We help fight on counterfeiting

BASEC is supporting a campaign to tackle the growing influx of counterfeit electrical goods coming onto the UK and worldwide markets.

We have joined a number of other industry-wide organisations in signing the Electrical Installation Industry Charter of action to help prevent this illegal and dangerous trade.

Dr Jeremy Hodge, Chief Executive of BASEC, said: "This is a growing issue and, in supporting this campaign with other organisations, we aim to stamp out the trade in fake goods in the electrical sector, many of which are dangerous.

"We urge all of those in the supply chain, manufacturers, specifiers, distributors and installers to please check that they are only dealing with safe, quality products." More...

Manufacturer approved

BASEC has issued approval to Havells, a leading Indian-based cable manufacturer, for medium voltage cables up to 33KV. The cables are certified to BS 6622 and IEC 60502-2 and Havells is the first company to receive such certification. Located in Alwar in the state of Rajasthan, Havells is one of India's fastest growing electrical and power distribution equipment companies, manufacturing products ranging from building circuit protection, industrial & domestic switchgear, cables & wires, energy meters, fans, CFL lamps, luminaires for domestic, commercial and industrial application and modular switches. BASEC operations manager Graham O'Geran is pictured handing over BASEC certification to Mr Qimat Rai Gupta, chairman and managing director. It was a day of double celebration for the company which had also just moved into new offices.

Contractors' training fund bridges gap

Leading trade association, the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA), has pledged its commitment to addressing industry skills shortages with a £10 million training fund. The ECA says the fund aims to generate earnings to support ongoing training in areas that currently do not qualify for government funding, such as adult training, and to stimulate investment in additional training, particularly in areas where there is currently a gap. More...

Cables under scrutiny

BASEC is stepping up its scrutiny and testing of cables on the market in the UK, with the active support of the British Cables Association (BCA). BASEC purchases a range of products from the open market to check conformity. On testing, many of these are found not to comply with British Standards, and some could be considered as dangerous, says Chief Executive Dr Jeremy Hodge, pictured right. More...

HSE to carry out spot checks

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced it is to carry out random safety checks on a number of firms in the north-west. According to the organisation, one worker per year has died in industrial accidents in Lancashire since 2003 and it is hoped the initiative will encourage companies to take more care over their health and safety measures. More...

New changes in the team

BASEC has appointed Alan Gould (pictured near right) on a 12-month student intern to help with marketing support and business administration. Meanwhile, Arthur Bayliss (pictured far right) who has been a senior assessor in the UK and overseas, is becoming Technical Manager.

CIBSE applauds Climate Change Bill

CIBSE applauds the overwhelming cross-party support given to the Climate Change Bill which has cleared the Commons with a huge majority (463 votes to three). The bill makes the UK the first country to sign up to legally-binding national targets for reducing emissions and commits the government to reducing emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. CIBSE is well aware of the challenge that reducing emissions by 80 per cent presents, just coming to the end of a project to reduce its own carbon emissions from its HQ by 60 per cent. More...

New editions of standards issued

New editions of BS 5467 and BS 6724 have been published. BS 5467:1997+A3:2008 specifies requirements for construction and describes methods of test for armoured cable with thermosetting insulation of rated voltages 600/1 000 V and 1 900/3 300 V. Cables specified in this standard are intended for use in fixed installations in industrial areas, buildings and similar applications. BS 6724 : 1997 + A3:2008 specifies requirements for construction and also describes methods of test for similar armoured cables which, when assessed by the specified tests, produce lower levels of smoke and corrosive products under exposure to fire compared with cables conforming to BS 5467. More...

Jeremy helps conference issues

BASEC Chief Executive Dr Jeremy Hodge has been out and about sharing information on the organisation's services including acting as Moderator for the Quality and Certfication sessions at the Electrical Safety Council Conference held at Church House Conference Centre, Westminister, London.

Electricians rise up the rich list

As the economic slowdown tightens its grip on Britain's purse strings, the latest research from City & Guilds reveals that millionaires with a hands-on approach to business and a background in the electrical installation industry know how to protect their wealth when times get tough. According to the awarding body Vocational Rich List - which tracks the fortunes of businessmen and women who started their career with a vocational qualification or training course - the nation's entrepreneurial electricians are convincingly bucking the credit crunch trend. This year one in ten of the top ten rich listers are electricians by trade, including William Haughey who set up City Refrigeration in 1985 and is now worth £260 million. More...

Budding engineers invited to invent products

Budding young engineers are being invited to invent exciting new products in a competition from the Institution of Engineering and Technology's (IET) award-winning Faraday programme. Faraday is a unique resource for teachers of science, design and technology, engineering and maths. The competition calls for inventors to develop a new product using an intelligent material called d3o. The company  which produces d3o operates at the cutting edge of materials development and application. More...

Events for your diary

24 November - CBI Annual Conference and Dinner, London Hilton - The conference will focus on the theme of the economy, both globally and in Britain, and the implications for business of the credit crunch, higher interest rates, fluctuating exchange rates, and an economic downturn. Keynote addresses from senior political and business figures will be mixed with panel debates on "Does the UK need an industrial route map" and "A six point plan to help UK plcs survive an adverse economy."

02 December - Electricity Production in the UK, The Lion Pub, Teddington, London - With rising gas and oil prices, concerns over the future of these fuels, environmental worries over burning coal and the doubts over our nuclear options, Britain is facing an uncertain future in its demand for energy. Hydro and wind turbines are simply incapable of meeting our needs unaided. Tidal power is continuously discussed but seems to remain tantalisingly out of reach.

02 December - Climate Change Summit, Royal Lancaster Hotel, London - In order to demonstrate leadership on climate change the UK government has set challenging carbon reduction targets for 2020 and beyond. With British businesses accounting for about half of all emission in the UK, the implications for companies from across the economy are immense.

09 December - The Third Industrial Revolution, IET, Birmingham - The address will review the fundamental changes now being faced by electricity grids in Britain, across Europe, and beyond. What are the drivers creating this radical change; how will it affect end customers and the industry; how well is the UK placed, and what are the risks and opportunities ahead.