Make it easier

Making EN50131Easier

Over the past five months we have carried many readers’ letters, opinion pieces and features centred around the Euro regulations for intruder alarms. This all sparked from a single heartfelt letter over EN50131 from a reader in our November 2006 edition.

The deluge of letters we had following our publication of the article by Carl Samm, proprietor of Fortress Alarms, was something of a surprise to us.

Having spoken to many installers over the last two years as the European standards for intruder alarms were being announced and implemented, we had the impression that installers had, in the main, accepted them as an inevitability and were determined to get on with the job and comply.

However, the article sparked off a chain reaction. While resigned to the fact that they have to comply, installers are not happy about the level of communication they are getting regarding content, amendments and changes.

After all, when all the talking shops are done, it's the installer who has to pick up the tools and make this work.

While some of the co-operative groups of installers who have banded together to get good deals from distributors do seem to be thriving, for business and competitive reasons, it seems that installer associations or unions have never really taken off.

It's only when one installer has the courage to stand up and tell it like it is that many others congratulate him and say "Hear hear, I couldn't agree more."

There is a general feeling among installers (repeated in many of the letters we have received) that they were not consulted in the first place over the European regulations and they are not being listened to now. There is a feeling that, like other EU legislation that affects our working lives, it is out of their hands.

Reflecting our reader letters, they feel that the lines of communication could be greatly improved so that when there are amendments and content changes these are given better publicity.

A case in point... Before Christmas an "industry statement" was published announcing a new timetable for compliance. We wanted to direct readers online so they could read the statement in full. However, just before we went to press, we made a trawl around the websites of the bodies behind the statement and we could not find it anywhere – not on the sites of the BSIA, NSI, SSAIB, ACPO, ACPOS or insurance group IPCRes.

To their credit, the BSIA sent us the press release on the statement to keep readers informed. But even they did not post up the full statement until after we went to press so we had to print the statement in full.

In these days of instant internet communication this statement should have been available extensively online.

However, the point is … How are installers meant to stay one step ahead unless they receive information quickly? God knows, it is complicated enough. They should not be left in the dark and all documents relating to the standards and changes should be available on multiple security sites across the web.

So, in this edition, we launch a 'Making EN50131 Easier' campaign to encourage security bodies, and even manufacturers, to do more to ease installers along the route.

Security Installer magazine has no axe to grind over this. In future editions we want to print details of how industry groups, and even manufacturers, are making it easier for installers.

We will be pleased to hear from you about what you are doing to help our readers and will publish details of those companies and industry bodies who are going the extra mile.

And installers, are you still having problems over grading, confusion over risk assessment, surveying responsibilities or insurance problems? Do you think you've been let down? Or, conversely, has a company or body really helped you through this?