions.

Among a growing list of other prominent speakers is former chief construction adviser Paul Morrell OBE who will be looking back on the 10 years since the government mandated the use of BIM debating whether the industry rose to the challenge and where it goes from here.

CIBSE president-elect Kevin Mitchell will also chair a session setting the scene for this year’s COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. He will discuss with a panel of young engineers how we can hold our politicians to account and set out a series of long-term challenges for the building services industry.

The importance of building safety in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy will be highlighted in a session led by Tim Galloway, the HSE’s deputy director Building Safety Programme. He will explain how the new regulatory regime can help to transform building safety culture and examine the crucial role of competence and compliance.

Fergus Harradence, deputy director Infrastructure & Construction at the department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will explain how the government’s Construction Playbook is raising standards in public sector projects.

He will outline how it is transforming procurement and what building engineering firms must do to meet government expectations.

Mark Enzer, head of the government’s National Digital Twin Programme, will outline a digital vision for the built environment and explain how making good decisions now will create a better future for the industry and its clients.

The BESA Conference will also feature a wide-ranging section covering the sector’s present and future skills needs. The Association’s President Neil Brackenridge will chair a session on how employers can secure the skills they will need to meet the net zero carbon challenge and keep pace with rapidly changing demands from clients.

The future of housing and of offices will also be keenly debated with Nigel Banks of ilke Homes explaining how the UK can increase the number of homes being built while still meeting climate goals and an expert panel debating how building engineering will have to adapt to cope with the new flexibility demanded of office spaces.

“We are delighted to be the headline sponsor for this prestigious and ambitious event,” said Rachel Lekman, marketing manager at Mitsubishi Electric. “We have built up a very productive partnership with BESA in recent years and have already collaborated on a number of important projects not least the widely acclaimed ‘Beginners’ Guide to Indoor Air Quality’ and the rapidly developing BESA Academy.

“The focus of the Conference on technical competence and compliance to ensure healthier and more efficient buildings is exactly in tune with our own priorities for this year and beyond; and we are excited to see the development of such a wide-ranging and in-depth programme.”

Paul Morrell OBE

Go to www.theBESA.com/conference for more details and to register. n

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BESA Group Companies:

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Let’s inspire the COP26 generation When many of the world’s leaders meet in Glasgow next month, they have a huge weight of responsibility on their shoulders. The decisions they make at the COP26 climate conference will have major implications for the future of the planet.

At our National Conference (see pages 4 and 5), BESA is taking the opportunity to debate those aspects of the climate crisis we can influence as a profession, but we are going further than that. We are looking to inspire our ‘future leaders’ – our younger members – to take forward a challenge to the COP26 leaders because, ultimately, it is their generation that has the most to lose if we get this wrong – and the most to gain from getting it right.

However, we also need to inspire that generation to want to be part of the solution and that means encouraging them into building engineering careers.

There were more than half a million young people unemployed in May, according to the government’s latest figures with thousands added to the jobs market this summer on leaving school. Many of those school leavers would be ideal for apprenticeships in our sector, but they often struggle to access helpful advice and support – so overlook our industry.

With that in mind the Association has launched a free advisory service to help employers and potential apprentices navigate the increasingly

complex recruitment and training process.

Run by the BESA Academy, the service aims to simplify and speed up a system that can often be baffling and lead to many young people missing out on career opportunities with us. You can read all about it on page 19 BESA President Neil Brackenridge and it has already been warmly welcomed by further education professionals as much This is also an opportunity to reach needed impartial, bespoke guidance out to people in other professions for employers in our sector and many where the employment prospects individuals – of all ages and at all career stages – looking for worthwhile, are bleak following the end of the furlough scheme. Younger workers long-term careers. have been the worst hit by the crisis The opportunity to ‘earn while you with many facing uncertain futures, learn’ through a modern, vocational but many also have the kind of skills apprenticeship is proving increasingly we need in our industry. attractive to many young people Building engineering is a far more worried about running up large diverse profession than it used to be student debts. This is driving demand and is no longer the male-dominated for apprenticeships that combine bastion it once was. However, classroom teaching with on-the-job many young people still dismiss training with an employer. Most of engineering as having nothing these lead to full-time employment, to offer them, but they would be which is a major incentive. It is also surprised. We need a far wider range increasing enquiries about T-levels of skills to create a better future for as another alternative route towards the country and the planet. technical careers.

This latest issue of Your BESA is full of stories that showcase why our industry has so much to offer the COP26 generation, but they also have lots to offer us. So let’s reach out to them and inspire the a new intake of building engineers ready to take on the climate challenge. n

7

REFCOM

looks back and forward REFCOM Elite, the voluntary scheme for demonstrating best practice in refrigerant management, celebrated its 25th anniversary in September with a special event in London for members and leading refrigeration and air conditioning industry figures.

Former BESA President Malcolm Thomson told the large gathering that the industry owed a debt of gratitude to the founding members who had displayed “true vision” and paved the way for much higher professional standards and better environmental protection across the sector.

“REFCOM has been helping refrigeration and air conditioning companies demonstrate their business and technical credentials and promoting higher professional standards of refrigerant management for a quarter of a century. That is quite a milestone,” he said.

He thanked REFCOM’s staff and leading industry figures, including the late Norman Mitchell* and Tony MacWhirter, who had helped to drive a voluntary initiative that was later used by the government as the basis for the country’s first mandatory registration scheme when the F-Gas Regulation came into force in 2009.

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BESA Group Companies:

“They often say that pioneers die with arrows in their backs, but these individuals had a much better fate because they had a vision – and the future proved them right,” said Thomson. “It would be fair to ask – what would the government have done if our scheme had not already been in place?”

Voluntary REFCOM recorded its 7,000th company membership this year, which represents an estimated 90% of the total number of firms operating in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors. After the establishment of the mandatory register, REFCOM continued to manage a voluntary scheme – renamed REFCOM Elite – for those companies who wanted to go above and beyond simply meeting their legal obligations.

The Elite scheme now has more than 300 members and was extended in 2019 to include distributors and wholesalers, who share the aspirations of the contractor membership for higher professional standards cross the whole supply chain.

“That is another major achievement, but we know the war against irresponsible behaviour is not yet

won. We continue to work closely with the Environment Agency (EA) to target rogue operatives who stubbornly remain outside the law,” said Thomson.

“They put the quality of services and products at risk, endanger lives and property, and undermine the UK’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“Just last week the EA hammered a company with a fine of more than £1 million for breaching the F-Gas Regulations. That is a hugely welcome breakthrough and should send a powerful message to all the other offenders out there,” added Thomson.

That successful prosecution was the result of a tip-off from a REFCOM member and Thomson urged all responsible firms to continue being vigilant. “Without your eyes and ears out there in the field, the regulator would not be able to bring to justice these people who bring our whole profession into disrepute.”

The London-based firm IMO Gas Supplies Ltd was found guilty of seven separate offences all linked to breaches of regulation 31A of the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations over a two-year period.

It was given five separate fines of £200,000 each for failing to ensure that the quantity of HFCs it was using did not exceed its f-gas quota. It also received a £10,000 fine for failing to sufficiently report imports of HFCs to the European Commission and a £1,500 penalty for not keeping proper records.

