Wiring Regulations in Brief To Claire Wiring Regulations in Brief A complete guide to the requirements of the17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations, BS 7671: 2008 and Part P of the Building Regulations Second edition Ray Tricker AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON NEW YORK • OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803 First edition 2007 Reprinted 2007 Second edition 2008 Copyright © 2008, Raymond L. Tricker. Published by Elsevier Ltd, All rights reserved. The right of Raymond L. Tricker to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans- mitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone (ϩ44) (0) 1865 843830; fax: (ϩ44) (0) 1865 853333; email: permissions@elsevier.com. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http://elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining permission to use Elsevier material. 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(www.macmillansolutions.com) Printed and bound in the UK 08 09 10 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This page intentionally left blank Ray Tricker (MSc, IEng, FIET, FCMI, FCQI, FIRSE) is the Principal Consultant of Herne European Consultancy – a company specializing in Integrated Management Systems – and an established Butterworth-Heinemann author (39 titles). He served with the Royal Corps of Signals (for a total of 37 years) during which time he held various managerial posts culminating in his being appointed as the Chief Engineer of NATO’s Communication Security Agency (ACE COMSEC). Most of Ray’s work since joining Herne has centred on the European railways. He has held a number of posts with the Union International des Chemins de fer (UIC), for example, Quality Manager of the European Train Control System (ETCS), European Union (EU) T500 Review Team Leader, European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Users’ Group Project Co-ordinator and HEROE (Harmonization of European Rail Rules) Project Co-ordinator, and currently (as well as writing books for Butterworth-Heinemann!) he is busy assisting small businesses from around the world (usually on a no-cost basis) to produce their own auditable Quality Management Systems to meet the require- ments of ISO 9001:2000. He is also a Consultant to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) advising them on ISO 9001:2000 compliance, was recently appointed as UKAS Technical Specialist for the assessment of Notified Bodies for the Harmonization of the trans-European high-speed rail system, and, is currently the Quality Manager for the Trinidad Rapid Rail Project – Programme Management Consultancy who are overseeing the Design Stage of a brand-new, multi-billion dollar Trinidadian railway system. About the author Contents Preface xxiii Acknowledgements xxxi 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Historical background 2 1.3 What does the standard contain? 4 1.3.1 What about the standard’s numbering system? 6 1.4 What are the objectives of the IEE Wiring Regulations? 7 1.5 What is the legal status of the IEE Wiring Regulations? 7 1.6 What do they cover? 8 1.6.1 Electrical installation 8 1.6.2 Electrical equipment 10 1.7 What effect does using the Regulation have on other Statutory Instruments? 10 1.7.1 What is The Building Act 1984? 10 1.7.2 What is the Disability Discrimination Act 2005? 12 1.7.3 What are the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989? 13 1.7.4 What are the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997? 16 1.7.5 What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974? 17 1.8 How are the IEE Wiring Regulations implemented? 18 1.8.1 Statutory Instruments 18 1.8.2 CENELEC Harmonised Documents 20 2 Domestic buildings 22 2.1 The Building Act 1984 22 2.2 The Building Regulations 22 2.3 Approved Documents 23 2.4 What about the rest of the United Kingdom? 24 2.4.1 Scotland 24 2.4.2 Northern Ireland 24 viii Contents 2.5 Electrical Safety 26 2.5.1 What is the aim of Approved Document P? 26 2.5.2 Who is responsible for electrical safety? 27 2.5.3 What are the statutory requirements? 27 2.5.4 What types of building does Approved Document P cover? 29 2.5.5 What is a competent fi rm? 30 2.5.6 What is a competent person responsible for? 30 2.5.7 Who is entitled to self-certify an installation? 30 2.5.8 When do I have to inform the local authority Building Control Body? 31 2.5.9 What if the work is completed by a friend, a relative or me? 33 2.5.10 What if the work is completed by a contractor or an installer? 33 2.6 What inspections and tests will have to be completed and recorded? 33 2.6.1 What should be included in the records of the installation? 33 2.6.2 Where can I get more information about the requirements of Part P? 34 2.7 Requirements from the Approved Documents 36 2.7.1 Part P – Electrical safety 37 2.7.2 Part M – Access and facilities for disabled people 37 2.7.3 Part L – Conservation of fuel and power 38 2.7.4 Part B – Fire safety 38 2.7.5 Design 39 2.7.6 Extensions, material alterations and material changes of use 40 2.7.7 Electricity distributors responsibilities 40 2.7.8 Earthing 42 2.7.9 Electrical installations 43 2.7.10 Electrical installation work 45 2.7.11 Inspection and Test 46 2.7.12 Additional requirements and facilities for disabled people 47 2.7.13 Electrical components and installations 48 3 Earthing 57 3.1 What is earth? 58 3.2 What is meant by ‘earthing’ and how is it used? 59 3.3 Advantages of earthing 60 3.4 What types of earthing system are there? 