Coming up on this week's news, the author of the wiring regulations say they can be broken in certain circumstances. A fake electrician is jailed for 9 years and the trade finally gets an answer on the use of euro back boxes. 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 this week, the recording studio is being powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World. With over 40 years of online selling experience, high stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG, they offer free next working day delivery on orders over £150, and love hearing from customers. So, give them a call and speak to a real person. And this week's challenge word competition is supported by the good people at Brother. If you need a label, they've got a printer, and so much more. 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. And while you're there, click the links to check out Consumer Unit World and Brother. The wiring regulations can be broken in certain circumstances. That's the official position of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, which this week clarified the situation in a special advisory. The organisation describes deliberate breaching of the regs by electricians as intended departures and has set out the situations where it's possible. An instance is where you want to use a piece of electrical kit made outside Europe. A good example is a specialised cable. These include non-standard types like YY, SY, and CY. Then there's power cables with integral COMS's wires designed for use with EVs and solar arrays. These cables comply with certain British standards in part, such as for the cross-sectional area and insulation, but no full standards exist for these, which is why you won't see them in appendix one of the regs. If the cables are third party approved by recognised test centres such as BASEC, the installer could use it to support a claim that it has the same degree of safety or more. In other words, you can make a case for it. You can do the same for any new invention as long as you can demonstrate the golden rule that it's no less safe than conforming to BS7671. You'll need to add the necessary paperwork to the certification. This could include technical documentation such as compliance with relevant safety requirements and a declaration of conformity. Intended departures aren't just confined to innovative new kit. You can also make departures in terms of circuit design. The IET gives the example of connecting solar or generators to an existing installation. Regulation 551 requires that the switch gear can handle the combined current of the incoming supply and the generator. But here you can argue that because the total possible load current without diversity cannot exceed the rated current of the assembly in normal service, there is a degree of safety not less than regulation 551. In this case, you would add schematic drawings to the electrical certification and provide evidence that the rated current of the assembly can't be exceeded. So when is a departure not a departure? This happens in some cases. For instance, take the last example of the total load current. Some manufacturers provide a declaration that a 16 amp PV circuit can be connected to a 100 amp consumer unit that's protected by a 100 amp overcurrent protective device, providing that you connect the PV circuit to the opposite end of the bussbar to the incoming main switch. In this case, the manufacturer has declared the rated current of the assembly as 116 amps. They've also carried out the necessary verification such as temperature rise testing and declared its suitability. Here, the brand has done your work for you. So, this install does not need to be declared as an intended departure. The IET warns that a fault or non-compliance with BS7671 can never be an intended departure, nor can you use it to cover a bad design or install. And where you leave out certain tests during inspection and testing, this should be recorded as a limitation, not an intended departure. Remember, a departure must be agreed by all interested parties. And finally, the scary bit. The IET reminds us, if reminding were needed, that in the event of a problem, you may be required to espouse your decision in a court of law. gulp. I'll put a link to this week's full advisory in the show notes. Now, can you use European style backboxes in UK installations? That's a question that's divided opinion in the trade for years with no resolution until now. That is. That's because respected manufacturers trade body BEAMA has collated, considered, and deliberated on the issue. And the jury's just been called back. I have to say that it's not looking good for our circular friend, the Euro Backbox. There's an alphabet soup of standards covering this area, including our old friends BS4662, 5733, and the classic 60670. Both 4662 and 5733 require that the boxes be marked with these standard numbers along with the name or logo of the manufacturer. Meanwhile, 60670 states that boxes must have metal threads and goes further by spelling out that self tapping screws are not permitted. Another crucial element is 1363's provision for two M3.5 mounting screws at the centre. But Euro boxes don't usually put British standard numbers on them, and they're designed to be used with self-threading screws. Beamer points out that self tapping screws tend to be pointed and so can easily damage cable insulation. Also, the threads in the plastic are more likely to strip or become cross threaded, allowing the accessory to become insecure. Euro boxes tend to be smaller than UK ones. Therefore, an accessory designed for and tested with a BS4662 or BS5733 box may not have sufficient wiring space even if the accessory physically fits into the box. Also, if the volume of the European box is less than that of a British standard box, the accessory may not meet temperature rise requirements. Finally, a BS 1363 socket outlet must be tested in a BS4662 box. If a socket outlet has been designed to fit any other box, the socket outlet cannot meet the full requirements of BS363-2. Therefore, it looks like it's a big fat no from manufacturers. So, if you bet your mate Fiver that it was okay to use a Euro box, he owes you a point or a cheeky halfisher in London. The advisory is free to download and the link as ever is in the show notes. In the courts this week, a fraudster who faked being an electrician to gain access to the homes of the elderly has been jailed for 9 years. 