Your BESA ISSUE 11

Issue 11 YOUR National Conference Round-Up All the 2018 BESA Award Winners Also in this issue Government back retentions reform P13 UK’s first HIU test standard in high demand P18 30 Years of Welplan P26 www.theBESA.com @BESAGroup BESA Group



BESA chief executive David frise Welcome YOUR BESA - ISSUE 11 In this issue: CoNfERENCE & AWARDS RoUND-UP P04 fUTURE LEADERS P10 PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE P11 REPRESENTATIoN P13 TECHNICAL NEWS P16 BACK To THE BESA fUTURE P29 David Frise MEMBER SPoTLIGHT P30 You can’t Google everything There was a tremendous amount of there was significant interaction with on in between sessions and around the information on offer at last month’s the audience – the panellists were all exhibition stands. BESA National Conference in London. experts in their field, but they didn’t The keynote sessions ranged far and know what questions were going Deciding which events to attend and wide covering everything from the to come at them ‘from the floor’. finding the time to extricate ourselves Grenfell Tower tragedy to poor payment Everyone at BESA is hugely grateful from busy schedules is tougher than practices and even Gordon Brown’s to them for, not only sharing their ever these days. We realise that and leadership style (see pages 6-8). valuable knowledge with us, but also that it is incumbent on us to ensure having the courage to sit on a stage if we do ask for your time, we provide In this web-enabled age, it is becoming and wait for someone to ask the ‘killer you with value in return. fashionable to be a bit dismissive about question’. the value of ‘physical’ meetings and To those of you who did come, thank conferences. “I can Google that” is the On the technical front, we were you for attending – I am sure you refrain – and yes, there is a vast amount treated to presentations and animated learned something…at least one thing. of knowledge available to us online. You discussions about how facilities For those who missed it, read about will also find many key messages from management needs to step up to the some of it here and get ready to ask the Conference in the press and on plate and address building operational that killer question next year. various websites. issues in the wake of Grenfell Tower; the likely impact of new clean air You are even able to look at many of the legislation on building indoor air Follow David on Twitter: presentation slides, but you will never quality; the role of off-site manufacture @outsiderwrecker4 know about the nugget of information in tackling skills gaps and quality that you missed because you weren’t issues…and many others. Your BESA Magazine is produced and managed there to join the conversation. Also, if by Open Box Media and Communications Ltd. you are going to Google something Our Future Leaders group set out Tel: +44 (0)121 200 7820 you have to know what the question is an agenda to drive recruitment Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy before you can ask it. into our sector from schools and to of the information given, the publisher - the BESA Group; or Open Box Media and Communications address mental health issues. It was all Ltd - the production managers; cannot accept You don’t know what you don’t know. happening – and we were tweeting liability for loss or damage arising from the about it – but you had to be there to information supplied. Our panel sessions on Brexit and the get the full value. You also cannot read The inclusion of adverts and information herein Grenfell Tower fire and its impact on our about the informal and unscheduled does not in any way imply or include endorsement or the approval of, or from, the BESA Group. industry were only successful because meetings and discussions that went 3

BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEER BESA AWARDS 2018 APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR LUKE ROBINSON NG BAILEY REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR OH, WHAT A NIGHT! This year’s BESA National Awards sponsored by JONATHAN LANSDOWNE Milwaukee Tools, saw a jam-packed room of 250 TECHNICAL RETAIL SERVICES LTD people celebrate the UK’s brightest stars from the building engineering services industry. SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE ENGINEER APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR The prestigious black tie awards took place on Thursday 1 November at the Park Plaza Victoria, London and saw 13 categories up for grabs, including for the first time, the BESA Long Service Award. The evening kicked off with the launch of the Back to the BESA Future campaign, which showcased the history of the Association and its members over the past 114 years (read more on page 29). Comedian Ian Stone, compered the evening and announced the winners who were a range of BESA apprentices, members and employers who had previously won at regional level. The BESA KIERAN BIGGS ECOLUTION GROUP National Awards are a culmination of a series of regional awards which took place throughout 2018 in the North East, North West, Yorkshire, London, South East and Midlands, Wales and Scotland. BESA PRESIDENT’S AWARD ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR NATIONAL SKILLFRIDGE WINNER GARETH JONES FAIRHEAT ADAM MCHAFFIE SODEXO CHANDLER DAVISON BESA Group 4 Companies: TRAINING

ANN NOBLETT PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR FARMWOOD M&E SERVICES LTD KELLY MOSS BRIGGS & FORRESTER WINNER JAKE SHORROCK RUNNER UP T CLARKE CONTRACTING LTD SPECIALIST GROUP AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE SEAN FERGUSON BES LTD ROBERT FLETCHER FIFE COUNCIL ALFRED MANLY MANAGEMENT AWARD BESA LONG SERVICE AWARD BESA APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR HEATING & VENTILATION APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR COMYN CHING & CO (SOLRAY) LTD ALSO CROWN HOUSE TECHNOLOGIES LUKE ROBINSON NG BAILEY JACK DINNEWELL NG BAILEY THANK YoU A big thank you to everyone who was shortlisted and attended. It was a fantastic night and proved once again, that building engineering services is one of the best and leading industries in the UK! We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, Milwaukee Tools, who have supported our awards both at regional and national level. Please note dates for diaries below for our 2019 regional awards. For more information visit www.theBESA.com/awards REGIoNAL AWARDS 2019 GARETH JONES FAIRHEAT BESA North East BESA Yorkshire BESA Cyrmu / Wales BESA North West 1 March 2019 6 April 2019 11 May 2019 8 June 2019 Crowne Plaza, Majestic Hotel, Mercure Holland Victoria & Albert Hotel, Newcastle Harrogate House Hotel, Cardiff Manchester 5

