Article archive for Richard Scott
Lessons must be learned from this tragedy... (18 September 2008)
Health and Safety should never be far from an electrician’s mind as he or she goes about their work. But external pressures can affect the judgement of everyone and electricians are no different. The case of Mitie employee Michael Adamson who was electrocuted in 2005 while working on the new JJB Sports Centre in Dundee has raised concerns about how time constraints are dealt with by both management and their staff...
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''Err...hold the line a sec, I just pranged it!'' (30 July 2008)
This week I received a press release from a large multinational company explaining they had decided to ban all their 4,000 UK and Ireland employees from using mobile phones while driving, including the use of hands-free kits. This came as a surprise knowing how popular such systems are, and made me wonder whether the electrical contractors driving the country’s roads using hands free kits should consider whether they are being as safe as they thought...
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Flying Too Close to the Sun? (16 July 2008)
Solar power has a history much like British summer. You think there’s a breakthrough and for a fleeting moment you’re bathed in glorious sunlight, then as quickly as it appeared, it’s gone, not to be seen again for months. So, this week another revelatory system has been announced with its inventors claiming that it overcomes many of solar technology’s drawbacks. But will it disappear without a trace like so many other ‘groundbreaking’ developments?
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As the Smoke Clears... (02 July 2008)
This week marked one year since the smoking ban was introduced to enclosed public places in the UK. Whatever your feelings regarding the rights and wrongs of this legislation in terms of civil liberties, it must be said that the electrical industry has done rather well out of it and, as a result, made the UK a nicer place to spend time al fresco. But are we addressing the potential problems that could arise as we move outside?
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Squeezing The Most From Technology (25 June 2008)
Innovation isn’t all about coming up with entirely new technology. Applying existing technology to new situations can have a similarly important impact and be equally innovative. That’s what first struck me when I heard about plans to use the energy generated from pedestrian footfall to power supermarkets, railway stations, nightclubs and tourist attractions. Richard Scott questions whether piezoelectric devices could pave the way to another useful source of renewable energy...
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