Switched On Issue 11

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Issue11 | Winter 2008 | ÂŁ5.00

Improving domestic periodic inspection reporting standards COOKER

SHAVERS ONLY

HSE asbestos awareness pack & toolbox sticker distributed with this issue

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WELCOME recently published Guide, Electrical Installations and their impact on the fire performance of buildings, was the subject of our first ever webinar. This received fantastic support, the experts being kept busy with the questions posed by those who logged on. Such was the interest in the topic that we intend to run a series of seminars across the UK in the coming months. Details of dates and locations can be found on our website.

Another first was the two-day conference on the electrical safety of products. Attracting delegates and speakers from across the globe, the Electrical Safety Council has really made its mark on the product safety community in the short time it has been working in this field.

he winter issue of Switched On marks the end of a busy year that began with the publication of the 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations and culminated in a festive light campaign supported by ASDA.

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I hope you will agree that the Electrical Safety Council has brought the issue of electrical safety to the fore. Much of what we have achieved would not have been possible without the efforts of the staff and the support of our Director General Jim Speirs, the Trustees and the stakeholders, so my thanks to all of them.

One of our major initiatives to support the industry has been the development of the series of Best Practice Guides. The most

The conference covered a range of issues, one being the growing problem with counterfeit electrical equipment and cables.

Such was the concern over the magnitude of the problem of counterfeit cables and wiring accessories that immediate action was proposed help contractors avoid being passed counterfeit kit. It is intended to hold a seminar for contractors on the issue of counterfeiting this spring. Details of the event will be well publicised in the New Year.

We also attended the Elex trade shows in Coventry and at Sandown Park where our technical team was kept very busy. Such was the success of our participation at those events that we will be at all the Elex shows in 2009 to provide support and advice to electrical contractors and others.

We strongly support training initiatives, and are also keen to promote safe working practices for those working in the industry.

The widely reported tragedy in Scotland, where a young electrician was electrocuted in 2005, sadly shows that we cannot assume that safe working practices in the industry are second nature. We continue to promote the importance of safe isolation procedures, and, with the support of SELECT, we distributed 5000 copies of our Electrical Safety in Construction leaflet to the industry in Scotland.

On the training front, we sponsored the UK SkillELECTRIC skills competition. We would like to congratulate Richard Sager of Eden Electricals Ltd, who won the final of the competition at the NEC in Birmingham last year.

Congratulations are also due to our own Technical Director and Switched On Editor, Mike Clark, who was recognised for his contribution to electrical safety at the Electrical Industry Awards event last October.

It only remains for me to wish you a happy and prosperous New Year on behalf of all of us at the Electrical Safety Council.

Phil Buckle As always, we would welcome feedback on the content of Switched On – email switchedon@esc.org.uk

CONVERSION PLUG INITIATIVE ince drawing attention last year to the dangers arising when electrical appliances having foreign plugs are plugged directly into UK socket-outlets, we have helped over 70 brigades in the Fire and Rescue Service to tackle the problem at source.

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We have supplied the Service with 40,000 conversion plugs, together with leaflets explaining how to adapt foreign electrical appliances for safe UK use. Both the conversion plugs and the leaflets have been issued free of charge by the Service when carrying out their home fire safety visits and at their events.

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Feedback to date has been positive, both from the Service and from the migrant communities receiving the plugs and related guidance. One Service in Scotland told us “The plugs were well received by the stations as an additional resource and means of improving safety in a practical sense.”

A further 15,000 leaflets have been supplied in response to requests received from universities, local councils and other providers of accommodation for foreign students, as well as from a number of electricians.

To obtain printed copies of the guidance leaflet in English, please email us at: enquiries@esc.org.uk. Alternatively, the leaflet can be downloaded from our website, www.esc.org.uk, in either English or Polish.

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Electrical Safety Council leads global debate on electrical product safety see page 12

issue 11 Winter ‘08

switchedon industry news

features

your insight into the electrical safety industry

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Conversion plug initiative Also, Welcome

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News in brief Also, Hospital fined after cleaner is badly injured, Website news

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New electrical safety DVDs released Also, Best Practice Guides

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Weston-Super-Mare pier fire attributed to electrical fault Also, The future of Building Control,

Builder fined for unsafe electrical work, Landlord prosecuted for safety failings

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Improving domestic periodic inspection reporting standards

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Electrical Safety Council leads global debate on electrical product safety

14 Have you ever been asked ….?

Also, Consumer attitudes and awareness

15 Educational play for primary

schools Also, Electrical Installation Forum

16 Safety of unbranded chargers Also, NHIC Awards 2008

17 SkillELECTRIC 2008 UK Final

Also, Party political conferences

18 Helping older people stay warm and safe in winter

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New leaflet for rented accommodation Also, Edinburgh company fined

10 Asbestos – the hidden killer 11 SELECT Electrotechnical Awards Also, Planning rules for home

extensions relaxed

consumer information 19 Improving in the Home Information Pack Also, Scottish Government fire safety campaign

20 Electrical quiz – what’s your

current level of knowledge?

Published by: The Electrical Safety Council 18 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6LB www.esc.org.uk www.switchedonkids.org.uk Tel: 0870 040 0561 Fax: 0870 040 0560 email: enquiries@esc.org.uk SwitchedOn 3

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NEWS IN BRIEF Technical Manual subscription increased

Re-establishing a UK-wide injury database

The annual subscription for the CD version of the Electrical Safety Council’s Technical Manual increased to £100 at the end of last year to better reflect the value of the detailed, authoritative and fully searchable information it offers.

The study into the feasibility of establishing a UK-wide injury surveillance database, featured in the autumn issue of Switched On, has now been concluded.

The findings of the study, which are under consideration by the three project partners the Electrical Safety Council, Intertek and RoSPA – will be reported on in the spring issue.

Scottish Building Standards Division The Scottish Building Standards Division (BSD) has successfully re-integrated into core government as part of the wider Directorate for the Built Environment.

The annual subscription provides two issues of the Manual on CD, together with four issues of the NICEIC magazine ‘Connections’.

New subscriptions can be arranged through our subsidiary, NICEIC Group Ltd, via their ‘NICEIC Direct’ service (www.niceicdirect.com).

Senior officials from Planning, Building Standards and Architecture and Place have formed a senior management team headed by the Chief Planner Jim MacKinnon.

As previously reported, virtually all the 300plus topics currently comprising the Manual have been updated to take account of the publication of the ‘17th Edition’ (BS 7671: 2008), and the content continues to grow at the rate of about 40 new and updated topics each year.

Maximum Health and Safety penalties increased

Sample topics can be viewed on our website, www.esc.org.uk .

Rogue electrician jailed for second term A rogue West Midland electrician, who was jailed for 12 months five years ago after admitting a number of offences including nine charges of making false statements relating to electrical work, has been jailed again.