62 3.4.1 System classifi cation 63 3.4.2 TN systems 64 Contents ix 3.4.3 TN-C system 65 3.4.4 TN-S system 66 3.4.5 TN-C-S system 66 3.4.6 TT system 67 3.4.7 IT system 68 3.5 Earth fault loop impendence 68 3.6 Earthing points 70 3.7 Main earthing terminals 71 3.8 Earth electrodes 73 3.9 Earthing conductors 73 3.10 Requirements from the Regulations 73 3.10.1 Additions and alterations to an installation 73 3.10.2 Automatic disconnection of supply 74 3.10.3 Autotransformers and step-up transformers 74 3.10.4 Cables 75 3.10.5 Earthing conductors 76 3.10.6 Earth electrodes 77 3.10.7 Earth fault current 78 3.10.8 Earth faults 78 3.10.9 Earthing arrangements 79 3.10.10 Earthing conductors 81 3.10.11 Earthing systems 81 3.10.12 Electrical separation 81 3.10.13 Electrical services 82 3.10.14 Emergency switching 82 3.10.15 Earthing terminals or bars 82 3.10.16 Fault protection 84 3.10.17 High leakage current 85 3.10.18 Isolation 85 3.10.19 Protective and neutral (PEN) conductors 85 3.10.20 Protective bonding conductors (PME) 86 3.10.21 Protective conductors 86 3.10.22 Protective devices 87 3.10.23 Protective devices and switches 87 3.10.24 Protective earthing 88 3.10.25 Protective measures 89 3.10.26 RCDs 89 3.10.27 Requirements for SELV and PELV circuits 90 3.10.28 Sources 90 3.10.29 Warning notices: earthing and bonding connections 91 3.10.30 Warning notices: periodic inspection and testing 91 3.10.31 Testing 92 3.10.32 Special locations an installations 95 3.10.33 TN System 102 3.10.34 TN-C system 105 3.10.35 TN-S system 106 [...]... Entitled Regulations for Electrical Installations’ Reprinted incorporating amendments Reprinted incorporating amendments Reprinted incorporating amendments Reprinted incorporating amendments Reprinted with minor corrections Reprinted with minor corrections in 1992 Reprinted as BS 7671 in 1992 Amendment No 1 issued Dec 1994 Reprinted incorporating Amendment No 1 Amendment No 2 issued Dec 1997 Reprinted incorporating... Double or reinforced insulation 5.9.10 Underwater luminaires for swimming pools 5.9.11 Luminaires in fountains 5.9.12 Luminaires and lighting installations in agricultural and horticultural premises 5.9.13 Luminaires and lighting installations in exhibitions shows and stands 5.9.14 Electric discharge lamp installations 5.9.15 Luminaires in caravans and motor caravans 5.9.16 Luminaires in temporary installations... demolition site installations 7.3.4 Electrical installations in caravan/camping parks and similar locations 7.3.5 Electrical installations in caravans and motor caravans 7.3.6 Exhibitions, shows and stands 7.3.7 Floor and ceiling heating systems 7.3.8 Locations containing a bath or shower 7.3.9 Marinas and similar locations 7.3.10 Mobile and transportable units 7.3.11 Rooms and cabins containing saunas... today’s IEE Wiring Regulations Since then, this document has seen a succession of amendments, new editions and new titles and has now become the 17th edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations (i.e BS 7671:2008 ‘Requirements for Electrical Installations’) The current legislation for all Building Control is the Building Act 1984, which is implemented by the Building Regulations 2000 and these Building Regulations. .. RCD protection ᭺ Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin: ᭺ each circuit in the special location must have 30 mA RCD protection ᭺ Supplementary bonding is no longer required providing the installation has main bonding in accordance with Chapter 41 ᭺ socket-outlets (other than SELV and shaver supply units to BS EN 61558-2-5) may be installed in locations containing a bath or shower 3 m horizontally... zone 3 is no longer defined ᭺ Rooms and cabins containing sauna heaters: ᭺ zones A, B, C and D in BS 7671:2001 are replaced by zones 1, 2 and 3 (with changed dimensions) ᭺ Swimming pools and other basins: ᭺ this special location now includes basins of fountains ᭺ zones A, B and C in BS 7671:2001 are replaced by zones 0, 1 and 2 The following new sections have also been included in Part 7: ● ● ● ● ● ●... system protection of conductors in parallel against overcurrent ring and radial final circuit arrangements voltage drop in consumers’ installations Content of this book To reflect these changes, this second edition of Wiring Regulations in Brief is structured as follows: Chapter 1 Introduction The background to BS 7671, what it contains and a description of its unique numbering system, objectives and legal... status The effect that the Wiring Regulations have on other Regulations and how this British Standard can be implemented Chapter 2 Domestic buildings The requirements of the Building Act 1984 together with the Building Regulations: 2000 and their Approved Documents (which provide guidance for conformance) and how these Building Control Regulations inter-relate with the Wiring Regulations A resumé of the... Building Regulations in Brief, fourth edition, Tricker, 2006, ISBN 075068058X Note: The BSI logo, Kitemark and the Kitemark symbol are produced with permission of the British Standards Institute and are the Registered Trademarks of such in the United Kingdom, and others apply in other countries around the world This page intentionally left blank 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction The IEE Wiring Regulations. .. and The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) – who, with more than 135,000 members, are Europe’s largest grouping of professional engineers involved in power engineering, communications, electronics, computing, software, control, informatics and manufacturing The technical authority for this standard is The National Committee for Electrical Installations (JPEL/64), which is a Joint IET/BSI . Wiring Regulations in Brief To Claire Wiring Regulations in Brief A complete guide to the requirements of the17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations, . Luminaires in fountains 198 5.9.12 Luminaires and lighting installations in agricultural and horticultural premises 198 5.9.13 Luminaires and lighting installations