NAPIT

Weather the storm with NAPIT

gazza — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 23:00:00 +0000

Weather the storm with NAPIT

gazza Mon, 27/04/2015

Frank Bertie, Chairman of the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT), discusses the benefits of Trade Association membership
I attended a meeting recently. The sun was shining when I left the house. I was in an optimistic frame of mind, and I decided not to take my coat...
Why is it that it always seems to rain on the one day that you don’t wear your coat?
As you can probably guess, I arrived completely soaked and feeling more than a bit put out.
The simple answer is that it will rain when it rains, but you notice it most when you’re least prepared.
Preparation is crucial in almost all aspects of life really, whether it’s as simple as pre-empting unpredictable weather or as important as ensuring your business has the resilience to react to industry change.
It’s a concept that leads me nicely from my soggy misfortune to an important question: why join a trade association?
Like the great British weather, the building services sector can be notoriously changeable, and if you aren’t part of a trade association, you can’t contribute to the course of change. You can’t rely on a community of fellow contractors for support if things go wrong. And you can’t expect to be kept up to date with the latest industry developments to help you avoid potential pitfalls in the first place.
For the uninitiated, a trade association is an organisation that works to support and promote the common interests of its members. It is your weather report, your umbrella and occasionally even your weather machine.
I was speaking to Linda Cavender, General Manager of the Trade Association Forum, recently to get her views on the subject. She said: “I think those who have never been a part of a trade association would be really surprised at just how much they do to support their members. From offering friendly advice to bringing about significant industry change, the scope of their work can be vast”.
NAPIT started out as a trade association for electricians carrying out inspection and testing, back in 1992. Since then, it has grown exponentially, expanding and developing to incorporate new trades as the Registration, Certification, Services, Training, Inspection and Insurance divisions of an organisation that would become the NAPIT Group were added.
The NAPIT Group now offer a wide range of training and certification for: electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, building fabric and renewable technology installers. It’s the ideal solution for those who need to work across a number of trades and to be represented within those trades.
The NAPIT Trade Association is passionate about defending and advancing the interests of all of our members and we send regular surveys to assess their interests, giving everyone a say on the issues to be prioritised for the year ahead.
We hold meetings up to three times a year in 11 locations across the country. All members of a NAPIT scheme can attend and they are the ideal forum to learn more about your trade through technical presentations and hear campaign priority updates. They also provide an opportunity to raise ideas or feedback to the National Council that elected NAPIT members sit on.
This democratic approach means we can speak for the collective interests of over 10,000 registered tradespeople. If our members tell us they want us to tackle an issue, we have the combined voice to make industry and Government sit up and take note.
The NAPIT Trade Association has had and will continue to have a significant impact in bringing about positive change for the electrical industry.
Our members spoke and we listened, playing a central role in the launch of a single register for all competent, registered electricians, namely Registered Competent Person Electrical.
We also listened to widespread concerns regarding enforcement of Part P, sponsoring a report into its enforcement, carried out by the industry forum the Electrical Safety Roundtable. This resulted in calls for appropriate action to be taken, widespread publicity and the communication of the report’s central findings to Government and industry officials – and it’s an issue we will continue to pursue.
Currently the Trade Association is also working closely with the Electrical Safety Roundtable and other industry stakeholders with the aim of improving electrical safety in the private rented sector.
It is estimated that one in six tenants are currently living with electrical hazards in the home and a recent member survey has shown that over 90 per cent of NAPIT Trade Association respondents agree that mandatory electrical safety checks should be carried out every five years or more frequently. So, we are campaigning for the introduction of a mandatory Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), to be carried out every five years by a competent, registered electrician, supported by an annual visual inspection by the landlord.
We also contribute to consultations on subjects such as energy efficiency and have representatives on more than twenty different industry committees, including the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification Management Committee and the Wiring Regulations Advisory Group, as well as regular meetings with the Sustainable Energy Association and the Heating and Hot Water Industry Council. These committees allow us to represent the views of our members in meetings which can bring about concrete industry change.
But it’s not all about politics. The Trade Association allows members to raise queries and contact NAPIT directly for friendly, impartial advice at any time. It also allows you to build a robust network of contacts through regional meetings and a range of great seminars and exhibitions.
In recent months, we have held over twenty free Amendment 3 Seminars across the country in association with our partners, with more to come. These events have drawn capacity crowds as tradespeople looked to take full advantage of the chance to learn more about the requirements of the new Amendment to the Wiring Regulations from industry experts.
NAPIT EXPO, a fantastic trade show for networking, on-the-day discounts and valuable business advice, has also drawn the crowds in recent years. This year, the Trade Association is taking this show on the road, to nine different locations, to reach more of our members than ever before.
It’s all about giving everyone the opportunity to participate. All members of NAPIT membership schemes benefit from the ability to voice their views, get involved in positive change for their industry, meet with like-minded people in their trade, access a vast support network, and get expert advice and guidance from industry experts at a range of great events.

