• • • NEWS • • •


ECS provides greater support for Continued Professional Development


Professional Development (CPD) recording system, targeted at supporting individuals to promote their skills and knowledge, the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) has released a new video showing just how easy it is to add CPD to their MyECS digital account. The new digital system has been


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designed to help better identify and monitor ongoing competence standards throughout the industry. The MyECS CPD section of a card


holder’s account provides an easy way to save evidence of their skills and knowledge through a free online portfolio, which helps aid personal development and continuous improvement. ECS card holders simply need to log on to their online MyECS account to view, add to or download their CPD record. Since launch, the system has seen


regular use across all electrotechnical disciplines both as people renew their cards to show their hard-earned credentials, and as part of recording ongoing learning more generally. While it is recognised many people


will already be undertaking CPD, such as additional qualifications, in house training, toolbox talks, attending seminars and reading relevant industry articles and publications, not everyone records this activity to show just how


ollowing the launch of the new Continued


No excuse for poorly ventilated buildings


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ne of the government’s top scientific advisors has called for a concerted programme of ventilation improvements in


buildings including professional accreditation for contractors. Professor Cath Noakes told the Building Engineering Services


Association (BESA) National Conference that the pandemic had increased understanding of how disease is transmitted around indoor spaces and raised public awareness of the importance of mechanical ventilation. “I never thought I would see the day when the Prime Minister


and the Chief Scientific Officer were talking about ventilation,” said Professor Noakes, who is one of two engineer members on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). She told the conference that the pandemic had exposed


they are keeping up to date with the latest changes and developments. The ‘Setting the Bar’ report, released


last year in response to Dame Judith Hackett’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, proposed an overarching system of competence, including CPD refresher training and maintenance of individual skills. Jay Parmar, chief executive of the


Joint Industry Board, said: “This CPD system gives individuals a fantastic opportunity to promote their hard-earned skills and knowledge to employers and clients alike. “It is becoming increasingly vital that


competence can be simply evidenced and verified by employers and clients who are constantly looking at ways to demonstrate the high quality and standards they are delivering, and recording CPD is an ideal way of prompting the use of a highly skilled and experienced workforce.” The guidance video and more


information about CPD can be found at: www.ecscard.org.uk/CPD.


Electrical contractor completes complex revamp at historic agricultural college


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n electrical services contractor has completed a challenging project on the historic site of a


West Midlands land-based college while ensuring all studies and events could continue safely throughout. Greater Manchester-based Ash Integrated


Services spent 12 weeks working on Moreton Morrell College near Warwick, a land-based college located on the estate of an Edwardian manor. The company completed a full rewire and


installed new lighting and electrical points for the college’s classrooms, laboratories and veterinary facilities, all while maintaining supplies to key systems such as IT, telecoms, alarms and the site’s freezers for storing horses for study.


electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk This meant students who required distance


learning were able to continue to do so uninterrupted, while those in attendance could have full use of the site as they needed, including for the college’s summer events.


Antony Grace, a director at Ash Integrated


Services, said: “Our first hurdle was a complete change of the design just two weeks before we were due on site. “A survey discovered bats in the roof, where we


were originally going to run all services. As this was a time-sensitive project due to the school holidays, we had to react quickly to agree a new way of working as well as secure new materials and supplies in time for the original start date.” Greg Cook, project lead at WCG, added: “This


was a major project to rewire and install lighting and electrical points across Moreton Morrell College and we are delighted that it was carried out with minimal disruption to operations at the college.”


ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • NOVEMBER 2021 7


systemic failings in how we design and retrofit buildings and said we should pay far more attention to the impact of poor ventilation on human health and productivity. “Many of our buildings are under-ventilated and there is no


excuse for it,” said Professor Noakes, who is Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings at the University of Leeds and an expert in fluid dynamics. She added “This is not just about complying with regulations.


We also need to show clients that there is a benefit to them through the health and wellbeing of people. We know buildings improve health and that poor indoor air quality reduces productivity by up to 9% – that’s half a day a week.”


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