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Out of sight, out of mind could well apply to most peoples’ thinking when it comes to their home or workplace electrics. It’s one of those (relatively) modern miracles nobody gives a thought about – until it starts going wrong.

As the manager or operator of any commercial premises in the UK, you are bound by Health and Safety legislation to ensure the safety of employees and any members of the public visiting those premises. A log should be kept of all assessments, findings, actions taken, when they were carried out, and by whom (must be a qualified electrician).

As a company responsible for electrical and mechanical works on some of the UK’s most prestigious historic houses, public buildings, and industrial and commercial properties, Lowe & Oliver has to comply with a large number of Health and Safety and Electrical Regulations at Work (codes of practice), to ensure the safe installation, operation and maintenance of electrical supply and appliances. The following is an overview of four of the main areas of accountability.

If you own or manage a commercial property, you’ll know that the air con and plumbing concerns are a bit different from those of residential homes. That's why you need a commercial mechanical contractor to understand and handle specific issues.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging enables drivers to charge or top up the battery of electric or hybrid vehicles at convenient intervals, while the vehicle is parked. EV chargepoints can be installed at homes with off-street parking, at places of work and at public charging sites. The higher voltage outlets are designed to significantly reduce charging times and are recommended by car manufacturers as the superior and safer alternative to mains socket charging.

While LED lighting isn’t strictly a legal requirement, a string of important government documents published over the past 20 years has increasingly tightened the performance criteria for lights used in public buildings. Lighting requirements are designed to phase out inefficient types of lighting rather than select positively for one alternative or another. It just happens that LED lights are currently the most affordable and energy efficient alternative to incandescent and fluorescent lighting.

LED lighting is a cost-effective, energy-saving alternative to conventional lighting options, even in historic and non-standard buildings. For universities, palaces, churches and museums, LED lighting offers enormous versatility to create different atmospheres in different parts of the building, shape user experiences and also cut the cost of lighting.

Upgrading an ageing and inefficient lighting infrastructure to a modern LED-based design is a large undertaking, especially in an extensive or complex building. When dealing with historic buildings in particular, there may be extensive electrical work required before the lighting upgrade can even take place, such as replacing antiquated wiring, or making special design considerations to preserve the character of the building. This comes with a price tag that can be quite high, so how do you justify an LED lighting upgrade in an organisation where budgets are tight?

Lowe and Oliver are pleased to bring you another service from our sister company Canopus with the impending GDPR applying from May 2018. Canopus Solutions Limited are industry specialists in the area of secure data destruction and IT asset disposal. Our range of services have been developed in response to the increasing importance of data protection legislation, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive, UK (England & Wales) waste legislation, and the hazardous waste act, all of which make businesses responsible for the ethical disposal of used IT equipment. As part of J Brand, with a business philosophy based around “My Customer, My Responsibility” many clients see Canopus Solutions as a key “strategic partner” with a determination to deliver solutions on time, within budget and to a first class standard.

While there are many LED lighting contractors more than happy to take your money, there are probably only a few with the experience and industry knowledge suitable to take on your project. All too often, organisations make common mistakes when choosing their contractor, resulting in communication issues, delays or a mismatch of skills.