37 year-old Lee Naughton was brought before Wolverhampton Crown Court last September where, having admitted a further 13 offences relating to his work as an electrician including fraud, recklessly making false statements and applying a false trade description, he was sent to prison for another two years

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The SBSA website is being migrated to the main Scottish Government website.

New legislation, the Health and Safety Offences Act 2008, which increases penalties and provide courts with greater sentencing powers for those who flout health and safety legislation, came into effect on 1 January.

HOSPITAL FINED AFTER CLEANER IS BADLY INJURED ollowing a hospital employee suffering severe injuries whilst operating a steam cleaner at work, the HSE has urged employers to ensure that suitable protective devices are used where electrical equipment is to be used in a damp environment.

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After pleading guilty at Hastings Magistrates’ Court last September, East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £8,000 for breaching the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

The prosecution followed an investigation by the HSE after a hospital cleaner suffered an electric shock from a steam cleaner. The injuries he received required surgery, and he is now unable to use his right hand. He also suffers severe headaches, deterioration in his eyesight and numbness to his face, which has had a substantial impact on his life.

Despite the manufacturer’s instructions clearly recommending the use of an RCD with the steam cleaner, the Trust failed to supply such a safety device.

WEBSITE NEWS

The Act raises the maximum penalties that can be imposed in the lower courts for breaching health and safety regulations from £5,000 to £20,000, and the range of offences for which an individual can be imprisoned has also been broadened.

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Welcoming the announcement, HSE Chair Judith Hackitt said: "The new Act sends out an important message to those who flout the law. However, good employers and good managers have nothing to fear. In fact, they have much to gain.

The creation of a dedicated section with its own introductory page makes it easier for visitors to find the information they are looking for, as well as making more room for future content.

"Our enforcement policy targets those who cut corners, gain commercial advantage over competitors by failing to comply with health and safety law, and who put workers and the public at risk."

he popular ‘business and community’ section of our website was revamped at the end of last year to give it a look that is more vibrant, fresh and interesting than was possible with the previous dropdown menu system.

Both the Best Practice Guide and the Switched On pages offer RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds that enable visitors to be notified automatically when something is added to or changed on those pages.

Check out the new look section at www.esc.org.uk

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NEW ELECTRICAL SAFETY DVDs RELEASED Home safety

Think electrics!

With more than 30,000 electrical accidents occurring in UK homes every year, we continue to try to find new and engaging ways of making householders more aware of the potential dangers of electricity.

One of our key messages for householders is for them to think about the condition of their electrical installation – just because it works doesn’t mean it’s safe.

To that end, we have produced a new 25 minute safety DVD entitled ‘Guide to electrical safety’ which features a family and their lodger going about their daily lives at home.

Each part of the story views the day from a different person’s perspective, and shows a variety of electrical hazards that each of them may face.

By bringing the hazards to life in the DVD, we hope to make many more people wiser and safer.

To help reinforce this message, we’ve produced a ten minute DVD aimed at those intending to buy, sell or renovate a property. The DVD takes viewers around a house to show them typical electrical problems that can exist in older properties.

The DVD, entitled ‘Think electrics!’, advises people to get a periodic inspection report from a registered electrician before committing themselves to a new property, because otherwise there’s no telling what electrical problems, if not danger, they may unwittingly be about to inherit.

Freely available Both of these videos can be viewed on our website. Alternatively, free copies can be obtained from us at our events, from our roadshow trailer, or by emailing enquiries@esc.org.uk

BEST PRACTICE GUIDES Practice Guides published to date, can be viewed on, and downloaded from, our website (www.esc.org.uk) free of charge.

Fire precautions

the ‘Code 4’ observations. The revised version, Issue 2A dated October 2008, replaces Issue 2.

With the assistance of our consultants, International Fire Consultants Ltd, we presented the new Guide at seminars held last year at the Elex shows in Coventry and at Sandown Park, where the new guidance was well received. In October, with the added help of the Association of Building Engineers (ABE), we also ran a ‘webinar’ (an interactive seminar over the internet) on the subject, which was also well received by the participants.

The long-awaited Best Practice Guide No 5, Electrical installations and their impact on the fire performance of buildings: Part 1 – domestic premises, was finally published on our website in September.

It is planned to hold a further series of seminars during the first part of this year at various locations throughout the UK, with the continued help of the ABE. Details are available from our website.

We would like to thank the 19 other bodies that contributed to or supported the development of the guidance, which was a challenging but very worthwhile task.

The list of those bodies is too long to include here, but has pride of place in the document that, along with all the Best

Periodic inspection A couple of relatively minor changes have been made to Issue 2 of Best Practice Guide No 4, Periodic inspection reporting – recommendation codes for domestic and similar electrical installations, to clarify two of

Other Guides Work continues on other Best Practice Guides, including ones dealing with plug-in devices for testing 13 A socket-outlets, dealing with electrically unsafe situations, and replacing domestic consumer units.

News about the development of these and other Guides will be given in future issues of Switched On. SwitchedOn 5

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BUILDER FINED FOR UNSAFE ELECTRICAL WORK t Buxton Magistrates court last September, John Lowe - trading as Plumb Electrical - was fined £2,237 for carrying out unsafe electrical works.

A WESTON-SUPER-MARE PIER FIRE ATTRIBUTED TO ELECTRICAL FAULT he official report into the catastrophic fire that destroyed Weston-super-Mare’s 104 year-old Grand Pier last summer, published by Avon Fire and Rescue Service in October, attributed the most likely cause to ‘an electrical fault of unknown origin’, evidence being limited due to the severity of the fire and by being lost in the sea.

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Unfortunately, there had been a delay of over five hours between the fire alarm signal being received by a monitoring company and the fire brigade being called by a member of the public, giving the fire plenty of time to get a firm hold on the historic structure.

THE FUTURE OF BUILDING CONTROL n October, the government published a summary of the responses to its ‘Future of Building Control’ consultation for England and Wales, previously reported on in the summer 2008 issue of Switched On. In brief, amongst the 400 or so respondents:

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There was general support for the vision for building control set out in the consultation

There was support in principle from 95% of respondents for the proposal to introduce a three-year cycle for the review of building regulations

85% of respondents supported the proposal to give local authorities powers to enforce the building regulations by using stop notices

68% of respondents supported the proposal that local authorities should be given powers to impose fixed monetary penalties to deal with less serious offences

There was strong support (86%) for encouraging more Competent Person Schemes for appropriate types of work

An even larger majority of respondents (88%) wanted to see more done to improve existing systems, many calling for more control and/or minimum compliance inspection regimes.

The full summary of responses can be found at www.communities.gov.uk

Mr Lowe pleaded guilty to four charges brought against him by High Peak Building Control under Part P of the Building Regulations.

The Magistrates took a very serious view of the offences and said that the potential for harm was great. They considered that Mr Lowe should not have energised the system knowing that it was not safe.

Linda Baldry, Executive Councillor for Planning, said: “The Building Control service is there to protect the health and safety of the public. It will deal seriously with builders who flout the Building Regulations and good working practice.”