64y old Robert Mark Ward was found guilty in Glasgow High Court of defrauding and stealing from nine victims across Asia. Some of his targets were in their 90s. Judge Lady Ross Casey said although the sums of money stolen were not great and totalled around 600, the seriousness of the crimes cannot just be measured in pounds sterling. Following the verdict, the representative body of Scottish electrical contractors select urged the public to always check identification before allowing trades people into their home. Meanwhile, Essex police say they have concluded their investigation into the mysterious death of reality TV star and electrician George Gilbey. The Gogglebox and Big Brother star died from traumatic head and abdomen injuries after falling through a skylight while working on a project in Essex. The 40-year-old was declared dead on site at the EGL homecare warehouse in Shoebury. A man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter was released under investigation. The probe is now being led by the health and safety executive. Now, did you know that our scrap metal partner, Greencable, serves colleges and training centres that are teaching the electricians of the future? Lecturers and college authorities are eligible to sign up to its unique service where they effectively bring the scales to you in collecting, weighing, and paying for your scrap. If you're not familiar with the scheme, it's a relatively new concept where the company delivers a green wheelie bin, or many if you require to your premises. There's no contract or service charge. You simply put in your offcuts of twin and earth and other non-ferris metal. They collect it, they give you money, and that's it. The firm describes itself as the trade scrapyard on wheels now that it's serving over 3,000 customers across England and South Wales. It's also upgraded its fleet and is rolling out the service to more parts of the country in the coming months. Earlier this year, it expanded to Blackpool, Yorkshire, Surrey, and Bedfordshire, and more recently added Essex, Haven, and Cardiff to its territory. So, if you're a college or if you're in those regions and are ready to sign up, head over to greencable.com and get yourself on the list to be visited. You can meet the guys from Greencable at Elex in Coventry on the 11th and 12th of September. I've also popped a sign up link in the show notes. So, rubber dub dub, let's join the club. Now, welcome to our electrical news weekly feature where we focus on a specific product area. This week, we're taking care of safety equipment. Easi Dec has introduced a piece of kit that has seriously impressed the team here at eFIXX. It's a special access platform for solar projects. The fully compliant, lightweight platform allows quick and safe access to roofs and is specifically designed for maintaining PV panels. It features a purpose-designed gantry for lifting solar panels to the roof level. It has adjustable height with telescopic independently adjustable legs, and you don't need tools to adjust it. It's fully compliant to EN13374 class C and EN12811-1. Easi Dec says access platforms trump scaffolding all day long. That's because in many parts of the country, there are weights of up to 10 weeks for scaffolding, and the firm reckons an access platform saves you a whopping two thirds of the cost of scaffolding. I've put a link for more info in the show notes. Oxford Safety Components are promoting their special crawl board for working in lofts and similar spaces. The Cover Safe Spark Board is a lightweight working platform formulated with GRP used to prevent falls through ceilings. GRP was developed for aerospace and Formula 1 racing, and this has been woven into the product's design to provide a full protection system that's super lightweight. The mat is light and portable and closes down to just 1150 x 480 mil to fit into a carry case, so it's easy to get through small attic hatches. When opened, it covers an area of up to 2 m by 0.8 m, spreading the weight of the operator over the joists. Now we all #lovelinian and today we're revisiting an absolute classic in the form of the fireclip. A single component fixing. It's designed for mounting fire rated and security cables on walls and inside PVC trunking. It's super fast. You simply drill the correct size hole for the substrate you're working on. Fold it over the cable in question and push it into your drilled hole to lock it in position. Simple as can be and leaves a really nice clean finish, especially when you use it in place of the traditional SWA cleat. It comes in a range of sizes and colours to suit your install. can be used for single or double cables and is 70% quicker to install than traditional methods. It meets 18th edition BSI D and L standards, resists corrosion, UV and heat over 200° C. Just one more reminder while we all #lovelinian. Keeping your installation safe now, the Socket & See MFTt 5000 delivers on both precision and clarity. Imagine all your essential tests, insulation, continuity, loop impedance, RCD, socket wiring, and reverse polarity checks united in one rugged IP54 rated tool. Its colour-coded fascia and full colour backlit screen deliver clarity in even the dimmest spaces. Add autophase rotation, a custom splash screen that you can add your own company logo to, and less kit to carry every day. For pros who've stuck with their legacy kit, the MFT 5000 isn't just an upgrade. It's your toolbox reimagined for speed, accuracy, and daily confidence. Why not make the jump to socket and see today? You know where to find the link. Next up, you'll want to keep those digits safe, and we found the perfect product. The Gator Grips glove isn't just another orange