- Coming up on this week's news, an electrician suffers a fractured skull after two firms assumed the other was taking responsibility for his safety. A tracking device on a drill leads police to a haul of half a million pounds worth of stolen power tools, and the 21-year-old apprentice preparing to take on the world. Welcome to "Electrical News Weekly" in association with Solar Trade Sales. Your easy, one-stop shop for all things solar. 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 if you think you've spotted the two words that I've been challenged to slip into this week's show, comment with them below for the chance to win a prize. Two companies have been fined after an electrician fell from a scissor lift and fractured his skull, leaving him in an induced coma. The 52-year-old and employee of Mansfield-based Optilight Electrical Services had been repairing light fittings at a tooling company's site in Coventry. The health and safety executive took the unusual step of prosecuting both companies following the incident in September, 2022. The electrician was in the cage of the raised scissor lift, approximately 35 feet high when a worker at Expert Tooling and Automation began to operate a nearby overhead crane. He failed to notice the electrician and the crane then collided with the lift, causing it to twist and hit nearby racking before landing on the factory floor. The electrician came out of the cage while it was falling, hitting his head on the floor and sustaining serious injuries. A second worker at Optilight Electrical narrowly avoided being crushed by jumping out of the way before the lift hit the floor. The injured worker sustained a fractured skull, two brain bleeds, a broken collarbone, eight broken ribs, a broken elbow and wrist, as well as a punctured lung. He was later placed in an induced coma and underwent several operations. The health and safety probe found that Optilight Electrical had not identified the operation of overhead cranes as a risk to its employees. Equally, Expert Tooling and Automation did not put procedures in place to prevent the use of overhead cranes while the work at height was taking place. Expert Tooling instead relied on contractors identifying risks and implementing control measures rather than ensuring procedures were already in place. Crucially, both companies did not communicate to each other how the work they were undertaking could impact their staff safety at the site. Expert Tooling and Automation Ltd. of Sayer Drive, Coventry was fined 50,000 pounds and ordered to pay almost 2,000 pounds in costs at Birmingham Magistrate's Court. Optilight Electrical Services Ltd. of Oakwood Road, Mansfield pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws and was fined 7,000 pounds and ordered to pay almost 2,000 pounds in costs. HSE Inspector Charlotte Cunniffe said,"This case clearly illustrates the disastrous consequences that can occur when two companies each assume the other has taken responsibility for safe working practises. Risk often arises through a failure to communicate effectively." Ironically, this month includes No Falls Week, an awareness campaign to highlight the dangers of working at height. Organisers say that no fewer than 40 people lost their lives due to a fall from height between 2022 and 2023. In fact, falls account for almost 1/3 of all workplace deaths. Lofts are particularly dangerous. So much so that the Electrical Contractors Association and the Home Builders Federation have co-authored a guide to loft safety and made it freely available. I've popped the link to that in the show notes, and some other resources, including our very own free training package on health and safety in construction that helps to remove much of the ambiguity of this subject. In other news, a tradesman who was sick of having his tools stolen has found justice after he hid a tracking device in a drill. When the drill was pinched, it led police to a haul of half a million pounds worth of power tools. Kent police officers discovered the stash of more than a thousand suspected stolen items in Cranbrook Kent. The find has also led to seven arrests. All suspects have been bailed pending further investigations, the police are cataloguing the tools and plan to release an extensive list to the trade to find the owners. Anyone wishing to claim items will need to be prepared to provide proof of ownership or proof of purchase. Police Sergeant Ross Hayburn advises electricians to mark their equipment, take photographs, and record serial numbers so that in the event of theft officers have more chance of returning property. Thanks to Sergio Fernandez of sunny Costa del Watford for the heads up on that good news story. If you think you've got a story that should be featured on the news, then reach out to us on any of our social media accounts, and we'll see about getting it included. One young man who will definitely need to have his tools about him and in great nick is 21-year-old Danny McBean. That's because this talented electrical apprentice from Morayshire is set to take on the world. McBean will face the challenge of a lifetime after being chosen to represent the UK at the 47th World Skills Competition in Lyon. The Apprentice who is employed by Grants in Dufftown and attends UHI Moray College made the world finals after scooping gold in last year's Skill electric contest. McBean says representing his country is a dream come true. He's now honing his craft and practising his skills as he prepares to take on 1,500 competitors from more than 65 countries. We'll keep you posted of his progress to the finals. And no doubt young Danny would've crushed last week's question of the week, which was taken from our brand new training package made in association with Crumpton Controls. As you might expect, it's all about motor controls, from DOL starters to variable frequency drives. There's a link to that CPD in the show notes, so check it out. I am particularly proud of that one. Anyway, the question was,"According to regulation 552.1.2, every electric motor having a rating exceeding 0.37 kilowatts shall be provided with control equipment incorporating what?" The answer, of course, is overload protection. And over 82% of people on YouTube got that one right. But in a very rare turn up of the books, LinkedIn viewers outperformed them with 84% correct. Well done to you, LinkedIn. Let's see if you can keep it up. I've deliberately made this week's question harder, so have a look at that one. Now it's time to meet the manufacturer. Our occasional feature where we learn a little more about one of our sponsors. This week it's Snap One. They design, manufacture, and distribute smart solutions for homes and businesses to make life better. All installed and supported by trusted professionals worldwide. They deliver thousands of innovative, high-quality products across many industry leading brands, encompassing technology categories like audio, video, surveillance, control, networking, and remote management. They tell us their products are meticulously designed and, get this, battle tested in the house. Love that expression. Then they're complimented by their catalogue of popular distributed products and unrivalled support to deliver