IQA's Blog

Cycle Completed

2011-07-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

The journey is complete

Our MD, Davie Gowans, has just completed his charity cycle in Malawi! Although Davie doesn't have access to the internet at the moment he has been in touch and given an update on the group's progress. Everyone involved agreed that the trip was an amazing experience and they are all now relaxing with cold beer prior to a special dinner tonight to celebrate their achievements.

The scenery was out of this world at Mulanje Mountain and is something that will live long in the memory of Davie and the others. Tomorrow the group will visit a local school before a long transfer back to Lilongwe where they will stay overnight before flying to Nairobi on Sunday for the return flight to Heathrow.

Today and tomorrow's official itinerary are as follows:

Friday 22 July - Blantyre to Mulanje
The final day of cycling!!

Cycling east towards Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve, a vast isolated granite massif rising sharply above the plains. The last 2km are steep uphill!
Known as the ‘Island in the Sky’, it consists of numerous plateaus, peaks & basins interspersed with deep ravines.
Overnight stay at Kara O Mula Lodge. This evening we will enjoy a special meal to celebrate our achievements.

Saturday 23 July - Mulanje School Project Visit

This morning we visit Thawale Primary School, a school that LINK is working with in Mulanje and you will have the opportunity to see a community School Performance Appraisal Meeting in action.
In the afternoon we transfer back to Lilongwe where we will overnight in our hotel.

Davie will be updating his blog with more details when he and his beloved iPad are reconnected with the internet.

Congratulations to Davie and the rest of the group from IQA for completing this cycle for a great cause!!

Greetings from Malawi

2011-07-21T02:29:00.000-07:00

I am now in Malawi and am having a brilliant time. On the second day we covered approx. 100 kms and yesterday we did 70 kms to the Zomba Plateau which is a mountain higher than Ben Nevis. My friend Paul and I dressed up as Batman and Robin for the cycle yesterday which was a great laugh but very warm, it amused the Malawian people greatly too.

I am feeling really good, cycling with a good bunch of people and enjoying the beautiful scenery and the Malawi people are amazing and very friendly. We visited one school where we met lots of children and if we pass them on the road they always wave to us.

Every morning we wake up at 6am, enjoy a buffet breakfast and prepare for the cycle ahead by completing a warm up before we leave at 8am. We arrive at our overnight stops between 4pm-5pm where we eat dinner together and are briefed for the next day’s cycle.

We are now heading south to Blantyre and I have taken lots of photos and videos however, you’ll probably have to wait till I get back before you can see them as the internet connection is very poor out here.

Hope you are all keeping well.

Davie

Davie's Cafe Malawi

2011-07-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

On Monday 11th July David Gowans, MD of IQA turned tea boy for the morning. He set up a table in reception serving pain au chocolate, croissants, sweets and hot drinks for a donation which went directly to LINK Community Development. This was not only a great treat for the staff on a Monday morning, but he managed to raise over £60.

A big thanks to everyone for your support.

Less than two weeks...

2011-07-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

With less than 2 weeks to go until the Malawi cycle, there was a lot more training at the weekend. It was also very nice to get some sunshine for a change in Glasgow! I was out both days at the weekend with the highlight being Sunday’s cycle to Loch Lomond and back. Another highlight was the pint of Cider in the sunshine at Balloch! In terms of fitness, I’m feeling great and ready for the 370km challenge. More training is arranged this week before more of a rest in the final days before I leave.

Practice Run to Falkirk Wheel

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 25th I had another great training session for the build-up to Malawi. I cycled just under 50 miles from Glasgow to the Falkirk Wheel, and back again. It was a great run along the canal path and a decent day for it. The way back was a bit tougher and yet again in good old Scottish fashion, the rain came on! Still, it was good training and not too difficult. It’s now under 3 weeks until I fly to Malawi and the excitement is building up. It’s going to be a great feeling knowing that the money raised is helping the communities and schools in Malawi. 

Edinburgh to St Andrews

2011-06-21T00:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday 18th June

This has got to be the most difficult cycling event I have ever endured. It was the longest at 68 miles but it was the weather that made it a lot worse than any other. I joined fellow participants of the forthcoming Malawi trip in Edinburgh where we set off at 8:45am. There was over a thousand riders and we started at the back as we only just arrived on time. The first part if the trip was through the busy roads in Edinburgh as we headed to South Queensferry.

One of the most iconic parts was our journey over the Forth road bridge before travelling through Fife. The route didn’t take us up the scenic coastal road, but instead through the countryside. This is where the weather turned worse with heavy rainfall. There was also a difficult climb up some large hills into some dense woodlands. It looked great but felt cold and wet, and we were greeted by the most bizarre scene of an ice cream van parked up there in the wilderness. It didn’t stop a few of us grabbing a 99-er cone to celebrate our achievement thus far! There was a good downhill from here and then we had a proper rest stop at Kinross where the organisers had set up a community hall with food and hot drinks.