The company is reported to have been using refrigerants R134A, R404A, R410A and R407C, which are all subject to restrictions under the F-Gas regulations.

this will make others think again about putting the quality of services and products at risk, endangering lives and property, and undermining the UK’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

REFCOM said it was also closely monitoring the use of illegally imported refrigerant gas in the UK.

“The continued use of illegal refrigerants by unscrupulous contractors is a very serious problem,” said Fox. “Not only do they damage the environment and atmosphere but are an extreme danger to life and property.” www.refcom.org.uk n

“This is precisely the kind of tough action we have been urging from the Environment Agency,” said BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox. “It is the direct result of a tipoff from a REFCOM member who had become exasperated by this kind of irresponsible behaviour that gives the whole sector a bad name.

“This is only the second fine issued to an F-Gas offender, but it is a huge statement of intent from the EA. However, we know this is not an isolated incident and the battle goes on against rogue traders who seem bent on flouting this vital environmental law for financial gain.”

Frustrated REFCOM said its members had been frustrated by the apparent lack of enforcement of the F-Gas regulations which puts them at a commercial disadvantage because unregistered firms were getting away with not investing in training and the systems needed to keep track of their gas usage.

“We have been telling the authorities about the need for visible policing for years and, hopefully, other offenders will take note and mend their ways,” said Fox. “We are delighted to see an example being made of this company and hope

*Norman Mitchell’s son Garrion (right) attended the celebration and was presented with a certificate

by Graeme Fox as both a tribute to his father and to commemorate Mitchell’s (Gloucester) Ltd, as one of the founding companies that remains in membership to this day.

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BESA Group Companies:

REFCOM

PH Jones already has 11 F-gas qualified engineers and a larger team specialising in its renewables work. The agreement it has signed with REFCOM will allow it to eventually register many more certified operatives in line with its plans to expand its workforce.

British Gas prepares for heat pump growth British Gas has become the latest organisation to sign up to the UK’s main F-Gas register REFCOM as it seeks to keep pace with growing demand for heat pump installations.

The energy giant’s social housing subsidiary PH Jones maintains more than 195,000 homes across the UK. It supports 23 social housing providers, has carried out almost half a million service calls and installs more than 11,000 heating systems and 850 renewable projects annually.

A growing number of these installations now involve renewable systems with noticeable growth in heat pumps. It is actively recruiting to increase its team of skilled engineers and grow installation work backed up by ongoing expert service and maintenance.

With the social housing sector moving more quickly towards low and zero carbon targets than other parts of the residential market, British Gas said upskilling the PH Jones workforce was a priority.

“The industry is clearly suffering from an acute skills shortage, and it is crucial that large employers like us step up to address it,” said PH Jones director Matt Isherwood. “As well as bringing new engineers into the sector, we also need to upskill our existing workforce, particularly those already involved in boiler installations and other ‘traditional’ heating projects.

“They will be crucial to delivering high performing heat pump systems in line with the government’s ambitions, but the technology does require specialist skills. We recognise the importance of making sure everyone working for us is properly trained, accredited, and able to comply with legislation.

CREDENTIALS “That is why we were very keen to become REFCOM members as it is the best way to demonstrate our credentials and support higher standards across the sector,” he added.

The government has set the industry the challenge of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 – an almost ten-fold increase on current rates – and the Climate Change Committee believes 19 million will have to be installed to meet the country’s net zero carbon emissions target by 2050.

Founded in 1963, it now employs around 600 staff. Its social housing and facilities management business was acquired by British Gas in 2011.

It received a ROSPA gold medal in 2019 following five successive years of receiving the prestigious health & safety initiative’s gold award.

REFCOM Elite is celebrating 25 years of helping refrigeration and air conditioning companies demonstrate their business and technical credentials and promoting higher professional standards of refrigerant management.

Originally set up as a voluntary scheme in 1996 by a group of contractors who wanted to demonstrate their commitment to high professional standards and responsible refrigerant handling, it became the mandatory register for compliance with the European F-Gas regulation in 2009.

It recently recorded its 7,000th company membership, which represents an estimated 90% of the total number of firms operating in the refrigeration and airconditioning sectors.

The UK continues to ‘mirror’ the F-Gas Regulation despite its departure from the EU, which means that all personnel carrying out installation, commissioning, decommissioning, repairing, maintenance, or servicing of stationary refrigeration, airconditioning or heat pump equipment that contains or is designed to contain F-Gas refrigerants must hold the relevant designated qualifications. www.phjones.co.uk www.refcom.org.uk n

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INDOOR AIR QUALITY

BESA takes up WHO challenge BESA’s Health & Well-being in Buildings (HWB) group has taken up the challenge posed by ambitious new air quality targets published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In its first update to air quality guidelines since 2005, the WHO blamed exposure to pollution for seven million premature deaths a year worldwide. It slashed the recommended maximum levels for several pollutants, including particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) saying there was “clear evidence” that air pollution harmed human health “at even lower concentrations than previously understood”.

It said air pollution was just as big a threat to human health and well-being as climate change and adjusted almost all its previous maximum target levels for airborne pollutants downwards.

It linked long-term exposure to

THREATS

even relatively low concentrations of ambient and household air pollution to lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes – putting the health impact of pollution on a par with poor diet and smoking while making it a bigger killer than car crashes and AIDS. It halved the recommended limit for average annual exposure to PM2.5 from 10 micrograms per cubic metre to five. It also lowered the recommended limit for PM10 from 20 micrograms to 15.

The environmental lawyers ClientEarth pointed out that legal pollution limits for PM2.5 and NO2 in the UK were now four times higher than WHO recommendations.

BESA said it wholeheartedly supported the WHO’s tough position on reducing maximum exposure levels for some of the most harmful pollutants but pointed out that setting outdoor ambient levels was one thing, while taking practical measures to reduce airborne contaminants inside buildings was a whole different challenge.

“The pandemic has highlighted the important role played by indoor air quality (IAQ) in protecting the health and well-being of building occupants,” said Nathan Wood, chair of the group. “Improving ventilation to dilute airborne threats and the likelihood of virus transmission must be a priority for every building manager.

“We applaud the rigorous work of the WHO and its ambition in setting extremely challenging targets that governments simply cannot ignore, but we need to make sure we can reflect that ambition in the solutions we offer for buildings.”

The BESA group is currently working on guidance that will provide a comprehensive set of IAQ solutions for different types of building that can be practically and affordably applied to help substantially improve indoor conditions. It said it would work to translate the WHO guidelines into targets that could be practically achieved in indoor settings.

“We will take the new WHO roadmap to cleaner air as our inspiration and we will encourage the government and standards setting bodies to reflect this new scientific thinking, and set UK targets higher than before,” said Wood.

“We will take the new WHO roadmap to cleaner air as our inspiration.

WE WILL encourage the government and standards setting bodies to reflect this new scientific thinking, and set UK targets higher than before.”