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NAPIT Non-Executive Director Awarded an MBE

gazza — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

NAPIT Non-Executive Director Awarded an MBE

gazza Thu, 02/08/2012

NAPIT Non-Executive Director Chris Bielby, who is also Chair of Trustees at The Gas Safety Trust, has been made an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honors this year in recognition of his services to the promotion of gas safety and carbon monoxide awareness.

This year’s honors list, published on 16 June 2012, features a characteristically star-studded list of honorees including: Kenneth Brannagh, Kate Winslet and Garry Barlow.

Chris was selected from thousands of nominees across the UK and will receive his medal alongside 532 other MBE recipients this year. All MBE’s are awarded for inspirational and outstanding contributions to society, usually through dedication to charity work.

In response to the news of Bielby’s achievement, NAPIT Chief executive, John Andrews said: “I have known Chris for a number of years and his determination to ensure only Competent Tradesmen undertake Gas work in the home closely matches my stance for the Electrical sector. It is good to see that all his efforts to raise standards over the years are at last being rewarded in this way.”

Anyone can be nominated for an honour but only exceptional people receive one. Chris, who has worked tirelessly for over 25 years, canvassing and lobbying support, will receive this honour in recognition of his outstanding achievement and service to society in raising awareness of gas safety and the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

According to statistics from the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), every year there are around 15 deaths and many more (non-fatal) casualties suffered as a result of CO poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed, maintained or ventilated, highlighting the vital importance of Chris’ work.

NAPIT have always been committed to promoting safety and have been a strong supporter of the charity CO-Awareness, founded by Lynn Griffiths, for over six years. CO-Awareness believe exposure to carbon monoxide to be; “grossly under reported, possibly affecting millions of people in this country each year.” If just one life is saved, the determined campaigning of people like Chris and Lynn will be worthwhile. You can find more information on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning on Lynn’s website, CO-Awareness.

NAPIT are delighted to see Chris’ achievements recognised in this year’s honours list and continue to take great pride in his tireless efforts to promote awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide.

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NAPIT Expo 2012 Review - Everyone's a Winner!

gazza — Tue, 29 May 2012 23:00:00 +0000

NAPIT Expo 2012 Review - Everyone's a Winner!

gazza Wed, 30/05/2012

The regional NAPIT EXPO 2012 tradeshow came to the Kassam Stadium in Oxford on May 24 and proved to be a resounding success. Visitors from the electrical and building services industry took advantage of exclusive deals and discounts, caught up with latest industry developments and enjoyed an array of informative NAPIT presentations such as their innovative Q&A sessions.

Key speakers included NAPIT CEO John Andrews who sat alongside NAPIT Directors and Technical experts including Richard Townsend (IET), Simon Allen (Plumb Center) and Dean Thomas (Green Deal), to openly discuss a variety of topics pertaining to the electrical industry, business affairs and marketplace prospects, the future of NAPIT and its membership and much more.

The Q&A sessions were a hit and the audience took away some invaluable insight and advice. NAPIT were reportedly inundated with pre-show applications for the launch of their new meter calibration service, yet another show highlight. Visitors and exhibitors alike were impressed with NAPIT EXPO 2012 and all it offered. Bill Leeney of Leeney Services, Derby kindly commented on the dynamic show.
“I found NAPIT EXPO 2012 Very useful. I met a wide variety of people from the industry and everybody seems very easy to talk to. There was an amazing depth of technical expertise too; it was a very professional conference.”

First time exhibitor Geoff Tibbett of NVC Lighting, Birmingham also commented:“NAPIT EXPO is one of the best, most comprehensive trade shows I’ve attended.”

NAPIT Chief Operating Officer Martin Bruno also commented as he reflected on NAPIT’s latest trade show success:
“We’ve had a great day as expected! There were a good number of people in attendance and the Kassam was an excellent venue. Our new Q&A sessions were all well supported and visibly appreciated by the audience. An increasing number manufacturers and wholesalers each enjoyed the show and we’ve received some great feedback about the show and the interaction between NAPIT and all in attendance… I think everyone came out a winner!”

NAPIT member Paul Grant was one such lucky winner; thanks to NAPIT’s longstanding supporter BROTHER, he walked away with a brand new label printer! NAPIT are already looking to improve on the success of this year’s show and to build on the widespread enthusiasm it’s attracted; NAPIT EXPO 2013 will surely prove unmissable for anyone working within the industry.

NAPIT have compiled an illustrative multi-media gallery, which was captured by a professional film production crew and photographers to provide a closer insight into the buzz surrounding the show. Anyone unfortunate enough to have missed the show can visitwww.napit.org.uk/gallery for further information or to view the NAPIT EXPO gallery, which is also atwww.facebook.com/OfficialNAPIT.

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