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Anti-counterfeit action boost
In Brief
■ The Fire Protection Association (FPA) and the Fire and Security Association
(FSA) have announced that their suite of fi re detection, alarms and emergency lighting courses are now fully accredited as BTEC qualifi cations – the fi rst suite of qualifi cations of its kind for the industry.
VOLTIMUM AND GAMBICA HAVE BECOME THE LATEST
signatories of the Industry Charter to combat the trade in counterfeits, and the proliferation of electrical products failing to comply with the appropriate standards. The Charter was introduced in 2008 by BEAMA, the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA), the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) and Scotland’s trade association for the electrical, electronics and communications systems industry, SELECT. These organisations have long been at the forefront in initiatives against producers of anti-counterfeit electrical products.
indicating less hope of a recovery over the next year. David Pollock, ECA group CEO, commented: ‘There is no doubt that times continue to prove diffi cult for electrical contracting businesses of all sizes. However, there are still many areas within our industry where registered members can grow and prosper. The sustainability agenda provides great opportunities for members of all sizes – both to install and to add more value through providing advice. ‘Contractors dealing with existing building stock have especially strong opportunities. Diversifying into specialist areas such as information technology, data cabling and building controls, as well as fi re and security detection and prevention systems, could widen the scope for work.’
Since then, many leading industry organisations have added their names to the Charter. The signatories are now BEAMA, BASEC, EDA, LIF, BCA, Intertek, Alliance Against IP Theft, Trading Standards Institute, SELECT, Electrical Safety Council, ECA, Voltimum and GAMBICA. The Charter commits signatory members to refuse to trade in counterfeit or non-compliant products. It is a major move forwards in combating the counterfeiters – a unifi ed front encompassing the associations working together on practical and effective solutions to stem the threat from counterfeit and non-compliant electrical products. BEAMA’s executive chairman, Dave Dossett, said: ‘The
Charter confi rms the electrical products industry’s will to encourage the development within the marketplace of concrete actions between members of all signatories.’
The ACI is
addressing the issue of unsafe cables.
European approval standards, as well as causing life-threatening risks to the public – more than 27 per cent of all electrical fi res are attributed to electrical products or faulty wire and cables. Dangerous cables are coming into the UK through importers that are not complying with their legal duties under UK regulations. This cable is then in the supply chain, sold on to installers and end-users through wholesalers supplying cable – and therefore breaking the law. BASEC’s chief executive, Jeremy Hodge, said:
‘The ACI is urging the supply chain to routinely check cable markings and cable reels – looking
■ Eagaheat Electrical
Services has become a member of the ECA and transferred its Part P notifi cations to ELECSA, saving it an estimated £10- 15,000 per annum on the cost of Part P job notifi cations alone.
■ Blue Helix and Nexans have
announced a new distribution agreement enabling Blue Helix to offer the full range of warranted Nexans Cabling Systems products from Category 5e to Category 7A and Nexans LANmark fi bre optic systems.
■ Legrand is presenting its new range of Arteor wiring devices at the ECA conference in Tenerife. Arteor is a wiring device in a home automation range that Legrand hopes will be a market changer.
■ EEIBA, the industry’s charity, is calling for more support from businesses. It is urging people to get involved in fundraising events to help colleagues who may have fallen on hard times. Visit
www.eeiba.org.
in particular for a manufacturer’s identifi cation that they recognise, so if there is a problem it will help trace the cable back through the supply chain. Our recommendation is to insist on an independent third-party approved cable. If you sell, supply, or install unsafe cable, you contravene health and safety regulations, you could void insurances and could face serious criminal allegations that might result in a custodial sentence.’ ■ The ACI welcomes any examples of suspect faulty, non-approved or counterfeit cables. Contact the ACI at
report@aci.org.uk or on 01908 267300.
Summer 2010 ECA Today 7
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