Now regular users of the Trade Product Guide will notice the inclusion of key Schneider Electric products to reflect the new Partner business and introduce electrical contractors to a wider choice of solutions.

On the cover of this edition The Partner business features the new C-Bus eDLT switch. Electrical contractors who are C-Bus approved installers and systems integrators, will know that the DLT is the flag bearer of the C-Bus range. The ‘e’ in eDLT stands for enhanced and was designed locally in Schneider Electric’s R&D centre at Gepps Cross, SA.

The Partner business has also made some significant changes to the layout of the book to help electrical contractors find their way through this impressive 500 page catalogue just that little more easier. This includes a change to the alpha-numeric reference system at the back.

“The new system changes the sorting of product catalogue numbers. We’ve trialed it with customers and we are confident that contractors will find the system easier to use and quicker to find the products they are searching for, however, we still have retained the fast find section at the front,” says Anthony Locke, Digital Systems Marketing Manager.

All of these new products and more are also available on the Clipsal by Schneider Electric eCat CD Rom as well as iCat app. The icat is available in both Apple and Android formats. So far, there have been more than 40,000 downloads to date.

Please speak to your Clipsal & Schneider Electric Partner Business Sales Representative to secure your copy or visit: clipsal.com

NECA’s Chief Executive Officer James Tinslay, said, “Most of our members are small electrical and communications contractors and they are fed-up at having their needs ignored by politicians and governments. We urge all our members to go online and support this important campaign.”

“By uniting the many voices of small business around the country, the campaign’s aim is to change the attitudes and actions of politicians and governments and to show them that, together, small business is too big to ignore,” said Mr Tinslay.

“The campaign will bring together in the one place the deeply personal accounts from real small business operators who have agreed to share their stories. It will give the widest possible group of small business the platform through which they can participate in the national debate. They may be small voices on their own, but together small business can make a big noise in Canberra.”

The campaign will highlight that there are over two million small businesses in Australia that together employ more than seven million Australians or more than 60% of the workforce. Initially the campaign will concentrate on key small business issues like reducing government cost and red-tape burdens, employment reform, tax relief and better infrastructure.

(Source: http://neca.asn.au/)

What is the price of safety? To a business owner there is a price, but to a workers family it is priceless!

So where do we draw the line on Safety vs Cost? Who is responsible for safety and where does the buck stop? These are the questions that come up when you have a fatality or serious injury but by then it’s too late.

NECA is not here to enforce safety in our industry, but to educate the industry on how important safety is to the industry. While most, if not, all of the medium and larger members have some sort of WHS procedures and processes in place, our small members may not have them set up. Unfortunately when WHS inspectors come they do not take size into consideration when handing out fines and penalties which can be considerable.

Why is safety training such a tough ask? Government and industry invest in laws, regulations and codes of practice to ensure that people in the workforce are kept safe and healthy. However, in a tough economic environment it is all too often the case that even if training is a legal requirement, it just doesn’t happen. Some of the reasons behind why training is not done are:

• Not being aware of training obligations
• Training is expensive in terms of course cost
• Training is difficult to organize – work schedules need rearranging
• Time in training is time not charged- impact on revenue
• Have to travel long distances to access the training- more costs
• How do we judge if the training is working
• Administrative time to manage training records

NECA has developed WHS training courses which ALL our members and industry can access anytime and anywhere through our online training programs. The main advantages are:

• Training can be accessed immediately or at a convenient time by all. They are inexpensive compared with what others are charging.
• Can access training outside work hours so there is productivity gains
• You don’t need to travel all you need is a PC and internet connection
• They are self-paced accommodating different learning styles so the training sinks in
• Training is kept up to date reflecting changes in the law and work practices
• Training data is maintained online and can be accessed anytime

WHS culture is a top down process. As an owner or manager of a business YOU have direct influence on training your workers. We as your Association will provide the tools to make it happen. NECA has developed online training for Asbestos Awareness (NSW only), Electrical Circuit testing, Manual Handling, Working at Height, Risk Management, SWMS and Red Book to name a few.

Visit www.neca.asn.au for more information.