BESA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2018 BRExIT DELAY WOULD HURT INDUSTRY A further extension to the Brexit transition period would be “hugely unhelpful” to the Insight construction and building services sectors, according to BESA President Tim Hopkinson. “You have a unique insight into the built He told the Association’s 2018 National Conference that environment and “the one thing businesses crave above all else is certainty” bring architects’ and the proposal to extend transition arrangements after visions to life,” she the UK leaves the European Union would further delay said. “You make our investment decisions. buildings function and keep their He also criticised the Prime Minister for labelling occupants safe. It is so important that BESA continues construction craft occupations as “low skilled” and, to set standards and quality benchmarks,” said Mrs Flint. therefore, subject to the strictest immigration restraints after Brexit. “These are crucial skills that will be central to She added that trade associations like BESA also played an many of our forthcoming projects,” said Mr Hopkinson. important role in supporting SMEs. “SMEs are vital to our economy, but you wouldn’t believe it from the business voices you hear on the radio and TV,” said Mrs Flint. “We only hear from the big corporates with the huge PR budgets…but BESA is crucial in getting the views of smaller businesses heard.” She also pointed out that British SMEs were owed £586bn as a result of poor payment practices, which “can’t go on”. “The government has rules on late payment, but it is not enforcing them. Major suppliers on public sector projects are getting paid on time, but they are not passing the money down their supply chains. That’s a scandal.” She described the Grenfell Tower fire as “a major shock” that should lead to an examination of “the rigour of our building inspection regime”. “BESA members are in a great position to provide helpful “Describing them in this way also sends out the wrong advice and solutions as they understand these issues,” said message to young people considering a career in our Mrs Flint. sector. Top quality professionals are vital, but we also need excellence in craft skills.” Earlier, BESA chief executive David Frise said the Association was making excellence in technical matters its top priority as Delegates at the Conference held at London’s Park Plaza it seeks to help contractors demonstrate competence and Hotel Victoria, also heard former Labour cabinet minister compliance in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy. Caroline Flint MP criticise successive governments for failing to deliver infrastructure projects. She urged politicians “Technical is the friend of the contractor,” he said, before to step back and allow industry to find the solutions to many stressing the role of conferences and meetings in helping to of the country’s requirements. drive improvements right across the industry. The former Housing and Planning Minister added that BESA “You can’t Google this stuff. You only find out what you need and its members had a big part to play in British people’s to know when you attend events and speak to people face- quality of life. to-face…you don’t know what you don’t know,” said Mr Frise. BESA Group 6 Companies: TRAINING

COMPLACENCY AND COMPLExITY BLAMED FOR GRENFELL FIRE The Conference also Cost heard that technical “Fire engineering is often incompetence was likely seen as an additional cost to blame for the Grenfell not an integral part of the Tower tragedy, but process – and if the team the disaster was also a is led by an architect it will not be considered until well culmination of growing into the M&E phase,” said complacency across the Mark Farmer, CEO of Cast fire safety industry. and author of the seminal government-sponsored Before Grenfell, the number of review of the construction fires and deaths in fires were in labour market model decline. This led to complacency ‘Modernise or Die’. and a race to the bottom on price,” Conor Logan, technical director of Colt International, “There has been very little change in client behaviour told the conference. “However, it would appear that insurance since Grenfell – everything is still driven by lowest cost,” he claims were rising for a smaller number of fires, but nobody added. “We need to impose more prescriptive regulations, seemed to relate that to a bigger issue.” at least until we sort ourselves out. That is why I would favour a complete ban on combustible cladding, for He also pointed out that a big part of competence was being example, because the current system of regulation is able to recognise when you should not be carrying out fundamentally flawed and very hard for building control specialist work, according to Mr Logan. to sign off.” “We have the crazy situation of fire alarm companies being The current process is also too complex, according to given contracts to service fire and smoke control systems Will Pitt of NG Bailey, who is chair of the BESA Technical when they clearly do not have the expertise. Hopefully, one of Committee. the outcomes from the Hackitt Review will be an end to that sort of corner cutting,” he said. “Competence is the single biggest issue to emerge from the aftermath of Grenfell, but the whole project process Mr Logan was part of an expert ‘Fire Safety Panel’ chaired by has become so complex that building control officers BESA chief executive David Frise and co-hosted by the Smoke are signing off things they can’t possibly understand,” he Control Association. said. “It is unreasonable to expect the MEP contractor to take responsibility for all of this and solve all the technical They told the Conference that fire engineers were rarely problems – other specialists need to step up.” involved at the design stage of building services projects so fire safety elements often had to be bolted on after the rest of The panel agreed that the current privatised model for the M&E works were complete. building control was flawed as it did not incentivise inspectors to take tough action against developers. Poor quality specification is also a major problem, according to Roperhurst managing director Bob Lane. “They are often cut and paste exercises carried out by the most junior member of the project team – yet the success of the whole design depends on them,” he explained. While the panel identified many of the technical problems that led to the Grenfell tragedy, Ian Doncaster from the Smoke Control Association said many of the real issues were “cultural”, which are much harder to change “because you are asking people to change their behaviour”. He said the Hackitt Review had already pointed this out. 7

