still… whats ASGA?
you mean this?
Code of Conduct
When joining the BSGA, members sign up to the Association’s Code of Practice and Obligations of Membership.
It is, essentially, this Code that sets members apart from other sign makers because they agree that the Articles of Association shall be binding on them and be observed, in letter and spirit.
The principal aim of the Code of Practice is to promote a high standard of quality, design, workmanship and commercial practice within the sign industry.
The BSGA promotes the fact that its members have been vetted and have agreed to abide by the Code of Conduct to sign buyers and specifiers. Membership of the Association is, therefore, often an added advantage in winning the confidence of prospective customers.
In the rare case of a dispute between a member and a customer, the BSGA will provide a voluntary mediation/arbitration service.
Should a member be found to be seriously in breach of the Code of Conduct, the Association may suspend membership or expel the member.EXTENT AND INTRODUCTION
The Obligations of Membership set out below and any alterations or additions thereto which
may be made from time to time in accordance with the Articles of Association shall be binding
on and be observed, in letter and spirit, by every Member and the word "member" in these
obligations and any alterations or additions shall be construed accordingly.
Memorandum 3c of the Association states that one of its objects shall be to "promote
a high standard of quality, design, workmanship and good commercial practice within
the sign industry."
In compliance with this clause the Association will from time to time prepare and
publish Technical Guidelines in regard to signs and materials used in the manufacture
of signs and will take any other steps that may be desirable in order to provide standards of
size, quality and practice for the guidance of sign makers.
1. BSGA Emblem
No emblem other than the BSGA emblem approved by Council shall be used by members
to indicate membership of the Association. When used by Associate members the word
ASSOCIATE shall appear immediately beneath the emblem. When used by independent
installer members the word INSTALLER shall appear immediately beneath the emblem. Affiliate
Members may only use the version of the emblem assigned to them.
2. Planning – General
Members shall at all times ensure that customers are aware of their statutory
obligations under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations
1994 or any regulations superseding those Regulations. Customers should be advised of any
local regulations or controls of which the member has knowledge, but members are not
expected to be responsible for customers’ obligations in respect of tenancy agreements,
landlords’ controls and the like.
3. Statutory Requirements
Signs and work carried out on sign installations shall comply with the following
legislation:
a) The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) (79/23/EEC) as amended by (93/68/EEC)
b) The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMCD) (89/336/EEC) as amended by
(92/31/EEC)
c) The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
d) Signs which may be described as electrical products (i.e. small portable signs) shall
be CE marked indicating compliance with the LVD and EMCD
4. Standards
The design, construction and installation of signs shall conform to British Standard BS 559 –
1998. Conformance to BS 559 – 1998 implies compliance with the requirements of the
following additional standards:
• BS EN 50107, Parts 1 and 2 for high-voltage signs and installations.
• BS EN 60598, Parts 1, 2.1 and 2.4 (as appropriate) for low-voltage signs and luminaires.
• BS 6399 for calculating the effects of wind pressure on signs, and
• BS 7671 (the IEE Wiring Regulations) for electrical installations
• BS EN 61347, Part 1 (General), Part 2.10 for electronic ballasts for neon signs and other
relevant parts for ballasts (electronic or conventional).
Note: other standards are referred to in BS 559 – 1998. The above is a list of principle
requirements.
Note: Where not otherwise specified in BS 559, all materials, structural members and
fixing devices shall conform to the relevant British Standard.
5. Power Factor Correction
A Statement indicating whether or not power-factor correction is included shall be included in
all quotations for illuminated signs. This applies to all signs illuminated by fluorescent lamps,
cold-cathode (neon) tubing or floodlighting.
Members shall include in each quotation for an illuminated sign a statement indicating
whether or not power-factor correction is included. The statement should include either
of the following:
a) The quotation includes for the provision of power-factor correction to better than
0.85 lagging; or
b) The quotation does not include for the cost of power-factor correction. If such correction is
required by the local Electricity Supply Company it will be charged extra.
Note 1: Illuminated signs having inductive components such as transformers or chokes
should include suitable power-factor correction. For small premises, the requirement for
adequate power-factor correction is normally part of the customers agreement with the
supply company. For larger premises, the customer may pay a premium based on KVA demand.
The value of KVA is affected by the overall power factor of the premises.
Note 2: Power-factor correction may be included in the circuits of illuminated signs as
part of a filter to reduce the amount of interference (generated by the lamp) reaching the
mains-supply cables. This may be necessary to comply with the requirements of the EMCD.
6. Warranty
Members shall observe the accepted standard of the industry which is a warranty against all
failures due to faulty workmanship or materials on the part of the supplier during the 6
months from the date of the completion of the installation.
The exception to the above arises where a direct specification from the customer in
open tender specifies some other term of guarantee where all tenderers are placed on the
same footing.
7. Territory
These Obligations shall apply to signs sold for use in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle
of Man and the Channel Islands, though members should be aware that many of the
Standards referred to in 5 above have equivalent in force elsewhere in Europe.
In addition to the OBLIGATIONS above which are mandatory it is recommended that the
following Code of Practice be observed.