MEA WA State Manager Anthony Mancini said Western Power had failed to offer any new accreditation training to contractors since August last year, after it was forced to update its procedures following damning audit recommendations. “This blanket rejection of any new Contractor Connect training in the last eight months is now beginning to jeopardise the entire electricity connection process,” Mr Mancini said. Local contractors will not have enough accredited staff to complete power connections.

The responsibility for new connections will fall entirely to Western Power to complete connections, resulting in delays – Western Power line persons will be unable to cope with demand when new housing connection volumes rise. Their inability to create a new training scheme for Contractor Connect and their failure to provide a date for its recommencement has left many business owners in WA suspended with major work demand issues and unable to engage new operatives.

“Many contractors have also dropped off the scheme as the new audit requirements have become too onerous, and the connection process has fallen back to Western Power. Contractors had previously connected up to 70% of all installations resulting in consumers having immediate power however as they drop off the schemes connection delays will result.

Mr Mancini said he was disappointed in Western Power for failing to listen and to work with industry to enhance the schemes, thus delivering workable solutions. He said MEA had raised its concerns over the scheme with Western Power, and despite promises that industry would be consulted over any re-development of the Contractor Connect scheme, to date no consultation has occurred.

“Western Power has failed to recognise the valuable contribution that electrical contractors have made to the connection process and has treated them with disdain,” he said.

“It is becoming too time consuming and uneconomical for small businesses and subcontractors to remain on the schemes. Not being able to have new staff trained to connect and relocate meters also makes it very difficult to perform the work volumes that they are committed to. Feedback from members in WA has showed this issue has taken a huge financial toll on their businesses and they are being backed into a corner”.

Source: http://www.voltimum.com.au

MEA state manager Anthony Mancini said the WA Government should move immediately to protect consumers by:

• Conducting a major media campaign highlighting electrical safety and the dangers of unlicensed electrical work
• Increasing safety switch protection to all circuits
• Requiring mandatory point-of-sale signage to use licensed electrical contractors for electrical installations and equipment
• Mandating electrical safety inspections when homes change hands; and
• Establishing an electrical safety hotline for unsafe and unlicensed work to be reported.

Mr Mancini urged the State Government to channel their resources into further educating the WA public on the perils of illegal electrical work. “Rather than spending all of their time checking and double checking the work of licensed contractors who are submitting the appropriate paper work and abiding by electrical regulations, they should be alerting the public to the dangers of DIY or illegal electrical work and following up on reported instances,” Mr Mancini said.

“This can be achieved through a number of simple tactics such as a media campaign highlighting electrical safety.

“There needs to be continued education of the WA public into the values of a Safety Certificate being received for any electrical work that has been undertaken on their homes.

“Safety switches should be installed on all circuits to prevent the risk of an electric shock should an electrical incident occur.

“With growing public awareness, WA can greatly reduce the risk of an electrical safety incident. We should be aiming for zero electrical accidents, fatalities or fires in the state.”

Mr Mancini said the WA Government needed to consider the crucial need for a review and re-allocation of their current inspection resources.

“The State Government seems to focus their inspection resources on new homes wired by licensed electrical contractors and existing installations where contractors had submitted notices for their work,” he said.

“We need to look out of the box and focus on high risk areas such as DIY electrical work where no notices are submitted.

“We urge the WA Government to put forth a requirement for mandatory signage in stores selling electrical equipment that a licensed electrical contractor must be used for any electrical installations.

“Under current legislation two safety switches are required in WA homes but internal checks are not mandatory. Creating a mandatory home point-of-sale electrical check by an electrical contractor would ensure no illegal wiring exists in the home.

“Safety checks into unapproved imported fittings would also ensure electrical compliance and prevent fires and the risk of an electric shock.

“Lastly, we ask that an electrical safety hotline with a dedicated advertised number be established where illegal wiring or electrical work can be reported and immediate advice and necessary steps can be taken to prevent a serious electrical safety injury.”