Nathan Wood, Chair of BESA’s Health & Well-being in Buildings group

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BESA Group Companies:

Nathan Wood, Chair, BESA Health & Well-being in Buildings group

The BESA group’s honorary president Rosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah pointed out that there were no safe levels for most airborne pollutants.

“Air pollution stunts children’s health and future. There is no safe level but at least following the WHO’s new guidelines will set us on the path to achieving clean air for all,” said the campaigner, whose daughter Ella became the first person in the world to have air pollution stated on her death certificate.

design, management, and operation of buildings.

It advised Sir Patrick that, unless these flaws were addressed, they could disrupt the management of this and future pandemics and impose high financial and health costs on society.

A beginner's guide to indoor air quality ...and why it is a national health crisis

Wood said this was a significant moment for anyone working to improve the indoor environment.

Building Engineering Services Association Guide to Good Practice for:

Guide

Indoor Air Quality for Health and Well-being

The advice it provides is also based on the experience of BESA members who see what is possible and achievable in the field where many end users have limited budgets for ventilation improvements. It was designed as a follow-up to the BESA publication H&W001: A Beginners Guide to Indoor Air Quality published in March in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric.

H&W002

July 2021

les.mitsubishielectric.co.uk

www.thebesa.com

The group produced a concise guide to good practice: ‘Indoor Air Quality for Health & Well-Being’, earlier this year. It is designed to help building owners, managers and engineers interpret IAQ data and turn it into useful strategies for improving the indoor environment.

It is part of the Association’s wider Buildings as Safe Havens (BASH) campaign which sets out target limits for a range of airborne contaminants in a variety of indoor spaces. It explains how air quality data gathered during specialist surveys or from the wide range of low cost real-time and continuous IAQ monitoring devices, can be interpreted and acted upon.

The BESA guidance was also produced in the wake of a report commissioned by the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, which highlighted the importance of building ventilation in reducing the risk of Covid-19 and other infections.

“The very fact that such a senior adviser is taking a close interest in how the engineering profession can be deployed to tackle a health and well-being issue shows just how high this has risen up the political agenda,” he said.

“People now need reassurance that buildings are being adequately ventilated, and the air monitored to minimise the threat from contaminants and viruses. This new BESA Guide aims to do just that, but it also goes further.

“Rather than purely focusing on preventing infection and death, which is often the approach of academic and regulatory work, it also promotes a positive approach to setting IAQ standards that will give people a healthier, more comfortable, and more productive experience inside buildings.”

To download BESA’s IAQ guidance for free, go to: www.theBESA.com/iaq n

The report was published by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), which is a group of 43 professional engineering organisations representing 450,000 engineers. It found that ventilation was often neglected, and that the Covid-19 crisis had revealed flaws in the

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HEAT NETWORKS

Funding for heat networks will boost HIUs The launch of the £270m Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) is an important step forward for the decarbonisation of the UK’s heat generation.

BESA believes the funding will help increase interest and investment in the use of technologies like heat pumps, solar and geothermal energy to power networks. However, it also urged the government to introduce a broader range of measures to incentivise the decarbonisation of the country’s heating system.

Describing the GHNF as “a good start”, BESA said the Treasury should also consider reducing environmental levies on electricity and replace the now closed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

Heat networks supply buildings from a central source and are seen as a key part of the strategy for transitioning the country to lower carbon heating.

There are more than 14,000 heat networks in the UK, providing heating and hot water to around 480,000 consumers, but they still provide just 2% of UK heat demand – a proportion that has not grown for 20 years.

Dr Steffan Cook

The new funding, which will be spent over three years starting next April, is intended to stimulate a new generation of networks that could eventually provide as much as 18% of heat demand by 2050 while simultaneously lowering carbon emissions from the sector.

Cost effective The department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said that heat networks could be a costeffective way of reducing carbon emissions from heating and are the only way to extract the full potential

of larger-scale renewable and recovered heat sources.

BESA is supporting this work through its testing regime for Heat Interface Units (HIUs) which extract the heat from the network to supply homes and commercial buildings.

“The test highlights the importance of keeping the flow return temperatures from users as low as possible boosting the efficiency of any centralised heat pump to save energy and cost,” said BESA’s technical consultant Dr Steffan Cook.

“We are also planning to bring further types of HIU into the testing and validation scheme, expanding the information available to heat network designers in step with the government’s push for more and greener district heating.”

Many experts also say the government needs to tackle the biggest barrier to low carbon heating, which is the high tax take and green levies imposed on electricity that adds 28% to consumer bills and so is a disincentive to installing heat pumps. The equivalent tax on natural gas is just 7%.

“Heat networks will play a crucial part in the longterm decarbonisation of heating in this country, but they are only one part of the equation,” said BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox. “The government needs to consider a more rounded policy response that includes a fairer tax burden on electricity to ensure a much wider uptake of proven low carbon solutions like heat pumps and more incentives to stimulate investment.” www.theBESA.com/HIUs n

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Ideal for refurbishment

Smart connectivity

The new series has been developed for a 3-wire connection which supplies power from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit and transmits the control signals, thus avoiding an additional power supply and making it a simple solution for retrofit.

CONEX, the new wired remote controller series is fully integrated with IoT solutions developed by Panasonic. Detailed operation, maintenance setting and service operation are all possible with smartphone or tablet.

nanoe™ X technology verified against SARS-CoV2 www.ampair.co.uk

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BESA Group Companies:

Virus SARS-CoV-2: 99,9 % inhibited. Test conducted

by TEXCELL (France), using a gauze saturated with SARS-CoV-2 virus solution exposed to a generator of nanoe™ X in a 45L box for 2 hours. Performance of nanoe™ X might differ in real life environment. * In PACi NX Elite range

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Triple whammy boost for heat pumps BESA has updated its technical guidance on heat pump technology and received increased funding for its free training.

different applications including their benefits and limitations as well as providing outline design information for each.

The Guide to Good Practice for Heat Pump Installation (TR/30) is the most comprehensive summary of the technology produced so far.

It clearly identifies and explains all the different types of heat pump available and clarifies which version to choose for each application.

It explains how to avoid the design problems that have impaired the performance of some systems to help improve consumer satisfaction and cut more carbon emissions. It also follows July’s launch of BESA’s free guidance on how to apply the special reduced VAT rate of 5% to heat pump installations under the energy saving materials and heating equipment scheme.

Heat Pumps TR 30

July 2021

The guide, which is available to buy from the BESA website, draws on the increased experience of heat pump technology in the field and provides an overview of the

Water, water everywhere, but new guide takes on the risks Water leaks in buildings are expensive and damaging. They also drive up insurance costs, upset clients and can lead to costly and lengthy contractual disputes.

The BESA Academy has also secured extra government funding to provide a further 200 free places on its online heat pump training course.

This new round of funding, which comes from unspent Green Homes Grant scheme money, will allow it to extend the free programme until the end of October.

Building Engineering Services Association Guide to Good Practice for:

and a wide variety of specialist systems such as process, grey water and fire protection.

Building Engineering Services Association Guide to Good Practice:

Water Management Plan

This has prompted BESA to publish a new guide to water management aimed at all contractors involved in the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of building water systems.

It explains the contractual responsibilities of engineers involved in planning, preparation, response, recovery and adaptation.

