Coming up on this week's news The Apprentice system for recruiting electricians is broken  says critics the government orders a major recall of three pin 13 amp plug supplied to  the trade and an electrician's tools are stolen days after she attended the anti-theft rally in  London welcome to Electrical News Weekly 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 with going to do things just a little bit differently this week  our winner will exclusively be chosen from the correct guesses made on LinkedIn so if you're  watching or listening anywhere else click the link in the show notes leave your guesses there and  you could be in with a chance to win a prize the electrical apprenticeship system is broken that's  increasingly the verdict of Contracting industry organisations company bosses and Executives this  week small and medium-sized firms took to the national press to complain that funds from the  apprenticeship Levy a tax on businesses with a 3 million pound wage bill wasn't reaching them the  Electrical Contractors Association echoed their concerns its chief operations officer Andrew  Eldred said the levy paid for training but not for the Recruitment and employment of apprentices this  was a challenge for small businesses last week the ECA slammed the classroom route to becoming  an electrician as a waste of money observers say the unusually strong language reveals increasing  frustration with the system critics say that specifically the link between colleges and  Contracting firms is ruptured they claim that further education establishments are simply a  conveyor belt for students with most falling off the end students with level two and level  three qualifications are often left to their own devices to find placements in London there  are eight youngsters in classrooms for every one learning on the tools and in a recent eFIXX survey  we found one class of 50 students where just three youngsters went on to get apprenticeships  College insiders say the institutions are paid for each individual in the classroom  and not how many make it to apprenticeships the arrangement has created a culture of complacency  the key to changing it they say is to make the institutions incentivised to boost conversion  rates Across The wider building trade the picture is Bleak despite the skill shortage there's been a  1.4% drop in New apprentices in 2024 that follows a 5% drop the previous year let us know your  experience of the apprenticeship system in the comments below in other news a company boss has  appeared in the dock following the electrocution of a father of four Christopher Auld admitted  failing to ensure the health safety and welfare of his employees after 36-year-old Rodney Shirley  was killed while on a cherry picker in 2021 Rodney worked for Auld's tree surgery company and was on  a project at the time a joint investigation was carried out by police and the health and safety  executive following the incident at Belfast Crown Court last week Barrister Geraldine McCullough KC  told Judge Philip Gilpin that a more serious charge of manslaughter was being left on the  books and was not being proceeded with judge Gilpin set the date for the plea and sentencing  as Thursday the 3rd of April an electrician who went on a rally to Parliament to protest about  to left has had her tools stolen days after the event Gina York from Eastwood in Nottinghamshire  had more than £3,500 worth of power tools and test equipment taken from her van the theft  occurred the same week she joined a Trades United demonstration in London campaigning for more  action over the problem the thieves gained access to York's van by drilling a hole in the door and  unlocking it from the inside the electrician was forced to cancel various appointments and jobs as  a result now big-hearted colleagues in the trade have stepped in with a fundraising appeal which  has brought in more than £4,000 but York is still upset over the incident she believes the thieves  often sell the used tools at car boot sales and she says it needs to stop if you want to support  the Trades United campaign I've popped a link to the Instagram feed in the show notes a new housing  Estate in England will see residents sharing electricity the 113 home site in Epping will  have a centralised battery which property owners can draw off when they need it the battery is  charged up by all the solar panels on the roofs of the houses residents on the development dubbed a  micro grid Community by the Builder GS8 will have zero energy bills for at least the first 5 years  that's the promise of energy supplier octopus it says the Epping estate will be the UK's  biggest zero bills site so far the company aims to deliver 100,000 zero bills homes by 2030 and  if you thinking blimey it all sounds like a bit of a rigmarole Gordon and Gary visited a similar  estate in Wales a few years back the Parc Eirin project by POBL homes features houses connected to  three-phase their video explores the first fix for solar batteries heat pumps and EV chargers it's an  interesting watch and the link as ever is in the notes and speaking of all things renewable and EVs  in particular are you ready to power the future of Transportation why not join Wieland Electric's  free webinar smart charging power supply of E charging stations on Thursday February the 27th  

00 a.m. discover how the Podis flat cable system simplifies the installation of EV  charging infrastructure offering flexibility and efficiency for both new projects and retrofits  ideal for municipal authorities energy suppliers planners and installers this session provides  direct access to Industry experts ready to answer your questions don't miss this opportunity to  enhance your expertise in e-mobility Solutions there's a link in the show notes to register  your spot along with a link to the video that we produced on the Podis system last year so  you can get a head start on the webinar content next there's been a major recall this week of  three pin 13 amp plugs supplied to the trade the product sold between September 2023 and December  2024 are under the trade fittings direct brand the office for product standards says the Chinese  made batch represents a serious risk of fire and electrocution due to a fault in the fuse  they overheat and the plastic melts Sparks may then develop leading to fire removing  the plug from the socket may also pose a risk of electrocution the products do not meet the  plugs and socket safety regulations of 1994 it's understood that the perilous plugs have already  been fitted by multiple installers to single ovens hubs and cooker Hood extractors in a number of new  build houses some installers known to have made a purchase have been contacted but any electrician  with concern should contact trade fittings direct I've put their contact details in the show notes  the office for product standards has also issued no fewer than three safety alerts this week