Almost a year on from the publication of Amendment 2, Hager has conducted a survey to find out how those in the industry are navigating the changes. Paul Collins, Technical and Training Manager, discusses the results and outlines the resources available for further support and guidance.
Q. WHAT HAS THE RECEPTION BEEN LIKE FROM THE INDUSTRY IN THE WAKE OF AMENDMENT 2?
As with any changes, we’ve received a lot of questions from contractors looking for advice and technical support. To better understand the areas they wanted to know more about, we recently surveyed a select sample of members of the Hager Insight Team and contractors on social media.
Encouragingly, a huge 96% of respondents said they were aware of the changes outlined in Amendment 2, while 100% said they felt confident about the changes and their responsibilities. This is testament to the hard work of the entire sector, from industry bodies, employers, and manufacturers in working to ensure the changes outlined in Amendment 2 were delivered successfully.
Q. WHAT CHANGES ARE CONTRACTORS MOST INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT?
The main changes of interest to contractors were arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) and electric vehicle (EV) charging points, both of which were selected by over one-third (36%) of all respondents, followed closely by surge protection devices (SPDs) with 24% and finally, the topic of documentation and identification, which was highlighted by just 4% of those polled.
At Hager, we’re continuously looking at how we can work to support those in the industry by providing access to relevant information, technical expertise and product guidance. For those looking to enhance their knowledge on Amendment 2 related information, our 18th Edition Amendment 2 Hub, which includes our handy 18th Edition Bitesize Guide, outlines all the major changes.
We also have an experienced and dedicated national support system – our field sales team, telephone account managers and technical experts – so electrical contractors can be assured they continue to comply with the regulations, benefiting from the expertise and guidance they receive.
Q. CAN MORE BE DONE TO SUPPORT CONTRACTORS WITH NAVIGATING THE CHANGES?
While our survey found that contractors are confident of the changes, that doesn’t mean our job is complete. It’s important that the supply chain continues to work together to educate and inform those working in the industry, offering valuable expert advice in the form of training, events, and online resources. This is particularly important given that over two-thirds (67%) of contractors we surveyed said they felt the responsibility for navigating the changes lay with them, with industry bodies, manufacturers, and CPDs following with 17%, 12% and 4% respectively.
Q. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES SURROUNDING AMENDMENT 2 AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION?
As with any change, there of course will be challenges, but this is where the industry needs to work together to ensure electrical contractors are equipped with the confidence and knowledge to implement the changes outlined in Amendment 2.
Again, confidence and knowledge are even more important when you consider that when we asked this question to our select group of contractors, the biggest challenge they identified was their clients’ understanding of the changes (44%). By investing in ongoing product and solution training and leaning on expert advice, contractors will not only be ensuring their work remains compliant with the latest changes, but they’ll also be able to confidently explain the changes, and why they’re needed, to their clients.
Download a digital copy of Hager’s Amendment 2 bitesize guide here