FUTURE LEADERS SET TO TACKLE SKILLS GAP The BESA future Leaders group set a series of ambitious aims and objectives for the coming year during a special session at the Conference. As well as encouraging more young engineers from BESA member companies to join the group, it said its main aims for the coming year would be to focus on ways to reduce the skills gap. OFF-SITE TAKING OFF Part of the plan involves getting young STEM Ambassadors to work with BESA members to set up engineering workshops and to collaborate with Primary Engineers, which Increasing the proportion of building is an initiative set up to enthuse young school children engineering services systems produced off-site about science, will help the industry improve productivity technology and and quality. This was the key message from a engineering. conference session chaired by BESA President It will also look Tim Hopkinson. to collaborate with like-minded Adrian Mitchell of Balfour Beatty said the factory-based bodies across the model could reduce programmes by between 20% and 60% sector, including depending on the nature of the project and cut delivery costs the CIBSE Young by as much as 40%. It could also lead to a 70% reduction in Engineers’ project labour – with some major projects benefitting from a Network, and saving of more than 100,000 working hours. organise joint projects and Working off-site improves safety and working conditions for meetings. staff by minimising elements like working at heights and ‘hot works’. He said that manufacturing M&E risers was one of the Mental health is another area of growing concern, so the most valuable off-site activities contractors could now deliver. Future Leaders have created a series of ‘tool box’ talks that will be available for download from www.theBESA.com/ However, the session also heard about multiple barriers to mentalhealth. Member companies will be invited to use wider adoption of off-site methods including the fact that these to help their staff deal with this increasingly worrying many projects start with incomplete designs – a factor that feature of life in construction-related fields. can be “fatal to off-site”, according to Mr Mitchell. The group is also going to focus on encouraging wider Other issues like site restrictions can hold back off-site uptake of new technologies. An example cited by Future specifications, but many of these obstacles – including Leaders chair Reanna Evans was the use of QR codes to the challenges posed by refurbishment projects – can capture project and operational information in an easy to be overcome by adopting a ‘design for manufacture and use, low cost format. assembly’ (DfMA) approach where the contractor operates more like a manufacturer. She also called on more BESA member companies to offer work placements to young people so that they can get a feel “The industry does not currently maximise the pre- for the industry. construction phase as well as it should,” said Mr Mitchell. “We need to stress to clients how DfMA can add value to all aspects “It is really important that this happens before they opt of a project and model ourselves on the motor industry, which for an apprenticeship so they can decide at an early stage makes great use of standardisation and multiple modules.” whether this is the right career for them. If, instead, they start an apprenticeship and then drop out – somebody else He said off-site approaches could help to narrow the skills gap, has missed out on that opportunity,” Reanna explained. but in a way that is complementary to on-site skilled trades and would not “force them out the door”. www.theBESA.com/future-leaders BESA Group 8 Companies: TRAINING

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FUTURE LEADERS Leader of the pride Reanna Evans is the new chair of the BESA future Leaders group and believes it is time for the “alpha male” building engineering industry to get in touch with its feminine side. Reanna is a passionate believer in the role of women in engineering and thinks the building services industry will not survive unless it makes far greater strides towards embracing gender diversity. “The culture in contracting is wrong,” she says. “The consulting engineering sector is getting this right, but we aren’t. This is still an alpha male industry that simply must change to survive. We need more women at the sharp end helping to get things built.” She also believes that having more women in contracting will help the profession adapt to new ways of working: “Women are good team players and we are also very process-driven, Reanna Evans proudly holds her award which is just what the industry needs right now,” says Reanna. She described taking the chair of the Future Leaders group as “a real honour” and hopes she can have “a real impact on the future of the engineering industry”. sponsored her through a degree in Building Services Engineering at Leeds Beckett University. She has recently Reanna also won the highly prestigious CIBSE ASHRAE been promoted to senior project engineer. Graduate of the Year award for 2018 in October following a testing final round of presentations at the Institution of “I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction from building Mechanical Engineers in London. The award has been running something for the future – and want to pass that excitement for 23 years and attracts entries from all over the world. on to others. If I have worked on a hospital, then I have helped to save lives…if we were part of the team delivering She joined NG Bailey as a first year building services orthopaedic facilities then I have helped people to walk again.” engineering apprentice in 2011 and the company then As chair of the Future Leaders group, she wants to put a heavy emphasis on encouraging 12 to 13 year olds to look at engineering, both in design, and on the tools. “We can offer them placements in the industry and show them what is possible,” she says. “We can show them BIM, estimating and planning; how things work on site – and the opportunities in M&E, which are unfamiliar to many people.” Inspired by her own experience with the NG Bailey apprenticeship scheme, she wants to work with other BESA members and encourage them to offer work experience opportunities. This kind of far-sighted and ambitious thinking is just what BESA President Tim Hopkinson had in mind for the Future Reanna receives her certificate from Leaders group when he launched it last year. ASHRAE President Sheila Hayter Find out more about the Future Leaders group at www.theBESA.com/future-leaders BESA Group 10 Companies: TRAINING

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Welcome to a new era BESA President Tim Hopkinson told the Association’s annual President’s Lunch that major construction and infrastructure projects would not be delivered unless the industry changed the way it worked. He urged members and guests at the differently, and that the two proposed event held in the Oxo Tower on the nuclear power stations stations at south bank of the Thames, to embrace Hinkley Point and Wylfa Newydd, off-site construction methods and could require more than 6,000 digital procurement so that the site-based staff. BESA President Tim Hopkinson country could deliver crucial projects like nuclear power stations; transport Unsustainable infrastructure and housing. “These numbers are simply Revitalising delivery methods would unsustainable. We must deliver much He added that BESA would also improve productivity while more of our product in a factory increasingly be called upon to lead helping to tackle skills shortages and environment. This will give us a far this transformation by setting new alleviate payment problems, according better chance of finishing projects to technical standards and to help to the President. He said employers a high standard and provide better businesses provide evidence of their had “no option”, but to move with the and safer working conditions for our competence and compliance. He said times and embrace new techniques people,” said Mr Hopkinson. the multiple shocks experienced by with the UK’s shortage of skilled the industry in the past 18 months workers fuelling “an off-site revolution”. He predicted that, in the next had made the building engineering two to five years, there would be sector’s “professional credibility” more “The UK’s major infrastructure pipeline a surge in the use of offsite and important than ever before. and housing needs will simply not modular construction; much greater be achievable – unless we work in collaboration between organisations He also told his audience that a completely different way,” said Mr and professions; growth in the use of increasing the proportion of building Hopkinson, who is now in his second digital technology and procurement; engineering work completed off- year as BESA President. and more (diverse) apprenticeships. site would make the industry more “The UK construction appealing to potential recruits. The industry simply cannot collaboration needed to make off- deliver everything site successful would also gradually competently in a diminish the sector’s problems with world of increasing late payment. opportunities and demands for higher “Many of the things that make our standards with a industry so unattractive to young shrinking pool of people will be transformed. If it resource and talent.” becomes safer, cleaner and more technologically driven – and less He pointed to the fact adversarial – it becomes a much more that building a third appealing career,” said Mr Hopkinson. runway at Heathrow Airport would require more than 15,000 site Follow Tim on Twitter: workers, unless delivered @BESAPresident 11