over  telescopic ladders it follows our special report last week into the safety of the style all three  are Chinese made and were on sale on Amazon's Online Marketplace all represent what the office  calls a serious risk of injury the office has now stopped Imports of the units at the border and the  listings have been removed by Amazon I'll put a link to the three affected ladders in the show  notes now do you ever struggle with diagnosing nuisance rcd tripping well meet the DCM300LEAK  from ENW sponsor KPS the Bluetooth TRMS leakage clamp meter designed for Ultra precise AC leakage  detection with true RMS accuracy selectable high frequency rejection and a range from 6 milliamps  all the way up to 60 amps AC current capability it's the tool you need for both domestic and  industrial jobs a built-in torch light keeps you working in low light conditions while  the KPS link app lets you Monitor and export data remotely plus enjoy a 3-year warranty and  lifetime support now Welcome to our electrical news weekly feature where we focus on a specific  product area this week we're making a racket about protection circuit protection that is  Innovations due to hit the market include Niglon second generation of protection kit this includes  the Protego 125 3-phase range which we're told will be on wholesaler shelves in April the 125  amp boards will feature a wide selection of B C and D curve devices including a triple pole RCBO  range you can also integrate surge protection directly in the board other features include a  reversible door a half rail for populating the board quickly fully shrouded terminals  in busbar and rolled edges to the gland plate entry so that the cables are protected a type  three surge arrester from CPN Cudis is your go to solution for safeguarding fire alarm panels  CCTV cameras lighting and more working alongside type 2 devices for comprehensive surge protection  nicknamed The Black Box its compact size fits even the tightest spaces and with a 10 m protection  radius your equipment stays safe plus a really Innovative feature it has an audible alarm that  lets you know when it's time for a replacement IP50 rated and built to withstand surges up to 1.5  Ka it's reliable durable and compact Siemans has unveiled a single model afdd rcbo rated at 10ka  Short circuiting capacity the units have a switch neutral and are compatible with all of the brands  Alpha BS2 MCB disboards Lewden has launched single and three-phase surge protection devices for its  20 25 consumer unit range for both single and three phases there's a type 2 device and a type  1 and two device also out recently from Lewden are cover lock kits and surface mount pattresses click  Scolmore has introduced three-phase distribution boards for its popular Elusian range there are  seven boards available from 4 to 24 Ways the four and six-way boards are designed specifically to  only work with a 125 amp incomer whereas 8 to 24 way boards offer a choice of rccbs and either a  125 amp or 250 amp isolator the doors are fitted with spring clips making them easy to remove surge  protection devices for the four and six-way Boards can be installed on additional phase  connectors on 8 way and larger boards it can be integrated into the main switch or busbar  that's our electrical news weekly Roundup of products that we think deserve some attention  next week all things EV and off the back of circuit protection we've got our results from  last week's question of the week now for reasons I cannot begin to comprehend the scheduled post  on YouTube didn't go out but we've still got the results from LinkedIn the question came from our  free training package on torque settings we made an association with Wiha and asked the  industry convention for how often to calibrate a torque setting device is what the correct answer  is every 5,000 clicks and while the results were low in terms of getting the right answer we always  love it when you err on the side of safety so the result of 72% getting it wrong at least suggests  everyone's getting their screwdrivers calibrated too often there is a little more to the 5,000  clicks figure than covered in this simple question so check out that free training package we made  with wiha for more information and finally an electrician who was ejected from a pub got his  own back by shutting off power to the premises Matthew Phelps an employee of Nashville Electric  Service used his technical knowledge to close down Shooters bar in Tennessee the bar owners say  the power outage damage speakers worth £3,000 as well as an arcade game Phelps has now been charged  with vandalism and released on bail of £20,000 that's some hangover before we go a shout out  to Hochiki which this week celebrates the first year of its excellent Training Academy the Kent  based facility Blends online modules webinars and in-person training all about fire protection and  emergency lighting congratulations guys now 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 over the next few weeks we'll be featuring all things EV wiring accessories  and electrical Innovations so send us pictures of your installs or let us know if you've come  across any new kit that's making your job easier or any products that you think deserve a shout  out and 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 Sunsynk and speaking of  solar with manufacturing powered by a massive 250 megawatt solar PV array they're literally  the greenest test instrument maker in Europe both physically and ethically it's KPS now are you a  a control freak motor control that is if so with huge stocks and excellent service check out  Crompton Controls as they said to me in a recent conversation if we don't have it then we can build  it with a new award- winning Lumo consumer unit and offering Complete product support from their  highly trained team it's CPN Cudis don't forget to use the code eFIXX 30 to claim your 30% discount  on top quality light fittings from Phillips and ecolink download Lumxpert app today and make your  life easier and less expensive it's the light of Our Lives Signify and 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 click the links in the show notes to find out more about these great  Brands 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 click the link in the show notes to  go to the LinkedIn version of this video and leave your guesses in the comments there we'll take all  the correct guesses from that platform and select one at random to be the winner of an eFIXX goodie  bag prize answers submitted after about lunch time on the Thursday after release will not be  entered into the draw now let's reveal the winner of last week's challenge word competition last  week's words were tariff and cringe and the person to be selected from our electronic hat this week  was Harry scrimshaw 6654 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 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