The weather then turned better as we travelled through the beautiful Fife countryside and things felt better. There were some excellent climbs along the way which were good from a training perspective, although it didn’t feel like that at the time! We travelled another 20 miles before the final stop and had a cup of tea and cake from the local Kirk. The last 20 miles to St Andrews was fun. Rain, wind, hills, more rain, stronger wind, and a sore knee. It was a great test of mental attitude and will power. It was after 5pm that I arrived at the beach road in St Andrews and it was a great feeling. Soaked, tired and sore but still with a smile on the face as I entered the pub for a well deserved pint!

The Last Stretch

2011-06-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

Friday 17th June

With only 4 weeks until the Malawi trip, training has not been as intense as it should be. However, tomorrow I am taking part in my biggest cycling challenge so far, by joining the charity ride from Edinburgh to St Andrews. All 68 miles of it. The weather forecast is cloudy with scattered showers so hopefully the rain and wind stays away! I will be joined by several other participants who are going on the Malawi trip, and a big thank you to Evans Halshaw who have donated a minibus for the weekend to get us to Edinburgh and back. I’ll write more on Monday and tell you about the trip.

Wish me luck!

Davie

IQA Group Awarded a merit Pass for International Safety Awards

2011-06-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

April 2011

IQA Group has been awarded a merit pass for the International Safety Awards 2011. The Company are one of only a few organisations to have reached this level of achievement and are aiming for a distinction next year.

IQA has received this award for the last couple of years and this is the highest rating yet which demonstrates the Company’s dedication to continuous improvement and corporate responsibility. It is also recognition of the focus that all of our staff brings to Health & Safety and we plan to continue improving so that next year we get the distinction.

Newspaper Article

2011-05-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Monday 30th May

The Paisley Daily Express kindly ran an article on me and the Malawi bike ride. The link below shows the online version, and the story has its usual journalistic slant. It’s still a very good article and raises more awareness of the charity event.

http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/renfrewshire-news/local-news-in-renfrewshire/paisley-news/2011/05/28/brave-david-aims-to-stay-clear-of-hungry-hippos-87085-28775925/

Falkirk Wheel

2011-05-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday 29th May

A group of the Malawi participants had arranged to meet at the Falkirk Wheel, some travelling from Edinburgh and others from Glasgow. I met up with Pat and Lucia just after 9am as we were all leaving from Glasgow. It was a wet and windy morning and lying in bed would have been an easier option, but the training needs to be done! We took the canal route all the way and the rain eased off which was helpful. There was a charity cycle group travelling from Anniesland to Ratho so we met loads of other cyclists along the route. It’s a great ride with nice scenery and an easy flat route.

There were high winds today and they were blowing along the canal route which was great on the way to Falkirk which we did in just over 2 hours. The Falkirk Wheel has a good visitors centre so we stopped there for a while and got some lunch. Unfortunately we didn’t meet up with the group from Edinburgh as we were too early and they were hit by strong winds and rain, so we decided to head back to Glasgow. This is when the fun began.

It was tough going back towards Glasgow as the winds were very high and at some points you could hardly pedal due to the wind. It was a long 25 miles back and it took about 4 hours to complete. We did stop a couple of times for a well required rest. Today’s cycle certainly was a test of our resolve but it was good for the training aspect. We don’t anticipate any wind in Malawi so thankfully we won’t need to endure that sort of journey again! Well worth it though.

Good old Scottish Summer

2011-05-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 24th May

My training over the last few days has been limited to a couple of sessions at the gym. I managed to get my bike repaired and must say that I was pleased with the service that Halfords provided. I bought the bike there in August and they treated the repair as maintenance and did it free of charge.

The only problem now is the high winds and rain that Glasgow has been hit with. I’ve not ventured out yet this week as if I can fall off my bike whilst stationary, then what will I be like with gale force winds?!! Still, a couple of good sessions at the gym has kept the fitness level up. I also had some treatment on my knee and it is feeling great again.

Sponsorship is going great and I am well underway to getting over the current £4,000 target that I have set. Some more sponsorship from IQA suppliers and also from friends. As always, it is very much appreciated.

A NIGHT TO FORGET

2011-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday 19th May

Planned a 3 hour cycle with my friend Bill, and the bad luck started straight away when Bill turned up with a puncture. We got everything set up just before 7pm and headed down Byres Rd towards the River. Now I use toe straps/buckles on my pedals for extra grip, and keep one foot slacker in case I need to stop quickly. Usually it's the right but on this occasion I loosened my left foot. Bad choice- I reached the lights on Byres Rd and undertook a few cars, and stopped on the Red. Went to put my right foot down and realised I couldn't as it was strapped in - so I fell to my right onto the ground! Right in front of a row of cars and onlookers which was very embarrassing especially when the lights turned to green and I was trying to untie my foot! Not a great start.