• Click & Collect - SAVE Time & Money – The EIW WebStore allows you to search for & order products anywhere you can access the Internet. Getting access to products you need can be as simple as ordering goods from a job site using a tablet PC or smart phone. If your time is short the web store affords you to place orders at a time that fits around your key business trading hours for collection at a later time.
• Avoid The Queue – Access the WebStore 24/7 where ever you are, orders can be researched and placed at a time that suits your business schedule. For example, placing an order in the afternoon for pick-up the following morning. Spend your time on the job not waiting at the branch.
• Predictive Text – You don’t need to remember long & ever-changing part numbers, easily search for products using our dynamic search bar with predictive text to find what you’re looking for fast. The search bar will return matching part numbers from your search text.
• Online Quotes – Create, request and approve quotations all from the web store, just login to view your active quotes, as soon as the staff at the branch have processed your quote it will appear in your ‘My Quotes’ tab awaiting your review and approval.
• Order Tracking – Keep track of your orders & quotations with status updates.
• Live Information – Not only can you view our products but the WebStore also shows you stock levels at your local branch in real-time. You can make sure the goods you need are in stock, just login to the web store.
• Account Data – Your account Information is at your fingertips when you need it. You can access your current account balance & up to 3-years of invoices and statements. You’ll also have a pdf soft copy e-mailed straight to your inbox so there’s no more waiting for an invoice to be faxed to you.
• SAVE $$$ – With the web store you can get in early to view & purchase monthly specials & promotions straight form our digital catalogue.
• There are still many more benefits that the WebStore can offer your business. SIGN UP or talk to your local branch today about how the EIW WebStore can benefit your business.

Additional eCommerce solutions that can SAVE your business TIME and MONEY! Want more control of your procurement process? Are you looking for ways to reduce the cost of procurement? Contact EIW Web Services on 1300 310 152 and ask how EIW eCommerce can assist your business today.

Following on from the successful launch of the EIW WebMobile, has released the EIW App. The App has the following features & functions available:

• A comprehensive store finder to quickly find your closest EIW branch
• Quick Access to Industry News
• Reference Material to assist you with quick calculations
• Feedback & Social Media: Have your say and tell us what is important to you
• Link to the EIW WebMobile store to Buy, Quote or access your account information

Click HERE to download the EIW App or visit the Apple App Store from your iPhone today!

The  NEW EIW APP is designed to work with and take advantage of the EIW WebStore and WebMobile online shopping platform. For your business to take full advantage of the benefits EIW eCommerce can afford, be sure to REGISTER for you WebStore login today!

Current industry forecasts have highlighted that the next 12 months will be make-or-break times for many businesses, from architecture and design, to building and concreting. International concerns seem to be driving these forecasts with the poor economic performance in Europe, plus slowing growth in China, India and Brazil.

Depending upon work type and location, there is significant variability in how businesses are faring across the country,” said Peter Barda, Executive Director of ACIF. “The ACIF Forecasts show that many of the cycles of the past are gone. There is a new ‘normal’, and for many, it will be poor in comparison to previous buoyant times. Businesses need to plan carefully using good quality information to find their new playing field.”

With the Australian population increasing and changing demographics, there seems to be a revival for flagging residential building in most states. Residential building in NSW has been weak over the past 10 years and will enjoy some relief in 2012-13 with an expected $17 billion in residential work, with good news also for WA and Queensland. However, the boom in VIC seems to have come to an end with the demand in that market decreasing with similar results occurring in the other states.

The ACIF Forecasts indicate that engineering construction will reach a peak in 2014 at $120 billion per year as construction for the resources sector tapers off. Uncertainties around the globe with demand for minerals has seen some major projects put on hold. However, a surprisingly high level of work remains in water and sewerage. Thanks to initiatives such as the Carbon Price Mechanism, National Broadband Network and the Renewable Energy Target scheme, this sector will continue to be the most productive industry sector for the next seven years.

The changing demand patterns and work types in the industry will have a large effect on construction industry employment, with declining requirements for high-skilled workers over the forecast period, with growing needs for tradespeople and low-skilled workers. The type of work available, with the majority being regional engineering construction rather than urban residential and non-residential building, has seen a reduction in the number of apprenticeships available, which will have long-term impacts on the skills of the industry.

Source: Voltimum http://www.voltimum.com.au/news/17882/infopro.whatsnew.latest/Latest-Australian-Construction-Industry-forecast-released.html#.UUEGntaftWR