- Coming up on this week's news, a group of apprentice ferrets begin their training in cable laying this week. Another fire at a solar panel installation rips through a block of flats, and a cat causes a major power outage after getting entangled in power cables. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly. Whether you're listening in the van, onsite or down at the wholesale counter, I'm Joe Robinson 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 that I've been challenged to slip in to this week's show, comment with them below for the chance to win a prize. The National Ferret School in Derbyshire has just taken in its latest cohort of furry apprentices. The animals are being trained to thread cables and wires through conduit inducting as small as 75 millimeters. Ferrets have been working with specialist electrical contractors for decades to pull power lines under floorboards, through wall cavities and above false ceilings. They have, of course, helped mankind since Roman times, mainly to catch rabbits. This year's class will instead be taught how to make its way along narrow passages while wearing a harness attached to a nylon line. The nylon line is then attached to a rope, which is in turn connected to the cable. Using the species can save a fortune in expensive plant such as diggers. The school is the only professional ferret college in the world, and it's licensed by the government for training working animals. It also supplies them for one-off projects. It says it has over 50 qualified cable laying ferrets of different sizes available. Each operates with a technician who works to high welfare standards and ensures the creatures aren't overworked. Graduates of the National Ferret School have been applauded for their work in the past. In 1981, a highly skilled team from the college helped the BBC drag TV cables under the floors of St. Paul's Cathedral in London for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. They also work in industries such as the oil and gas sector and in defense. Honestly, what's next? Using a cockroach to calculate candelas? In other news, there's been another major fire involving solar panels. The fire service in Kent has confirmed the cause of a devastating blaze at a block of flats near Maidstone was a fault with the PV panels. Residents first spotted smoke wafting up from the roof but within minutes, flames were seen soaring into the sky. The top floor of the building was gutted before no fewer than 10 fire engines managed to contain the blaze. A dozen households were unable to return to their homes and are currently in emergency accommodation. The suspected tampering of a meter is being blamed for another fire, this time in a secret skunk farm in Bolton. And if you're thinking that this is an animal heavy news reel, we're talking about two people here who were arrested by police at the scene and subsequently charged with cultivating cannabis and abstracting electricity. Dramatic video footage shows the property's attic engulfed in smoke and flames as fire crews tackle the blaze. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said that the presence of high powered heat lamps, chemicals and the bypassing of electrical meters at such sites led to a significant fire risk for occupants, neighbors and nearby properties. Also on safety, it's now become possible to check the validity of AM2 certificates online. National Electro Technical Training says that there have been a lot of counterfeit certificates circulating in the industry and this new service is aimed at tackling them. To use the service, you simply enter the certificate's issue number and the holder's national insurance number on the website to see if the AM2 is valid. The results then show if it holds a certificate that matches those details. ECS cards can already be checked by using the online ECS check service. The NET's boss, Carolyn Mason, says that there is no need for anyone to get away with fake certificates or cards anymore. Alright, might go and check mine on the website after this. The market for fake certificates and cards is being driven by a boom in the sector. In fact, a new market report has revealed that electricians have now become the most wanted in the entire construction industry. Sparks are set to account for almost a third of work on site by value, whereas plumbing, heating and air conditioning covers just a fifth. Carpentry and joinery follow at 15%. Other in-demand trades include bricklayers and window installers. The demand for electricians is being driven by government regulations on building standards and the move to renewable and energy technologies. In this week's training news, we've launched our brand new free training package to help you with ECPD. This time we've partnered up with Lewden Palazzoli and taken a deep dive into Three Phase electricity. To answer all those questions about Three Phase that perhaps you were a bit afraid to ask. Click the link in the show notes, watch the video, answer the multiple choice questions correctly and you'll receive a PDF certificate to keep in your records and you'll be able to count an hour towards your annual CPD requirement. In product news, Bell Lighting has unveiled a fire rated downlight with a replaceable LED module. Most fire rated downlights on the market have integral light sources which can't be changed. The Firestay Sustainable Geo, however, has a housing which is designed to remain in the ceiling for life. You simply replace the light engine at the end of its life and return the module to your wholesaler. They will send it back to Bell, who say that they will reuse and recondition 90% of all material returned. The downlight has a seven year warranty, an IP rating of 65 and it's also certified fire rated for I joists. The product has been nominated for a prestigious Build Back Better award, so all the best to Bell with that. Now, how would you fancy an all expenses paid trip to New York? Schneider Electric is offering this once in our lifetime prize for electricians and the promotion is available at all participating distributors across the UK and Ireland. The glamorous reward is to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the brand's KQ line of distribution boards. You and a friend will fly from Heathrow for a week's stay in a four star hotel in Manhattan, no doubt to sub martinis and bathe in cappuccinos. You'll also get a visit to the Statue of Liberty, a boat trip to Ellis Island and a 1000 pounds worth of spending money. Any electrician who spends a hundred pounds or more on any Schneider product will get a unique scratch card with a code that automatically entitles them to a five pound Starbucks gift card and one entry to the Big Apple draw. In Ireland, the entry requirements remain the same but prizes will instead be a gift card for Insomnia Coffee and a 1000 Euro holiday voucher, free to visit a country of the winner's choosing. The offer is running from now until the end of August and the winner will be drawn in September. And finally, the cause of a major power outage in New Zealand has been traced to a trespassing cat. Residents of the city of Napier on the North island were plunged into darkness after the pet made contact with live electrical equipment. A loud boom was heard across a wide area and all the electricity went off. Local businesses were also left without power. Network operator, Transpower, has now restored electricity. It said the animal caused a serious electrical flashover. The company said that it offered its condolences to whoever's cat it was. Before we go, a reminder that if you'd like to be featured in next week's news, simply visit the news tab on efixx.co.uk. Tell us about any exciting new products you've discovered, any stories you've spotted, or simply any issues that you believe deserve the community's attention. The Efixx team will then get on it and everything will be considered for future news bulletins. And 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, they're the people who've created the Swiss Army knife of solar inverters, along with all weather batteries, very much the Boy Scouts of the solar industry, it's Sun Synk. Up next for all your circuit protection needs, they're like having an Italian star striker in your Premiership team, it's Lewden Palazzoli. Next, the creators of the priority, non-priority consumer unit that protects your incoming supply from heavy loads like showers and EVs. It's the ingenious and gifted Garo. 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 cables. Big thanks to you all. We really appreciate your ongoing support for the news. 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 thoroughbred and ladybug and the first person to guess them both right was Slick Turpin 9124. Either that or he was just expressing his thoughts about me. Either way, click the link in the description below to claim your prize. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical Newsweek Weekly. 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 talk calibrated arm.