coming up on this week's news the authors of the wiring regs intervene in the debate about  live testing an inquest is held into an engineer's electrocution while live working on a superyacht  and the trade is asked for help after a spate of solar panel fires across the UK 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 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 authors of the wiring  regs have intervened in the long-running debate in the trade about live testing in a special  advisory published this week the IET says that initial verification of circuits should not be  a case of doing it the way it's always been done the organisation says installers often  carry out earth fault loop impedance testing for all circuits this isn't necessary says the  IET and it can be potentially dangerous it says instead the information can often be calculated  by measuring the conductor resistances in a dead circuit the organisation cites regulation 14 of  the electricity at work regulations which states that no work should be carried out on or near live  conductors unless it is unreasonable for them to be dead it says a risk assessment should be  carried out to determine what live testing is needed where live testing is required suitable  precautions shall be used as set out by regulation 14 the IET says that if an accident occurs when  working live the question that would be asked in a court of law will be was it necessary to  carry out live testing if you'd like to come and vehemently debate this issue with someone  then pop down to the installer show on the 24th of June where Gary will be supporting the good  folks at Hive on stand 5H0 he'd love to hear your views on this subject i'll be there too but Gary's  really the expert so give him all your difficult questions make sure you click the link in the show  notes to register for your tickets and get a free drinkie and a bacon sandwich now remarkably the  IET's intervention comes as the inquest into the death of British electrical engineer Roy Temme  comes to a close Temme from Southampton died on board a 48 million pound superyacht in February  last year he'd gone below decks in an attempt to replace the actuator of the ventilation system  damper which had failed he started work without isolating the electrical supply Hampshire coroner  Jason Pegg said it's possible that he was trying to save time and effort despite the risk at some  stage the experienced engineer came into contact with live 230 volt AC conductors while working  on the relevant circuit the inquest heard that Temme was working in temperatures of 50 to 55° C  he was hot and sweaty which would have aided the electrical flow through his body he received an  electric shock and suffered a massive heart attack despite efforts to resuscitate him his heart could  not be restarted and he was pronounced dead in hospital peg returned a verdict of misadventure  meanwhile in Spain a two-year-old girl received a fatal electric shock while bouncing on a Funfire  trampoline the toddler who isn't being named died after touching the metal fence surrounding  the attraction paramedics fought desperately to resuscitate her for half an hour but she  was declared dead at the scene three older children aged 8 11 and 12 also touched the  fence but were unharmed investigators are probing how the temporary fence became live  residents of the town near the city of Mercia are now calling for tighter rules and more inspections  around the electrical supplies at festival events from the eFIXX team we'd like to send our deepest  condolences to all the families affected by these sad events it's just heartbreaking news in other  news the electrical contractors association is asking the trade for help after a spate of solar  panel fires across the country in Dorset a 1.5 million pound mansion burned down a month after  the owners put photovoltaics on the roof at its peak 20ft flames leapt into the sky a spokesperson  for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service blamed the panels for the inferno in Bristol a blaze which  broke out on the roof of St Michael's Maternity Hospital was also blamed on the solar installation  no casualties were reported and the NHS said the hospital is open again and services are running  in Surrey two housing associations have announced they are disconnecting and decommissioning solar  panels from a number of their properties following a second fire in two years at its height 12 fire  engines and additional specialist vehicles were in attendance it's understood that a number of  properties have been destroyed the electrical safety first charity is now asking members of  the electrical contractors association to help it gain insights into these and other incidents  it wants installers to take part in a survey it's conducting to gather data on fires in solar  panel installations it says that along with the significant increase in renewable energy systems  there's also been a notable rise in the number of fires it says "The input of the electrical  trade is crucial to understanding these incidents it wants you to share your experiences so that  safety measures can be enhanced." I've put a link to the survey in the show notes the IET  has released its latest electricians guide this one's about domestic energy storage systems the  guide is designed as an