LEGAL AND COMMERCIAL An overview of the new NEC4 Alliance Contract (together the “Members”), in accordance with the implementation plan. KEY fEATURES of THE ALC Risks are shared between the client and Partners in agreed portions. Payments, rewards and deductions are assessed on the performance of the alliance, not the individual Partners. The performance table includes alliance objectives, set by the Members and a risk/reward mechanism for the whole alliance. Brought to you by The implementation plan sets out the roles and Collaboration has been encouraged in NEC responsibilities of the Members. contracts through a requirement of the parties to ‘act in a spirit of mutual trust and WHAT If THINGS Go WRoNG? co-operation’ and optional partnering/ For an alliance to succeed, disputes should properly be multi-party collaboration provisions. resolved within the alliance. Disputes should be resolved by the alliance board or with the help of third party The NEC’s new NEC4 Alliance Contract (“ALC”), launched support, such as a mediator or an independent expert. in June 2018, goes one step further creating an alliance arrangement whereby members of the alliance are Whilst the ALC does not include adjudication provisions, incentivised to collaborate with each other to achieve the the Scheme for Construction Contracts would apply to alliance objectives. the relevant work and so a Member could adjudicate at any time. WHEN AND WHY To USE THE ALC SUCCESS of THE ALC The ALC has been designed for use on major projects or for a number of lower value projects which together form a From a client’s perspective, selecting a Partner that major programme of work, which are high risk and complex. demonstrates a collaborative aptitude and defining a clear set of alliance objectives and performance regime The ALC is a multi-party contract to be entered into by the will be critical to project success. As with other projects, client and all the key members of the supply chain such as clients may also want to consider the risk of insolvency key contractors, consultants and suppliers (the “Partners”). of the Partners, mitigating such a risk through parent company guarantees. STRUCTURE of THE ALC From a Partner perspective, it is likely that additional client-led provisions will be incorporated through ‘Z An alliance board, which includes a representative from the client and each Partner, has overall responsibility for clauses’ and so such provisions will need to be checked the alliance and provides strategy, allocates work, appoints to ensure that they align with the commercial priorities an alliance manager, makes decisions and helps to resolve of the Partners. disputes. An alliance manager, who performs similar The overall success of the ALC depends on the Members functions exercised by a project manager under other efficiently working together and the supply chain NEC contracts, manages the work in accordance with the adopting collaborative behaviours. implementation plan. Work is delivered by the alliance delivery team, which consists of the client and Partners Visit www.clarkslegal.com for more information. BESA Group 12 Companies: TRAINING

REPRESENTATION Government Back there were three options for tackling retentions; retention deposit schemes (essentially the Aldous Bill), outright abolition Retentions Reform or the status quo. It is an extremely poignant development that this third option is, thankfully, off of the table. Harrington said in an interview that while he has some In October, there were three key developments reservations about the Aldous Bill, when it comes to legislating for the Aldous Bill campaign and the efforts to solve cash retentions “I will have to.” He continued saying to reform the outdated and damaging cash that “A voluntary code only works for people who agree with retentions system, writes BESA Public Affairs it. I’m not going to faff around. We’ve got to decide in the next few weeks which way to jump.” and Policy Manager, Alexi Ozioro. Very strong, and very welcome words indeed. But even more First of all the number of MPs that pledged their support for encouraging was his following statement that once the the Aldous Bill hit and passed 250, the Second Reading of the views of industry have been taken into account, he will bring Bill was pushed back to 23 November, but then on 23 October forward his own Government Bill to tackle the problem. the Minister for Business and Industry announced his intention is to legislate to solve the issue of cash retentions. The Aldous Bill is a Private Members Bill, which means that time will have to be found in the very busy Parliamentary The announcement from Richard Harrington MP comes a year schedule to progress it any further. However, a Government to the day that BESA initiated the Aldous Bill and campaign in Bill would have time already allocated to it and, considering 2017, and represents the most significant step forward on the the huge cross-party support that reform to retentions has, issue since the Construction Act in 1996. With the Government would hopefully pass through Parliament with ease. now pledging legislation to tackle the issue of cash retentions, BESA members can breathe a sigh of relief that change is The Business Department has already published proposals to going to come. end late payments to small businesses by larger ones across the economy as a whole, but the Aldous Bill and Harrington’s The shockwaves of Carillion reverberated through the statements show that a compulsory measure, specifically in entire economy and brought a spotlight onto the abuse of the construction industry, will be coming into force. payments in our industry. Richard Harrington also held a roundtable meeting in late October to discuss the proposals Whether you are red or blue, like the Government or not, this of the Bill with Peter Aldous, BESA and a range of key industry is all very welcome news. It shows that the Government have officials representing the entire supply chain. been listening to the views of industry, but also that there is a voice in Westminster for BESA members big and small. Following consultations in early 2018 the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) concluded that For more information visit www.theBESA.com/retentions 13

