Editor's comments

Although there’s been a long run up to their introduction, the new legislation has been put on the back burner by some companies who have been wishing the whole thing could have been postponed ... indefinitely. The fragmented way they have been introduced, with the unavailability of a full suite of documents, has encouraged busy installers – trying to make a living in a highly competitive sector – to leave it until the last minute.

Manufacturers have suffered from the badly managed Euro timetable as much as everyone else and only now is graded equipment generally being made available. Those installers with good resources have had time to work around this, but those who run their business on the “chasing our own tail” principle are having to knuckle down to it now. Firms are having to assess product suitability in terms of grading, assess the risk of the premises in respect of the loss and fully document their systems. Although installers have always had to do this it is more documented and formalised now.

Many readers will already be experiencing the ruffled feathers of customers who do not see the need for the change and resent the inevitable cost increases. It’s a tough time for installers but it is crucial to get the documentation right. Fortunately there is a lot of help around to get installers over the hurdles. There have been many seminars/sessions devoted to this in the last year (we’ve had three BSIA-led seminar sessions at our Security Roadshows)

Manufacturers/organisations ... if you’re planning seminars or help sessions, let us know and we will pass on details to our readers. Now that installers are having to work more closely with the insurers and have ‘risk’ at the forefront of their minds, we plan to focus on this risk assessment aspect next year at our Sandown Roadshow on March 8. Take advantage of our free seminars by dropping into Sandown Park. Our roadshows are always worth a visit with a special atmosphere all their own.

Congratulations to all those companies and individuals who won honours at this year’s Security Excellence Awards. As well as honouring the best of the best it was a great night out in London for 650-plus guests. Among them were all the VIPs of the industry and it was especially good to see young installers taking the limelight for once and being great ambassadors for their companies. The winners and runners up of this year’s Apprentice Skills Challenge, staged at IFSEC, received the accolades of the whole industry and I would encourage all installers to put their apprentices forward for next year’s competition.