The fall also had an effect on my bike as a couple of the gears were slipping but I continued anyway. We headed West and ended up in Erskine where we travelled over the Erskine Bridge which was very windy. From there we cycled across nice country roads to Bridge of Weir and eventually to Lochwinnoch. At one point when going up a steep hill, my gears popped out and I was peddling but started moving backwards! You can guess what happened next, yes, I fell off! This fall was a bit worse as I landed awkwardly and have the bruises to prove it! Still soldiered on and the best part of the day was the long downhill stretch to Lochwinnoch, which was just as well as it was getting dark.

We celebrated a hard cycle with a pint in the Brown Bull pub and Bill checked the train times. We then realised the last train was in 8 minutes and we were a mile from the station! Had to leave the pint and dash to the train station where we just made the train!

A short cycle back to the west end and I was home (at 22:40) safe in the knowledge that I will never need to use those bloody toe straps again! Entertaining night, and a really good workout :-)

Ben Lawers- Practice Run for Malawi

2011-05-20T03:36:00.001-07:00

Saturday 14th May

Today’s challenge is to complete a 60 mile cycle to finish at the top of Ben Lawers in Perthshire! This is a big challenge for me and I am determined to finish it. I attempted to complete the same course last month with a couple of friends however, I only managed to make it up a third of the mountain when my I badly injured my knee and had to turn back, which was extremely disappointing.

I set off in the car from Glasgow at 8am and picked up fellow IQA colleague Brian Ward and friend Bill French. We arrived in Kenmore at the end of Loch Tay and got the bikes set up. It was a mild day but with a lot of wind and a little drizzle.

Ben Lawers stands at almost 4000ft above sea level and is the 10th highest peak in the UK. Our base start at Kenmore is around 1000ft so we had a fair height to cycle (albeit our road doesn’t go to the very top). The scenery was amazing and the cycle was tough but very rewarding. The weather was fine but we hit some high winds as we climbed up towards Glenlyon, at the foot of Ben Lawers. An hour and 17 miles later we eventually got to Glen Lyon and had a quick rest before setting off up the mountain.

The incline was steady and we meandered up the single track road, which was surrounded by beautiful hills and countryside, plus the odd sheep and lambs. You could only really cycle in the lowest gear and if you stopped pedalling you would have moved backwards. It was tough! It probably took over an hour to cycle the 4 miles and what a rewarding feeling when we reached the top. We walked the last few metres to the viewpoint at the top and were greeted by amazing views.

Even better was the way down! I must have travelled almost 3 miles without pedalling which was a lot of fun, although at this point there was a strong rainstorm so it got a bit slippy. The best part of the day was arriving back in Glenlyon at the foot of the mountain, and visiting the Glenlyon Post Office and Tea Room. South African owner Becky looked after us and we had a fantastic lunch followed by the famous Scones.

This fuelled us up for the 17 miles back, and for some reason we really pushed it for a while and had a very fast run. I must have overdone it though as I hurt my knee once more and had to take it a lot easier on the final few miles. Luckily I had a knee support and that helped a lot. We celebrated our achievement with a pint in the Kenmore hotel before heading back on the 2 hour journey to Glasgow. A fantastic day and well worth it!

Managing Director is set to cycle around Malawi in July to raise money for charity

2011-05-10T07:43:00.001-07:00

David Gowans is venturing to Malawi to take part in an organised cycle to raise money to help improve the education of children there. Link Community Development, based in Edinburgh, have organised the bike run and Davie will be joining 40 other people who are taking part in this challenge.

By improving the education in Malawi, some of the things they hope to do is increase the numbers of teaching staff and equipment to schools, shorten the distances children have to travel to school and offer improved support services to young people for some of the family and social pressures that they face.

Davie is keeping a blog of his travels where you will get regular updates and pictures from his adventure. If you would like to follow the build up to the trip or pledge your support then please do so by visiting:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiserweb/fundraiser/showfundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=DGowans

http//www.facebook.com/pages/David-Gowans-Cycles-Malawi

IQA Growth

2011-04-26T00:55:00.001-07:00

Ashley Richardson, HR Advisor

IQA has celebrated the five years service of a further three employees, showing their dedication to the Company and helping in its growth. 2011 has seen the Company grow at a tremendous rate with 27 people joining us since January and a further nine employees join us on Monday 18th April, bringing the total number of employees to 141! Despite this fast growth, we strive to keep the family atmosphere at IQA making it a happy and enjoyable place to work.

