By Alan Wilson, MD of SELECT
It has come as a shock of unprecedented voltage, not just in Spain and Portugal but across the western world, that nations hit by the failure of their electricity grid could grind to a halt so swiftly, unexpectedly and comprehensively.
The electricity outages which paralysed two European nations this week have been the lead item on news outlets everywhere, with images of traffic chaos, empty supermarket shelves and bewildered passengers being led from stranded trains.
Cash machines stopped working, phones went down and the internet was no longer there at our fingertips. Water supplies powered by electric pumps dried up, lifts stopped mid-floor and even electric taxis and buses rolled quietly to a halt.
For now, the cause appears to be natural phenomena; an unforeseen combination of unusual circumstances rather than the result of human error or cyber attack.
And while lessons will hopefully be learned about the necessity of resilience and backup systems, these scenes of chaos and fear should open everyone’s eyes to the most obvious element – the vital importance of electricity and of those who keep the lights switched on.
This is exactly why SELECT, the trade association for the electrotechnical sector in Scotland, has spent years persistently campaigning for the professional recognition of electricians and their crucial role in sustaining the way we have all learned to live.
We used to say that the future was electric, but the scenes we all witnessed this week show that the NOW is electric – and we all depend on it to a staggering extent in every facet of our lives.
Spain and Portugal showed us in graphic detail just how vulnerable and dependent we are. And when systems fail – as they inevitably will again in the future – it is fully-trained and suitably skilled electrical professionals who will reconnect us with our lives and each other.
If ever there was a time to recognise their importance, it is now. And regulating the industry and providing protection of title for this crucial profession would be the best recognition of all.
