Due to Australia’s ongoing skilled labour shortage, many electricians are finding themselves inundated with work. In such testing times, any product that can deliver even marginal time savings is welcome.
Written By: Jason O’Connell, Region Manager Australia & New Zealand of IDEAL Electrical™
The Skilled Labour Shortage in Australia
It’s fair to say that electricians in Australia are working hard. According to the Australian government, around 90% of people employed as electricians work full-time hours, which is 24 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%), with an average of 45 hours worked per week.
There is, however, a well-documented skills shortage here, with traditional trades such as electricians particularly affected. Whilst electricians make up approximately 30% of the building and construction workforce in Australia, there is a serious shortage of skilled workers, meaning those that are employed are stretched beyond their hours. In fact, more than a third of electricians admit to regularly working overtime or extra hours – paid or unpaid.
With electricians run off their feet, products and solutions that save time are especially useful in completing jobs in a timely manner without compromising on quality. This is exactly where the In-Sure® Lever Wire Connectors from IDEAL Electrical come in, as even small-time savings on a single task like wire terminations can add up to substantial time savings over the length of an installation.
In-Sure Wire Connectors Speed Up Wire Termination
Building on the success of the company’s Push-In, SpliceLine™ and Lever Connectors, the next generation connectors from IDEAL Electrical deliver faster, easier and safer wire terminations, and offer a more cost-effective alternative to terminal blocks. The range allows electricians to secure cables in place in mere seconds using a simple strip, push, connect action – with no screwdriver or crimping required.
Suitable for joining solid, stranded or flexible conductors, the In-Sure wire connector range offers several intelligent features and functionalities to guarantee consistent wire terminations. The levers, for example, have been designed to open in the opposite direction to the insertion port, locking the cables into position to prevent any accidental loosening or pull out, ensuring a safe and secure connection throughout the lifecycle of the installation. The clear window at the bottom of the connector, meanwhile, enables easy inspection. There is also a check port for testing, enabling full safety and consistency verification at the point of installation.
In-Sure Connectors Offer Versatile Applications Across Wire Types and Sizes
The versatile In-Sure Lever wire connector range is re-useable and allows the use of multiple wires of different sizes and types within the same lever connector. All models can be used with solid or rigid stranded cables of between 0.2mm2 and 4.0mm2, while the units are suitable for use with any flexible cable from 0.14mm2 to 4.0mm2.
Each connector features a built-in wire strip guide to enable installers to check the correct stripping length and, for solid and stranded cables, once the wire has been stripped, it can simply be pushed in with no need to lift the lever. For flexible wires, the lever is lifted before inserting the conductor and clamping it into place.
Designed for any application up to 32A, the compact design of the range enables easier fitting in junction boxes and enclosures where space is often limited. This means In-Sure lever connectors can be particularly useful in lighting and access control installations, where multiple conductors often need to come together in a tight space.
In-Sure Lever Wire Connectors are compliant with AS/NZS IEC 60998.1 and AS/NZS IEC 60998.2.2 and available in two-, three- and five-wire models, so electricians can select the right connector – or combination of connectors – for each termination.
Save Time Without Cutting Corners
As Australia’s skills shortage continues to impact the electrical trade, the workforce will remain stretched, so it’s a no-brainer to select user-friendly products that speed up installations and make electricians’ lives easier.
Designed to make wire terminations faster and simpler, IDEAL Electrical In-Sure Lever Wire Connectors prevent errors and ensure consistency, allowing wire terminations to be carried out more quickly and with less risk of snagging – perfect when time is of the essence.