More Successful Projects for IQA

2011-04-11T05:15:00.001-07:00

Brian Ward, Operations Manager (Scotland)

Glenfinnan Rd, Glasgow
IQA has successfully completed four more MSF projects: 60, 61, 80, and 110 Glenfinnan Road, Glasgow. Each block consisted of 56 domestic dwellings and commenced in 2010 with an approximate duration of 3 months per block. The changeovers were completed over a four day period with one block completed each day, totaling 224 renewed supplies. IQA liaised with the Cube Housing Association and concierge to ensure our customer’s requirements and considerations were met throughout the projects.

Drygate, Glasgow
A further two MSF projects have been successfully completed at 24 and 36 Drygate, Glasgow. These blocks had 72 and 84 domestic dwellings respectively and each project was completed in approximately 5 months. The changeovers were completed over a two day period with one block completed each day, giving a total 156 renewed supplies. IQA liaised with GHA and the concierge to ensure our customer’s requirements and considerations were met throughout the projects.

Quality System Auditor

2011-03-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

IQA Group has recently recruited a Quality System Auditor, who will assist with our project to gain accreditation to the internationally recognised quality standard, ISO9001:2008. The Company will be driving forward with this ambitious goal throughout 2011, and expects to gain accreditation in March 2012.

"The Towers" Changeover

2011-03-07T01:21:00.000-08:00

Carl Rugen, Electrical Operations Manager (North West)

IQA’s Liverpool Office completed its first changeover of 41 flats at “ The Towers” multi storey block in Birkenhead. The successful changeover was completed in close consultation with ScottishPower and Wirral Housing Partnership who were both in attendance on the day. ScottishPower Engineer Billy Jones said “excellent bunch of guys who worked hard and professionally to make the changeover go so smoothly. Well done to all involved”.

IQA Property

2011-02-17T07:45:00.001-08:00

Property Updates

Our property website has recently been updated to show the availability of several properties. If you are on the look out for a property to rent or buy please visit http://www.iqaproperty.co.uk/ for more information.

Training Report

2011-02-16T03:27:00.000-08:00

David McKinlay

Training and Compliance Manager

A total of 33 personnel, including 2 new members of staff, passed through the instruction rooms in Paisley and Liverpool in January 2011.

The topics covered were refresher, final interview and authorisation preparation as well as reporting procedures and metering instruction.

On 14^th January a total of 6 operatives successfully completed their OP3 refresher course while one of our jointing resources successfully passed his LV live working refresher training on 25^th January. 6 operatives all attended and successfully completed the M0008 five day course between 24^th-28^th January with their final OP3 interviews being passed. A further 2 operatives successfully completed their WI1 initial safety induction course on 31 January and will now work towards their W1 final interview with SP Compliance.

Another Successful Project ahead of schedule

2011-02-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

Edgefauld Rd, Springburn, Glasgow
Brian Ward, Electrical Operations Manager (Scotland)

IQA has completed the first multi story flat project of 2011, modernising the supply to 100 customers on Scottish Power’s Internal Mains Network. The duration of this project was 4 months beginning in October 2010. All 100 customers had their electricity supplies successfully changed over a 2 day period, with 50 properties being completed each day.

New Contract Award

2011-02-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

An 18 month contract has been awarded to IQA by Scottish Power for the Provision of Internal Mains and Services.

The contract, covering both SP Scotland and SP Manweb, commences on 6^th January 2011 and continues until 30^th June 2012, at which point a potential 30 month contract extension may be agreed.

This very positive news for IQA is a great start to 2011 and allows the Company to grow and support our future strategic plans.

Happy New Year

2011-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our offices are now open again with the usual opening hours of 8am - 5pm.

IQA would like to wish all of our clients and suppliers all the best for this year and hope to work closely with you all again to ensure our level of service remains as best it can be.

Job Vacancy

2010-12-13T01:51:00.000-08:00

Quality Systems Auditor

The Role:

A Quality Systems Auditor is required by IQA Group, a fast growing Company with a solid reputation in its field of Utilities, Electrical and Building Maintenance contracting. The Company has offices in Paisley, Armadale and Liverpool and currently employs over 100 dedicated staff working throughout Scotland and NW England.

Reporting to the HSEQ Advisor the Quality Systems Auditor is responsible for controlling and carrying out all auditing functions with the Company, managing all corrective actions and ensuring timely closeout of improvements.

Responsibilities include: planning and conducting audits for all business processes; carrying out health and safety audits; making appropriate recommendations for business improvement; investigating any non-conformances and reporting findings; managing all corrective actions; collating and analysing performance data and providing recommendations for improvement initiatives; and to provide support in the development of the company management system, relating to ISO9001 and 18001.

