IET Intervenes In Live Testing Debate...

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