CODE OF PRACTICE
1. Planning – Application for Consent
Every member should attach to all estimates and quotations or acknowledgements of orders
for signs subject to the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Control of
Advertisements) Regulations 1994 or any regulations superseding those regulations, the
Association’s printed sticker as amended and approved from time to time dealing with the
cost of making applications under the act.
2. Technical Standards for the construction of signs
a) Signs should be constructed, installed and maintained in accordance with the advice
given in the relevant BSGA Technical Guidelines
b) The luminance of signs should not exceed the limits recommended in the ILE
Technical Report No. 5 "Brightness of Illuminated Advertisements." Lighting should
be provided to achieve the eveness of illumination recommended in the relevant
BSGA Technical Guidelines
c) The Relationship between BS 559 – 1998 and other UK and EU standards is
illustrated by the chart shown overleaf.
Note: Where not otherwise specified in BS 559, all materials, structural members and
fixing devices shall conform to the relevant British Standard.
3. Requirements for Installation
When working on site, members shall conform to the following legal requirements and
HSE safety guidelines.
Legal Requirements
a) All installation work shall conform to the Health and Safety at Work, etc, Act, 1974.
Guidance is given in HSE Guidance Note L1, ‘A guide to the Health and Safety at
Work, etc, Act, 1974’.
b) Electrical work shall conform to the Electricity at Work Regulations, 1989. Guidance
is given in the HSE Guidance Note HSR 25, ‘Memorandum of Guidance on the
Electricity at Work Regulations, 1989’.
c) Lifting of sign parts and other heavy items shall conform to the Lifting Operations
and Lifting Equipment Regulations, 1998. Guidance is given in HSE Guidance Note
L113, ‘Safe Use of Lifting Equipment’.
d) Where appropriate, installation sites shall be properly signed to conform to the
Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations, 1996. Guidance is given in HSE
guidance Note L64, ‘Safety Signs and Signals’
e) The use of any substance coming within the scope of The Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 (COSHH), (SI 1988 No 1657) shall be properly
controlled in accordance with those regulations’. Guidance on specific hazardous
substances may be obtained from the list of HSE Environmental Hygiene Guidance
Notes.
Other Requirements and Guidelines
a) The use of ladders, scaffolds and other access equipment shall conform to the
recommendations in HSE Guidance Note CIS 49, ‘General Access Scaffolds and
Ladders, 1997’. The use shall also conform to the recommendations provided by the
supplier of the access equipment.
b) Work on petrol stations shall conform to the recommendations in HSE Guidance
Note HS (G) 41, ‘Petrol Filling Stations: Construction and Operation’.
c) Storage of paints or other flammable materials on site shall conform to the
recommendations in HSE Guidance Booklet HS (G) 51, ‘The Storage of Flammable
Liquids in Containers’.
d) Electrical installation and testing shall conform to the recommendations in the
following HSE publications’.
HSG 141, ‘Electrical Safety on Construction Sites’.
GS38, ‘Electrical Test Equipment for Use by Electricians’.
HSG 107, ‘Maintaining Portable and Transportable Electrical Equipment’.
O B L I G A T I O N S O F M E M B E R S H I P
BRITISH SIGN
& GRAPHICS
A S S O C I A T I O N
M E M E B R S H I P
5 ORTON ENTERPRISE CENTRE, BAKEWELL ROAD,
ORTON SOUTHGATE, PETERBOROUGH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, PE2 6XU
tel: 01733 230033 fax: 01733 230993
e-mail: info@bsga.co.uk web:www.bsga.co.uk
4. Maintenance Services
Maintenance Contracts or Agreements should include: –
a) A schedule of the equipment to be maintained.
b) Provision for the renewal or repair and replacement of all faulty luminous discharge
tubes, all necessary transformers and other parts of the equipment being maintained
except where the need for such renewal, repair or replacement is due to failures or
damage arising from: –
(i) Work done on the installation by persons not directed by the Contractor, or
(ii) An Act of God, or
(iii) The actions or negligence of any third party.
The Contract should further state whether or not the charges to be made include such
renewals or repair.
c) Provision for apparatus, signs and tubes, ironwork and backgrounds to be checked and
cleaned as necessary on a regular basis.
d) A provision that the contractor shall not be responsible for deterioration due to fair
wear and tear, nor for the corrosion of inaccessible sections of the installation.
NOTE (1) Reference can be made to the Association’s Model Maintenance Agreement which
is based on a minimum set of standards. Members are encouraged to offer higher standards
than those specified.
NOTE (2) A maintenance Price Index (MPI) is compiled annually by The British Sign and
Graphics Association for members. Members who undertake maintenance contracts or
agreements are strongly recommended to use the MPI when negotiating with customers.
ELECTRICAL
REQUIREMENTS
MECHANICAL
REQUIREMENTS
BRITISH STANDARD
559–1998
Specification for the
design, construction and
installation of signs
Electrical
Installations
BS7671
Wind loading
on signs
BS 6399
Preservation
of timber
BS EN 927
Low-voltage
Signs
BS EN 60598
High-voltage
Signs
BS EN 50107
Invertors &
Converters
BS EN 61347
Transformers
BS EN 61050
Enclosures
BS EN 60529
Glass
BS 6206/6262 &
BS EN 572
Powder coating
BS 6496 BS 6497
Anodizing of
Aluminium
BS 1615 BS EN 2536