accompaniment to BS7671 and the IET code of practice for electrical energy  storage systems it provides practical on-site advice about the installation of battery packs  the publication looks at issues such as planning permission electrical design fire safety and  data communications control and monitoring and information security it costs 50 quid and can be  bought from the IET's website no doubt script writer Ray curled up with his copy in between  bouts of fly fishing for salmon on the Emerald Isle good to have you back for a full script  this week Ray you can get your copy from the link in the show notes now welcome to our electrical  news weekly feature where we focus on a specific product area this week we're channeling our inner  Edison with some brilliant electrical innovations top of our list is an RCD that can reset itself  devices in the Gewiss restart range can switch themselves back on if it's safe to do so the  restart technology has built-in diagnostics and self- testing it continuously assesses electrical  parameters and environmental conditions to provide automatic reset the units which are available as  both RCD and RCBO formats also boast automatic testing with periodic and automatic control of the  residual current protection without interrupting the power supply the company says the restart  range cuts maintenance costs as a call out isn't needed to reset the device manually there are a  total of 46 variants in the range another bit of kit we love is this tool tray from Remi Tools it's  designed for when you're working on consumer units the tray was developed by electrician  Garrett Rooney who became frustrated with dropped tools and having to look away from his work to  find the right implement the unit has space for up to four screwdrivers and four pliers along  with additional items you mount it to the bottom of the board using the new go clamp which gives  it an ultra secure connection the Go Clamp also lets you use the tray on ladders workbenches and  cherry pickers a new and improved version of the Sockitz safety shield has been unveiled the safety  shield allows you to complete first and second fix at the same time the unit sits between the backbox  and the accessory so that the latter stands proud of the wall it gives lots of space for  the plasterers decorators and tilers to do their thing at the end of the work the safety shield is  removed and the accessory is screwed directly into the back box during its time on the wall  it's electrically safe so the power can be turned back on for the occupants you pop a shower cap on  the accessory to keep it clean it's available in standard single and double socket sizes  the latest version of the socket safety shield now has improved ingress protection a design  which allows easier assembly and it's BS5377 certified there's also an improved fixing for  socket screws which allows safety shield to be fitted without the accessory fitted if required  Kidde Safety Europe has unveiled a fire alarm controller designed to simplify the testing  and maintenance of its popular Cavius family of alarms the CV9101 is wireless so it eliminates  the need for physical access to alarms homeowners can also remotely test and silence their carious  alarms using a test or hush button Kidde says this feature is great for elderly or disabled occupants  who may struggle to access the units as well as for properties with high ceilings you can link  up to 32 alarms in one group we've made a couple of videos featuring the wireless controller and  other Cavius products so check those out Di-Log has launched a kit for solar installers which  brings together all the gear you'll need for PV jobs key items of the SL 350 includes a solar  irradiance tool which measures irradiance up to 1,400 watts per meter squared it includes both a  built-in surface temperature probe and an external probe for underside cell temperature handy for  meeting IEC 62446-1 standards you also get an integrated compass and inclinometer so you can  check the array direction and roof pitch during a site survey also in the kit is the DL6414 clamp  meter it measures up to 1,000 amps and 1,000 volts in both AC and DC it boasts additional functions  such as low impedance inrush current measurement and a mode for variable frequency drive it's even  got a built-in torch Joe Hammonds actually created an entire CPD training package on how to design  the perfect solar installation so make sure you click the link in the show notes to check that out  that was made in association with our good friends over at Sunsynk Ratio has unveiled its latest EV  charger the IO6 Pro the company says it's taken everything the trade loved about the original IO6  and levelled it up it has features such as an integrated certified MID monitor for accurate  energy monitoring and billing it also boasts single and three-phase open pen protection which  eliminates the need for costly earth rods there's also click-in terminals and accessible ports by  October it'll come with an automatic welcome light you commission using the ratio app over Bluetooth  you can check it out at the installer show from the 24th to the 26th of June that's our electrical  news weekly roundup of products or people we think deserve some attention next time we're going week  for wiring accessories our learner of the week has been nominated