The successful candidate will hold a system auditing qualification, have experience working within an ISO9001 environment, hold a valid UK driving licence and able to travel throughout Central Scotland and NW England.

This post is full time permanent with a salary of £17,500 - £20,000 with benefits including BUPA Healthcare.

How to Apply:

Please send your CV and covering note to jobs@IQAgroup.co.uk. Closing date is 12noon on 17th December 2010.

Recent Weather

2010-12-08T04:35:00.000-08:00

As most of our clients and customers know, the recent weather conditions have had a lot of repercussions for businesses with regards to day to day work. Here at IQA it is no different with our Armadale branch being snowed in and road conditions affecting traffic in and out of Paisley. Our new Liverpool office is also affected with the bad weather travelling south.

However, as always, we fully understand the needs of everyone we are connected to whether that be customers, suppliers, or staff. If any work has been disrupted we will contact you where possible to keep you informed of what is happening and discuss what can be done to get around any problems. Conversely, if anything is preventing you from allowing us to carry out our work we will do our best to accommodate this and find a suitable alternative.

IQA value the relationship with our customers and strive to ensure full satisfaction for everyone and we will continue to find ways to overcome any obstacles that may affect this.

Website Updates

2010-11-18T04:54:00.000-08:00

As part of the continued development of our website updates have been made to give a more accurate overview of our current business make up.

The home page now only shows our three main business units: Utilities, Property and Building Services. Having these three distinct business units helps give a more focussed approach to work for our clients and will also make information on our website easier to find.

The IQA Way has also been launched online and a slide show with the five points on this has been added to the home page in the short term. This will soon be replaced with new photography of current sites which will coincide with the specific case studies being updated. The slide show for the IQA Way will however be a permanent addition to this section in the ‘about’ area of the site.

Pedometer Challenge – Week 7

2010-10-21T02:57:00.001-07:00

Week 7 of 12 is here. The home stretch is almost in sight. By now we hope that walking greater distances is part of your day to day activity and you are feeling the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Remember to keep you going we have the second of three prize draws on the 3rd November. More on that in next weeks update.

If you would like regular updates on health initiatives for your workplace including physical activity, mental health, healthy eating to name a few Health at Work’s monthly email alert might be what you’re looking for. Health E-News goes out on the first of every month and is packed with information on health campaigns (like the Pedometer Challenge), training events and case studies from workplaces. Our aim at Health at Work is to bring as many initiatives to your attention as we can and share good practice. If you would like to start receiving Health E-News send us an email at healthatwork@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Please keep your step totals coming in to us. As long as we have received your totals before for the next prize draw you will be in with a chance of winning prizes!

Pedometer Challenge – Week 6

2010-10-14T02:27:00.000-07:00

This week we reach the half way stage in the pedometer challenge. The nights may be “fair drawing in” and the temperature taking a nosedive but we hope that all participants carry on increasing the already impressive step totals.

If the darker nights are not for you why not take lunchtime stroll. Walkit.com is a superb resource for planning a walk with colleagues. The Circular Walk function will allow you to plan a walk from and back to your workplace. The walk can be to your specified time and speed and Walkit.com will even have a guess at how many steps you will have taken and how many calories you will have burned. Click here to visit Walkit.com.

If walking in the Pedometer Challenge has inspired you to become more active why not visit the Active Nation website. The Active Nation programme will ensure the 2014 Commonwealth Games will have a lasting legacy on fitness levels and health in Scotland. The site has an up to date activity finder to find out what is going on in your local area. It also encourages us to set our own activity goals.

So far from our calculations many of our participants have walked as far as the border between Scotland and England on our journey to London. If 2000 steps equal approximately 1 mile…

• 185,000 steps is 94 miles across the border to Carlisle
• 250,000 steps equal approximately 125 miles heading straight towards the Lake District!
• 300,000 steps equal 150 miles approaching the Yorkshire Dales!
(Note: these estimations are made if 2000 steps cover 1 mile. Everyone’s steps will cover slightly different distances)

We hope that the challenge has encouraged you to increase your daily step totals. If it has why not try our online lifestyle check tool – Check My Lifestyle. By answering a series of questions about different aspects of your lifestyle the site will generate a personalised report just for you. You can then set goals to improve your overall health. Visit www.checkmylifestyle.com

Pedometer Challenge

2010-09-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

Health at Work – Pedometer Challenge

Nine employees at IQA Group are taking part in the Health at Work Pedometer Challenge.

The challenge is for us to virtually walk the 400 miles from Glasgow to London over a 12 week period. The aim of the challenge is to help participants increase their daily step totals and in doing so gain the health benefits from higher levels of physical activity.