She added: “High Peak Borough Council will work with other agencies where breaches of safety regulations are found and, in this case, action is also being considered under trading standards.”

Jeremy Toone, Business Manager for Building Control, said: “The Building Regulations have been extended in recent years to cover most types of alterations to properties. With the advent of the Home Information Packs, there is a need to be able to provide independent certification for any work covered by the Building Regulations.”

LANDLORD IMPRISONED FOR FIRE SAFETY BREACHES

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landlord has been sent to prison in the first custodial sentence to be given in London under the new fire safety regulations.

Sentencing of the company and their Director took place at Wood Green Crown Court last October after they pleaded guilty to eight breaches of fire safety including:

The landlord was sentenced to four months imprisonment and his company fined £21,000 following conviction for serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.

The prosecution followed a fatal fire at a flat in Tottenham in September 2007. After being removed from the building by firefighters, a man was taken to hospital but died later from his injuries.

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Failure to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons were exposed

Failure to make and give effect to appropriate fire safety arrangements

Failure to provide appropriate fire fighting equipment

Failure to provide appropriate fire detection measures, namely adequate smoke alarms in the common parts of the premises.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 came into effect in October 2006. The legislation makes businesses responsible for carrying out a self-assessment of the fire risks in their premises, appoint a competent person and make staff aware of what they have to do in the event of a fire.

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NEW LEAFLET FOR RENTED ACCOMMODATION ur consumer helpline receives many phone calls and emails from landlords and tenants asking for advice on electrical safety in rented accommodation, including questions about their respective responsibilities.

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With an increasing number of people living in shared rental accommodation such as Houses in Multiple Occupation, we decided to produce a new leaflet entitled Living together safely – A guide for people who share rented accommodation in our popular Z-card format.

The leaflet will serve as a handy reference for people who share rented accommodation, such as students, young professionals and migrant workers, though much of the information would also be applicable to those who rent single occupancy accommodation.

The Z-card covers various aspects of electrical safety in the home, and includes a list of tenants’ and landlords’ responsibilities and the electrical safety ‘do’s and don’ts’ of living in shared and rented accommodation.

It also includes advice on using appliances with European plugs, as well as helpful hints relating to consumer units and changing light bulbs.

We will be pleased to provide up to 500 copies of these new Z-cards to contractors and other interested parties free of charge, for distribution to customers and clients.

Please email leaflets@esc.org.uk to request copies or for further information.

EDINBURGH COMPANY FINED £300,000 he Health and Safety Executive has warned the electrical contracting industry of the tragic consequences that can result when safe working procedures are not practiced while working on live electrical systems.

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The warning follows the death of a 26 year-old qualified electrician who was electrocuted in August 2005 when he came into contact with a live conductor in a cable on which he was working.

Last October, Mitie Engineering Services (Edinburgh) Ltd were fined £300,000 at Dundee Sheriff Court after being found guilty of charges under Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974*.

Two company directors and the project manager were acquitted of charges under Section 37 of the Act.

The electrician was working at the JJB Sports Centre and Retail Outlet, which was under construction at the Gallagher Retail Park in Dundee. He was installing cables, fixtures and fittings when the incident happened. Despite being labeled ‘not in use’, the cable he was working on was live.

It had not been safely and securely isolated from the electricity supply.

The electrician had not been provided with the necessary test equipment to prove the cable was dead, nor the means to securely isolate the circuit.

Basic guidance for building contractors and electrical contractors is available in the form of a leaflet entitled ‘Electrical safety in construction’, copies of which are also freely available from our website or by emailing leaflets@esc.org.uk. *Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."

Detailed advice and guidance on safe isolation procedures is freely available in the form of one of our Best Practice Guides, copies of which can be downloaded from the ‘business and community’ section of our website www.esc.org.uk.

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COOKER

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Improving domestic p inspection reporting s xperience over the past few years has confirmed that many periodic inspection reports, especially for domestic installations, fail to meet a reasonable standard from the accuracy, completeness, technical and/or communication aspects.

private landlords etc) of the importance of periodic inspections, what to specify, what to expect in the way of information, and what to do about it.

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We have identified a number of actions we can take in conjunction with others to help improve the situation...

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We have identified a number of actions we can take in conjunction with others to help improve the situation, including:

Changing the title, format and content of the standard domestic periodic inspection report form to make it easier for householders to understand, and for inspectors to report more clearly Helping to improve the level of competence of domestic inspectors by making available to them more information and guidance Defining criteria for the potential assessment of the competence of individual inspectors to undertake domestic periodic inspection reporting correctly

Calling for appropriate national qualifications to be introduced in support of assessment schemes based on a national assessment specification

Raising awareness amongst consumers (householders, housing associations,

Report form We began last July by inviting interested parties to meet to discuss our proposals to change the model periodic inspection report form given in Appendix 6 of BS 7671, including: BSI • CORGI • ECA • ELECSA • HSE • IET • NAPIT • NICEIC • SCEME • SELECT The proposals included:

Changing the title of the model form to ‘Electrical Condition Report’, which would be more meaningful to recipients

Changing the standard Recommendation Codes to give them more impact with recipients, such as ‘dangerous’ and ‘potentially dangerous’, rather than ‘requires urgent attention’ and ‘requires improvement’

Changing the model form to indicate that the overall assessment should be given as ‘unsatisfactory’ if any observations are judged to be immediately or potentially dangerous

Amending the associated notes for competent persons and recipients accordingly

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ic periodic ng standards

Producing a separate version of the ‘schedule of inspections’ more suited to a condition report, to enable the condition of the various elements to be recorded.

The working group unanimously agreed to develop proposals along these lines for consideration by the Joint IET/BSI committee responsible for the technical content of BS 7671 (JPEL/64).

Inspection schedule Subsequently, the development of the inspection schedule was picked up by a working group of Panel A of JPEL/64 which, amongst other things, deals with the inspection and testing requirements in BS 7671.

When it then became clear that the development of the inspection schedule was likely to impact on the basic design of the report form, it was agreed to merge the two working groups under the auspices of JPEL/64, where the development work is continuing to progress constructively.

Training and assessment of inspectors In addition, to help improve the level of competence of domestic inspectors, we are currently developing material to support specialised training courses on periodic inspection reporting, and are liaising with other bodies with a view to the introduction of national qualifications and assessment schemes.

Experience over many years has indicated that persons undertaking periodic inspection reporting need to have above-average knowledge and understanding of electrical installation matters, particularly of older equipment and installation methods, to enable them to accurately assess and reort on the condition of existing electrical installations.

Consumer awareness To help raise awareness amongst householders and others of the importance of periodic inspection (or condition reporting), we are also developing a new consumer information leaflet.

