The UK intruder alarm industry has recently undergone radical change, Tavcom Training reports.
From October 1, all alarm firm staff are required to observe European Standards (EN) when risk assessing, specifying, installing or maintaining a new intruder alarm system. All existing British Standards which conflict with EN standards have been withdrawn since that date. This development places serious new responsibilities on such personnel as there is a requirement to understand and implement the significant differences between British Standards 4737 and the new European standards which take the form of structured standards, grading of systems, classification of equipment, risk based system design proposals and risk assessment. There is also a stipulation that personnel should have received formal training in their area of operation.
With distributor Gardiner Security, Tavcom has scheduled one day training, to satisfy the directives of European Standard EN 50131 (PD 6662:2004). Formal certification will be available to those who complete accreditation and assessment, including a written knowledge check.
The courses – which will be presented at a variety of locations throughout the UK in 2006 – are suitable for those with previous experience in system design, specification preparation (System Design Proposals), risk assessment, installation practices and maintenance practices.
Hampshire-based Tavcom recently moved into a newly purchased office building on the edge of Bishops Waltham village.
The offices at Claylands Business Park covers an area of 3500 square feet over two floors. The new building includes a large meeting room, a dedicated printing room, a test and evaluation workshop, an archive room, kitchen facilities and a goods inwards area. Director of Training, Mike Tennent, describes the move as a relief from increasingly cramped accommodation: “Tavcom Training has grown strongly over recent years. The enormous popularity of our BTEC courses in particular has lead to a large increase in delegate numbers, with a corresponding explosion of paperwork! With the imminent introduction of courses for SIA licensing that trend is set to continue. To cope with demand we have needed to find several more staff members and ultimately, new and larger premises to house our team. I am absolutely delighted with the new building and all the excellent facilities we are now able to offer both our staff and our visitors.” The training provider’s training rooms and newly refurbished technical workshops remain at the Upland Park Hotel in the nearby village of Droxford.