• Glasgow to London covers an approximate distance of 400 miles.
• Given that an average persons’ step covers 2.5 feet then there are just under 2000 steps in a mile.
• Therefore the target of walking the distance from Glasgow to London will be between 798,000 and 800,000 steps over the 12 weeks of the Pedometer Challenge.
• This equates to 266,000 steps every 4 weeks
• Which would require 66,500 steps a week
• And would mean that your average daily step target should be around 9500 steps.

We know that some participants in the challenge will meet this target and some will have to gradually increase their walking distances in order to get their 9500 – 10,000 steps a day, which is why it’s called the Pedometer Challenge!

We start our journey today, visit again soon to find out how we’re getting on!

Operative Training - August Overview

2010-09-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

*Blogger – David McKinlay (Electrical Compliance and Training Manager)*

Instruction Room Attendees

A total of 30 personnel passed through the instruction room in August 2010, this included 2 new employees. The topics covered were refresher prep, final interview prep, authorisation prep and metering instruction.

1 operative passed WI1 final interview. 4 operatives passed their WI1 initial safety induction.

3 operatives successfully passed their OP3 refresher training. With a further 3 operatives successfully passing their OP3 final interview. The 3 operatives who attended the EN1 course have successfully completed, and 2 were booked for final interview and passed.

Operative Training - July Overview

2010-08-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Blogger – David McKinlay (Electrical Compliance and Training Manager)

This will be a monthly blog that will discuss in house training of our electrical staff and how this helps them progress with outside authorisations.

Instruction Room Attendees
A total of 17 personnel passed through the instruction room in July covering topics such as the SP live working manual, metering practice and preparation for refreshers, final interviews and authorisations. In this time one operative passed his OP3 initial course while a further three passed OP3 refreshers. Five more operatives successfully passed their WI1 refresher training and three passed the M0008 five day service position courses and will now be booked in for their OP3 final interviews.

Apprentice/ Trainee Quarterly Reviews
July also saw the quarterly apprentice/ trainee reviews being carried out. There were no concerns in terms of college work or onsite training with everyone producing very good project work which has been confirmed by training officers and class lecturers alike.

Safety Stand Down
SP safety stand downs were carried out on a number of our operatives over seven dates in July. These presentations included general safety and trade competence while highlighting the link between trade and safety competence.

Advertising

2010-07-20T04:33:00.000-07:00

IQA has recently had advertising boards placed at a prominent roundabout in Paisley. This gives us a lot more exposure in our local area and allows us to develop our business even further.

More importantly, it allows our customers to see what we are capable of and give them even more confidence in us whether we are working on behalf of a local housing authority or on a private contract.

We will be looking at other ways of increasing brand awareness and reaching out to our customers in the coming months so all of our clients old and new should look out for this.

For more images of how this looks check our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/iqablogs

Website and property Updates

2010-06-16T03:59:00.000-07:00

Our website has been updated with new downloads.

These PDF files give a brief overview of each of our business unit’s capabilities. All of our clients old and new should be reminded that each unit is able to work separately or as a team in order to provide a total service to suit your needs.

The IQA Property website is also updated with two properties that have recently become available. Details on the garage in Glasgow’s west end and the flat in Paisley can be found on the website http://www.iqaproperty.co.uk/

As always, we can be contacted by phone, email or through the contact section of our main website if you have any queries or comments.

Job Opportunities

2010-05-19T03:26:00.000-07:00

IQA has roles available for the following:

Network Authorised Electricians

The Role:

IQA is the leading contractor working on the LV distribution of internal mains and services in the central belt of Scotland from our bases in Paisley and Armadale.

Continually looking to expand to meet our clients needs we are looking for electricians who have network experience and authorisation level OP3 and WI1 to complement our existing team that exceeds more than 60 operatives.

The company offers attractive rates of pay and many benefits including BUPA healthcare.

How to Apply:

Send your CV and covering letter to jobs@IQAgroup.co.uk or contact our office on 0141 840 5256.

Service Awards

2010-05-12T02:49:00.000-07:00

Thirteen of our employees received a service award at a ceremony in our head office in Paisley today. They received £100 worth of vouchers and a certificate to mark five years of continuous service given to the company.

The award shows out commitment to our staff and also the fact that we are a good company to work for due to the length of time people have been working with us. As a relatively young and fast growing company we look forward to more of these ceremonies to celebrate even longer durations.

Everyone at the company would like to congratulate the people below and we all look forward to at least another five year working with them.

Norman Jamieson
David Gowans
Christopher Fergus
David McKinlay
Karen Reid
Matthew Selfridge
Alan Kennedy
James Farrell
Iain Watt
Brian McCluskey
Michael Donnelly
Brian Ward
John Donlon

More pictures can be seen on our facebook page www.facebook.com/iqablogs

Staff Development

2010-05-06T02:17:00.000-07:00

As a people based company there is a lot of time being invested in training here at IQA.

