ECA News ECA urges ‘fast track’ caution
THE ECA HAS WELCOMED THE overall fi ndings of the recent Löfstedt report on health and safety legislation, but has urged caution about the ‘fast track’ review of the CDM 2007 Regulations and its Approved Code of Practice (ACoP). It will be talking to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about any new advice on portable appliance testing (PAT), as recommended in the report. Paul Reeve, the ECA’s head of Safety and Health, commented: ‘Because it is evidence based, we believe the Löfstedt review is the most credible review of health and safety law since the 1970s. Interestingly, the review fi nds no general case for making big changes to safety law, though it found quite a
few practical problems due to poor interpretation and the over-application of safety regulations.’ Reeve continued: ‘Nowhere is it more important to get these aspects right than the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and its Approved Code of Practice. With that in mind, the recommendation that CDM and its ACoP be reviewed fully by April 2012 “to ensure a clearer expression of duties, a reduction of bureaucracy and appropriate guidance for small projects” is a tall order.’ Reeve noted the HSE has already done a lot to assess the future of CDM, but added: ‘It has taken many years for the HSE and others to get CDM and ACoP to where they are
now. Getting the ACoP right is vitally important, since it shapes supply chain activity and on-site safety management regimes. We believe it is more important to get it right than to hit a spring deadline.’
TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP WITH LUTRON
DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO AUDITING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS Organisation (ISO) has just published ISO 19011 Guidelines for auditing management systems. Paul Reeve, ECA head of Safety and Environment, said: ‘What ISO 19011 lacks in celebrity status it makes up for in content. If an audit is worth doing it’s defi nitely worth doing well, and this authoritative guide shows how to get the very best from the process.’ The standard provides defi nitive and extensive guidance on how to successfully audit management
systems such as OHSAS 18001 (occupational health and safety), ISO 14001 (environmental) and ISO 9001 (quality). ‘Successful auditing is at the heart of all these systems. If the auditing is not up to scratch then the business value of having a management system is severely undermined,’ says Reeve.
The standard outlines the knowledge and skills that auditors need for disciplines such as: ■ Occupational health and safety management;
Prequalifi cation: is your management system getting you where you should be?
In these diffi cult times, it is crucial that ECA members get themselves as many opportunities for new business as possible. With larger clients this will, almost certainly, require the successful completion of a prequalifi cation process.
Your management systems should be harmonised to the three main areas: ■ Quality Management (ISO 9001) ■ Environmental Management (ISO 14001) ■ Health and Safety Management (OHSAS 18001)
The ECA Management Systems Helpline is there for members that have concerns or questions they need answering promptly, and will point them in the right direction.
This year, the ECA helpline has dealt with a selection of queries, from general policy development right through to third-party certifi cation.
If you have any questions on management systems, call on: 01277 363 653
■ Transport safety management; ■ Environmental management; ■ Quality management; ■ Resilience, security, preparedness and continuity management; and ■ Information security management.
The 44-page ISO 19011:2011 standard can be obtained via:
www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail? csnumber=50675 or by subscription to organisations providing free or discounted access to ISO and national standards.
THANKS TO A partnership agreement with the ECA, Lutron is bringing its technology events to even more electrical contractors, with a new series of Lighting Controls Technology Update and ECA/ELECSA Recruitment Days. Starting in April, the technology events being planned throughout the UK will cover the technical issues and installation matters of light controls (including LED light source control), the energy savings achievable using light controls, and the retrofi t possibilities now available via wireless solutions. Recently named as winner of the CEDIA Best Training Initiative Award, Lutron’s quality training focuses on every element of selling, specifi cation, installation and programming of Lutron light control systems. Lutron has won multiple awards for its range of courses and, as a top quality lighting company for more than 50 years, is an expert in lighting control.
Qualifi ed Supervisor delay
The Electrotechnical Assessment Specifi cation (EAS) management committee – chaired by the ECA’s head of Technical Services, Giuliano Digilio – has agreed to delay the implementation of the new Qualifi ed Supervisors technical competence requirements until 6 April 2013, to align with anticipated revisions to Part P of the Building Regulations (England and Wales). The new Level 3 qualifi cation is expected to become available by June 2012, with the fi rst candidates completing some two months later. There are fi ve different routes satisfying the requirements for registration as a Qualifi ed Supervisor, including on-site assessment, off-site assessment, a mixture of both, and the gaining of appropriate qualifi cations.
The new requirement will not apply retrospectively to existing Qualifi ed Supervisors. People who already
14 ECA Today January 2012
have a competency-based qualifi cation, as outlined in the EAS document, will not need to have the new qualifi cation if they apply to become a new Qualifi ed Supervisor after 5 April 2013. The new requirement applies only to proposed Qualifi ed Supervisors applying after 5 April 2013. For those choosing the qualifi cation route, the Level 3 certifi cate in Installing, Testing and Ensuring Compliance of Electrical Installations in Dwellings will be the minimum qualifi cation level for Qualifi ed Supervisors responsible for electrical work in domestic properties subject to Part P. For work in commercial or industrial premises, the minimum qualifi cation requirement for Qualifi ed Supervisors will be the new Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (Building and Structures).
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