diamond texture glove. It's the original, perfected over 30 years. Built for serious trade professionals, it's engineered with 12 mil finger thickness, oil, and chemical resistance, and a diamond grip pattern that delivers power and precision. No tearing, no cramping, just relentless durability. It's five times stronger than your average nitro glove. Loved by mechanics, welders, tilers, detailers, and now electricians as well. Gator Grips combines industrial-grade protection with smart tough technology so you can stay connected without removing your gloves. This is heritage-built hand protection made for the hardest jobs and trusted by those who do them. Available right now either online at the link in the show notes or at CEF and Yesss Electrical. And if you're a wholesaler and you'd like to provide these high quality gloves to your customers, then get in touch. They'll be happy to work with you. Now, you know, we love a bit of kit designed by an electrician for electricians. So, we're really pleased to check out the Komodo workwear range, which was personally designed by its founder, Liam Snellin. If Liam looks familiar, that's because he's one of the chosen few who braved the wroth of Lord Sugar in series 19 of BBC TV's hit show, The Apprentice. The gear is comfortable, functional, and also looks great. Regular workwear trousers tended to bunch at the back of the knee throughout the workday, making it difficult and uncomfortable to carry out certain tasks on site. So Liam came up with modern work trousers that paired the comfort factor of tracksuit bottoms with the durability of traditional work wear trousers. With an elasticated waist and material that has just the right amount of stretch while staying strong, Komodo trousers are ideal for Sparks. And they've just released new jogger style workwear trousers that feel like joggers but have all the pockets an electrician needs. Available in new colours, black, grey, navy, beige, and even orange. And speaking of inventions for electricians by electricians, we also love the Spurlok. It's a safety device invented by Birmingham electrician and EIX 30 under 30 award winner Neo Mosudisa. Mosudisa once had to isolate a faulty water cooler but realised there was nothing suitable. That evening he came up with the idea for the spur lock. It's a fuse spur lockout kit which makes safe isolation easier. It's been carefully designed and sized by Neo to fit the vast majority of different fuse spur isolators across a wide range of different manufacturers. It comes with the locking device, a padlock and key, a warning label, and a marker pen so you can show who locked out the unit. All contained in a neat tin and handy carry case. It's made from tough ABS plastic and complies with the 18th edition. Our star power tool this week is the ViperClip, a cable stapler that's designed for securing twin and earth and fire resistant cables. The tool uses preloaded clips that are fired into place, avoiding the need for manual hammering. It's intended to speed up the process of fixing cables to surfaces while maintaining consistent spacing and secure fastening. The mechanism is spring powered and reloads quickly, allowing multiple clips to be fitted in succession. And each clip holds the cable firmly without crushing or damaging the insulation. And best of all, in addition to the standard clips, their fire clips include a steel metal bridge, ensuring that should a fire break out, this clip will prevent premature collapse of the wiring system. All their fire clips are certified to BSEN52000 2015. Gary and Joe loved it when they got their mitts on one for a bench test. To get your mitts on one, click the link in the show notes. That's our electrical news weekly roundup of products or people that we think deserve some attention. Next time we're making life easier with innovations. Now it's time to get excited again because the next major event in the electricians calendar is about to land. It's the ELEX show in Coventry. Spanning two days on the 11th and 12th of September at the CBS Arena. That's the former Rico Arena for those of us of a certain age. Anyway, here's who we think you should be checking out on the day. First up are the geniuses behind Connexbox. This is their first electro since officially renaming its product under the Connexbox brand. They're back with a bold new name and a big reveal, the all new JBX Pro enclosure. Designed to simplify installations, it handles up to six cables and eight connectors in a single box. With a secure clamping system for round or flat cables and multiple entry points, it's built for power, lighting, and smart circuits alike. This is the Junction Box Reimagined. Compact, future ready, and installer focused. Supplies are currently very limited, but early visitors will walk away with a free JBX Pro sample. Some even hiding golden tickets for exclusive Connexbox prizes. First come to Stand 59, First Connected. Are you tired of hefting massive drums of cable around? The NKT Caddy is a clever all-in-one cable reel and trolley that transforms how you work on site. It holds up to 500 m of cable, features large wheels for easy movement over obstacles, and a fully integrated drum for stable, tangle-free pullouts. The independent retractable handle ensures smooth manoeuvering without awkward leverage, and folds away neatly for compact storage. With precise cable control that reduces waste, the Caddy boosts safety, speed, and efficiency. Tests show it can triple installer productivity. Experience it firsthand at the Ventcroft stand at the Elex Show. Gap Lighting's task lighting collection brings precision, power, and practicality to every workspace. The ultra- low profile ZLight 2000 delivers 2,000 lumens from a fold flat rechargeable LED, while the portable Magna 1200 combines a slim task light and torch with obstacle detection for safe, long-lasting use. The Cube 1000 offers dual-sided flood and torch light with a mini tripod and USB power bank. And for versatile wear, the lightweight Nexus 350 neck light gives 350 lumens and 120 degrees rotation, minimising