TRAINING Hammond backs apprenticeships… again Director of BESA Training, Tony Howard, are able to claim back all of the money through their own has welcomed another funding boost for training,” said Mr Howard. “Thanks to this new move by the Chancellor, up to 25% of what they pay can also now be used apprenticeships from the Chancellor of to help firms in their supply chains carry out the training they the Exchequer. need to improve and grow, which will also benefit the levy- payer’s business. Philip Hammond announced a £125m funding package that will allow large employers to transfer up to 25% of their Levy “It is just the kind of pro-business measure employers have funds to smaller supply chain partners from next April. This is a been crying out for in the build up to Brexit.” significant step up from the 10%, which started this July. By sharing their levy funds, larger firms can support The Chancellor also told the Conservative Party conference companies who may not have considered hiring an in the autumn that the apprentice before or could government was determined not get the specialist to increase the number provision they wanted. of people who can access However, Mr Howard also science and technology pointed out that funding courses and said it would should be directed towards spend up to £30m on training providers capable encouraging big businesses of delivering the new type to mentor small firms. of apprenticeship courses, which have been developed “This is huge,” said Mr “by employers for employers”. Howard. “Particularly as much of the talk before the “There is huge appetite out Conference was about the there to take on apprentices,” Conservative Party wanting said Mr Howard. “The to water down the Levy in a difficulty for employers has bid to pacify big business.” been finding providers in their area able to deliver Only around 2% of building services training. employers actually pay into Many specialist courses were the Levy – those with annual closed years ago because of payrolls of £3m and above a drop in demand after the – but the estimated annual financial crash or because pot of £3bn is intended to providers cherry picked the be used by all employers apprenticeships that they to subsidise apprentice wanted to deliver,” he added. recruitment and training. However, there had been “However, this new stream considerable confusion of funding brings fresh hope about how non-levy paying – and the fact it has been firms could gain access to increased from 10% to 25% the money. shows that the government understands the principle “There continues to be a behind this.” perception of the Levy as some sort of additional tax For more information, visit: on large employers, but they www.theBESA.com/training BESA Group 14 Companies: TRAINING

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TECHNICAL NEWS Getting to grips with flammable refrigerants However, there is no need to panic. The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) has identified the need for specialised training in the handling of all flammable refrigerants. While manufacturers of equipment designed to work with A2L gases have done a good job by putting product specific training in place, ‘generic’ training led by industry bodies will provide the wider knowledge Growing amounts of mildly flammable needed to carry out complete installations safely. refrigerant gas used in refrigeration and The ACRIB Education group, which includes employers, air conditioning should not be a cause for trade bodies, professional institutes and training/assessment sleepless nights because training is now organisations, has developed courses for “experienced refrigeration engineers”, who must already hold a available, says Head of Refcom, Graeme fox. recognised F Gas qualification such as BESA Training F Gas Cat I or II, City & Guilds 2079 Cat 1 or 2, CITB J11 or J12. Refcom has been receiving daily calls from contractors concerned about the speed with which mildly flammable Topics covered by the ACRIB course include: How to refrigerant gas is being adopted across the air conditioning understand the different classes of flammability as and refrigeration sectors. recognised by legislation and safety standards; the A2L classification gases do bring with them an increased level legislative and organisational procedures for installation, of risk compared with many of the gases they are replacing as servicing, maintaining and decommissioning of flammable the phase down of HFCs gathers pace under the European F refrigerants; and the specific requirements for installing and Gas regulations. Contractors are worried about their technical testing refrigeration systems using mildly flammable gases. and legal responsibilities and the lack of any targeted training This training is now being delivered by a number of for flammables specified under the terms of F Gas. providers across the UK (visit www.theBESA.com/training for details). The fact that the Health & Safety at Work Act does cover the issue means employers are already legally responsible It is important that the industry gets this right because for the safety of their staff and customers. The Health & mildly flammable refrigerants are now a fixture in our Safety Executive (HSE) has also made it clear that the use of industry and they will play an increasingly important role flammable refrigerant gas is on its radar and we could well in the long-term reduction of global warming gases as we see prosecutions under its DSEAR (Dangerous Substances and move into a new era. Explosive Atmosphere Regulations), which designates ALL refrigerants as ‘dangerous substances’. www.refcom.org.uk BESA Group 16 Companies: TRAINING

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TECHNICAL NEWS UK’s first HIU test standard in demand The UK’s first test standard for Heat Interface Comprehensive Units (HIUs), which is managed by BESA, has The BESA Standard originally emerged from a heat network been revised and updated in response to efficiency research project supported by the Department for growing demand from the district heating Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. Testing to the Standard industry. is helping to create a comprehensive product database and improve performance of UK heat networks. Two UK-based test houses have also been approved to carry out testing to the standard – BSRIA and Enertek International – It is modelled on a well-established Swedish methodology, in addition to the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), which which was adapted to suit typical UK operating conditions, was previously the only organisation able to test to the new and makes it possible to compare products and UK standard. equipment types so that network designers can evaluate the performance of individual HIUs against their design HIUs extract heat from district heating networks to feed parameters. individual buildings and dwellings. How they perform is central to the overall efficiency of a district scheme. The The test calculates the annual volume weighted return Standard was developed, therefore, to help developers temperature (VWART) from the HIU and provides evidence of UK heat networks procure HIUs based on comparative of compliance with other performance and reliability metrics, performance data. such as domestic hot water response time. The availability of a UK standard has prompted considerable As part of the revision process, the steering group overseeing response from manufacturers with multiple HIUs already the Standard has been expanded and a technical sub- tested at RISE and several more already going through the committee – comprising industry experts and the three test process at BSRIA and Enertek. houses – has been set up. Testing to the standard is a two-stage process. The HIU has to achieve a UKAS or equivalent national It will make recommendations to the steering group on accreditation through one of the three test houses and this developing the standard, including a planned expansion result must then be verified by the Standard’s Steering Group of the regime. An HIU Manufacturers’ forum also meets before being published on the BESA website regularly at BESA’s headquarters in London and provides www.theBESA.com/ukhiu valuable feedback to the steering group. “One of the Standard’s great strengths is that it has been developed by users, for users,” said UK HIU Steering Group chair, Gareth Jones. “It provides users with a clear basis on which to evaluate HIU performance and is rapidly becoming the default point of reference for those making procurement decisions within the industry. “As a result, HIU manufacturers must now ensure that their HIUs perform well and we are seeing a significant increase in R&D. Ultimately this raising of standards will help improve the health of the heat network industry as a whole.” For more information visit www.theBESA.com/ukhiu BESA Group 18 Companies: TRAINING