Proposed conference In previous issues of Switched On, we had also proposed to arrange a conference to publicly debate the subject of domestic periodic inspection reporting, if sufficient interest was expressed. Unfortunately, the level of interest expressed has been insufficient to justify such a conference at the present time, We will invite new expressions of interest when some of the other initiatives are coming to fruition.

Updates Further news about the development of these initiatives will be reported from time to time in Switched On and on our website (www.esc.org.uk).

... raise “awareness amongst householders and others of the importance of periodic inspection...

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ASBESTOS – THE HIDDEN KILLER Every week this year, six electricians will die from asbestos-related diseases – a statistic that is set to increase.

The autumn issue of Switched On was distributed just before the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) launched a national campaign in October, and so this is the first opportunity to add our support. The ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign has been raising awareness amongst electricians and other tradesmen of the risk to their health of coming into contact with asbestos.

We’re distributing with this issue a new HSE asbestos awareness pack, together with a toolbox sticker, to help remind you to make proper enquiries about the possible presence of asbestos before starting work.

Exposure to asbestos is the biggest single cause of work-related deaths, with around 4,000 people a year, a quarter of them tradesmen, dying from asbestos-related disease. This is more than are killed on the roads each year.

A large number of workers who have already been exposed to asbestos dust many years ago will go on to develop mesothelioma, a terminal cancer, or other asbestos-related diseases. However, while the rate of deaths in traditional industries such as shipbuilding has levelled off, deaths in trades, including electricians, continue to rise.

Asbestos may be present in any building constructed or refurbished before the year 2000. It is estimated that around 500,000 nondomestic buildings could contain asbestos.

Asbestos was also widely used in domestic premises, particularly in social housing. These buildings all need repair and maintenance work from time to time and when the asbestos fibres are disturbed such as by drilling or cutting, they are likely to be inhaled as a deadly dust.

The continuing message is – you are more at risk than you think!

A real life story …..

John Taylor was a keen sportsman all his life.

Always fit and active, he was a natural competitor. His was always the first name down on the team sheet and he was renowned locally both as a cricketer and a low handicap golfer.

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But John was also an electrician whose working life spanned 38 years from apprenticeship at the age of 15 to more office bound work as an Electrical Maintenance Planner in his later career. As a qualified and experienced tradesman, he thought he was taking every precaution when it came to safety at work. Yet his job had hidden health risks that were to prove the final test to John's well-known fighting spirit.

Four years ago, at the age of 63, John sadly died from mesothelioma, caused by breathing in asbestos dust years earlier as he worked in attics and other confined areas where electrical cables run alongside asbestos-clad pipework.

you just don't know who will be affected, or when."

"It can take years to develop after the asbestos dust has been breathed in. Many tradesmen are not worried about the consequences because at the time they don't feel that dust is doing any damage. It doesn't hurt them then but kills them years later. My husband was enjoying life to the full and was extremely fit and active - in fact, with his usual determination, he was still playing golf competitively for a few months after his diagnosis."

John was a forward-looking, enthusiastic individual, which is why his wife, Joyce, would like his death to have a positive effect by serving as a warning to others.

"Managers have a duty to look after their staff, and that is obviously something they should be taking seriously. But workers, whether they are employed or self-employed, should also be taking responsibility for themselves by making sure they are fully aware of dangers posed by asbestos in their working lives."

She has joined in an initiative to help tradesmen, and particularly young tradesmen just starting out on their working lives, avoid the dangers of asbestos.

John consulted his doctor in June 2003, concerned at his sudden breathlessness, and the diagnosis of mesothelioma followed quickly after a visit to the hospital.

'Asbestos - the hidden killer' is the Health and Safety Executive's campaign aimed at young tradesmen who know that asbestos is dangerous, but don't believe they are at risk.

Says Joyce: "Our first reaction was muted because we did not really know anything about this disease, but when it was properly explained it was a dreadful shock."

Joyce Taylor, who lives in Appletree Village, York says: "Everyone should know more about this disease and understand the risks they are facing. Young workers in particular seem to have no idea - they think that the disease holds no dangers for them but the reality is

"My message to younger workers is this disease is avoidable - look to your own futures and take action now. Tradesmen owe it to themselves, their friends and families to find out more and avoid the dangers of asbestos".

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SELECT ELECTROTECHNICAL AWARDS e were once again pleased to be one of the sponsors of the prestigious SELECT Electrotechnical Awards. SELECT, Scotland’s trade association for the electrical, electronic and communications system industry, run the awards in conjunction with the industry magazine CABLEtalk.

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The hotly contested Electrotechnical Awards covered nine categories and threw up an excellent group of winners who set a very challenging standard for the future.

The winners were announced in the spotlights of a spectacular gala awards ceremony in Glasgow, attended by a capacity 350 audience.

The Council sponsored the award for the Best Electrical Safety Project, which was presented by our Campaign Manager in Scotland, Tony Maskens. The top spot was taken by Aberdeen firm Richard Irvin.

In separating itself from the pack, Richard Irvin had to illustrate the situation it faced, the action it took, the difference this made and the way its solution contributed to industry best practice.

The prize was plucked from the hands of stiff competition and, in announcing their winner, the judges said: “Often the simplest ideas are the best and so it was with Richard Irvin’s remarkably simple yet remarkably effective safe isolation project.”

“Safe isolation is a notoriously tricky issue to deal with on site but a bespoke training programme meant that every operative got both the training and the tools to carry out the recommended procedures to the letter.”

After picking up the award, Mark Girling at Richard Irvin added: “It is always nice to be recognised in front of peers and we are all absolutely thrilled to win this accolade.

Safety really is our number one concern and we have worked hard to instill that approach in everything we do.”

PLANNING RULES FOR HOME EXTENSIONS RELAXED mproving homes in England and Wales became a whole lot easier for tens of thousands of families from last October when new planning rules came into effect, meaning that the majority of homeowners no longer need to get planning permission to extend their home.

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The changes allow people to extend their home up and out for the first time without needing to pay the costs (up to £1000), or wait weeks, to get planning permission to start building.

Each year, about 80,000 households should now find it easier to improve their homes by converting lofts and building extensions, for example, because they no longer have to go through the bureaucratic hurdles of the planning system.

Carefully calculated size limits on the permitted extensions mean the new rules strike the right balance between helping homeowners to better their home and

protecting neighbours against larger inappropriate or intrusive extensions.

Finding out what the planning requirements are has never been easier thanks to a new interactive house guide that helps people who want to improve their home ensure that no one falls foul of the new rules.

The website http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/ hhg/houseguide.html guides users round the planning permission rules for homes from everything at the front and back of house through to each floor inside.

All people have to do is click on the part the house they want to change, whether it's a loft conversion, the driveway, solar panels, wind turbines, fencing, or even the bathroom, and a pop up explains all the new rules.

The rules have already been changed to enable homeowners to install solar panels without planning permission - see the article in the summer 2008 issue of Switched On for further details.

