Industry opinion Closing the net
With awareness of faulty and defective cable issues never higher, the Approved Cables Initiative (ACI) is about to press the button on the next phase of its campaign, as Peter Smeeth of the ACI explains
S
ince March 2010, the ACI has worked to highlight issues of defective cable and to educate the electrical supply industry into better cabling procurement practice. Now, 20 months on, the
Initiative has become the `thorn in the side’ of many who continue to ignore the warnings and put lives at risk. We make no apology for this, and our aim is to raise
the stakes even higher and make it harder for those who place electrical contractors and the public at risk. Yet success requires effort from many parties, not
just the ACI, and electrical contractors have a vital role to play here. For instance, we are aware of some contractors encountering problems with undersized power and armoured cables such that, when glanded, the normal sized gland is a loose fit. As a contractor is this something you have experienced?
Next steps There is a need for change. We hear daily of manufacturers falsely claiming third party approval; of UK distributors deliberately ordering under-specifi ed cable; of non-approved – and frankly unsafe – cable being installed; and of faulty Atlas Kablo cable still being found. Those who profi t from these trades must be brought to account. Our work is already prompting contractors to consider
There is a need for change. Those
Action We will work in confi dence with you to gather more information and, where appropriate, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will investigate and take action – a number of cases are currently on-going. Despite exposing faulty Atlas Kablo product last
who profi t from these trades must be brought to account
how they order cable, and it is vital that they use the British Standard (or other cable standard number) to identify cable, and ask for third party approvals. The recent pocket guide produced by the ECA and ACI provides the clearest guidance yet on how to overcome the pitfalls. But more is needed, and to this end
the ACI’s lobbying campaign is working hard, fi nding support with MPs across all parties and forming some strong partnerships.
We are looking for UK legislation to be reinforced,
summer, and alerting the supply chain to the issue, there remain millions of metres unaccounted for and, as recently as a couple of months ago, reels of the cable were found on sale in a Homebase store in Cheshire. How such cable remains at large is a concern for the
ACI, and we need to understand where this cable is and whether it is still being sold. As a contractor, have you been offered this cable at a discount price from cable distributors or wholesalers? Have you installed it recently or are you about to install it? The message remains clear – if you sell, supply, or
install unsafe cable you are deemed to have contravened health and safety regulations, which could void insurances – and you could face serious criminal allegations. The fi rst successful prosecution under the 2009 Corporate Homicide Act in February this year should serve as a reminder as to the seriousness of this matter.
About the author
Peter Smeeth Peter Smeeth has been secretary general of the British Cables Association since 1999. He came from a trade association/military background. Working closely with Michael Simms on the Approved Cables Initiative (ACI) since its inception, Peter is the point of contact for the ACI on a day-to-day basis.
particularly where dangerous cable is being bought into the UK. Ours is a realistic proposal – to mirror legislation already in force in the US, where the importation of dangerous goods leads to penalties far more rigorous than presently in operation here. The Consumer Products Safety Act in the US makes
it illegal to knowingly ‘manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribute in commerce, or import into the United States any consumer product which is not in conformity with an applicable consumer product safety standard...’ – and the penalties for violations rose in 2008 to a maximum of $15 million. The ACI will continue to inform and educate the
industry and you can expect to hear much more about our lobbying work in the future.
■ The Approved Cables Initiative can be contacted on 020 8946 6978/07973 636688 or email info@
aci.org.uk. For further information about the ACI campaign visit
www.aci.org.uk
November 2011 ECA Today 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72