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BESA Group 20 Companies: TRAINING

TECHNICAL NEWS Schools face tough air quality challenge New government guidance for the design of This means that any ventilation strategy – new or old – must school buildings sets tough new ventilation be supported by a planned maintenance programme to ensure it continues to work as intended. targets in an attempt to protect children from poor air quality, but maintaining systems In many cases, the ventilation system already installed may throughout their operating life will be the be perfectly adequate, but not performing as it should due to poor or absent maintenance. This new design guidance is part ultimate test, says BESA’s Head of Business of the process of raising awareness of the health threats posed Development Steve Tomkins. by poor air quality and the remedial role played by building services. This is prompting more school building managers to The recent changes to the government guidelines for look for better preventative maintenance strategies. school buildings published in the new Building Bulletin 101 (BB101) are a once in a generation challenge to the building The availability of digital aids, such as BESA’s SFG20 engineering industry to find a delicate balance between maintenance standard, is a significant plus for school significantly improving indoor air quality (IAQ) without administrators. SFG20 is a dynamic online tool that makes reducing thermal comfort or energy efficiency. best practice widely available and easy to access. It is also a good way for facilities managers to manage the ventilation The new requirement for fresh air rates of five litres per second strategy in a holistic way that takes into account its wider per person is a major step up from the last version of BB101 impact on the school’s overall running costs. published in 2006. Natural ventilation systems must now reduce CO 2 levels to below 1,500 parts per million (ppm) Many users have recorded ongoing cost savings of up to and mechanical ventilation to below 1,000ppm. CO 2 levels 20% by adopting SFG20 and embedding its measures into cannot exceed 1,500ppm for longer than 20 minutes in new their building management processes so that other energy classrooms while refurbished spaces must now achieve an using systems, like heating, are not adversely affected by average CO 2 level of below 1,750ppm. changes to the ventilation strategy. Hybrid ventilation solutions are also included in the guidance For more information visit www.sfg20.co.uk for the first time alongside more familiar natural and mechanical systems. The guidance is also much tougher on summertime overheating, which has been a serious problem in schools for many years. All of this means many educational facilities are reconsidering their ventilation strategies. Pollution The challenge for ventilation designers and installers is how to achieve the higher air change rates specified in the new BB101 without bringing the growing outdoor pollution problem indoors. Lifecycle running costs also have to be taken into account particularly as school budgets remain stretched to breaking point. 21

We wish all our clients a warm season’s greetings. 2018 has been a fantastic year with Ductbusters expanding into gorgeous historic offices, as well as opening new offices to serve London and the South. The offices are a 210-year-old Georgian Listed Manor House in its own grounds in leafy Worcestershire. Throughout 2018 Ductbusters have continued to uphold their current accreditations (Achilles, Altius, Chas, Safecontractor, Constructionline, BESA to name a few) and have even gone on to acquire the LPCB Certification for Kitchen Extract Ductwork Cleaning. Ductbusters continue to prove themselves to be the leading UK Building Services provider in Ductwork Cleaning and Fire Damper Testing. The LPCB accreditation is held by just a handful of carefully chosen UK companies and is extremely useful to Insurance Companies in ensuring the quality of the service provider to 2018 has seen Dillys the Duck (Ductbusters the catering establishments. mascot, pictured right) travel the world accompanied by a Ductbusters Ambassador. Dillys has been seen in Mexico, Spain, Bulgaria, Paris, Betws-y-Coed, she has been seen on the Queen Mary 2, at the Ryder Cup and shall be soon jetting off to Australia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Singapore. If you see Dillys as she travels the world, have a chat with the Ductbusters Ambassador and get a free drink. If you take a photo with Dillys, we will then upload it for viewing on the Ductbusters website. Watch This Space! We are currently completing the final arrangements for the Ductbusters (Southern) Ltd offices in Braintree, Essex, these are the new offices to accommodate London and the south. With Director Dan Colledge in full-time attendance and available for site surveys, as well as local operatives, we will be able to provide even more economical solutions to our current and new clients in the London and southern areas of the UK. Telephone 0800 085 0403 or email [email protected] for further information. BESA Group 22 Companies: TRAINING