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David Dossett welcomes delegates to the conference and introduces keynote speakers L-R: Baroness Jenny Tonge, Liberal Democrat Peer, Jacqueline Minor, The European Commission, Katsumi Arai, NITE Japan, Dennis Blasius, US Consumer Product Safety Commission

Electrical Safety Council le global debate on electrical ur inaugural International Electrical Product Safety Conference, which took place in London last September, was a great success, attracting international delegates from countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

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Counterfeiting, quality certification, industry regulation, legislation and consumer protection were issues high on the agenda at the two-day event.

Buckinghamshire Trading Standards inform delegates at the exhibition about their campaign to remove unsafe chargers from the market

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Dave Dossett, Chairman of the Electrical Safety Council said, “This highly successful initiative has brought together, for the first time, key stakeholders involved in improving the safety of electrical products in a truly globalised marketplace, providing an invaluable platform for product safety and electrical professionals from the international community to debate, network and knowledge share.

The issues discussed at the Conference are pertinent to all of those in the UK electrical industry from manufacturers and distributors, contractors and specifiers, to policy makers and regulators.

In opening up the debate our aim is to develop a clear strategy for working with other

organisations to help shape the future direction of product safety.”

Also, the delegate feedback was very positive, with such comments as: ‘Very good conference which laid the basis for future international co-operation’, ‘An invaluable learning and networking opportunity. I am looking forward to the second conference.’

‘Shows the Electrical Safety Council is prepared to roll its sleeves up and do things whereas many others just talk about it!’

The conference had an impressive speaker lineup of senior representatives from the European Commission, Trading Standards, BERR, European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers, British Retail Consortium, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, BEAMA and BASEC to name but a few.

In addition to the conference proceedings, an exhibition, staged in the stunning Assembly Hall at Church House, Westminster, gave delegates an ideal chance to collect the latest information on product safety and build contacts with our sponsors and exhibitors.

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cil leads rical product safety Following the first busy day of presentations and workshops, delegates enjoyed a gala dinner at the historic Lincoln’s Inn. At the gala dinner, the Council added its backing to the Electrical Installation Industry Charter, an agreement that confirms the commitment of all signatories in the fight against the trade in counterfeit electrical products, and the proliferation of products failing to comply with the appropriate standards.

“andSub-standard counterfeit electrical products can kill. No one is immune...

Dave Dossett, who signed the Charter on behalf of the Electrical Safety Council, commented: “Sub-standard and counterfeit electrical products can kill. No one is immune and it’s in everyone’s interest that the electrical industry unites to tackle this global problem. The Electrical Safety Council is working on many different fronts to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by electrical accidents. By joining forces with other Charter signatories we hope to develop practical and effective solutions to drive out the trade in dangerous, non-compliant electrical products and improve user safety.”

Representatives from BASEC, BCA and the Lighting Industry Federation also added their names to the Charter at the gala dinner, joining founder signatories BEAMA, EDA, ECA and SELECT.

”

L-R: Mike Simms (British Cables Association), Dave Dossett (Electrical Safety Council), Jeremy Hodge (BASEC), Eddie Taylor (Lighting Industry Federation)

For further information about anti-counterfeiting initiatives, visit www.counterfeit-kills.co.uk We would like to thank all the sponsors, exhibitors and supporters of the conference for their valuable contribution to the event.

To view a webcast of the opening plenary session and other highlights from the conference, visit: www.escconference.org.uk/multimedia SwitchedOn 13

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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ASKED …. WHY DO CIRCUIT-BREAKERS TRIP WHEN LIGHT BULBS BLOW? This is the first in a series of articles addressing questions frequently asked by consumers.

Circuit-breakers provide protection in the event of an overloaded or faulty circuit. Whilst the majority of circuit-breakers in a consumer unit will rarely trip, circuit-breakers controlling lighting circuits, typically 6 A Type B circuit-breakers to BS EN 60898, often trip when an incandescent light bulb ‘blows’. This unwanted tripping is due to the operating characteristics of the circuit-breaker.

The operating mechanism of circuit-breakers has a magnetic part and a thermal part. The magnetic part causes very rapid operation of the circuit-breaker in the event of a fault, the current causing such operation being called the ‘instantaneous tripping current’.

Instantaneous tripping of a circuit-breaker when a fault occurs is an essential characteristic, so that the supply to a faulty circuit is quickly cut off to remove the electric shock hazard and to prevent the risk of fire.

One way of preventing the unwanted tripping of circuit-breakers is to replace incandescent light bulbs with one of the equivalent ‘low energy’ types, which are unlikely to cause a short-circuit when they fail.

However, unwanted instantaneous tripping may occur when there is a sudden increase in current flow for other reasons, as can happen when an incandescent light bulb blows. The circuit-breaker trips because the filament in the bulb becomes ionised, causing the filament support wires to be temporarily short-circuited.

Nevertheless, if a circuit-breaker operates, it always makes sense to check the light fittings just in case there is a fault.

CONSUMER ATTITUDES AND AWARENESS uestion: How many thriller writers does it take to change a light bulb?

Q

Okay, that wasn’t one of the questions we asked 1,000 members of the public as part of our annual consumer survey into electrical safety awareness, attitudes and behaviour.

(The answer, by the way, is two - one to turn the light bulb most of the way, and one to give it a surprising twist at the end!)

We did, however, survey consumers the length and breadth of the UK on a wide range of subjects relating to our work.

governing electrical work in the home.

While this might seem fairly low at first glance, given that consumer awareness the previous year was at a shockingly poor 10%, you can see just how much progress has been made so far.

Also encouraging was the finding that about two-thirds of people who’d had major electrical work undertaken in their homes since 2005 had received the appropriate documentation (compared with just 48% last year).

One of the areas we questioned people about was awareness of regulations covering electrical installation work in the home. Readers familiar with the Council’s activities will know that we run an ongoing campaign aimed at raising consumer awareness and understanding of the importance of using a registered electrician and promoting awareness of Part P in England and Wales, and of the Building Standards system in Scotland.

Since our inception in 2005, we have also been campaigning for a report on the electrics in a home to be included as a mandatory part of the home buying and selling process. 77% of consumers surveyed agreed. One of the survey respondents, Monica, 36, described her experience: “The wiring in this house was quite bad. It was the original wiring from many years ago, but we didn’t know until we moved in. It was an expense that we didn’t envisage, but it was a necessary one.”

Our research revealed that just under half of those surveyed (48%) knew of any laws

A problem anecdotally revealed during the Council’s investigation into the long-term

14 SwitchedOn

effectiveness of installed RCDs last year was backed up by the latest consumer research which found that, of those householders with one or more RCDs installed, only half were testing them every 3 months (as recommended), with 16% saying that they had never tested them.

Regular testing of an RCD is, of course, crucial to ensure that it is functioning properly.

Also worrying were some of the potentially dangerous behaviours that people admit to when using electricity and electrical appliances in and around the home. 70%, for example, do not use a portable RCD when using corded electrical garden tools, while 15% said they had used a mains electrical appliance in the bathroom and 16% said they had put a knife in the toaster while it was still switched on.