These responsibilities pass during the life of a project from the principal contractor to the building manager each of whom will call on specialist firms to provide expertise at different stages.

The BESA Water Management Plan covers all types of water systems including closed loop heating and cooling systems, open hot and cold water distribution systems, foul and rainwater drainage systems

Many insurers now adjust the price of their premiums depending on the quality of the water management measures in place to minimise risk.

Therefore, the BESA guide provides a template for contractors and their

TR 60

V1 April 2021

WWW.BESA.COM

www.thebesa.com

New applicants should sign up here and are urged to move quickly as demand continues to be high as the market for heat pumps expands.

TR30 is available to buy here. It costs £70 to BESA members and £140 to non-members. n

clients to ensure all areas of potential weakness are fully assessed and addressed.

The BESA guidance explains that any water management strategy should start with the appointment of a person responsible for the different aspects of the water system. It should also include a risk assessment process during the design phase followed by the selection of trained, competent contractors along with quality control throughout the material storage, installation and testing phases.

The crucial role of maintenance is highlighted along with emergency response plans and the need for regular reviews of the risk assessment and plan during the building’s operational life.

The guide is free for BESA members or non-members can purchase for £60 on our Knowledge site here.

A technical session is also being hosted at our online National Conference on 4 November so register now to find out more. n

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SKILLCard

The Industry Placement Card was launched in time for the new academic year. It supports students aged 16 and above studying for T levels and qualification programmes requiring longer periods of work experience placements. It can also help learners compete successfully for apprenticeships after gaining meaningful experience in the work environment.

20 years and counting for SKILLcard Engineering Services SKILLcard celebrates its 20th birthday this year and will commemorate the milestone at this year’s prestigious BESA President’s Lunch in November.

Launched by BESA (then the HVCA) back in 2001, it is now used by more than 60,000 accredited heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration professionals to prove to site managers and clients that they are trained and fully qualified for the work they do on site.

The BESA-managed card is affiliated to the pan-industry Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) which plays a crucial role in the government’s 2025 Construction Industry Strategy by helping clients check whether workers have the right qualifications for the job in hand and have suitable health & safety training.

SKILLcard also covers those with supervisory and managerial responsibilities in the building engineering services industry and is also widely used by self-employed and

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BESA Group Companies:

agency workers and those seeking employment in the sector.

Since its launch in 2001, the application and renewal process has been regularly updated and improved so that today it is an online digital exercise and last year the system went fully paperless.

It was the first CSCS partner to adopt chip enabled ‘smart’ technology in 2015 to improve the process of updating the holder’s qualifications and making it simpler and quicker for site managers to check skills and prevent potential fraud.

Work experience This year Engineering Services SKILLcard launched an overseas qualifications ‘mapping’ service to help academically qualified persons and skilled workers gain work in the UK in the post-Brexit era.

It also launched a special card for engineers with degrees and other higher-level qualifications to help them gain access to construction sites for work experience.

It identifies the holder as taking part in an unpaid work placement in the building engineering services industry and allows them access to CSCS-controlled sites along with their employer to gain on-site work experience. The card is designed to support learners transitioning from the classroom to the workplace and mirrors changes to educational policy in the UK, which have led to an increased focus on vocational training.

T Levels currently covered by the new SKILLcard include heating engineering and ventilation, plumbing and heating engineering, refrigeration engineering and air conditioning engineering. It costs £40 and is valid for three years only.

Applicants must be registered onto a further or higher education qualification or training programme that is not categorised as being ‘occupational competence’ and requires a minimum of 30 days’ work placement. They must also have passed the BESA Academy Health, Safety and Environment Operative test or one of the equivalent approved tests offered by the CITB. The qualification being undertaken should be recognised as providing a pathway into construction and the built environment via an approved apprenticeship, registration onto an approved occupational competence qualification, which is intended to ultimately lead to a job in construction and the built environment. www.skillcard.org.uk n

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Industry welcomes free skills and training service BESA’s new free advisory service to help employers, individuals and potential apprentices navigate the increasingly complex recruitment and training process has received a warm welcome from employers and the education sector.

Run by the Association’s Academy, the service aims to simplify and speed up a system that can often be baffling and lead to many young people missing out on career opportunities in the building engineering sector.

Described by a leading further education professional as “a quick service for busy people” the free Skills Advisory Service offers impartial advice. It is designed to help both potential recruits and employers find the right qualifications, training providers and sources of funding – and navigate the FE system from beginning to end.

Jill Nicholls, head of construction at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), welcomed the launch of this “muchneeded service” and said it could prove invaluable to employers and students alike.

“There is a lot of information about apprenticeships out there, but students and their parents don’t know where to look. A lot of it is generic and they are not sure who

to believe,” she said. “It is also very hard for employers, particularly SMEs, to find what they are looking for – including what incentives are available etc.”

vocational She explained that because government policy regularly changed some employers did not have the resources or time to keep up to date with the latest requirements. Schools often do not promote vocational education routes and focus purely on A levels meaning that many students miss out, added Nicholls.

“We warmly welcome BESA’s independent source of bespoke information and advice that could translate government information and tailor advice for employers, students and their parents. This quick service for busy people will lead to a higher standard of apprenticeships in the building services sector,” she said.

BESA’s advisory service also complements the vision outlined in the forthcoming Skills and Post-16 Education Bill which is designed to put employers at the heart of the training process. The government sees this as key to reshaping the FE sector so that it delivers more young people ready to step straight into work at the end of their training.

Alongside improving guidance for employers, Nicholls said several of the 11 building services apprenticeship

standards would have to be revised because they were becoming out-ofdate, and some were not being used by employers. She promised a rapid revision process to make sure they better reflected changing working practices and skills requirements.

Daniele Palacios, general manager of the BESA Academy, explained that the new service was able to tailor its advice specifically for an employer or individual.

“For example, some companies are worried about their ageing workforce and want to set up an apprenticeship scheme. We can help them do that,” she said. “We can also offer advice towards what qualifications someone looking to enter the industry should take – we have already heard from lots of individuals confused about how to find the right route into a building engineering career.

“We can also help employers make the best use of their apprenticeship levy funds by targeting their training in the right areas,” added Palacios, who said it was also important to include competence as part of their training, so apprentices were fully prepared for work.

Daniele Palacios will be hosting skills advisory clinics for BESA members at the forthcoming BESA National Conference which is being held online on November 3 and 4.

Get advice - The BESA n

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BESA ACADEMY

Celebrating one year of BESA Academy This year we are thrilled to celebrate one year of BESA Academy. Opening for business last August, we have since seen over 6,000 enrolled onto the Academy taking advantage of almost 4,000 hours of online training across a broad range of specialist training courses, assessments and CPDs. Since the launch we have developed over 20 courses for online delivery and supported 10 separate apprenticeships in Scotland and Wales.

All our online courses are now accessible from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop whether you and your engineers are at home, at work or on the move. This flexibility has proved very popular. Building services professionals, including apprentices and more experienced engineers, have been using our portal to access the resources needed to improve existing skills and learn new ones while also keeping qualifications and competencies up to date.

