Building Standards

The advantages of certification during the COVID-19 recovery period

July 23, 2020 by Michelle Williamson No Comments | Category Building Standards, certification

A guest post from SELECT and Stirling Electrical Services Ltd

As an Approved Certifier for 15 years, Scott McLean knows the many advantages of certification – and is now seeing first-hand how it’s helping the construction industry recover from COVID-19 too.

Scott with the William Wallace Sword

The experienced electrician believes the scheme has brought its own unique benefits during the pandemic, not least helping to streamline the whole construction process.

Scott says having as few people as possible being able to install, inspect and sign off the whole electrical building standards process is not only helpful to business and client, but also helps with physical distancing restart and recovery.

He says: “As approved bodies and approved certifiers, we are already trained in and aware of health and safety issues, and that should hold us in good stead to encourage others on-site to adhere to and adapt to the new way of working.”

Scott, whose 11 employees cover the Central Belt for Stirling Electrical Services Ltd, added: “COVID-19 has given us all the chance to stop and reflect on how we do business and carry out work. By reflecting on old practices, we can all help create a more efficient, productive and safer site, and I think we have already seen a lot of changes implemented.”

Scott himself used the downtime to look at how his business operated and brought forward a planned remote working project, which is now benefiting both the business and its work as an approved body.

He explained: “There was no point in just waiting and sitting back to see how things panned out, so I decided to take a good look at how we operate some of our day-to-day systems.

“One of the outcomes is our new remote job scheduling software project, which puts all the information we need at our fingertips. Our team already has remote access from site to complete all relevant electrical certification so this will enhance that, allowing us to increase efficiency and productivity and keep teams safer with physical distancing.”

Scott, who is a member of electrical trade association SELECT, believes it’s just one of the many benefits that the scheme brings to his team, and also reflects more widely on the high standards and professionalism in the electrical construction industry.

He explained: “When we initially signed up to the scheme, we recognised its importance in setting a high standard, not only for approved bodies and certifiers, but also to help improve awareness among the public and local authorities about the importance of choosing a registered electrician with up-to-date training.

“Having been in the electrical industry for 30 years and seen the dangers of work carried out by some electricians, the certification scheme is critical to driving up standards.

“An electrician who qualified 20 years ago may still be able to undertake electrical work, but to be on the certification register you are required to be trained and up to speed on the latest electrical safety measures and building regulations.

“That up-to-date knowledge is critical to safely install and test electrical work to meet the requirements of today’s regulations and, ultimately, to help protect life and property – something that is going to be more important than ever in the months and years to come.”

Tags: buildingregulations, buildingstandards

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