News Wiring Regulations warning
AS MANY AS 76 PER CENT OF UK ELECTRICIANS could be operating without a copy of the IET Wiring Regulations, 17th Edition, BS 7671:2008, incorporating Amendment No.1, 2011, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has warned. The IET Wiring Regulations, which came into effect on 1 January, are designed to promote electrical safety. Although not statutory itself, installing to the requirements of the IET Wiring Regulations is likely to achieve compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and also meet the requirements of the Building Regulations of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Northern Ireland. The latest edition contains a number of changes, and it is important that electricians are aware of these in order to carry out their work in a competent and capable manner. Geoff Cronshaw, chief electrical engineer at the IET said: ‘The news that 66,000 copies of the new IET Wiring Regulations have been sold since publication in July 2011, means that there could still be around 211,000 electricians who don’t own a copy. Although many organisations are likely to have a shared copy of the new IET Wiring Regulations, it is likely that there are still a huge number of electricians out there working to obsolete regulations.’
Giuliano Digilio, ECA head of Technical Services, said: ‘It is worrying to think that so many electricians could potentially be operating without reference to a copy of the updated IET Wiring Regulations. It is a requirement for membership of the ECA that all installation activities comply with the requirements of the IET Wiring Regulations and owning an up-to-date copy of the Regulations is a large part of demonstrating compliance. Amendment No 1 contains many changes which are important to all electrical designers and installers and affect all installations, so we are urging electrical installers across the UK to ensure that they are working to the current edition.’
The updated ECA guide to the Wiring Regulations, including Amendment 1, is available to buy at
www.elecsa.co.uk
Budget promises new loan scheme for small businesses
THE RECENT BUDGET CONTAINED A glimmer of hope for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to secure business loans. George Osborne’s announcement of the £20bn National Loan Guarantee Scheme (NLGS) means SMEs will be able to access loans with interest rates one percentage point lower than those available outside the initiative. Barclays, Santander, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland have so far signed up, and firms with an annual turnover of up to £50m will be able to participate.
Osborne commented: ‘The government promised to help small businesses get access to lower interest rates. Today, we deliver on that promise with a nationwide scheme. It’s only because we’ve earned credibility with our deficit reduction plan that we have low interest rates, and it’s only because of this scheme that we can pass the benefits of those low rates onto businesses.’
The discounted loans are being made available because the government is to guarantee £20bn of the banks’ own borrowing, thereby allowing the lenders to borrow more cheaply than they would normally do. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has given the scheme a warm welcome, but a number of small firms have complained that their main problem regarding bank loans is actually getting them approved, rather than the interest rate they have to pay. FSB chairman John Walker said: ‘We are pleased that credit easing is now available for small firms to use. What we now need to see is clear communication to small firms and bank branch staff so that everyone is aware of it and how it will work, so that businesses can benefit from it.’
New national planning policy is welcomed
FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF the controversial new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Schneider Electric has welcomed the changes to the planning system that could help kick-start the economy, while asserting sustainability must remain paramount. Constituting the biggest shake-up of planning law
in history, the NPPF sees more than 1,200 pages of planning law reduced to around 50, in a bid to spark economic growth – with the assertion that ‘you can’t earn your future if you can’t get planning permission’. Following extensive consultation and feedback from rural campaigners, the final edition bears a number of improvements for heritage, including the recognition of ‘the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside’, ensuring that building on green fields is not an option of first resort. Further positive changes include encouragement for councils to recycle brownfield land in urban areas, helping to ease the pressure on green fields at the margins of towns. In addition, the policy includes a ‘town centre first’ provision that will require councils to promote development of shopping areas in town
10 ECA Today May 2012
centres rather than in new out-of-town retail parks. Rodney Turtle, strategic marketing director at Schneider Electric, commented: ‘It is reassuring to see that the government has taken environmental concerns into account, making way for a much more acute, sustainable policy. It clearly demonstrates that the aims of the government are to prevent planning inertia from holding back new housing and business opportunities, while at the same preventing any unnecessary impact to the environment and our British heritage.’
In terms of boosting the economy, the government stated that the changes are vital to help stimulate economic growth and tackle the jobless epidemic, currently at a 17-year high. The Home Builders Federation said that some 500,000 jobs could be created by freeing up the system. Turtle concludes: ‘The boost to employment will come as welcome news for the construction sector, which has long felt the brunt of the turbulent economy. However, it is crucial that from the very inception sustainable strategy remains at the forefront. From the initial architects and specifiers
through to the contractor and builders, it is vital that there is a collective working towards sustainable development. In this way, we can create a solid platform to showcase the smart home of the future, which offers an affordable place for people to live in.’
PA WIRE/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES
SHUTTERSTOCK/ VLADIMIRS KOSKINS
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