We are extremely proud to have developed a platform for employers and managers to keep their workforces fully qualified and able to comply with legislation and industry standards given the shortage of physical training centres over the last 12 months.

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We have also been used to support the process of re-deploying workers facing redundancy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, who can quickly pick up additional skills to move from one part of the sector to another – so keeping vital expertise within the industry.

partners

from replacing the elements of training that require a physical, onsite activity, we are helping to make hands-on building engineering courses more affordable.

“Some colleges had already been forced to discontinue engineering apprenticeships, for example, because they are more expensive and complex than other types of training,” said BESA’s Director of Training and Skills Helen Yeulet. “Delivering parts of the content remotely is one way of making some courses more economically viable and accessible.

“Online learning is not a substitute for practical training, but a complement to it. We are actively seeking to increase our network of regional training centre partners all over the country to bolster face-to-face learning too.”

We are now in a new era for technical training with employers and staff expecting much more flexibility from training providers reflecting the hybrid world of work we now inhabit.

We are also helping to broaden the appeal of building engineering careers; particularly in younger age groups who expect to be able to access resources and information online and at their own convenience.

This will help engineering employers looking to modernise their approach.

With BESA Academy you and your engineers can build an online ‘skills passport’ storing all completed training, competencies, and qualifications in one place. And far

“Working remotely is now well established and it is up to those of us who employ engineers to be more flexible. Not only does online learning broaden our appeal, it also cuts down

BESA Group Companies:

on travelling costs and time away from home and work” said BESA President, Neil Brackenridge.

We have developed a series of online courses with BESA affiliate members and other industry partners. For example, the BESA Health and Safety Environment course and test was produced in partnership with Mitsubishi Electric. This six-module programme covers the latest requirements for keeping workers safe and meeting new site operating procedures (SOPs) developed by the Construction Leadership Council during the pandemic.

We have also incorporated SOP questions into our health and safety test that forms an essential mandatory part of the SKILLcard application process, whilst making the training free to all online One of the more recent courses we have developed is the Heat Pump Installer course, developed in collaboration with Home Builders Federation and Worcester Bosch to address surging demand in this area following the government’s announcement that the technology would form a core part of its drive for net zero carbon emissions.

This was one of the first courses specifically developed to address the government’s net zero ambitions and is designed to give industry professionals the additional skills needed to be able to work with fast evolving technologies.

For details of these and the many other courses available, please visit BESA Academy. n

BESA Experienced Worker Programme

Are you an employer who has staff who have worked in the industry for five years or more but have no formal qualification? Or are you an individual who wants to be recognised for their skills and experience but has no industry qualifications to prove it?

continue to access site. The card will be valid for three years.

Our Experienced Worker Programme could be right for you.

can provide a portfolio of evidence

The Experienced Worker programme covers the following occupations, Heating and Ventilation Installation Industrial and Commercial Pipefitter and Planned and Reactive Maintenance on Heating and Ventilation Service and Maintenance.

Once registered on this course and you have completed an approved health and safety test within the last two years, you can apply for a blue Experienced Worker SKILLcard enabling you to

what’s the criteria?

• You must have worked in the BSE

sector for at least five years or more

• You need to be working at level 2 or 3

• You need to be employed so you DELIVERY

The Experienced Worker Programme is assessed through portfolio and evidence-based work, which you will show and work alongside your assessor. You will not be required to go back to a classroom or take an exam.

how long does it take to complete?

The programme can take 12 months to complete but you also have the option to ‘fast-track’ in six months, which would need to be agreed with your assessor.

There are five stages: 1. Induction 2. Set up of the portfolio 3. Site visits 4. Final observation 5. Submission assessment

what happens once i have completed the programme?

On completion you will be able to upgrade your blue Experienced Worker SKILLcard to a blue (level 2) Skilled Worker SKILLcard (valid for five years) or a Gold (level 3) Advanced Craft SKILLcard (valid for five years).

how much does it cost? £2,250 +VAT with a deposit of £500 required. Payment installations and group booking discounts can be arranged.

If you would like more information or to book, please visit: theBESA.com/ academy/experienced-worker/ n

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BESA ACADEMY TRAINING DIRECTORY

BESA Academy is the learning solution for building services engineers. We provide a specialist range of training courses, assessments and CPD enabling you and your engineers to develop your careers.

All our courses are flexible, can be completed at your own pace and accessed from your PC or laptop whilst at work, home or on the go.

Website: www.thebesa.com/ academy Email: academy@ thebesa.com Tel: 0800 917 8419

Start your learning journey with us today by registering with besa.academy.

FREE BESA Heat Pump Installer Course* In partnership with Worcester Bosch and the Home Builders Federation, we have developed a Heat Pump Installer course for plumbing, heating and F-Gas engineers looking to upskill. *Complete the online course by 31 October 2021 to access the course free of charge. Places are limited and will be issued on a first come, first serve basis, book now to avoid disappointment.

Visit thebesa.com/academy to find out more.

BESA Health and Safety Environment Online Test In partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, we have developed an online Health and Safety Environment test.

The test meets the H&S requirements for all Craft and Operative SKILLcards and is designed for those within the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration occupations.

The test is 100% online and takes less than two hours to complete.

Save time and money spent on resits by booking the course and test.

BESA F-Gas Renewal Course Developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Electric.

The course is aimed at refrigeration engineers who are either approaching the end of their five-year certification period for Cat 1 and Cat 2 F-Gas or want to ensure they are up to date with the latest mandatory F-Gas requirements.

Renew your F-Gas qualification in less than 6 hours, with immediate assessment results and a downloadable certificate if passed.

Renew here

Book now

Site Operating Procedures – A free online module featuring the latest COVID CLC guidance, keeping you to be up to date with the latest operating procedures onsite. Register here

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Free online CPD

BESA F-Gas Awareness course This short online course will provide you with fundamental awareness of some of the F-Gas terms and regulatory requirements which must be adhered to, by those working in the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry.

Do you work with refrigeration or air-conditioning engineers or technicians?

Do you have conversations with engineers or customers about F-Gas related jobs?

Are you responsible for ensuring your engineers qualifications are up to date and would benefit from greater awareness of the regulations they must abide by and the basic principles and terms used?

Understanding Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery for Commercial Applications Join this course with Ian Palmer, Head of UK Specification at Airflow to learn about the following; • Why do we need ventilation?

• Why is ventilation with MVHR an ideal solution?

• How does MVHR work?

• Key drivers for MVHR • Legislation • Types of heat exchangers • Energy saving via different MVHR technologies • Typical MVHR applications Register here

This course will give you the confidence to communicate with customers and engineers alike, ensuring a professional and efficient service.

Book now

History of Legionella and Legionella Within Hot and Cold Water Systems Join Altecnic for an insight to the history of Legionella, Legionnaires Disease and managing the risk within water systems.

Working with Flammable Refrigerants

On this course you will understand how the systems we use today can be managed to reduce or remove the risk of Legionellosis and associated bacteria.

Register here

As the environmental legislation drives the sector towards lower global warming potential refrigerants our technicians are increasingly having to deal with and handle flammable refrigerants.

Interested in working with BESA Academy?