SKILLcard Profiles 2018 marks the Government’s ‘Year of Engineering’ campaign to actively encourage young people to choose a career in our industry. To help showcase the wealth of jobs and opportunities available in the UK engineering services industry we have created a series of profiles on our cardholders. If you would like to feature as one of our SKILLcard profiles, please email [email protected]. SKILLcard Profile ‘Year of engineering’ > NAME: gilmour mccoll > CoMPANy NAME: gilmour mccoll (sole trader) > Job TITLE: Heating engineer (underfloor Heating and wet systems) > SKILLCArd TyPE/CoLour: wHite > How long Have you worked in tHe engineering services industry? I have worked in engineering services for 15 years. > How did you get into tHe engineering services industry? I was recommended by a friend to get into the engineering industry. > wHat does your current job role involve? I install underfloor heating in a wide variety of buildings including schools, hospitals, prisons, houses, care homes and retail. > wHat is tHe best aspect of your job? People might think I am fibbing but my job is everything I am! At 46 years old, I have done a few different jobs and in 29 years of working, engineering has been the only career I enjoy and makes me truly happy! > are tHere any HigH profile projects tHat you Have worked on tHat you would like to mention? I installed underfloor heating in the new Peterhead super prison, the first one of its kind in the UK. I have also installed the underfloor heating for the the new recycling plant in Dunfermline, the first one ever of its kind in Europe. It’s a fascinating process, as rubbish in Dunfermline gets broken down into compost, the compost is then put into massive concrete containers and my pipe installation heats the compost to produce gas. The gas is then pumped back into Dunfermline to heat the resident’s homes. You cannot get any more job satisfaction than that! > are tHere certain skills you tHink people need for your type of role? No. Certain skills are required as I started my engineering career with 6 months on the job training, and have not looked back since. to find out > wHat advice would you give someone looking to about tHe types of get into our industry? skillcard available visit: Anyone looking to get into the industry, all I can say is SKILLcard.org.uk you won’t regret it and you will love it just as much as I do! 23

TECHNICAL NEWS REFCOM are the UKs largest Get FREE log book 1and the original F Gas 6 templates including register – you know you service and are part of a trusted scheme commissioning sheets You get to use the Use a FREE weighing 2 REFCOM badge – it is 7 scale calibration industry recognised checking service and respected ToP 10 REASoNS To USE REfCoM foR YoUR Political lobbying FREE REFCOM stickers 8 shaping the trading 3 for your van so you f GAS CoMPLIANCE landscape on behalf of can proudly show off PARTNER REFCOM members your compliance Assurance you are Get access to discounted REFCOM are not just the market 9 certified by the best - 4 public liability insurance leading certification scheme, they are we are advisers to with tool cover – so much more - they’re always on hand Government, Defra and one member saved to help. REFCOM add real value to your the Environment Agency £3,000/year! business by saving you money, helping to improve our industry and actively FREE F Gas Tracking FREE technical helpline supporting and representing you on 10 software licence 5 and guidance documents the real things that matter. worth over £1,000!! fREE JoBLoGIC f GAS TRACKING SofTWARE REFCOM are delighted to offer REFCOM • Auto updating and generating service record members a fREE software package which certificates, customer records, compliance will help you to track, maintain and report certificates and data for clients to ensure you remain compliant with F gas • Automatically producing waste transfer notes regulations - that’s savings of £30 a month, (where applicable) £360 a year or over £1,000 when you hold your F gas certification with REFCOM! • Every asset easy to reach for inspection • Digital management of cylinder locations FREE for REFCOM members, Joblogic software will help you with: • Asset tracking – helping you do identify and solve recurring problems • Bottle tracking and stock control of all • Helping to minimise rental charges on bottles gas bottles • Making it easier than ever to fulfil your audit and • Automatically updating F gas logbook records inspection obligations • Data analysis and synchronisation of every • Full reporting and recording in the office, on site service visit and leak check and on the go To take advantage of this offer – simply contact REFCOM on 01768 860 409 or email us at [email protected] BESA Group 24 Companies: TRAINING

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WELPLAN AT 30 Are you one of the 54% of businesses who have already switched pension provider? This year, Welplan celebrates 30 years as its purpose, which is to provide employees with a secure a pension provider. As part of celebrating retirement. Welplan is different. We have always been focused on our 30th anniversary, Welplan recently the needs of employees. Providing pensions is at the heart of our approach to supplying staff benefits and we make it easy for a commissioned some research to gain a clearer smaller employer to offer these advantages to their employees. picture of what businesses are looking for in terms of a pension provider, and whether they WELPLAN’S HISToRY felt they might benefit from switching provider. Launched in 1964 to provide benefits for building services employees, Welplan added a stakeholder pension to its The findings disproved current industry beliefs that switching product range in 1988. It now operates a low-cost master trust is too big a hurdle for many businesses to consider- in fact, pension scheme for businesses of any size, in any sector. over half (54%) of SMEs have already switched auto enrolment provider, and 49% plan to do so in the future – 20% in the next Three decades of providing pensions as well as understanding 6 months. small employers enables us to fill a gap in the economy, because many larger pension providers don’t think the The main drivers of planned switching are poor value for smallest businesses are worth the effort. money (40%), investment performance (35%) and easier transactions (34%). Switching to Welplan is efficient and hassle-free, giving you value for money and streamlined administration. It you Bruce Kirton, chief executive of Welplan Pensions, says: “Business want to understand more about the professional service, no owners want value for money. It’s the main reason why there is employer fees and flexible administration and investment such a high level of switching. options we offer, please get in touch today on 0800 1958080. “There has been huge focus by master trust providers on cost at For more information visit www.welplan.co.uk the expense of value. This research blows that assumption out of the water: people also want good investment performance and robust systems that streamline administrative challenges. DoN’T JUST TAKE oUR WoRD foR IT “Smaller business owners are savvy and well-advised. They Accreditations are at the core of the Welplan Pensions know what to look for in their auto-enrolment provider and offering, demonstrating that our high standards have been how to get their needs met. independently assessed and verified. For three consecutive “Everyone in the pensions industry should now see switching as years, Welplan Pensions has been a holder of the Master the norm. Employers want the best for their employees – and Trust Assurance Framework standard, which recognises the that’s exactly how it should be.” quality of our governance and administration. Value is about more than just the product, it is about the service Welplan Pensions has been employers and members receive. awarded a five-star rating by independent research For example, talking to staff about pensions is tough. People organisation defaqto in 2017 are reluctant to think about the long-term. Welplan actively and 2018. This is the highest- encourages members to talk to us. In our opinion, talking over achievable rating, given only to the phone is an underrated form of communication. We have financial products or services assessed as always understood how a friendly voice at the other end of a “excellent, with a comprehensive range of line can provide comfort and help to build a connection, and features and benefits”. we make the most of the internet to communicate the key facts clearly. For example, we use simple online tools to illustrate We have also held Pensions Quality complex concepts in a straightforward manner. Mark READY status for four consecutive years, affirming our emphasis on clear Pension providers frequently get bogged down by complexity. communications and good governance. Side-tracked by technical issues, the industry often forgets BESA Group 26 Companies: TRAINING

