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VOLUME 36 NO. 06 • JUNE 2016
24
38
SPECIAL FEATURE:
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WWW.ELECTRICALCONTRACTINGNEWS.CO.UK
NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS PROFESSIONALISM OF UK ELECTRICIANS
The public image of the electrician is
woefully out of date, according to a new
report by TrustMark.
TrustMark has published a new report
looking at what defines a true professional
in today’s industry, highlighting some
of the ways in which tradespeople are
confounding negative stereotypes.
The report debunks myths around UK
tradespeople lacking in professionalism by
showcasing a wide range of behaviours
that are continuing to build trust, confidence
and loyalty among homeowners. These
include a commitment to excellent health
and safety, training and skills development,
and responsible waste management. The
tradesmen and women interviewed by
TrustMark take pride in smart branding,
uniforms and van livery, as well as
professional quotations and detailed
contracts. They increasingly use digital
tools, tablets and mobile technology
to improve the way they communicate
with customers at every stage of a job,
and also put emphasis on respecting
and safeguarding the customer’s home,
minimising disruption and improving
relationships with neighbours.
State-of-the-art LEDs from Dextra Lighting
have been used to breathe new life into The
Lowry’s high profile auditoriums in Manchester.
Accreditation is also increasingly
being recognised as a mark of the
tradesperson’s all-round professionalism
as it ensures that technical competence,
business processes and service
frameworks are in place, helping
homeowners to specify with confidence.
Liz Male MBE, chairman of TrustMark,
said, ‘This report provides a snapshot of the
many thousands of smart, motivated and
very hardworking men and women steadily
changing the reputation and the public’s
experience of an entire industry. I feel
completely inspired by what I read here.
ACCIDENT RATE HALVED
SINCE 2010, REPORT FINDS
Latest industry figures have shown a
dramatic drop in reportable accidents
over the last 15 years, strengthening the
electrical contracting sector’s reputation
for safety in the workplace.
The 2015 Survey of Accidents at Work
Report, published by the JIB, found that
the accident incidence rate (AIR) for
RIDDOR reportable accidents is now
only 16 per cent of what it was in 2001,
and has halved since 2010.
JIB and ECA members submitted data
for the survey, which analyses deaths,
injuries and over seven-day accidents.
Slips, trips and falls and manual handling
continue to be the most prevalent types of
serious injury, with no fatalities reported.
In total 33 accidents were reported
by companies employing 31 or more
ON YOUR
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‘Of course, the work to tackle rogue traders
is never over, and I still see a future full of new
opportunities to improve the way the home
repairs and improvements market operates.
‘TrustMark has helped many millions of
people over the last 10 years, so today it’s
right to celebrate the local firms who do so
much to support homeowners and build a
£27bn economy. They epitomise a new era
of professionalism across a wide range of
trades, a million miles away from the old
stereotypes of white van man.’
To download the TrustMark report, go to
www.trustmark.org.uk/downloads/
operatives. This year, the survey also
gathered separate statistics from
companies with 30 or fewer operatives.
ECA director of business services,
Paul Reeve, commented, ‘The huge
drop in accidents since 2001 is a
remarkable achievement by everyone
involved in the industry, and marks a real
step change in performance.
‘Yet, in reflecting on this long term
success, we should not forget that
serious accidents are still recorded. We
should now focus on eliminating the root
causes of these types of accidents, to
achieve even further improvement in the
next few years.’
To read the Survey of Accidents at
Work Report visit www.jib.org.uk/jibaccident-survey
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03/03/2016 09:44
12/05/2016 09:56