This course will upskill qualified f-gas engineers to ensure they are aware of the specific requirements which must be applied when handling these refrigerants.

If you have course content you would like to provide or you’d be interested in developing a course together, then get in touch!

Book now

Email academy@thebesa.com

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BESA ACADEMY TRAINING DIRECTORY

HVAC System Air Filtration for Clean Healthy Indoor Air Quality Air filtration is the best proven technology for the removal of hazardous airborne particles.

Traffic air pollution particles in cities and Covid19 droplet aerosol virus particles inside buildings are of concern.

This course gives practical measures that can be used as a strategy to deliver clean safe air inside buildings. HVAC system maintenance with use of PPE should be made in adherence to current safety guidance.

Enhanced air filter efficiency and reduced running costs can be made using Low Energy Air Filters.

Register here

New Boilers on Old Systems – Hydraulic Separation

Monitor, React and Prevent Corrosion Register for this CIBSE approved course, facilitated

by Gordon Pringle of HASL on Monitor, React and Prevent Corrosion. Gordon is joined by Paul Ashby of Geberit and Rob Vissers of Resus.

On this course you will learn:

• Why do systems corrode?

• Think again regards to Precision Carbon Steel adoption

This 2-part CIBSE accredited course looks at system design in commercial heating applications.

Learn about the difference between sealed and open vented heating systems and how to assess and choose the best method of separating the primary and secondary circuits.

• Part 1: Establish the existing system

• Part 2: Primary circuit design and connecting to the secondary circuit Register here

• Why poor pressurisation is often the cause of corrosion problems

• The no-brainer benefits of an early warning system Register here

SCA Guide to Common Escape Routes

Air and Dirt Separation Join Flamco for this CIBSE accredited course on Air and Dirt Separation.

On this course you will learn:

• Theory use and application of air and dirt separation equipment

• The principles of operation • Theory behind air release • Common symptoms of sealed system equipment containing too much air and dissolved air Register here

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Compensation for Thermal Expansion

This course shows why a guide was required for fire engineers based on fire data by improving the understanding of smoke control systems for the benefit of building residents.

This course highlights the need for flexibility analysis in pipe work systems. It shows how expansion and building movement solutions for specific problems in systems can be compensated and covers flexibility solutions for specific problems.

The types of products and their location when fitted into an apartment block and where and how these products link with various controls utilised in a building in support of fire fighters.

It also clarifies the various BS/ EN standards that a smoke control system must follow for competence and compliance.

Register here

Register here

Euroclass A2 Vertical Façade Membranes In this course we look at UK Building standards for A2 vertical wall systems for membranes in high-rise buildings and high-risk buildings, Euro class A2 façade breather membranes in vertical rear-ventilated façades and applicable building types.

Also, what to look for and which certifications are essential, Euro class A2, B and E rated façade membranes and Euro class A2 membranes in re-cladding remediation of high-rise building façades.

Reducing Risk When Specifying Building and Industrial Services Pipework Join TATA for this course on reducing risk when specifying building and industrial services pipework.

You’ll learn how to correctly specify project pipework, review application and installation case studies to identify best practice and discover more about new innovations such as BIM and the use of VR, which will have a positive impact on the industry.

Register here

Thermostatic Mixing Valves Scalding is still a real problem when it comes to hot water systems, and we must ensure the water is safe to use. By using simple but affective thermostatic mixing valves the risk can be removed.

This free CIBSE accredited course describes the different types of mixing valves available and also explains how to manage the risk of bacterial growth.

Register here

Register here

Website: www.thebesa.com/ academy

Metal Air Bricks for Building Applications into External Walls In this CPD we gain an insight into the use of a metal air brick supply, exhaust and why a metal air brick was required for smoke control to Class A2 S1 do.

We identify why building ADB should change and show the various test standards that a firebrick must achieve.

Firestopping of Service Penetrations

Email: academy@ thebesa.com Tel: 0800 917 8419

Learn all about the design process for the selection of fire stopping of service penetrations, how to apply the nine golden rules, understand the importance of early engagement, as well as the terms and definitions used and the key questions to ask to ensure a compliant installation of fire stopping.

Register here

It also includes practical layouts for a consultant and installer to consider when fitting an air brick.

Register here

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BESA Affiliates

Affiliate programme shows value of collaboration BESA’s affiliate membership scheme has continued to grow steadily despite the restrictions on activities caused by the pandemic with members helping the Association to develop a number of industry standards, training courses and promoting best practice.

The group has also been confirmed as a core part of the BESA structure with the appointment of its first steering committee chaired by Chris Owen of TATA Steel with Gordon Pringle of HASL as vicechair. They are setting up a series of initiatives linked to the Association’s wider agenda around demonstrating competence and compliance, working towards the government’s net zero targets and addressing the growing skills crisis in engineering and construction that threatens to undermine quality and productivity across the sector.

The guiding principle of the group is that the industry’s supply chain needs to collaborate more effectively, and its members have set about trying to put that mantra into practice by working with BESA to secure additional funding for training; sharing knowledge and supporting joint projects like the National Conference (see pages 4 and 5), CPD presentations and contributing to the Association’s regular webinar programme.

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BESA Group Companies:

Mitsubishi Electric has a detailed partnership programme in place which includes support for several training courses delivered by the BESA Academy. It also collaborates with the Health & Well-being in Buildings group to produce technical guidance around the increasingly high-profile topic of indoor air quality (IAQ).

And the much-anticipated BESA Plus Pipe App pipework specification tool will be demonstrated during the Association’s National Conference (see pages 4 and 5). It was made possible by the efforts of affiliate members working in collaboration with BESA’s pipework working group and in partnership with the British Metal Tubes and Fittings Association (BMTFA) – see page 35.

“These are just a few of the great examples of best practice and use of innovation in the industry,” said Chris Owen. “But we do have growing concerns in several key areas, including skills shortages, knowledge gaps, use of legacy specifications and old ways of working, product compliance and traceability.

The Association’s Jobs Board has also proved to be a great success and is another free service made available to the wider BESA membership thanks to a collaboration with BESA Affiliate, PRS Recruitment – see page 35. Members can post job advertisements free of charge on the Board, which then promotes the vacancies to the industry and beyond.

Affiliates also supported a comprehensive heat pump installer course through the Academy that led to 700 installers receiving free training. This has now been extended to provide a further 200 free places thanks to additional funding secured from unspent Green Homes Grant money.

“Working together to address these issues, identify new opportunities and implement robust solutions will help drive the changes from which we can all benefit,” he added.

Gordon Pringle said he was delighted to be given the opportunity to contribute to the work of BESA during a period of “pivotal change”.

“The Affiliate programme has already identified many common areas where collaboration can enhance all parts of the supply chain and I encourage others to think about joining us to make their contribution.”

For more information about the BESA Affiliate programme contact Jenny House: jenny.house@theBESA.com. n

Welcome to our newest Affiliates...

Global Plasma Solutions (GPS)

ARM Environments

Spica Technologies

Indoor air quality and ventilation compliance specialists, offering assessment, remediation and maintenance services for all types of building.