All of our office based staff are currently undertaking a personal development programme that will develop leadership skills and improve the business as a whole.

We have also introduced a new online help desk that all staff can use to have queries answered. This allows anyone to ask questions from anywhere at anytime on IT, Health and Safety and Electrical matters. Along with our in house development this gives even more support to our staff and ensures they are the best they can be for our customers.

IQA Group Development Programme

2010-04-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

IQA has recently entered into a partnership with a niche consultancy called The Leadership Centre (TLC) and in particular it’s principal Alan Horton, who specialise in maximising organisational productivity through maximising the potential of the people of the business.

This will help ensure that everyone in the company is given the opportunity to develop the personal capacity to become the best we can be and therefore provide the best possible service to our customers.

IQA Sponsorship

2010-04-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

IQA is pleased to sponsor Glasgow Caledonian
University’s Events and Entertainment Management’s
ceilidh and have donated a prize for the raffle with the
proceeds going to Yorkhill Children’s Hospital.

Health and Safety

2010-03-31T02:24:00.001-07:00

IQA take the Health and Safety of our staff and customers seriously with this being reflected in our customer charter.

Our Compliance Manager David McKinlay and our Health, Safety and Quality Advisor Heidi Campbell make sure that everyone is aware of this and the steps we must take to ensure compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974:

"It shall be the duty of every employee while at work to take reasonable care of the health and safety of himself and of other persons who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work."

Sports Relief

2010-03-25T02:36:00.000-07:00

The IQA staff and their families who took part in the Sports Relief Mile mentioned on previous blogs completed this on Sunday in Glasgow along with thousands of others. Everyone involved thouroughly enjoyed their day and would like to thank those who sponsored them for their donations and support. The target for donations was exceeded and you can still donate through www.mysportrelief.com/iqagroup

Pictures of this event will soon be shown on our facebook page www.facebook.com/iqablogs

Christopher Watson - Reid Kerr Recognition

2010-03-11T02:39:00.000-08:00

Christopher Watson, an apprentice joiner at the IQA Group, has recently received an SQA/SATT National Carpentry and Joinery award from Reid Kerr College in a ceremony held in Paisley Town Hall. Having worked at IQA since May 2007, Christopher has shown a positive attitude and high standard of work and it is easy to see why he has received such plaudits. Everyone at IQA would like to congratulate Christopher on his recent achievements.

Christopher's achievements mirror IQA's ethos of continuous improvement and highlights our commitment to staff training. We continue to do this with our in house training centre as well as employing several apprentices and supporting electricians though Scottish Power authorisation.

Good start to the year for IQA

2010-02-24T05:48:00.000-08:00

IQA have continued our good start to 2010 with our team planning the work for over 20 tower upgrades that we have been awarded recently. As usual, the Quality of Work should always be kept to our high standard with Health & Safety being paramount on all sites.

We have also introduced a vehicle tracking system that will help us give our customers a more accurate time for our engineers arrival on each job. This will also help our office staff when planning reactive, on the day jobs and therefore further improve our service.

Sport Relief Mile 21 March 2010

2010-02-19T02:37:00.000-08:00

Some of IQA's staff will be taking part in the upcoming Sports Relief Mile. This is part of our Healthy Working Lives organised by Heidi, our HSQ Advisor.

Details are as follows:

The Sport Relief Mile will take place on Sunday 21st March 2010. There are venues at Finnieston Quay, Glasgow; The Sweetie Brae, Strathaven; and Dean Road, Kilmarnock. There are 3 distances to choose from to suit whatever your age or ability!

Available Start Times
1 mile event 10.30, 12.00, 12.30
3 mile event 10.30, 11.30
6 mile event 10.30

IQA would like to encourage anyone else interested to take part in this as it is for a good cause as well as keeping you fit!

IQA Update - towers

2010-02-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

Our Utilities department will soon be starting work on upgrading the internal mains in over 10 tower blocks on behalf of Scottish Power with our Property Maintenance team supporting them on this with joinery work.

This is extremely positive news for the whole of the IQA Group and shows that our customers place a great deal of trust in us.

Work Exp Blog

2010-01-20T02:37:00.000-08:00

Guest Blogger
Dean Walker 14

This week from the 18th of January to the 22nd of January I have been doing work experience with IQA. I’ve been working with lots of different people including David McKinley, Richard O’Dowd, Allan Feeney, Garry Walsh, Paula and Heidi Campbell. I’ve learned a lot in my time here and had a good time and got a lot of ideas that I could do possibly in the future.