solutions that customers love. Snap One products are sold by authorised Snap One partners who have years of expertise and access to state-of-the-art tools, training, and support to help them deliver the best. They craft solutions with a focus on what customers value most, a simple, reliable, and exceptional experience. The Snap One family is full of real people obsessed with every aspect of the partner and customer experience, from product development to support. If you're a technology professional who's passionate about delivering fantastic experiences for home and business owners and want to help make your business more profitable and your life easier, they just may be the right fit. So make sure that you click the link in the description to check out more about that amazing brand. In product news, cable management specialist Marshall-Tufflex has unveiled a collection of metal strut and trunking. The additions compliment the company's core PVC range and is designed to offer a choice of cable management systems for different installation needs. The range also includes GRP ladder and trays, as well as under floor and fast fit wire baskets. For more information, make sure that you check out our CPD that we made with Marshall-Tufflex on the subject of underfloor wiring systems, but also keep your eyes peeled for a future CPD package that we're going to be dropping about their new containment systems and where to fit them. You're gonna find that really, really helpful. Luxury EV charger maker Anderson has unveiled an all new version of its flagship A3 product. The firm says its plugin points are the only ones on the market where the cable is completely hidden away when not in use. The latest version of the seven kilowatt A3 features a special edition fascia by automotive design firm Callum. It boasts textured wood with Callum's distinctive tartan pattern. Alternatively, there are 240 colours to choose from. This top end charger doesn't come cheap, though. I expect your client to pay 995 pounds for the entry-level version. A designer finish in an electrical product that's more accessible to the rest of us is a matte black version of the Punto Filo four inch bathroom fan. Vortice says it's responding to soaring demand from homeowners for the on-trend look. The Punto Filo has an IPX4 splashproof rating and adjustable timer. Expect a retail price of around 56 pounds. Martindale Electric has launched a new proving unit to check that your instruments are working correctly. The device instantly supplies a range of both AC and DC test voltages for high and low impedance voltage indicators, test lamps, and metres. Safe working requires the use of a voltage indicator that's been checked with a suitable proving device to ensure the instrument is working correctly in accordance with the electricity at work regulations. Martindale says the PD690SRD is particularly suited for use when implementing safe isolation procedures on low voltage AC installations not exceeding 1,000 volts AC between conductors. If you want to see more new kit, the place to go is the Installer Show in June. Big brands at the event include myenrgi, CTEK, Knipex, Makita, MCS, and Milwaukee. New for 2024 is the Get Connected Theatre. This is dedicated to the electrification of heat and the integration of smart tech in buildings. They'll be expert speakers from Heat Pump Ready, NAPID, and the MCS, among others. The eFIXX team will be there too, so if you spot one of the guys, come and say hello. It takes place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of June. And finally, an electrician cutting a hole in a wall for a double socket has made a bizarre discovery. He uncovered a whole hidden room. The time warped space was full of furniture, including a desk with a manual typewriter. There was also antique jewellery and maps from Victorian times, and eerily, a working gramophone. It's believed that the space was sealed up in the 1960s. Have you made any discoveries when opening up a wall or lifting a floorboard? Let us know in the comments below. Before we go, there's still a chance to be in the second set of five Lucky eFIXX viewers who will make the cut for our trip to Dublin. Winners are set to jet off with Gary and Rick to the Irish capital hometown of lighting firm Robus. There they'll visit Robus' lighting visitor centre and hit the town to experience some Dublin hospitality. And no doubt enjoy some creamy pints of the black stuff cooler than a polar bear in a refrigerator. No doubt they'll return with a tall tail or two. We can't wait. And finally, a reminder that we're in the market for your stories, your projects, and your recommendations as we'd like to share them with the wider eFIXX community. In the month of May we're focused on emergency lighting, power tools, and training. So send us pictures of your vans or instals, or let us know if you've come across any new kit that's making your job easier. Now, just before we get to your favourite 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 on your Premiership team, it's Lewden Palazzoli. Now if you want to get smart but dunno where to start, relax. Whether you need whole home entertainment, commercial grade infrastructure, or anything in between, Snap One offers countless solutions for connected homes and businesses. Are you looking for easy to instal modular lighting solutions and emergency lighting products designed by specialists in the industry? They're ready and waiting to light up your life. It's Kosnic. And with over 35 years of manufacturing and supplying components to the electrical industry, from connectors to terminal blocks, through glands and enclosures, you could say they're making all the right connections. It's Hylec APL. The best thing to come out of Yorkshire since stainless steel, the home of EV Ultra and other groundbreaking and quality products, it's Doncaster Cables. And if you want a lesson on how to reinvent a commodity product into a stylish but discreet feature, then look no further than D-line trunking. If you want to get your cables organised and tidied away in any situation, they've got a solution. With an incredible range of equipment, from EV charge points through industrial sockets and switches, to kit for explosive areas. Plus they supplied gear for a Campari factory, so they'll always have a place in my heart, it's SCAME. Big thanks to you all. We really appreciate your ongoing support for the news. If you think you know the words that I've smuggled into this week's show, pop your guess into the comments. We'll take all the correct guesses and select one at random to be the winner of an eFIXX goodie bag prize. Answers submitted after about lunchtime on the Thursday after release will not be entered into the draw. Now let's reveal the winners of last week's challenge word competition. The words were "monocle" and "whack-a-mole." We put all your names into an electronic hat and the first one to be pulled out was _eusty. Well done to you. Make sure you click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Electrical News Weekly" in association with Solar Trade Sales, your easy one-stop shop for all things solar. 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 torque calibrated arm.