What is clear from our latest research is that while key messages are getting across, and knowledge and awareness of electrical safety issues is improving, there is still a considerable job to done when it comes to altering behaviour.

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EDUCATIONAL PLAY FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS n response to the huge success of our educational fun pack, and as a further commitment to help schools raise children’s awareness of the hazards of electricity, we have developed an educational play and related workshop about electrical safety for primary schools.

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The play, which is a lively fun piece of ‘panto’ style theatre, was piloted in December, being performed to school children between the ages of 5 and 11 in schools in and around the Bath area.

The play’s theme is ‘promoting electrical safety around your home’. It has colourful characters including brother and sister Simon and Sally Socket who, throughout the play, are helping their mum with chores that involve the use of electrical appliances around the home. And, as with all good pantomime-style plays, there is also a

naughty character, Victor Voltage, and a catchy electrical safety song written especially for children.

The characters, who are based on the ‘Switched On Kids’ characters, encourage interaction with the audience during the performances, which are intended to be immediately followed by a workshop session to reinforce the safety messages learned during the play. The workshop also encourages discussion and debate with the children about electrical safety issues.

Following the success of the pilot, we intend to roll out the play to more schools this year.

To see the Switched On Kids characters, visit our kids website, www.switchedonkids.org.uk .

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION FORUM he members of the Electrical Installation Forum continue to meet at intervals to discuss the more difficult or complex technical questions put to them about the application of the requirements of BS 7671.

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If and when the forum reaches a consensus view, the agreed answers to the questions are published in the ‘business and community’ section of our website, under ‘17th Edition Guidance’.

The answers to several new questions have been added to the website since the last issue of Switched On, and some of the previous answers have been clarified or amended in the light of feedback. So it’s worth revisiting the site, say at least every couple of months.

Amongst the new questions answered are:

Does the 17th Edition permit connection of smoke alarms to an adjacent lighting circuit taking into account Regulation 560.7.1, which states that circuits of safety services shall be independent of other circuits?

Do circuits supplying extra-low voltage lighting in a bathroom or shower room need RCD protection?

When carrying out electrical work on an installation forming part of a TN-C-S system, is it necessary to upgrade existing 6 mm2 protective equipotential bonding to 10 mm2?

Where can I find the maximum earth fault loop impedance values for BS 3871 circuit-breakers?

The founding members of the forum, APHC, BSI, CORGI, ELECSA, Electrical Safety Council, IET, NAPIT, NICEIC, OFTEC and SELECT, have since been joined by BEAMA Installation and SCEME (Society of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers serving Local Government).

For the agreed answers to these any many other commonly-asked 17th Edition questions, visit www.esc.org.uk/forum.

The original answer to the question: Is an RCD main switch (such as a 100 mA timedelayed device) still required in the consumer unit of a new domestic installation forming part of a TT system? has been qualified by the addition of the words provided that the consumer unit is of all-insulated construction to take into account the remote possibility that an earth fault could occur in the part of the circuit between the main switch and the busbars of the consumer unit.

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SAFETY OF UNBRANDED CHARGERS uckinghamshire Trading Standards have been investigating the millions of unsafe AC/DC plug-in chargers that have flooded the UK market, mainly from China. These chargers are being sold widely for use with mobile phones, game consoles, cameras and portable music players. The scale of the problem is huge, with an estimated 1.8 million unsafe chargers being sold in the UK in the last year through the internet.

B

Following an earlier complaint where a child narrowly escaped electrocution, samples of 36 chargers, obtained from a range of outlets including on-line, independent shops, national chains and local markets, were sent for testing under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994.

The results of these tests are alarming. Only the 12 branded products complied with the regulations. All 24 unbranded chargers failed for reasons of poor internal construction, which could lead to the soldered wires becoming disconnected, causing creepage, arcing and electric shock. Furthermore, the plug pin size and positioning on the unbranded chargers was inadequate, leading to potential overheating and a risk of fire when plugged into a 13 A socket-outlet.

Last year, Buckinghamshire Trading Standards Officers were invited to attend and exhibit at the International Product Safety Conference (see pages 12 and 13), to launch their ‘What’s

in Your Socket?’ campaign, in which they are seeking major changes in the law. These changes include: Creating a national product safety agency An independent single agency would be created by government to protect the public's health and consumer interests, based on risk analysis, in respect of consumer goods.

Introducing a registration system Businesses manufacturing or supplying electrical goods would be required to register with their local authority in order that due diligence processes could be assessed and compliance with electrical safety requirements monitored where appropriate.

Introducing ‘on the spot fines’ for non – compliant goods A fine for obvious breaches of product safety regulations would provide a swift and efficient penalty for non-compliance. It would also provide a deterrent for suppliers, helping to ensure they fulfil their obligation to supply goods that are safe.

In addition to lobbying for the above, Buckinghamshire Trading Standards are launching a national media awareness programme to educate both consumers and traders in respect of the serious risks introduced by unsafe chargers.

We have worked with Buckinghamshire Trading Standards and the Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to produce a short DVD to illustrate the dangers of these unsafe chargers.

The DVD was launched during International Product Safety Week in November last year, and can be viewed on our website at: www.esc.org.uk.

Single copies of the video (in DVD format) are available on request to: enquiries@esc.org.uk A full report on the investigations carried out

by Buckinghamshire Trading Standards is available at: www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/content/ index.jsp?contentid=-588862430

NHIC AWARDS 2008 ast November, the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) held its Annual Awards ceremony in London, where ten awards were presented. For the third successive year, the Council sponsored the Electrical Safety Award.

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The NHIC Awards is the UK's major housing awards scheme for public and private sector organisations involved with home refurbishment, environmental renovation, skills training, special needs, safety and energy saving.

The winning entry for this year’s Electrical Safety Award was submitted by Saffron Housing Trust.

16 SwitchedOn

It was evident from Saffron’s application that they were committed to maintaining and improving standards of electrical safety and to raising awareness by working in partnership with its tenants and residents.

The judges used the following criteria to evaluate the entries:

electrical installations are checked regularly – at least every ten years (and on change of tenancy) residual current device (RCD) protection is provided for socket-outlets that may be used to power portable equipment outdoors

only qualified/registered electricians are used to carry out electrical work

tenants’ and residents’ awareness of electrical safety issues is raised

customer satisfaction is good

relevant standards are complied with

energy saving initiatives are implemented.

We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate and commend Saffron Housing Association.

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SkillELECTRIC 2008 UK FINAL n energetic atmosphere surged through the electrical skills UK final last October, where a flow of top national talent was showcased at an unprecedented event at Interbuild, in the first live competition of its kind to be held at the show.

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SkillELECTRIC, sponsored and supported by the Electrical Safety Council and organised

by SummitSkills, took place at Birmingham’s NEC during one of the biggest weeks in the industry’s calendar.