Spica Technologies provide the awardwinning workplace experience platform GemEx Engine® and white-label employee app Luna to enhance employee experience, improve productivity and effectively manage corporate real-estate.

www.arm-environments.com

www.spicatech.co.uk

Smith Brothers Stores Ltd An independent commercial HVAC merchant since 1897, specialising in the distribution of pipework, valves, air conditioning and all associated fittings and ancillaries.

www.sbs.co.uk

Encred Ltd Encred is an established company of engineering specialists who offer a broad spectrum of professional building asset management services throughout the UK.

www.encred.co.uk

Their needlepoint bipolar ionization (NPBI™) technology helps clean indoor air without producing harmful levels of ozone or other by-products.

www.globalplasmasolutions.com

Toshiba Carrier TCUK Ltd is one of the leading suppliers of HVAC equipment, systems and support services in the UK. The company consists of three strong brands each with their own distinct and complementary offerings, Toshiba is pre-eminent in DX Systems, Carrier is primarily known for its leadership in Chillers and Hydronic solution and CIAT completes the line up with its comprehensive range of airside systems and airside solutions.

www.toshiba-aircon.co.uk

Congratulations to our newest members...

Dynamic FM Ltd www.dynamic.fm

Madson Air Conditioning Ltd

Nitor Ventilation Ltd nitorventilation.co.uk

www.madson.co.uk

T.A. Boxall & Company Ltd www.taboxall.co.uk

M E Engineering Ltd

Emtec Building Services Ltd

Caithness Ventilation Services Ltd

www.me-engineeringltd.co.uk

www.emtecgroup.co.uk

caithnessvents@ymail.com

We would like to congratulate our new members on passing their audit and becoming BESA CAS Accredited – demonstrating their business’s commitment to high standards of technical and commercial competency.

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TRAINING

Things are looking up for ‘devolved’ skills With apprenticeship numbers rising and strong employer support for building engineering colleges, BESA’s devolved nations are looking to the future with optimism.

In Scotland, the number of apprentices taken on this year is well above average at almost 160 and covers most of the major industry disciplines including gas, H&V, facilities management, and refrigeration and air conditioning.

Members are also reaping the benefit of the Association’s decision to continue financial support for City of Glasgow College during the pandemic. BESA Scotland chose to take the financial

hit when public funding was withdrawn because it recognised the importance of keeping courses going so they would be there when employers were able to start using them again.

“How often have we seen college courses close through lack of numbers never to open up again?” said BESA’s head of devolved nations Iain McCaskey. “We simply could not allow that to happen with this vital training centre for our members so decided to take on the financial burden ourselves.

“We know this investment will pay back many times over and courses at Glasgow are already up and running again with healthy numbers.”

“Not only does BESA develop guides and standards on behalf of the industry as a whole, but our members are audited against them and that provides valuable reassurance to clients that our companies comply with the latest industry best practice.”

Iain McCaskey, BESA head of devolved nations

Iain McCaskey, BESA head of devolved nations

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BESA Group Companies:

Scotland has also led the way by developing the first ever National Occupational Standards (NOS) for facilities management. This work was then shared with the rest of the UK and led directly to the launch of a diploma in Northern Ireland.

The standards have also been accredited in Wales and are now being rolled out across England.

Proud “This is a great example of how individual devolved nations can lead on particular aspects of our industry that can then be adopted across the rest of the UK,” said McCaskey.

“Scottish members are rightly proud of the work they have done to

develop standards for FM that are gaining recognition further afield.”

BESA’s devolved nations will also lead an important session at the Association’s National Conference in November when they will share many of the lessons their members have learned about the new skills needed to ensure the industry can work towards a low carbon future.

Several apprentices have been invited to take part in the session, which will draw on their

experience around renewables and emerging technologies, in particular, that could have important implications for the rest of the BESA membership.

McCaskey will also chair a session looking at how the Association’s technical ‘knowledge’ can be used by contractors to secure work.

“Being able to call on guidance that has been developed by a wider group of industry companies can be extremely

powerful when looking to win contracts and persuade clients about different technical approaches,” he said.

“Not only does BESA develop guides and standards on behalf of the industry as a whole, but our members are then audited against them and that provides valuable reassurance to clients that our companies are competent and comply with the latest industry best practice.”

Email: iain.mccaskey@theBESA.com n

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SFG20

NHS Blood and Transplant adopts NHS Blood and Transplant has adopted SFG20 software to help ensure that its maintenance and service programmes adhere to a range of legislation and strict safety requirements.

Mark Walsh, National Estates and Facilities Technical Manager at NHS Blood and Transplant, says: “I was very impressed with SFG20. Adopting the system has been the right thing to do as it helps to ensure that our maintenance procedures and tasks are always up-to-date with legal compliance across our whole estate.”

NHS Blood and Transplant manages blood donation services in England.

This includes collection, testing, processing and packaging of blood and plasma products. The vital work is carried out across an extensive estate which includes around 90 buildings.

“The range of building types covers clinics, offices and laboratories,” explains Mr Walsh. “We also have cold rooms where collected blood is stored. And our estate also includes cryo-storage facilities that use liquid nitrogen to achieve temperatures as low as -196oC.” The nature of the work carried out by NHS Blood and Transplant means that the organisation is licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). One of the Agency’s key roles is to ensure that blood and other products for transfusions meet high standards for safety, quality and efficacy. The MHRA is the enforcement body to the UK pharmaceutical industry.

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BESA Group Companies:

Mr Walsh says: “We were focused on ensuring compliance with MHRA standards, as well as other legislation that relates to maintenance for building services. We had been relying on our contractors to do this, but we wanted to ensure that we had control to a recognised national standard.”

SFG20 is the unique web-based software tool for facilities managers and building maintenance teams.

Launched in 1990 by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), SFG20 is recognised as the industry standard for building maintenance specifications.

Moving the NHS Blood and Transplant existing schedules to SFG20 was a significant project, requiring some bespoke consultancy, due not only to the size of the estate, but also the highly specialist equipment used by the organisation.

Ian Giles, SFG20 Technical Consultant worked with NHS Blood and Transport to create a bespoke solution. “We undertook a line-by-line review of all the tasks carried out by NHS Blood and Transport,” says Mr Giles. “The range of equipment across the estate was considerable, we even took photographs of the equipment to map assets correctly and to establish a common vocabulary for similar assets across the estate.”

Mr Walsh says: “It was an amazing piece of work that identified an additional 200 specialist tasks which were then added to SFG20 to ensure the migration would cover all our procedures.”

One of the benefits of the migration is that the facilities teams across the NHS Blood and Transplant estate are using standard documentation, and

they are also able to see updates at the same time. “ Mr Walsh uses the monthly updates provided by SFG20 to create regular in-house emails to the FM team to ensure they are aware of upcoming changes to tasks and documentation requirements. The SFG20 software also allows the facilities team to keep an archive of changes, creating an audit trail which is vital for compliance with MHRA requirements. Each change to service and maintenance procedures must be approved by the in-house engineering team as well as the MHRA. Mr Walsh adds: “Although moving to SFG20 from our in-house maintenance schedules took time and a financial investment, it was the right thing to do. We know now that we adhere not only to MHRA requirements, but we can also be certain that we are always meeting all of our legal maintenance requirements on all of our equipment and sites.”