by Gary Hayes and its Will Mills  from Derby will has set his heart on becoming a fully qualified electrician he recently achieved  his level two in electrical installation is keen to progress the trade is partly in his blood as he  has been working in the family construction business for the past few years we're super  impressed with Will's practical work and we wish him all the best with his studies now Gary spends  a lot of time supporting apprentices learners and contractors in the electrical industry so I'd like  to ask if now you could support him as many of you may know his daughter Vienna was involved  in a tragic accident some years ago and suffered a life-changing injury but because she's an absolute  boss and doesn't let anything hold her back she's decided to run the London Marathon to support the  charity Rays of Sunshine who helped her enormously through the very difficult period following her  accident many in the industry have already contributed to Vienna's Just Giving page but  if you haven't and you can spare a bit of cash to support a good cause that makes very ill kids days  a bit brighter it would be very much appreciated you'll find the link for that in the show notes  our question of the week was based on our free training package made in association with GRP  containment specialist Marshall Tufflex we asked what is the primary material composition of GRP  the answer was of course glass fibre in polyester resin the good news is that the vast majority of  you chose the correct answer some 82% of YouTubers opted for it and a stoning 90% of LinkedIners got  it right as well another win for team blue and the best overall result we've had in ages reward  yourself by checking out that free training package that we created with Marshall Tufflex  on GRP Containment you know where you'll find the link finally a reminder that there's still time  to win a pair of tickets for the Oasis reunion in the Schneider Electric promo the company is  offering two premium club hospitality tickets in its story promotion the Oasis tickets offer some  of the best seats in the stadium and access to exclusive bars you'll also get Oasis merch and  a 50 Uber voucher to get you home afterwards runner-up prizes are pretty cool too they  include Ticket Master and Apple Music gift cards in values from 50 to£250 to enter spend 250 quid  on Schneider products at participating wholesalers and you'll receive an entry ticket simply scan the  QR code on your competition entry ticket to access the entry form the competition closes at the end  of June 2025 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 over the next few  weeks we'll be featuring wiring accessories cable management and fire safety and security  products so send us pictures of your installs or let us know if you've come across any new kit or  companies that are 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 at Sunsynk next with deep commitments  to the economy the environment and the electrical community they're so much more than an electrical  distributor the self-styled experts in shifting boxes it's Niglon up next for all your circuit  protection needs they're like having an Italian Star Striker in your premiership team it's Lewden  Palazzoli in an age of energy uncertainty if you're looking for your next EV charge point  to install and helping you charge into the future with confidence powering the future together it's  Rolec and now suspend your disbelief like you suspend a cable tray if you need to get any  piece of building services equipment into the air and keep it there then check out Zip Clip with a  new award-winning Lumo consumer unit and offering complete product support from their highly trained  team is CPN Cudis and with over 5,000 product lines from heating lighting ventilation to wiring  accessories if you need it they've got it it's electrical distributor CED Group don't forget to  use the code eFIXX30 to claim your 30% discount on top quality light fittings from Phillips and  Ecolink download the 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 is Doncaster Cables click the links in  the show notes to find out more about these great brands if you think you know the words  that I've smuggled into this week's show pop your guess into the comments will take all the correct  guesses and select one at random to be the winner of an EIX 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 winner of last week's challenge word competition last week's words were convoluted and  Submariner and the winner to be plucked from our electronic hat was Marcus Naylor which I  was really chuffed about because I had the chance to meet Marcus in person at CEF Live recently and  he reminded me that he came up with Joe Hammond's winning nickname of Joe 3PO which we all loved so  thanks for coming over to say hello Marcus make sure you click the get involved link in the show  notes to claim your prize and if like Marcus you'd like to come and say hello in person then  don't forget to register for your free installer show tickets you're nearly out of time as Gary  and I will be there supporting the good folks at Hive on Stand 5H80 on Tuesday the 24th of  June which is the day after this episode goes out so click the link in the show notes to register  and don't miss out 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