INDUSTRY NEWS
STOP FRAUDULENT REGISTRA TO MAINTAIN INDU
NTAIN INDUS W
ith the heating season now in full swing, OFTEC is underlining the serious
problem that businesses fraudulently using the OFTEC logo can cause for the industry.
OFTEC’s competent person scheme is designed f r oior oil, solid fuel and renewable heating technicians. The scheme also offers registration for technicians who hold Part P electrical qualifications and who install energy efficiency measures under PAS2030. Unlike GasSafe, OFTEC registration is not mandatory but it is equally important to maintaining industry standards and protecting consumers. Those businesses who are not
registered with OFTEC but deliberately use the logo to mislead customers could be carrying out poor quality
AYMEN REV OLUTION IN WELSH CONSTRUCTION
PAYMENTPAYMENT L
ast year ’s collapse ofWelsh- based company Dawnus Construction has hastened
progress towards pr otecting SME payments inWelsh construction. In December 2017 Mark
Drakeford, then cabinet minister for Finance, launched a new project bank account policy “to support ethical business practices in
are requir
government funded construction.” All government funded projects in Wales above a £2 million threshold equired to have a project bank
account (PBA). This enables all firms in the supply chain to be paid from one ‘pot’ without payments having to cascade through the different layers of the supply chain. The monies are ring-fenced so that if there is an insolvency upstream small firms in the supply chain don’t lose out; in the Dawnus collapse almost £40 million was left owing to Dawnus’s supply chain.
At a recent event hosted by SEWSCAP P,, councils and contractors
came together to determine how best to implement the policy on
www.heatingandventilating.net
PBAs. Those who had already used PBAs indicated that they helped to ensure that payments to SMEs in the supply chain wer
y chain were dischar ged
well within 30 days as well as being made secure.
Speaking on behalf of SEWSCAP Kevin Shackson (who chaired the event), said he was delighted with the progress being made on using PBAs: “It’s such a commonsensical thing to do. Most of construction in Wales is actually delivered by small firms. They deserve proper payment protection since they provide a range of community benefits including local jobs and training.” Speaking at the event Luke
P,, al jobs and tr
Owen, managing quantity surveyor at Morgan Sindall’s Cardiff office said: “As a large tier one contractor we fully support PBAs. Contrary to various adverse reports the costs and administration involved in setting up and oper ating them is minimal. On the positive side we find that they help to impr
y help to improve the
performance of our supply chain.” “We are grateful to SEWSCAP
for bringing together public sector authorities, contractors, consultants and sub-contractors to work
South East Wales.”
collaborativel East W
Another speaker, Matt Curtis from Vale of Glamorgan Council, urged all councils to use PB As: “The Vale of Glamorgan Council is an early adopter of PBAs as part of our 21st Century Schools Programme.We were surprised to find the processes involved were very straightforward and have assisted with str
e assisted with str eamlining
our overall payment process. The key is working in partnership with the contractor from the outset.” Cat Griffith-Williams, national executive officer for the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Gr oup Wales (representing engineering SMEs in Welsh
c onstruction) added: “Feedback fr om firms which have e xperienced PBAs has been amazing. “They don’t ha
y don’t have to wait months
to get paid and they can commit to their work in the knowledge that their monies are secure.”
ely to implement PB As in
work, damaging the reputation of all responsible registered technicians and at worst, putting the safety of consumers at risk.
OFTEC registration director, Adrian Lightwood, commented: “The OFTEC badge is there to protect customers and provide them with confidence and peace of mind that they are employing a competent person who is fully qualified, insured and checked to carry out heating works.
“We work hard to ensure the OFTEC name remains synonymous with the highest professional standards and therefore clamp down hard on anyone who falsely claims OFTEC registration. “We recognise that in some cases, registration may have lapsed and a business has simply forgotten to remove the logo, or a technician
TAIN INDUSTRY STANDAN ARDS Inbrief ATION ATION TAND Sponsored by Toshiba Carrier wil
oshiba Carrier wil l establish a new manufacturing subsidiary in Gniezno, a mid-western city of Poland. The new manufacturing subsidiary is scheduled to start operations before the end of 2020.
who has completed OFTEC training has wrongly assumed they can then automatically display t
www.toshiba-aircon.co.uk Aggreko has cemented its
position as a gr y the logo. However,
we also know there are others who are fraudulently using the OFTEC identity to gain more business.
“We take these incidences very
seriously and work closely with regional trading standards who have the legal powers to take action if the issue is not resolved.”
position as a green supplier of temporary power heating and r,, cooling solutions after being certified to the Carbon Trust Standar d and achieving ISO 50001:2018 certification.
www.aggreko.com
“Clean gases such as biomethane and hydrogen offer the solution to decarbonisation of UK heat demand,” says the EUA in a report on a record year for annual gas boiler sales.
www.eua.org.uk
The total construction output in Great Britain is forecast to
experience a slight decline in 2021, according to the Construction Products Association’s latest Construction Forecasts.
www.constructionproducts.org.uk Belimo celebrates reaching
the milestone of deliv ering 100 million actuators worldwide, products that optimise energy
oducts that optimise ener efficiency in buildings without sacrificing comfort.
www.belimo.com
Toshiba has developed an online tool that automaticalally checks R32 refrigerant-based air conditioning designs for compliance with the safety requirements of European Standard EN 378.
check
www.toshiba-air
con.co.uk
Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK has appointed Phil Deverick as commercial manager for the UK and Ireland.
www.fujitsu-general.com
Coolair Equipment has unveiled a new fleet and a new look for 2020 – the company’s 40th year of operations.
www.coolair.co.uk Toshiba Air Conditioning is
celebrating seven years of being carbon neutral.
www.toshiba-aircon.co.uk
February 2020
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