- Coming up on this week's news. The whistleblower electrician who took on the big boys over health and safety receives a payout. skills chiefs overhaul apprenticeships, they're making them six months longer and adding digital and renewable energy training and the cannabis growers who dug up a road in Darlington to steal electricity. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly in association with SCAME. Whether you're listening in the van, onsite, or down at the wholesale counter, I'm Joe Remington and I've been through the best of the electrical industry news to save you the trouble. And as always, if you think you've spotted the two words I've been challenged to slip into this week's show, comment with them below, for the chance to win a prize. A whistleblower electrician who took on a raft of big companies over health and safety concerns has received a payout, damages and legal costs. Daniel Collins took legal action against T Clarke, NG Bailey, Crossrail, Costain and Skanska. He says he was blacklisted for pointing out the dangers of working at height at the new 680 million pound Bond Street Station in London. He told managers that a makeshift walkway had no handrails and was posing a substantial risk to workers who would be carrying equipment and could fall. Three days later, he was fired and couldn't get work on the project again. In some cases, he was offered a job only for it to be withdrawn later. Collins discovered that the labor manager at T Clarke had forwarded an email about him to company buses stating,"Read and delete.""I hope we never end up with this bloke on any of our sites." An open statement read out in court as part of the settlement said that Collins considers himself a reasonable and moderate person who has never set out to cause any problems at work. He simply believes that people have a right to have a safe place of work. He said there was a culture of hostility towards trade union activists like him on the site. The details of the payout have not been revealed but the five contracting companies emphasize that the settlement includes no admission of liability on their behalf. In other news, a major overhaul of apprenticeships has been announced. The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership has updated the installation and maintenance electrician apprenticeship to include renewable technologies, digital skills and ethics. It will now cover EV charging, solar panels and heat pumps as well as communication skills. The partnership has also lengthened the duration of the average apprenticeship by six months to four years. However, it says that the Level 3 Electrotechnical qualification remains integral to the apprenticeship. The funding level will be set at band 23 which is 20,000 pounds, and the new standard is slated to be in place for all new registrations from this coming September. The graduating apprentices should, of course, be able to look forward to a financially secure profession and one day getting their own van. But a report out this week suggests that they're going to find themselves in a very difficult situation. A survey by fixed radio says that 1 million tradespeople in the UK can't afford to run their vehicles. While Chancellor Jeremy Hunt kept the 5p cutting fuel duty in his recent budget, other costs are clobbering contractors. These include increased parking charges the Ultra Low Emission Zone, ULES in London, and the so-called transit tax where taxpayers are hit with higher rates for private use of their van. Vehicles not meeting the minimum requirements of the ULES in Greater London will face a 12 pound 50 daily fee from August. This could be equivalent to more than 3,100 pounds a year. Fix Radio presenter, Clive Holland, describes the measures as a victimization of the trades person. While there is a 2,000 pound scrappage grant for qualified applicants, the campaigners say that with a basic electric Ford Transit starting at 48,000 pounds, the provisions don't go far enough. Research from the Federation of Master Builders agrees. It says its research shows that 80% of its members have had to put up their prices due to government policies. Another government policy that will soon be making its effect felt is the ban on fluorescent tubes. Earlier this month, we reported that from next February it will be illegal to put T5 lamps, T8 lamps and compact fluorescence up for sale. Since then, many viewers and their customers who've gone future with frustration have asked what will happen with specialty lamps. These are light sources for dedicated applications such as tanning shops, reptile houses, and greenhouses. The news here is that, Environment Secretary, Therese Coffey has given many of them a stay of execution until 2027. Dodging next February's prohibition are most ultraviolet lamps, projector lamps, sodium lamps with good color rendering, and high pressure sodium lamps for horticultural use. I've popped a link to the government website for the full list into the show notes. Other products on the government's hit list are dodgy electric heaters which experts say can cause electrocution. Last week, inspectors carried out some policing wizardry and swooped on a container of the deadly imports as they were being offloaded from a ship at Felixstowe. The offices from Suffolk Trading Standards seized 300 of the heaters which were due to be sold on Amazon. They say that the grills on the products don't require tools to open, meaning live in hazardous parts can easily be accessed by hand. Additionally, the supply voltage requirements stated on the heaters are incompatible with the UK Power Network posing a danger of explosion or electric shock. Andrew Reid of Suffolk County Council warned the public to be wary of electric heaters. He said they should never be used for drying clothes or be plugged into an extension lead, which could easily overheat. However, there is one group of people who seem immune to electrical safety advice. I'm talking about the nation's illicit cannabis growers. These criminals are notorious for overloading their electrical circuits with extensive and unventilated lighting installations, and they frequently bypass the meter to steal electricity and avoid detection of their power consumption. But dope farmers in Darlington have gone one step further than most. They brazenly dug an extensive trench across the pavement and into the street. They then connected up to the neighborhood power supply and covered it over again with tarmac. Passers by appeared to believe they were legitimate electrical contractors. Real electricians have now attended the scene and made the building safe. Durham Constabulary discovered 360 cannabis plants at the property along with extensive cultivation equipment including sodium lighting. Officers are now on the hunt for the fake sparks. Now, just before we get to your favorite bit of the show where I reveal last week's challenge words and winners, we want to thank our premium partners. We couldn't make the news without you. First up for all your circuit protection needs, they're like having an Italian star in your Premiership team, it's Lewden Palazzoli. And the best thing to come out of Yorkshire since stainless steel, it's Doncaster Cables, the home of EV Ultra and other groundbreaking and quality cabling. And one of the biggest lighting companies in the world because their capital is always Dublin, it's Irish lighting manufacturer, ROBUS, home of great quality and innovative lighting products. Big thanks to you all. We really appreciate your ongoing support for the news. And if you think you know the words I've smuggled into this week's show, pop your guess into the comments and we'll dig out a goodie bag prize to the first to get the right answers. Last week's words were hairy fairy and bellicose which I had to double check the definition of when it came through. Apparently, the challenge words committee dug deep into their thesaurus last week. The first person to get both right last week was TheFella172, which I'm guessing isn't your government name there chap. But as Shakespeare would have it, a rose by any other name would've won any fixed goodie bag. Well done to you. Make sure you click the Get Involved link in the description below to claim your prize. Coming up, across our social media platforms this week, we're often our travels as myself, Gordon, and Joe 2.0, pop over to visit ROBUS at their HQ in Dublin. We're creating a new CPD over there along with lots of other content. So make sure you stay caught up with the fun on Instagram and other social media platforms for that one. We're also releasing content on YouTube so you'll be able to see how we avoided any more workplace slips, trips, and falls. There's also a long awaited chance to see our review of a rather lovely light fitting from Luceco Lighting, and rather a controversial Q and A on the WAGO TOPJOB connector. So make sure you stay tuned for all of that. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly in association with SCAME. Make sure you subscribe to receive the next update. Thanks for listening, And until next time have a great week. Stay safe out there. And remember, there's no such thing as a tall calibrated arm.