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BESA Group 28 Companies: TRAINING

BESA has been around for 114 years. Ventilating and Domestic Engineering Employers (NAHVDEE) The Association rebranded itself four years in 1927, it became the HVCA in 1963. ago with an identity that was more in keeping with the modern industry, but that does not CAMPAIGN mean it wants to forget its past. Today as BESA, it continues to campaign and represent members – thanks to its long and respected pedigree as the The HVCA name, in particular, still carries weight and represents contractor’s body. As well as legal and commercial issues, the a proud heritage on which today’s Association and its members Association has also led the way on technical matters and, are building their collective future. Therefore, the Back to the during the 2018 National Conference, CEO David Frise stressed BESA Future campaign – a 12 month celebration of shared that this remains at the heart of the modern body’s strategy. heritage – was launched at last month’s National Conference and Awards. The Back to the BESA Future campaign was launched at the National Awards with the All members are invited to get recognition of two companies who have involved by sharing their own histories been members of the Association from the and thoughts on how the industry has very beginning. changed and continues to change – and how we learn from past triumphs Comyn Ching & Co, which is now part of and tragedies. the Solray Group, can trace its heritage back much further to the early 1700s when The founding meeting of the National it was set up in London as an architectural Association of Master Heating and ironmongery company. It provided, Domestic Engineers (NAMDHE) took among many other things, the railings for place in March 1904 at the Holborn Buckingham Palace and eventually diversified into heating, Restaurant in London with the Association’s first president which brought it along to that first NAMDHE meeting near its David Nesbit in the chair. first factory in Holborn. The body was created to “watch the commercial interests Crown House Technologies attended the first meeting as of contracting engineers”. The 14 founding companies were Richard Crittall and Co, but traces its history back to Z. D. Berry, concerned, in particular, by a major dispute over “demarcation”, who started his own business manufacturing heavy kitchen which saw plumbers and heating engineers at loggerheads equipment and swimming pool heating systems in 1810. over who should install plumbing pipework. It is a proud heritage and over the That issue eased with the outbreak of the First World War, next 12 months, BESA will showcase but the Association continued to flourish and made sure the the company and personal stories industry’s voice that have made the Association was heard on a what it is today. The campaign will series of crucial culminate in a Back to the BESA matters over Future exhibition at next year’s the decades National Conference. that followed. Renamed Share your memories at: the National www.theBESA.com/ Association back-to-the-besa-future or on of Heating, Twitter: #backtotheBESAfuture 29

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Living and breathing clean air Nathan Wood receives the ‘Contractor of the Partnership Year’ award for Farmwood M&E Services Ltd It is also delivering clean air solutions for Hampstead Hill School in London, which is subject to high levels of air pollution from the surrounding area. Farmwood has formed a partnership with the filtration specialist Radic8 to reduce NOx levels in the classrooms and minimise children’s exposure to PM2.5 and a range of other harmful particles thanks to the use of a positive pressure ventilation system and stand-alone purifiers. Hampstead will be the first ‘We Share Clean Air’ school in the UK and the London Mayor’s office also recognises the Radic8 technology as part of its ‘Clean Air Toolbox’ for schools. Farmwood also enjoyed national publicity when it took part in an episode of the BBC’s hugely popular DIY:SOS programme. Curtis, one of the children featured in the programme, has multiple and complex health needs, but he has not been This year’s winner of the BESA Contractor of the admitted to hospital for pneumonia or chest infections since Year award was recognised for their pioneering his house was fitted with an IAQ demand controlled ventilation approach to indoor air quality (IAQ). system. As a result, Farmwood has since been invited by the BBC to complete another SOS project in Bromley, this time using At a time when pollution and its associated health risks are Radic8 products. commanding headlines all over the national press, the work of Farmwood M&E Services is taking on increasing significance. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is also a priority area for BESA, which is working on a campaign to turn buildings into ‘safe havens’ from rising levels of outdoor pollution – particularly in urban areas. This work has received welcome impetus with the introduction to Parliament of a draft Clean Air Act aimed at replacing outdated legislation dating back to the 1950s. If passed into law, the Act, which was proposed by Baroness Jenny Jones, would include specific measures aimed at improving IAQ for the first time. Current legislation only recognises the health threat from outdoor pollution. Farmwood employs 30 people – with two new apprentices due to start shortly – and has an annual turnover of around £1.5m. Among a range of projects, it is currently working on “As our work shows, everyone at Farmwood is passionate about the huge Battersea Power Station construction site to monitor clean air,” says managing director Nathan Wood. “We are looking air quality and deliver bespoke clean air systems on behalf forward to continuing our work with BESA and our specialist of the developer Mace. Two floors are being monitored, one contacts to push for a new high standard in ventilation and air using a Farmwood system and one without, to demonstrate quality competence for the whole sector.” the potential differences – and, if successful, Mace will consider rolling this out across all of their sites. www.farmwood.co.uk 30