coming up on this week's news IET unveils a guide for electricians installing battery packs  to clarify installation procedures a judge finds a Cosmetics company over the risk of electrocution  at its Factory and fuse links are being recalled over safety fears welcome to electrical news  weekly in association with solar trade sales your easy One-Stop shop for all things solar make sure  you click the link in the show notes to access their online store whether you're listening in the  van on site 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 the IET has unveiled a special guide for electricians installing home Battery Systems  to clarify the installation procedures the move follows Rising demand for the systems coupled with  widespread uncertainty in the trade about best practices the publication of a Fast Track standard  in March attempted to address some of the trade's concerns especially over the location options for  battery packs this new 100 page guide sets out to answer the questions installers are increasingly  asking themselves it complements but doesn't replace BS7671 which the IET also writes and  it's much more specific than the regs for instance while BS7671 states that your local DNO needs to  be informed of a connection the IET's guide lists the seven specific ways that electricians should  do this depending on the install the document advises on the points of isolation called up by  the wiring regs and sets out the warning notices that need to be added to a job to remain compliant  it restates the requirement that the current rating of the switch gear be greater or equal  to the sum of the rated currents of both the incoming isolator and the output of all forms of  generation on the property it also shows the three designs you can use to achieve this the IET says  that type AC RCDs should not be used in properties with Renewables especially if the installation has  Island mode capability this is because there may be DC or high frequency components from  inverter generated supplies in currents that flow in resistive loads the organisation says  that circuits connecting generators should as far as practicable be designed so that RCDs are not  necessary where RCDs must be used they should be for bidirectional operation disconnect all  the live conductors including the neutral and be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's  instructions there's also advice on earthing cable sizing and Earth Loop impedances this guide is out  for public consultation until Monday the 4th of November 2024 you can download the document and  comment to help them improve it by clicking the link in the show notes in other news a cosmetics  and Beauty firm has been fined after inspectors found its premises posed serious risks of both  electric shock and electrocution the health and safety executive carried out an unannounced  inspection at Sabel Cosmetics limited on Pellon Lane Halifax in July 2022 the case has only come  to court this month inspectors found employees were at risk of coming into contact with exposed  life Parts on equipment and Machinery they said there was a systematic failure Within in the  company to address the highlighted dangers at Leeds magistrates Court last week the company  admitted health and safety breaches and was slapped with a fine of £56,000 and ordered to  pay £6,000 in costs after the hearing inspector Andrea Jones told the BBC that it was essential  that electrical wiring installations and Equipment are built and maintained in a safe condition  to prevent injuries or death she says that in this case simple inexpensive steps could have  been taken to remedy the most serious defects instead the company's in action has resulted in  more than £60,000 in fines and costs Sabel which manufactures hair and body products has yet to  comment on the case still in the courts an inquest has been hearing how a teenager from Folkeston  in Kent was electrocuted at a railway station 18-year-old Tom Watson came into contact with a  live line at Canterbury East station and was later struck by a train a full hearing to examine the  circumstances of his death is yet to take place but his family has previously said there is clear  evidence he had no intent to take his own life the popular teenager had been out with friends the  previous night and was due to start an English degree at the University of Lincoln just days  later the inquest was adjourned for a pre-inquest review to take place on the 7th of November the  South Coast's boat Builders have got together to put out a plea for electricians with sea legs like  a catfish the thriving Marine industry around the solent is trying to address a skill shortage for  Sparks companies such as Sunseeker oyster yachts and white Shipyard desperately need people to  wire up their vessels now their representative body Solent Partners has unveiled free training  to convert standard electricians into Marine Specialists people taking part in the special 12  week course will learn essential Marine electrical systems and procedures at the end they'll gain the  certifications needed to take on critical roles in the sector the Marine electrician skills boot camp  will be delivered by British Maritime training and assessment the course involves a combination  of face-to-face and online learning and on completion guarantees an interview with local  employers I popped a link to the opportunity in the show notes and speaking of free training our  latest question of the week was taken from our CPD module on continuity testing made in association  with TIS in it Joe Hammond takes you through this critical first Dead test from your very  first attempts at College through AM2 practice and right up to on-site work so wherever you are  in your electrical Journey there's something in there for you the question was when carrying out  a continuity test of a new installation which points should we carry out the test from the  correct answer is test at every point of the installation that has a CPC and despite some  complaints from people who thought the question was poorly worded 83% of people got it right on  YouTube while over on LinkedIn where most of the complaints came from a very respectable 79% got  it we've also started to post our question of the week on X it still pains me to call it that  where 64% of people were correct we've temporarily removed biscuit privileges from the pesky editor  who made the question allegedly ambiguous until he's learned his lesson in product news this week  German manufacturer Siba is recalling a batch of its Fuse links over safety fears the issue over  the fuses was flagged up by UK trading standards the metal links size NH000 were available to  purchase from April to July this year the product has been identified by the company as presenting  a risk because the sand sealing cap may not seal correctly and this could cause the sand to leak  during use in high vibration environments this can in turn negatively influence the extinguishing  behaviour of the fuse in the event of a short circuit in short the product is not compliant  electricians should tell their customers to stop using the product they should also contact the  customer service team to arrange for it to be returned I've put a link to the document with  a specification and manufacturers dates and the company contacts meanwhile scolmore has  settled its long running row with Dean electrical wholesale Premspec group and Dennis Boseley the  founder of Dean electrical the dispute arose after Scolmore found out that Dean had been  selling counterfeit double sockets in the UK it was mixing them up with and selling them alongside  genuine Scolmore products the counterfeit had been bought in China by Premspec under Boseley's  instructions Scolmore says it took a stand because it wanted to urgently get the products  off the market in a statement published on its website Dean says that it Premspec and Boseley  accept that the import of the sockets amounted to trademark infringement which they regret and for  which they have paid compensation to Scolmore the defendants have also paid substantial damages and  costs and given strict undertakings to Scolmore Scolmore boss Kevin Beach told eFIXX that it  was shocking that some people were happy to go to China and think they have found a buy  alternative to a genuine Scolmore product supplied by a factory which is nothing to do with Scolmore  and which is unable to provide any certification or proof of origin he emphasised that these are  Main's voltage products and that the defendants took no steps to even make sure they were safe  before selling them on to unsuspecting buyers Beach warned that scolmore wouldn't hesitate to  take more legal action in the future to protect its brand a unique spray which acts like a pair  of galoshes and blacks out solar panels to prevent them from generating electricity has  been shortlisted for an award PV stop which comes in a black metal bottle like a fire extinguisher  is in line for recognition from Electrical Safety First the product was invented for a simple reason  you can't turn off a PV panel as long as there's light they'll produce lethal amounts of DC power  PV stop works like liquid Tarpaulin says Jactone The Firm who created it when you spray on a panel  it will spread over it rapidly and black it out in effect it turns the panel off PV stop is effective  on all types of solar PV systems and all types of inverters and our usual 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 October we're focusing on Heating and ventilation and  commercial solar and Battery send us pictures of your installs 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 it's 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 Sunsynk up next they're resolving ventilation problems one property at  a time offering a simplistic ventilation design service and high quality products made right here  in the UK breathing fresh air into your home its envirovent 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 with an incredible range of equipment from EV charge points through industrial  sockets and switches to kit for explosive areas plus they supplied gear to 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 I've smuggled into  Today'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 last week's words were Jedi and Hobbit which I'm pretty  sure a Jedi Hobbit is the crossover all Science Fiction and Fantasy fans have been waiting for  and the winner we plucked from our digital hat was Amy tiger so 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 remember to click that link in the show notes to check out their online  shop 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