(What else would I do with my Sunday afternoon.... 
)
Most of you will already have read this in this month's Switched On mag from the Electricity Safety Council, but for those who haven't, this is how the discussions between suppliers' and contractors' representatives are going, regarding removing the safety fuse from the mains cut-out to enable non-live working, and thereby compliance with the EAWRegs:
OPTION
APPROVED ACCREDITATION SCHEME (+VE PROGRESS)
- SUPPORTED BY DISTRIBUTORS
- SUPPORTED BY TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
- GOVERNANCE ISSUES
- CONSENT ISSUES
FIT DOUBLE POLE ISOLATOR ( +VE PROGRESS)
- PROCESS ALREADY IN PLACE FOR MANY
- SUPPORTED BY SUPPLIERS
- NEED TO CONSIDER GOVERNANCE
- MEDIUM-LONG TERM SOLUTION
- FUNDING ISSUES
FIT CIRCUIT-BREAKER CUT-OUTS (-VE REJECT)
- NOT COST-EFFECTIVE
CHANGE SMARTMETER SPECS TO
INCLUDE DOUBLE POLE ISOLATOR
WITH LOCK-OUT (-VE REJECT)
- VERY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE
- THEORETICAL SOLUTION
(NO SUCH METER TYPES EXIST IN THE UK MARKET)
- RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ALIGNING SOLUTION
WITH ROLL-OUT OF SMART METERING
IMPROVE EXIXTING SUPPLIER
AND AGENT PROCESSES (+VE PROGRESS)
- SHORT-TERM SOLUTION
- ENDURING BENEFITS
- NO DCUSA CHANGE REQUIRED
- IMMEDIATE BENEFITS
- CAN SUPPORT OTHER SOLUTION
CLEARING HOUSE/
SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (-VE REJECT)
- GOVERNANCE AND FUNDING ISSUES
- REQUIRED SIGN ON FROM ALL SUPPLIERS
- COMPLEX SOLUTION FOR LOW LEVEL ISSUE
- INDUSTRY TRIAL UNSUCCESSFUL
At the time of writing, the DCUSA Working Group was scheduled to meet
again in September to discuss options 1, 2, and 5 in more detail.
Each option was due to be assessed independently against the following
criteria, and then in comparison with each other and the current situation:
·Benefits
·Costs
·Safety
·Revenue protection issues
·Timing
Further developments in this important subject will be reported on in future
issues of Switched On.
)Most of you will already have read this in this month's Switched On mag from the Electricity Safety Council, but for those who haven't, this is how the discussions between suppliers' and contractors' representatives are going, regarding removing the safety fuse from the mains cut-out to enable non-live working, and thereby compliance with the EAWRegs:
OPTION
APPROVED ACCREDITATION SCHEME (+VE PROGRESS)
- SUPPORTED BY DISTRIBUTORS
- SUPPORTED BY TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
- GOVERNANCE ISSUES
- CONSENT ISSUES
FIT DOUBLE POLE ISOLATOR ( +VE PROGRESS)
- PROCESS ALREADY IN PLACE FOR MANY
- SUPPORTED BY SUPPLIERS
- NEED TO CONSIDER GOVERNANCE
- MEDIUM-LONG TERM SOLUTION
- FUNDING ISSUES
FIT CIRCUIT-BREAKER CUT-OUTS (-VE REJECT)
- NOT COST-EFFECTIVE
CHANGE SMARTMETER SPECS TO
INCLUDE DOUBLE POLE ISOLATOR
WITH LOCK-OUT (-VE REJECT)
- VERY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE
- THEORETICAL SOLUTION
(NO SUCH METER TYPES EXIST IN THE UK MARKET)
- RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ALIGNING SOLUTION
WITH ROLL-OUT OF SMART METERING
IMPROVE EXIXTING SUPPLIER
AND AGENT PROCESSES (+VE PROGRESS)
- SHORT-TERM SOLUTION
- ENDURING BENEFITS
- NO DCUSA CHANGE REQUIRED
- IMMEDIATE BENEFITS
- CAN SUPPORT OTHER SOLUTION
CLEARING HOUSE/
SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (-VE REJECT)
- GOVERNANCE AND FUNDING ISSUES
- REQUIRED SIGN ON FROM ALL SUPPLIERS
- COMPLEX SOLUTION FOR LOW LEVEL ISSUE
- INDUSTRY TRIAL UNSUCCESSFUL
At the time of writing, the DCUSA Working Group was scheduled to meet
again in September to discuss options 1, 2, and 5 in more detail.
Each option was due to be assessed independently against the following
criteria, and then in comparison with each other and the current situation:
·Benefits
·Costs
·Safety
·Revenue protection issues
·Timing
Further developments in this important subject will be reported on in future
issues of Switched On.
