lets talk
posted on Monday 23rd January, 2012 at 17:01 COMMENTS (0)
For the attention of Martin Glynn, Directors and Officers of NACS:
Following the telephone call with Martin on 19th January 2012 I am now sending this email to above-mentioned.
As some of you may or may not be aware I am now the Liaison Officer for APICS. A big title but I don't think I'm going to get a badge for it! This position was created after some of the events which occurred in 2011 and are ongoing.
One of the events which occurred was the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps decided to contact us regarding a standardisation of basic chimney sweeping and better communication between our organizations because quite rightly so, sometime in the future we could come under a more stringent form of accreditation as chimney sweeps. Coincidentally as part of my role as a COCAA rep for APICS I attended in October the start of CO Awareness Week at the Houses of Parliament. During this event we had a talk from Baroness Findlay of Llandaff, the Inquiry Chair for the All Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group during which their findings .Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. was handed out. In this report there are seventeen recommendations on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning and a means for regulating it. Forty-one organizations, companies, charitable organizations and local authorities all had input into this document. NOT ONE CHIMNEY SWEEP ORGANIZATION CONTRIBUTED TO THIS DOCUMENT. (I wonder why?)
Recommendation 16 of this document reads "The Government should seek to bring regulation for the whole fossil fuel sector in line with that of the gas industry". So in a way The Guild seem to be thinking ahead although one of their issues is perhaps we should work towards having a standard format for sweeping chimneys. The HETAS approval scheme, although the exam part is overseen and verified by other agencies, the sweeping content of the approval is left to the individual organizations to approve their own sweeps. Although we virtually all have the same criteria for assessing sweeps this is all in-house and would not in my opinion satisfy any appointed board who have been instructed to implement Recommendation 16. We all know about the NVQ level 2 Chimney Engineering qualification which already exists and which is overseen and verified by outside bodies but is assessed by professional, competent, experienced chimney sweeps who also have been trained in taking assessments. This should be our standard and as with other industries recently, the Level 2 NVQ has been implemented as an industry standard. If the three sweeping organizations do not speak from a common point of view and if this regulation is implemented we could have an assessment scheme forced on us by bureaucrats who know nothing about sweeping or even a European standard which would not take in the unique method the British sweep uses to sweep flues.
After initially talking to the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps and discussing in length at our AGM we can only agree with the Guild that we should all be talking. Hence I have been appointed the Liaison Officer for APICS and have been given by my members a strict mandate which should we decide to talk I must follow:
1. To start a dialogue or forum with other organizations
2. The purpose of the forum is to promote professional competence and qualified chimney sweeping in the UK
3. I will be talking only to HETAS approved sweeping organizations
4. This is not a platform for attacking any other person or organization in the solid fuel industry or indeed any industry
5. To have this forum with all HETAS approved sweeping organization (if not all participate then our organization will rethink our mandate)
6. I am to report back at regular intervals and attend any appropriate steering committee meeting
This is not the time for harping back to personality clashes, what that organization did to our organization, and personal vendettas. I believe this could be our last chance as a professional voice in the industry. We have already missed out on any input from sweeping organizations being used in the 2002 Approved Document J, no input was taken from chimney sweeping organizations for Gastec Regulatory Review Approved Document J . Backward and Forward Looks, a Questionnaire for Association of Chimney Sweeps and Chimney Engineers which had a direct influence in the updated document J in 2010. And not forgetting the All Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group report.
As you know I am very persistent however should you decide not to go ahead with this forum I and my organization would not pursue this as I'm sure whatever decision you make would be the best for your members as indeed any decision made by our organization or the Guild would be in the best interests for their respective members.
Please treat this email as an open letter and feel free to show it to any of your members if you so wish.
On a lighter note I'm looking forward to the NACS trade show and banquet, I always enjoy the honest and frank discussions at the bar and by the end of the evening we even manage to put the world to rights. Perhaps sweeps should run the counry!
Yours in sweeping
David Moore the Liaison Officer for APICS
Filed under:
USA trade show 2012
posted on Friday 7th October, 2011 at 07:10 COMMENTS (0)
I am attending a US Chimney Sweep trade show in Orlando in February 2012. I wonder if there are any other sweeps out there from any organisation who would be interested in going as a delegation of British chimney sweeps? I am looking at flying into Orlando, hiring a car and driving down to the venue and staying for around 6 to 7 days. So if you're interested please email me.
... Read further about USA trade show 2012Filed under: insurance sweeping power/rotary_sweeping
CAN I GET INSURANCE FOR POWER ROTARY SWEEPING?
posted on Tuesday 12th July, 2011 at 23:07 COMMENTS (0)
Yes you can get insurancre for power/rotary sweeping. Details soon to be posted on my website. 
Filed under:
TRADE SHOW
posted on Friday 1st July, 2011 at 17:07 COMMENTS (0)
Do not forget GUILD OF MASTER CHIMNEY SWEEPS ANNUAL MEETING AND NATIONALTRADE EXHIBITION on the 16/7/11 see you there on the sturdyvac stand.
... Read further about TRADE SHOWFiled under:
Ask me about Rotary Cleaning
posted on Wednesday 1st June, 2011 at 21:06 COMMENTS (0)
I keep getting calls about power sweeping and what I think about it? I tell them to read my web site, however here is a copy of a email I sent to a NACS director.
... Read further about Ask me about Rotary Cleaning
