FireNet Community
FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: lyledunn on January 30, 2022, 05:31:57 PM
-
You may be interested to know that BS7671 A2 will require AFDDs to be provided for electrical installations in buildings with a higher fire risk. We haven?t seen Amendment 2 yet but the higher risk category is likely to follow the +18m or 7 or more storeys criteria.
The Amendment takes immediate effect from its issue in March. Not retrospective but will no doubt colour the determinations of those engaged in FRAs of such buildings.
-
Thanks for that
It really is about time as this isn't expensive technology
-
About 0.1 day of your pension per consumer unit, Davey n'est-ce pas?
Anyway, enough of boring old arcs. Where have you been, Davey!!! Call me soppy, but I have been genuinely worried about you. When are you going to pack in earning a fortune and coming to work for me for a mere pittance made worthwhile by my sparkling wit and repartee.
Tate & Lyle, this is not a criticism, but, if you can be bothered ( I confess I cant) maybe you could explain about arc fault detection for the less experienced and not as cool/technologically up to date as Davey and I.
-
An arc-fault circuit interrupter or arc-fault detection device is a circuit breaker that breaks the circuit when it detects the electric arcs that are a signature of loose connections in home wiring. Loose connections, which can develop over time, can sometimes become hot enough to ignite house fires.
-
The second amendment to BS7671 was introduced at the end of March and can be immediately employed or employed for new installations from October 2022.
I am pulling together a tutorial for my design and verification class on all the fire safety considerations in the revised standard but with respect to AFDDs, you may be interested to know that they are now required to be used on socket outlet circuits with a current rating of 32A or less in High risk residential buildings (HRRB?s), student accommodation, care homes, HMO?s and are recommended for use in other types of installation.
-
Do any of you know of any fire that caused fatalities or injury in a high rise residential building, care home, HMO or student accommodation where the ignition source was determined to be from arcing on a socket outlet circuit or within equipment connected to a socket outlet? Or is it the case that level of information is not collected?
For example, would the Rosepark Care Home fire been prevented by an AFDD?
-
Yes it probably would but then so might an RCD.
-
There is great debate within the electrical installation fraternity as to whether these devices will provide a worthwhile, reasonably cost-effective control measure in mitigating the risk of ignition. Currently the regulations require their deployment in high rise residential buildings, HMOs, care homes and student accommodation which suggests the authors of the regulations are concerned with life-safety rather than property protection. The devices are to provide protection for any circuit with socket outlets rated at up to and including 32A. As I understand it, the risk of the arcing is not within the fixed wiring but rather in the equipment connected to the socket outlets. However, whilst there are plenty of examples of fires caused by such equipment, there is no solid evidence to indicate the percentage of such fires caused specifically by arcing. I imagine such granular detail is not available through the IRS. Perhaps I am cynical, but the requirement for these devices does not seem to be an evidence-based determination, which leads me to suspect that commercial interests have taken precedence.
If I remember right, I asked this forum why ASDs were not required in the bedrooms of dwellings when a relatively high proportion of fires started there. The answer, at least in part, was due to the cost burden. Could someone confirm that for me?
-
I am really sorry to pester you guys, but could anyone point me to any sources that would help me in my research into fires that were a result or possibly a result of arcing in electrical equipment. I am particularly interested in fires in care homes, HMOs, high rise RES, student accommodation. I have spent long hours trawling but with limited success.
-
Lyledunn
I am not sure if he is still at Hawkins, but Dr Nick Carey (PhD, ChFP, FSSocDIP, MCSFS, IAAI-CFI, FFireInv, GIFireE, TMIET) may be able to point you in the right direction.
He is a leading Fire Investigator and specialises in fires that originate from an electrical source. His PhD involved writing a paper of arc fault mapping.
He is also a very generous guy and I am sure would answer an email
More details here: https://www.hawkins.biz/meet_the_experts/Nick_Carey
Good luck
-
Many thanks Messy, I really appreciate that. I will report back in due course.