The top ten UK finalists from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales who scored the highest from their regional events took part in two and a half days of practical skills tests based on real-life work situations, competing in purpose-built bays in front of thousands of spectators.

The competition culminated in a glittering evening awards ceremony at the National Motorcycle Museum, where a packed audience saw the closely bonded group of individuals proudly accept their accolades to rousing applause. Every competitor received an individual gold medal and certificate presented by MP Claire Curtis Thomas and Diane Johnson, who represented primary sponsors ECA and SELECT. Richard Sagar was greeted by cheers and a standing ovation as he stepped into the spotlight to receive the winner’s crystal trophy. Richard is employed by Eden Electricals Ltd, and supported by training provider SECTT.

The two runners up were Jack Sillito employed by W T Parker Ltd with training provided by Burton Training Organisation Ltd, and Neil Frew, employed by Braid Electrical and trained by Northern Regional College.

The winners of this year’s UK finals may have the chance to compete at the biennial international WorldSkills competition, the largest skills competition in the world attracting competitors from more than 50 countries, with the next event taking place in Calgary later this year, followed by WorldSkills 2011 in London.

Preparations are already underway for the 2009 competitions. Further details of the 2008 event can be found at www.skillMandE.org.uk .

PARTY POLITICAL CONFERENCES e decided to attend the three major party conferences last year in order to increase awareness of our charitable status and mission amongst those in positions of influence, and to gain support for our campaigns.

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It also gave us a good opportunity to keep ministers, MPs and party supporters aware of our activities and technical expertise in the field of electrical safety.

We found those attending the conferences to be very interested in our campaign activities and successes, and in our role of representing consumer interests within the industry. We also made contact with individuals who will be able to give us good support in particular areas of activity.

The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, takes an interest in the Switched On Kids educational fun pack SwitchedOn 17

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HELPING OLDER PEOPLE STAY WARM AND SAFE IN WINTER ith winter well under way, we once again turned up the heat on old and unsafe electric blankets. Following on from the success of the electric blanket testing campaign in 2007, we ran another series of testing events around the UK last year.

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With support from local community safety bodies, including Fire & Rescue Services, Trading Standards, Age Concern branches and a number of Local Authorities, we arranged 15 electric blanket testing events during September and October. We also supported Suffolk Fire & Rescue Services and Pembrokeshire County Council, who ran their own events.

In addition to testing electric blankets for safety, an objective of the campaign was to promote a number of key safety messages including guidance on their correct use, advice about storage when blankets are not in use, and recommending that owners routinely inspect their blankets before use each winter to check that they are safe for continued use.

In total, 2201 blankets were tested this winter, of which 57% were found to be faulty. If blankets were beyond repair, we replaced them on the spot free of charge.

18 SwitchedOn

In all, we replaced 1272 blankets during the campaign.

To further support the campaign, and in collaboration with West Midlands Fire & Rescue Services, we produced a guidance leaflet on the safe use of electric blankets which was given to everyone attending the testing events.

The leaflet has also been offered to Fire & Rescue Services and other UK-wide community safety organisations. If you would like copies, please email us at leaflets@esc.org.uk . Up to 500 copies will be supplied free of charge. Alternatively, the leaflet can be downloaded from our website, www.esc.org.uk .

Our thanks go to Age Concern branches at Leicester, Sheffield, Greenwich, Liverpool, Bolton, Bradford, Hull and Blackpool, and to West Midlands and Suffolk Fire & Rescue Services, Trading Standards at Barking & Dagenham and Sheffield, and to City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow Old People’s Welfare, and Anglesey, Rhondda and Pembrokeshire Local Authorities.

The new leaflet gives the following advice:

Always buy new – second-hand electric blankets may not be safe

Read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and follow them

If an electric blanket is more than ten years old, consider disposing of it safely and buying a new one

Check blankets regularly for signs of wear or damage

Never use an electric blanket with scorch marks or exposed elements

Check the plug and cord for any signs of wear or damage

Never use an electric blanket if it is wet or creased, and do not switch it on to dry it out

Never use the electric blanket folded – always spread it out fully

Never use a hot water bottle and an electric blanket together in the same bed

Make sure the power is turned off at the wall and the electric blanket is unplugged when not in use.

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IMPROVING CONSUMER INFORMATION IN THE HOME INFORMATION PACK ast September, we responded to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s consultation paper on ‘Improved Consumer Information in the Home Information Pack’.

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This consultation proposed the inclusion of a Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) as a required document in the Home Information Pack (HIP) for England and Wales. The PIQ would replace the existing ‘Home Use Form’ which is currently an ‘authorised’ (nonmandatory) document within the HIP. The aim of the PIQ is to enable consumers to make informed choices on buying a property by giving them information, when they need it, before they have to commit time and money to the purchase of a property.

The proposed Property Information Questionnaire would include information that is easy for the seller to provide without professional assistance, such as: - General information on the property - Issues affecting the property - Utilities and services - Changes to the property

- Boundaries and access - Additional information for leasehold properties.

It is not intended for the PIQ to replace the work of property professionals who will still be needed to finalise the purchasing of the property.

We expressed our support for this government initiative because we agree that providing relevant information about a property to prospective buyers in advance will improve the home buying and selling process.

However, we had to express our disappointment that, whilst the proposed PIQ included questions about other building works, including compliance with Building Regulations, it did not include any questions relating to Part P or electrical safety. We will therefore continue our efforts to have electrical safety issues adequately recognised in Home Information Packs.

Depending on the analysis of responses and the laying of regulations to implement the changes, the Property Information

Questionnaire may have been introduced on 1 January 2009.

For further information, visit www.communities.gov.uk.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT FIRE SAFETY CAMPAIGN ast year, the Council was invited by the Scottish Government to support its fire safety TV advertising campaign, which they launched in August. The campaign highlighted the particular dangers of fire posed by faulty washing machines and dishwashers.

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According to the Scottish Government, official figures for 2006 showed that almost half of all accidental house fires were caused by faulty appliances or misuse of electrical equipment. Detailed analysis of the annual fire statistics for Scotland revealed that:

every week, two families suffer fires in their home due to a faulty washing machine or dishwasher

a defective light left switched on causes a fire in a Scottish home every ten days

each fortnight a short circuit or other electrical problem with a television causes a domestic fire, and

one in eight of all accidental domestic fires in Scotland is caused by faulty appliances or leads.

smoking while under the influence of alcohol, and from overloading plug sockets," he said.

The eight-week ‘Back to the Start’ multimedia campaign warned householders about the risks of leaving electrical equipment switched on overnight or while away from home.

Brian Sweeney, Chief Officer of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue and the Scottish Fire Service’s Community Fire Safety Champion, added: “Appliances such as washing machines may be wonderful labour-saving devices, but they turn nasty if they develop faults that could cause fires. I would urge everyone not to run appliances while they are sleeping, or out of the house.”