SFG20 is being more widely adopted by a range of healthcare estates thanks to the development of maintenance schedules specifically for hospitals, NHS Trusts, dentists, vets and doctors’ surgeries.

There are over 100 SFG20 specialist healthcare schedules which have been built taking into account the requirements of the Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs), which give comprehensive advice and guidance on the design, installation and operation of specialised building and engineering technology used in the delivery of healthcare.

Find our more about SFG20 at: www.sfg20.co.uk n

BESA members get a 30% discount off an SFG20 subscription.

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PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Conservative Party round-up 2021 This year’s Conservative Party Conference in Manchester was an opportunity for Boris Johnson to set out his vision for the nation as it emerges from the pandemic. It was also a chance for the Prime Minster to truly connect with party members for the first time since his election victory in December 2019.

The Conservative members and leadership were in a buoyant and unified mood in Manchester, in sharp contrast to Labour’s downbeat and fractious conference the week preceding. Members hung on Boris Johnson’s every word during his typically charismatic conference speech, and polls show the Conservatives 11 years of government is on course to continue after the next election.

And while motorists sought out petrol amid reports of stretched supply chains, the Conservative Party set out that businesses will have to get used to paying higher wages, not relying on migrant labour. Again, Johnson’s bullish response to these issues suggest a PM confident in his position.

Whether that continues as the gas hike impact intensifies, we shall have to wait and see.

For outsiders, the conference was also a moment when we could expect to hear greater clarity for the Government’s domestic agenda, and in particular more detail into the meaning of ‘levelling up’, the Government’s flagship

policy. The Prime Minster used his conference speech to label levelling up “the greatest project that any government can embark on”. However, some will be disappointed to leave conference with not much more understanding of what it means in terms of practical policy changes than when they arrived. A levelling up white paper coming soon in an attempt to finally put some flesh on the bones.

With the COP26 global climate meeting in Glasgow this November, it was perhaps unsurprising that the environment was another major theme at Conservative Conference.

The 2019 Conservative Party Conference had already marked a significant shift for activists and supporters in their acceptance of climate policy, and the need for Government action. This year now focused on how to achieve it and communicate the related compromises with the public.

At fringe events, where ministers, business, pressure groups and party activists attend and participate in seminars on a wide variety of subjects, it was acknowledged that the most challenging area of decarbonisation was housing and how people heat their homes, both for newly constructed homes and for retrofitting older homes.

For example, the housing minister spoke about using the Building Regulations and how the Future Homes Standard could be deployed to lever up work on existing dwellings and the construction of new homes.

There was also increasing conversation about affordability and making sure that those who can least afford to pay don’t shoulder the bigger burden. How, for example, will heat pumps and other low carbon technologies be funded?

On 27 October, the Government will set out it spending plans for the next three years, after which it will become clearer as to what the state will pay for and the expectation of the private sector to fill in the gaps.

The climate agenda clearly also links to levelling up and especially in the infamous ‘red wall’ seats.

There is a renewed focus on delivering education and skills to support the creation of skilled, green jobs and ensuring people transitioning from jobs that will, soon, no longer exist are protected.

Closing regional skills gaps and ensuring further education is considered in parity with higher education are policies which, if targeted towards the red wall areas, supports the ambitions of levelling up, the race to net zero, and the interest of the Conservative Party’s newer coalition of voters.

So, in a party conference shorn of any new announcements, and put in the news agenda shadow by a petrol crisis and the likelihood of rising living costs, Boris Johnson emerged an even stronger political force.

Johnson’s real test will stem from the funding settlement given to each department and political priority on 27 October, which will cover the remainder of this Parliament.

Will he get the money to deliver on his flagship projects like levelling up, building more homes and decarbonising the economy, or will his ambitions end up being suffocated by the Treasury’s desire to reign in the public finances after spending hundreds of billions in response to Covid-19? n

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BESA Group Companies:

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Recruitment made easy with your free BESA Jobs Board The latest Building Engineering Business Survey revealed 41% of businesses are experiencing issues with recruiting.

We have developed a free member Jobs Board with BESA Affiliate PRS Jobs, specifically for the building engineering services sector, which should eliminate some of your recruitment issues.

For those of you who have multiple vacancies, then why not take advantage of our latest feature – a company profile page, which showcases why applicants should want to work for you and displays all your vacancies in one place.

Save time with our two-way online chat between you and the candidate so you can work out if they are right for your business before proceeding with a more formal interview.

The BESA Jobs Board beats all the top leading online recruiters on price as our is simply free, with no hidden costs!

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We know some of you have experienced eye watering recruitment costs – with some companies paying up to a 20% finder’s fee for recruitment agencies, with one company spending £100k-£150k per year!

Monster £130

The calibre of candidates may not meet your high expectations whilst using generic job sites and you may have lack of resources so tend to rely on word of mouth.

Glass Door £149

As a BESA member you can post vacancies for free on the BESA Jobs Board. If you or your HR team simply don’t have the time to post, don’t worry as a dedicated account manager from PRS Jobs can set up your account and post on your behalf for free.

Career Builder £239

Total Jobs £149

Linkedin £495

So what are you waiting for? Get ahead of the competition and recruit and retain the right people for your business now.

Visit www.thebesajobs.co.uk n

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BESA Bitesize Updates

BESCA is currently recruiting HVACR Auditors across the UK to help conduct audits across our Certification Schemes.

They are offering market-leading pay rates on a sub-contract basis to candidates with the required specialist experience; and a flexible employment model for individuals based around the country.

BESA & CIBSE Joint Clay Pigeon Shooting Charity Event Thank you to all the supporters of the BESA/CIBSE Joint Clay Pigeon Shoot event which took place on Friday 8 October with all proceeds going to the Wallich Homeless Charity.

Recruitment

This is an ideal opportunity for anyone with a solid technical background in the sector and who have skills, experience, and qualifications in the following industries:

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• Ductwork and hygiene • Facilities services and commissioning • Heating and plumbing –

Domestic and commercial

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Top Team: Laing O’Rourke Grange University Hospital

Dates for your Diaries BESA Regional Awards

Employment & HR The Operative Wage Agreement for 2021-23 came into effect on 4 October 2021. Download JCC 126 here.

Saturday 14 May 2022 BESA Cymru/Wales Dinner & Awa rds The Vale Resort, Hensol

An increase in the Rate of Lodging Allowance from £41.70 to £42.53 came into effect on 4 October 2021.

Download JCC 127 here.

Saturday 21 May 2022 Yorkshire Dinner & Awards Hilton Leeds City Hotel

The latest BESA/RICS Dayworks Definition of the Prime Cost of Daywork – Including Northern Ireland came into effect on 4 October. Download here.

All the latest wages and salaries information can be found on the BESA website here.

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Friday 25 March 2022 North East Dinner & Awards Crowne Plaza Newcastle

BESA Group Companies:

Saturday 18 June 2022 North West Dinner & Awards Radisson Blu Manchester Airp ort BESA Scotland Awards TBC London, SE, SW & Midlands Awa rds TBC

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