Plastic consumer units

[lyledunn]

Amendment 3 of BS7671 will prohibit the use of plastic consumer units in domestic premises from January 2016. I imagine this is not news to the forum. However, given that  the wiring regulation committee for the UK were sufficiently persuaded to make such a sweeping change in installation practice by concerns raised by London Fire Brigade, how will you, as a fire risk assessor or person responsible for enforcement, view the situation wher existing plastic consumer units are in place? For example, many care homes and similar places will have plastic consumer units that are an obvious fire safety concern.

[Mr. P]

Domestic premises do not require FRA's. However. I will not be replacing mine ad-hoc. If I buy a new house I would be looking to ensure the builder has not been using  up the last of their stock! Maybe Build Control will be keeping a n eye on this prior to signing off?
Regards care/resi homes etc., I would note and advise the RP and include comment in the FRA.

[kurnal]

standards are constantly changing but in almost every case are not intended to be retrospective in application. New work and modifications should be to the new standards. There's still plenty of places with rewireable fuses and no RCDs.

[John Webb]

There's an article available: http://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-matters/55/consumer-units/index.cfm?utm_source=Adestra&utm_campaign=Wiring%20Matters%20February%202015&utm_medium=Wiring%20Matters&utm_content=Wiring%20Matters%20Magazine%20quarterly%20technical%20news&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Felectrical.theiet.org%2Fwiring-matters%2F55%2Fconsumer-units%2Findex.cfm&utm_contact=1100339107

The revised regs allow a consumer unit to be made of combustible material provided it is then enclosed in a non-combustible enclosure. I suggest that if there is concern in commercial or industrial premises about such Consumer Units, then such an enclosure might be a way of overcoming any perceived risk.

[nearlythere]

Wee bit confused here. What regulation are we talking about? The last time i looked BS recommendations were not regulations unless it has been made a requirement under a regulation from somewhere.

[Tom Sutton]

BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations) sets the standards for electrical installation in the UK.

NT check out http://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-regulations/index.cfm

[kurnal]

I think the term "regulations" is a bit of a misnomer. I dont think the IET Wiring Regulations are legally enforceable other than indirectly through the Building Regulations part P. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[John Webb]

BS7671 started off life as 'The Wiring Regulations' and continues that title as a secondary one - the principle title is "Requirements for Electrical Installations". But there are certain statutory references, listed in Appendix 2, which require compliance with BS7671 (or allow some premises not to comply). So one might refer, perhaps, to BS7671 as being 'secondary regulations' in the sense that unlike most BSs, there is legal compulsion to work to the standards in BS7671.

[Tom Sutton]

From HSE publication HSR 25.

British Standard BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations (also known as the IEE Wiring Regulations)

The British Standard BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations is also known as the IEE Wiring Regulations* ? they are non-statutory regulations. They ?relate principally to the design, selection, erection, inspection and testing of electrical installations, whether permanent or temporary, in and about buildings generally and to agricultural and horticultural premises, construction sites and caravans and their sites?. BS 7671 is a code of practice which is widely recognised and accepted in the UK and compliance with it is likely to achieve compliance with relevant aspects of the 1989 Regulations.

There are however many types of system, equipment and hazard to which BS 7671 is not applicable; for example, certain installations at mines and quarries, equipment on vehicles, systems for public electricity supply and explosion protection. Furthermore, BS 7671 applies only to installations operating at up to 1000 volts ac or 1500 volts dc.

Installations to which BS 7671 is relevant may have been installed in accordance with an earlier edition, now superseded but then current. That, in itself, would not mean that the installation would fail to comply with the 1989 Regulations.

* Obtainable from the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Michael Faraday House, 6 Hills Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2AY.

Chck out http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsr25.pdf

[SamFIRT]

It appears this regulation applies specifically to consumer units and "similar switchgear assemblies" will this therefore apply to both AC and DC Isolators. Views anyone?