The campaign was launched at Glasgow’s Maryhill Fire Station by Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, and was attended by our Campaign Manager for Scotland, Tony Maskens, and fellow Campaign Manager Lorraine Carney.

Mr Ewing said the services’ increasing focus on fire safety and prevention had led to a fall in house fires. However, he warned there was no room for complacency. "These effective efforts, backed by past campaigns, mean there's a greater public awareness of the main risks of chip-pan fires, from cooking or

The Council welcomed the Scottish Government’s fire safety campaign and hopes that we can continue to work with them and other community safety bodies in Scotland and across the rest of the UK to help reduce the number of electrical fires.

The TV advert used for the campaign can be viewed on our website, www.esc.org.uk.

SwitchedOn 19

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This is the third in a series of electrical quizzes we’re running in Switched On. The aim of this ‘high powered’ quiz is to fill in all the missing vowels to find the BS 7671 regulation number. The text of each regulation has been encoded by extracting the vowels, but the word spacing and punctuation remains intact.

If you think you have ten correct answers, you can enter the prize draw by emailing the relevant regulation numbers (not the completed text) to us at quiz@esc.org.uk by Friday 27 February.

The person providing the first set of correct answers to be selected at random from the entries will receive:

The next four persons providing the correct answers to be selected at random from the entries will receive:

A CB 200 check box* (RRP £170)

A CB100 check box* (RRP £100)

An SP100 proving unit* (RRP £90)

An MT470 voltage tester* (RRP £40)

An MT470 voltage tester* (RRP £40)

A domestic isolation locking off kit** (RRP £50)

A full set of NICEIC technical publications**

A year’s free subscription to the Electrical Safety Council’s Technical Manual (RRP £100)

(RRP £175)

A domestic isolation locking off kit** (RRP £50)

A year’s free subscription to the Electrical Safety Council’s Technical Manual (RRP £100)

* Prizes kindly donated by Kew Technik ** Prizes kindly donated by NICEIC Group Ltd

Why not have a go? Your chances of winning something are significantly better than with the National Lottery!

Prvsn my b md fr sltn f grp f crcts by trmnl f th nstlltn, whch shll b cnnctd th 1 N ddtn r ltrtn, tmprry r prmnnt, shll b md t n xstng nstlltn, unlss t hs bn scrtnd tht th rtng nd th cndtn f ny xstng qpmnt, ncldng tht f th dstrbtr, wll b dqt fr th ltrd crcmstncs. Frthrmr, th rthng nd bndng rrngmnts, f ncssry fr th prtctv msr ppld fr th sfty f th ddtn r ltrtn, shll b dqt.

2

vry nstlltn shll b dvdd nt crcts, s ncssry t:

(i)

vd hzrds nd mnmz ncnvnnc n th vnt f flt

(ii)

fcltt sf nspctn, tstng nd mntnnc

(iii)

tk ccnt f dngr tht my rs frm th flr f sngl crct sch s lghtng crct

(iv)

rdc th pssblty f nwntd trppng f RCDs d t xcssv prtctv cndctr crrnts prdcd by qpmnt n nrml prtn

(v)

mtgt th ffcts f lctrmgntc ntrfrncs

(vi)

prvnt th ndrct nrgzng f crct ntndd t b sltd

3

Th ntrl pnt r th mdpnt f th pwr spply systm shll b rthd. f ntrl pnt r mdpnt s nt vlbl r nt ccssbl, ln cndctr shll b cnnctd to rth. ch xpsd-cndctv-prt f th nstlltn shll b cnnctd b prtctv cndctr t th mn rthng

cmmn mns, f th srvc cndtns llw ths.

rthd pnt f th pwr spply systm.

4

vry xpsd-cndctv-prt whch s t b prtctd by sngl prtctv dvc shll b cnnctd, v th mn rthng trmnl, t cmmn rth lctrd. Hwvr, f tw r mr prtctv dvcs r n srs, th xpsdcndctv-prts my b cnnctd t sprt rth lctrds crrspndng t ch prtctv dvc.

5

Whr ths prtctv msr s t b sd s th sl prtctv msr (i.. whr whol nstlltin r crct s ntndd t cnsst ntrly f qpmnt wth dbl nsltn r rnfrcd nsltn), t shll b vrfd tht th nstlltn r crct cncrnd wll b ndr ffctv sprvsn n nrml s s tht n chng s md tht wld mpr th ffctvnss f th prtctv msr. Ths prtctv msr shll nt thrfr b ppld t ny crct tht nclds sckt-tlt, lmnr spprtng cplr, dvc fr cnnctng lmnr r cbl cplr, r whr sr my chng tms f qpmnt wtht thrztn.

6 7

8

xpt fr hghwy pwr sppls nd strt frntr, whr PM cndtns pply th mn prtctv bndng cndctr shll b slctd n ccrdnc wth th ntrl cndctr f th spply nd Tbl 54.8.

Whr n nstlltn hs mr thn n src f spply t whch PM cndtns pply, mn prtciv bndng cndctr shll b slctd ccrdng t th lrgst ntrl cndctr f th spply.

9

vry cnnctn btwn cndctrs r btwn cndctr nd thr qpmnt shll prvd drbl lctrcl cntnty nd dqt mchncl strength vry crct shll b cpbl f bng sltd frm ch f th lv spply cndctrs. n TN-S or TN-C-S systm, t s nt ncssry t islt r swtch th ntrl cndctr whr t s rgrdd s bng rlbly cnnctd t rth by stbly lw mpdnc.

xcpt whr PM cndtns pply, mn prtctv bndng cndctr shll hv crss-sctnl r nt lss thn hlf th crss-sctnl r rqrd fr th rthng cndctr f th nstlltn nd nt lss thn 6 mm2.

Th crss-sctnl r nd nt xd 25 mm2 f th bndng cndctr s f cppr r crss-sctnl r ffrdng qvlnt cndctnc n thr mtls.

vry nstlltn shll, drng rctn nd n cmpltn bfr bng pt nt srvc, b nspctd nd tstd t vrfy, s fr s s rsnbly prctcbl, tht th rqrmnts f th Rgltns hv bn mt.

Prctns shll b tkn t vd dngr t prsns nd t vd dmg t prprty nd nstlld qpmnt drng nspctn nd tstng.

10

ddtnl prtctn shll b prvdd fr ll crcts f th lctn, by th s f n r mr RCDs hvng th chrctrstcs spcfd n Rgltn 415.1.1

The terms and conditions for the prize draw may be found on our website, www.esc.org.uk .

The solution to this quiz will be posted on our website shortly after the closing date together with, as soon as possible, the names of the lucky winners.

Details of the winners of the quiz in the autumn issue, together with the correct answers to the quiz, can be viewed on our website.

BACK ISSUES OF SWITCHED ON 20 SwitchedOn

All the previous issues of Switched On are available to read or download from the ‘Business & Community’ section of our website.