strain. They also offer multi-functional rechargeable power banks in the form of the Power 1000, delivering portable, clean energy for tools, lighting, and devices with multiple outputs and solar charging capability. From hands-free precision to rugged reliability, Gap Lighting's task lights are engineered to illuminate the job, not just the workspace. Powered Now is back with its most powerful release yet. Designed to help electricians save time, stay compliant, and get paid faster. New automation tools handle invoice chasing, quote follow-ups, and appointment reminders, helping you avoid no-shows, missed payments, and endless admin. With 12 new compliance certificates, project tools with image markup, and a fully redesigned customer portal, it's built from real installer feedback. Add a UK-based support team, and a buzz worthy stand packed with energy, and you've got a game-changing platform transforming how thousands of electricians run their businesses. It's simple, smart, and ready to work when you are. The QuickFix JBU maintenance-free junction box is revolutionising indoor wiring. Crafted from durable flame retardant polypropylene, it securely fits 1 mil, 1.5 mil, and 2.5 mil twin and earth as well as 0.75 mil or 1 mil flexible cables and handles up to 20 amps. Fully compliant with BS5733 and 18th edition wiring standards, it requires no screwdriver for installation. Just slot the cable, clamp, and close. Smart features like an unrestricted cable slot, zip tie safety tabs, and compact UK manufactured design streamline the job. Head over to their stand to see how well a kinetic mini dimmer integrates into this revolutionary junction box. Chint proudly marks 21 years as a global provider of power distribution and protective solutions with an established reputation for both single and three-phase distribution boards. Combining UK assembled switch gear with industrial-grade design, their consumer units, RCD and main switchboards deliver installer friendly, reliable performance backed by rapid service and technical support. With Chint's expansive range, meeting both domestic and commercial safety standards, electricians can trust proven quality and seamless system integration. This anniversary isn't just a milestone. It's a testament to enduring innovation, service excellence, and the expertise that keeps power flowing safely where it matters most. Ideal are showcasing two of their distinctive connectors. Gen two lever wire connectors deliver fast, secure connections for solid, stranded, and flexible wires. Featuring easy open levers, reliable spring bite, clear housings for visual inspection, test ports, and one-hand operation. They're compact and ergonomically designed for installer comfort and efficiency. Meanwhile, the splice line inline connector uses patented push-in technology to offer crimp-free, solder-free butt splices up to 75% faster. Its slim transparent housing fits through slim knockouts and covers the same wire range as three traditional splices. Ideal for tight spaces and pre-fabrication. If you buy them at the ELEX, you'll enjoy 50% off list price. That should generate a stampede. That's our ELEX Coventry roundup. Let us know in the comments if you'll be attending. Now it's that great moment where we get to celebrate the sterling work being done by the next generation. Our learner of the week this week is Kai Abbott. He has really impressed us with his knowledge and practical work. Kai has completed a string of eFIXX CPD certificates in recent weeks to develop his skills further. He's set to start the second year of his two-level electrical qualification next month. Having already completed level one and two, he's now actively seeking work experience or an apprenticeship in the Northamptonshire area with his home base in Welling. His enthusiasm, willingness to learn, and clear sense of direction really set him apart. If you think you have any opportunities for Kai, please get in touch with us via the show notes. 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, empowering their customers to harness power through light with their intelligent energy solutions, solar technology, and advanced lighting systems. It's Ledvance with their new award-winning Lumo consumer unit and offering complete product support from their highly trained team. It's 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. 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 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. And just a heads up, we're about to go on one of our vanishingly rare breathers from the news as it's holiday season. So, the winner of this week's show will be revealed on the 8th of September by a guest presenter. Fully normal service will be resumed on the following MondayNow, let's reveal the winners of last week's challenge word competition as sponsored by Brother. Remember, if you need a label, they've got a printer and so much more. Click the link in the description to view their incredible range, including this rather lovely and upgraded E560. Last week's words were oompaloompa and gloop. Clearly, script writer Ray was revisiting his childhood last week. And I opted to be quite generous and factor in everyone who added Augustus to the gloop guess as getting it right. And due to some rumblings of discontent from serial winner Mark just Mark on YouTube, I have to remind you that I don't pick the challenge words. That's all carried out by the good folks on the challenge word selection committee and their word is law. Anyway, the person to come out of electronic hat was JG- WX2XS, which I'm guessing is not your government name. So, well done to you. Click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. This week, the recording studio has been powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with their 40 years of online selling experience, high stock levels of great brands like BG, free networking delivery on orders over 150 quid, and exceptional customer support. They're worth checking out at the link in the show notes. 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.