The Testing Guys
Reliance Through Compliance
The Testing Guys is an independent electrical, earthing and lightning protection system inspection, testing and verification company. We offer accurate and unbiased compliance assessments of electrical, earthing and lightning protection systems, their components, the installation and its design. All testing and verification procedures and methodologies are conducted in accordance with the relevant local and international standards and codes of practice, and follow strict ISO processes.
Our goal – and indeed our dream – is to make people aware of the dangers that lightning possesses and faulty electrical systems, in order to transform the industry into a state of being such that safety and compliance is actively demanded. Our calling is to ensure the safety dangers and compliance – in other words, the integrity - of the electrical and life-saving protection systems.
Current industry norms require that an earthing and lightning protection contractor or practitioner is able to deliver turnkey solutions, in other words, is able to design, supply and install earthing and lightning protection systems, and then certify their own work once the installation is completed.
"A substandard or damaged protection system can actually be worse than having no protection at all. And so therefore, while some might call it policing, we call it quality assurance."
We know that lightning can be potentially deadly – the worst-case scenario. Additionally, lightning can cause great damage to property and goods, as well as income loss due to downtime, which all adds up to a possibly severe economic impact. It is therefore critical to ensure that the systems are intact and fully functional.
Etienne Gerber started his career in the earthing and lightning protection industry in 2015, working for DEHN Africa as a key account manager to the three largest earthing and lightning protection contracting companies in South Africa. His main roles included providing technical support, solving site specific problems and upskilling of employees. During this time, Etienne attended numerous workshops and seminars, locally and abroad (Germany) to hone his skills as a lightning protection specialist.
In 2018, Etienne founded The Testing Guys. Etienne is an active member of the SANS 10313 working group committee and chairs one of the sub-committees which has been instrumental in aiding the SABS in updating an old standard to make it fit better to South African conditions and requirements.
HIC Underwriting Managers(Pty) Ltd underwrite a wide range of Commercial and Industrial Risks including Sectional Title Risks servicing the short term insurance needs in the Commercial & Industrial and Hospitality sectors in South Africa. Our strong focus on risk management aims to assist intermediaries in identifying risks, minimising the potential impact, maximising the opportunity to improve the risk and offer optimal risk solutions.
We believe in giving specialist service to our clients and this is the main reason why HIC is in partnership with The Testing Guys. The Testing guys are assisting us with an independent assessment and testing to make sure our clients have piece of mind by being lightning and electrically safe.
Thatch Risk Acceptances (TRA) is an underwriting manager for thatch insurance risks. Established on 1 July 1998 we aim to service the diverse and demanding needs of the thatch risk market in South Africa. We are the only company to specialise exclusively in residential and commercial thatch insurance and over the years we have built a strong understanding of the requirements linked to this market.
We at Thatch Risk Acceptances can highly recommend the services of The Testing Guys to ensure that your lightning masts comply with the necessary requirements. They provide an excellent, professional service to their clients. You can be assured to receive accurate and relevant recommendations and their reporting is of the highest standard.
-There are more than 24 million lightning strikes in South Africa every year… And almost 1 out of every 2 thatch roofs with conventional lightning masts experiences lightning damage! At King Price, we believe in the '3 Ps' of lightning protection and risk mitigation: The right PROTECTION, with the right PARTNER, and the right PRODUCT.
We also believe that an insurance product is only as good as a client's compliance to relevant legislation and specific policy conditions. This is why we’ve partnered with The Testing Guys. Their specialised knowledge, national footprint and professional service complement our risk management and insurance products in the agri sector.
