News
ECA survey confirms tough year expected
FIGURES FROM THE LATEST ECA REGISTERED
member Business Trends Survey indicate that the UK construction industry will continue to experience a tough 2010 owing to the prevailing economic conditions. In the final quarter of 2009, ECA members’ answers had reflected a modest upturn in business. In the first quarter of 2010, however, the survey suggests there has been a small drop – although the figures are still higher than in the first three quarters of 2009. The results from the survey show slightly fewer businesses reporting a rise in turnover, and more reporting a drop in turnover, than in the last quarter. Some 36 per cent of businesses say there was no change in turnover. Expectations for the second quarter are slightly more optimistic than they were in January, but are much less optimistic for the next year, with a balance of 21 per cent expecting a drop in turnover. The proportion reporting a drop in turnover for the past
quarter had increased almost continuously between Q4 2007 and Q1 2009, when the figure reached 51 per cent. The figure then improved to 42 per cent in Q4 2009. It has now deteriorated slightly to 44 per cent. At the same time, the proportion reporting an increase in turnover has fallen back slightly to 20 per cent. The remaining 36 per cent of businesses say that there has been no change in their turnover since the previous quarter. With the exception of the south east, all regions report an increased drop in turnover, with the trend most marked in the north and the west regions. In contrast, the improvement in
the south east is substantial, with the balance improving from -27 per cent to -11 per cent. Very large businesses – those with a turnover of more than £5m – continue to do better than the others, with a positive balance of eight per cent. Overall, the picture for Q2 is slightly more optimistic than it was in the last quarter. The medium businesses – those with a turnover of between £200K and £1m – are the most positive. All regions express similar views except for the west, where 18 per cent expect a rise and only slightly more – 21 per cent – anticipate a fall with a balance of -3 per cent. The view of the next 12 months is less cheerful than it was three months ago, though still much more positive than a year ago. The optimism detected in January has diminished,
Lowered expectations... the ECA Business Trends Survey for the first quarter of 2010 reflects uncertainty among businesses in the UK construction industry.
ACI unveils rogue cable initiative
THE APPROVED CABLES INITIATIVE (ACI)
has launched its plan to investigate and address the issue of unsafe, non-approved and counterfeit cables in the UK marketplace.
It is estimated that up to 20 per cent of cable product in the cable systems supply chain is unsafe, non-approved or counterfeit, resulting in a major concern for the entire industry, from manufacturer through installer to end-user,
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ECA Today Summer 2010
who may not even be aware of the significant health and safety threat it poses, or the legal ramifications for the organisation or individual. The ACI will be taking a determined approach to educate the electrical industry about purchasing and installing such cables and raise awareness of the existence of unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors.
The initiative has received widespread support
from industry trade bodies including: the British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC); the British Cables Association (BCA); Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA); Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA); Electrical Safety Council; and NICEIC Group.
The presence of unsafe, non-approved and
counterfeit cables in the supply chain seriously undermines confidence in both the UK and
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