I currently go to Gleniffer High School and I am in fourth year and I learned at lot this week that I could take into consideration for the future. I’ve also learned what its like to work in many different departments including the office, IT, Audits, EPC, and Health and Safety and its all been very enjoyable and I would like to thank everyone at IQA for being so friendly and hospitable.

Quantity Surveyor Estimator - Job Vacancy

2009-12-10T01:16:00.000-08:00

IQA Group is a fast growing Company specialising in Utilities, Electrical Contracting, Gas Services and Property Maintenance. IQA Group has a respected and solid reputation in its field of expertise. The Company is based in Paisley and currently employs over 80 dedicated staff working throughout Scotland.

Following a recent restructure of the Company which was required to meet the ongoing growth of the business we are now in a position to provide an excellent opportunity for a key individual with experience in Estimating and Quantity Surveying at a senior level to join the team and to work closely with the Operations Director and Managing Director.

You will be a highly motivated team player who has the ability to demonstrate business acumen in the wide-ranging activities that this role comprises. You will have proven experience in estimating and quantity surveying in multi disciplines with a contracting background. You are expected to drive through continuous improvements in financial and commercial performance and provide support to the Operations Managers. You will also be expected to provide strong business and commercial experience to assist the company to grow.

This position will see you being responsible for all commercial duties involved with existing contracts (inc. final accounts) and also handling measurement/pricing with regards to new opportunities. Responsibilities include: managing tendering process, estimating projects for all disciplines, quantity surveying on projects, applications for payment, final account submission and negotiation, raising commercial awareness throughout the company, assisting at regular financial reviews with managers, management of subcontractors and management of other commercial processes.

This role would suit a current Quantity Surveyor / Estimator who is ready to take on the extra challenge of building a team to support the business and provide commercial focus and assistance. This post offers the opportunity for growth and to build a long term career with the Company.

Based in our Paisley Head Office, this post is full time permanent with a salary circa £28,000 per annum plus the potential to earn an annual profit related bonus.

Please send your CV and covering note to jobs@IQAgroup.co.uk. Closing date is 15th January 2010.

IQA News

2009-11-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

Good news for IQA staff - our stats are up for our isolator operatives for the second consecutive week. This is due to hard work from both our office staff and engineers so well done to all involved!!

We are still looking at ways to develop our brand image to reflect our current status in each business unit so exciting times are ahead for the company. This week has seen us making progress with our website and other literature so updates on these will follow in the next few weeks.

As well as this we recently had a team building session where everyone had to write a description of whoever they had been paired up with so the results will be interesting. This was done over lunch between staff who wouldn't normally have day to day dealing with each other so it was good to build team morale and communication.

New Staff

2009-10-28T04:38:00.000-07:00

Since September we have taken on a total of 7 new staff including electricians, admin and an operations engineer. We are proud of this as it shows we are continuing to grow in the face of the recession and are confident enough to continue to hire staff.

Check our website or follow us on here and twitter (https://twitter.com/iqablogs) to keep up to date on any new vacancies.

Insider magazine

2009-10-23T01:54:00.000-07:00

We have recently been featured in Insider magazine's list of the top 100 fastest growing companies in Scotland with our MD David Gowans being featured on the front cover.

The article inside (www.business7.co.uk/insider-magazine) also focuses on us and paints us in a positive light. Although we are pleased with this it does not mean we will be taking things easy and will instead use it as an insentive to further grow.

We will soon be launching a new website and an e newsletter for our current customers as well as potential clients in areas we are looking to move into.

As the article states we have had a massive jump in turnover over the last few years and although this is a by product of our growth we are still commited to our people and the people we deal with. This blog as well as our newsletters and new website will ensure we continue to be an open, approachable company both to our staff and client base.

Falkirk Mascot found at IQA Armadale base

2009-10-15T05:53:00.001-07:00

The mascot of Falkirk FC was recently found outside our Armadale base after going missing from their stadium last week (see page 17 of today's Sun or Our Sherlock's not Outfoxed article on website).

Maybe he's been reading our blog and was looking for some work to be done in his house.....

2009-10-14T03:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to IQA's new blog. We are a growing business based in Paisley and are looking to further our growth by increasing our public profile and maintaining our current good relations with contractors. Although we already serve large parts of Scotland and have recently expanded with a base in Armadale we still have strong links in the local community and have sponsored St Mirren under 19s for three years.

This blog will give updates of company changes including a look at the people involved in running it as well as giving updates on the social aspect of work and events organized for staff. Industry changes will also be looked at with electrical, contracting, home energy and health & safety.

Guest bloggers will also be used from time to time to keep things interesting and give a different perspective on things.

Please feel free to contact us and keep an eye out for website changes at www.iqautilities.co.uk