I am a time served plumber who has had the benefit of further education at University in my chosen profession whilst working. I have also studied in Electrical field although not an electrician have attained electrical and electronic qualifications.

I am a qualified gas engineer in both domestic and commercial including catering. I have worked both upstream in the gas industry, emergency network manager, contracts manager, operations director.

I am qualified in refrigeration and air condition, heat pumps, renewables, ventilation covering the mechanical and electrical sector the 2/5 of the industry that is always forgotten about.

I see a total ignorance in the design and verification in the M&E sector by professional bodies whether surveyors, consultants, building control but those in these positions are only too willing to try to speak for the trade, contractor and at times making buildings dangerous.

We seem more and more each year major building projects delivered with serious defects, whether schools with brick skins pealing off, Hospital completed with serious ventilation, drainage, heating and plumbing defects which didn't happen in the past?

How do these occur and why does it take until the end to find these problems?

My opinion is the deskilling of trades, cash for certs training where the person does not learn the subject but instead learn to pass an exam. We see those who are to design and supervise go straight from school to universities with no practical experience on site. The end product is poor and this leads to mistakes.