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Issue16 | Spring 2010 | ÂŁ5.00
Lethal charge? Are cheap plug-in chargers putting consumers at risk?
www.esc.org.uk
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WELCOME Whilst a reduction in funding will present the Council and many other UK charities with challenges, we will endeavour to continue to develop our range of safety initiatives for the benefit of all UK consumers. Following my appointment as Director General, the Council’s governing document was reviewed as part of the charity’s programme of modernisation. Subject to the outcome of an Extraordinary General Meeting in March of this year, the Council’s Trustees will become the Council Members. Any new Trustees will then be selected in accordance with the Charity Commission’s guidelines rather than being nominated by a relatively small number of organisations. t will be spring when you see this edition of Switched On but, at the time of writing, the country is in chaos due to heavy snow falls and icy roads. I hope the bad weather is not a portent for further gloom in the economy, and that the remainder of the year brings greater opportunity for all of us.
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This is a general election year and anytime now Gordon Brown will be seeking re-election. The campaigning that has already started will increase in intensity as the political parties seek to win our votes. Whoever wins the election - and there may already be a new government in place by the time you read this – it’s certain that further economic measures will have to be taken to reduce the UK’s budget deficit. This will have an impact on all of us including the Electrical Safety Council, as the level of funding for the safety initiatives we run may not be as high as in previous years.
The changes will bring the Council into line with good governance in the voluntary sector and provide the opportunity to select new Trustees from a wider range of stakeholder organisations. Access to individuals from other organisations will allow the charity to complement the skills and experience of existing Trustees as we develop our remit in accordance with the corporate strategy. This is important, as we are currently considering whether the Council should extend its safety remit to include other energy sources. We continue to develop our profile at Westminster, where one of our greatest supporters has been Baroness Jenny Tonge. Baroness Tonge experienced first hand the tragic consequences of a sub-standard electrical installation, when her daughter
died as a result of touching a utensil rack that had become live due to one of its fixing screws penetrating a cable concealed in an unexpected position in the kitchen wall. Determined that such an accident should not befall another family, the Baroness has been providing us with much help and advice. I am now delighted to announce that Baroness Tonge has agreed to become Patron of the Electrical Safety Council, a role she will be taking up later this year. Her ongoing support in this new role will, I’m sure, further increase awareness of the Council amongst politicians and civil servants. I hope you enjoy reading this spring issue of Switched On. From the summer issue, we will be benefitting from the editorial services of Andrew Brister who, until the end of last year, was editor of the Electrical and Mechanical Contractor magazine. This change will provide more time for Mike Clark, our Technical Director and seasoned hack, to oversee the extension of the charity’s safety activities into new technical areas. I would like to thank Mike for producing all the issues of Switched On over the past four and a half years, though I’m pleased to say that, whilst he will be handing over the editorial baton, he will still be contributing articles on a regular basis. As always, we would welcome feedback on Switched On, to help us improve the content. Email feedback@esc.org.uk Phil Buckle
FROM THE OUTGOING EDITOR ….. aving been the editor of all the previous 15 issues of Switched On, it’s with mixed feelings that I hand over to my successor, Andrew Brister, to take the magazine forward.
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I say with mixed feelings because, whilst I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of fitting the work around my day job as
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Technical Director, the magazine has been quite a handful for a mere engineer! At least developments in desktop publishing technology have helped – when I first became a magazine editor in 1993, changing the layout was literally a matter of cutting and pasting, using scissors and glue!
The positive feedback from readers over the years has always been a great encouragement to me and my team. Thanks very much. My involvement with Switched On is not being severed entirely though, as my engineering team and I will continue to contribute technical and other articles of interest. Mike Clark
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Your Essential Guide to the Wiring Regulations see page 6
issue 16 Spring 2010
switchedon industry news
features
your insight into the electrical safety industry
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From the outgoing editor… Also, Welcome
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News in brief
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Downlighter report published on website Also, Baroness Tonge becomes ESC
patron
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Your Essential Guide to the Wiring Regulations – available now! Also, Access to service fuses - denied
8 14 Shopping safely online
Also, Research confirms that the industry is still passionate about electrical safety
can an unfused spur of a ring final circuit be wired in 2.5 mm2 cable?
16 The purpose of earthing Also, Best Practice Guide presentations in Scotland
17 Fire safety fund
news 12 Website Also, 2010 events programme
18 Powerbreakers – making the UK
Also, Recognition of safety innovation in electrical products
safer for 35 years
in partnership with Trading 19 Safety of electrical equipment 13 Working Standards
provided by landlords
Also, The Switched On readership
survey, Are you receiving Switched On regularly?
– are they putting consumers at risk?
15 Have you ever been asked… Why
11 The smart meter programme – a safety opportunity waiting to be missed?
Safety screening – plug-in chargers. Cheap plug-in chargers
20 Asbestos – the hidden killer
Published by: The Electrical Safety Council Unit 1.10, Canterbury Court, Kennington Park Business Centre, 1 - 3 Brixton Road, London SW9 6DE www.esc.org.uk www.eschub.org.uk www.twothirtyvolts.org.uk www.switchedonkids.org.uk Tel: 0870 040 0561 Fax: 0870 040 0560 email: switchedon@esc.org.uk SwitchedOn 3
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NEWS IN BRIEF made a significant contribution to the advancement of fire safety, fire protection or fire engineering. The award was made for the publication of our Best Practice Guide No 5 - Electrical Installations and their impact on the fire performance of buildings. The guidance was developed in association with a wide range of leading industry bodies for the benefit of electrical contactors and installers, and their customers.
Past Chairman elected President of CENELEC In January this year, Dave Dossett, who was Chairman of the Electrical Safety Council from April 2007 to March 2009, was elected President of the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) until the end of 2012.
The award was presented by David Smith, Honorary Secretary of the ABE, and Bill Black, Life Vice-president and Chairman of the Awards Panel to Mike Clark, Technical Director of the Electrical Safety Council. All of our Best Practice Guides can be viewed or downloaded free of charge from the ‘Business and Community’ section of our main website www.esc.org.uk
‘Faulty electrics a death trap’ Previously, Dave, who is Executive Chairman of the British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers Association (BEAMA), had been Vice President of CENELEC for three years and then its interim President.
In January, East Riding of Yorkshire Council successfully prosecuted Valentine Controls Ltd of Hull for five offences in contravention of the Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 2000. The five offences involved the poor and dangerous rewiring of a dwelling by an organisation not registered under any of the Government’s Competent Persons Part P schemes. The company was found guilty in their absence, fined £1000 for each offence and ordered to pay £547 in costs.
Best Practice Guide wins award We are pleased to report that the Electrical Safety Council was the winner of the Association of Building Engineers (ABE) 2009 Fire Safety Award. The award ceremony was held at the Association's Annual Conference Dinner in Norwich last November. The ABE Fire Safety Award is presented annually to a person, company or organisation who, through invention, research, design, publicity or education has
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The faulty electrical installation work, which was carried out in a private dwelling, was discovered by a council building inspector following a check at the property. The council had not been notified that electrical work was being carried out, but only that building repair work was being carried out on the floors. Valentine Controls Ltd had been subcontracted to undertake and assist with the electrical works. The installation was considered so dangerous that immediate action was taken to disconnect the supply.
Working together for safer homes We have teamed up with Gas Safe to produce a ‘top tips’ safety card for consumers. The card has been designed to be a single point of reference for consumers who have both gas and electricity in the home. One side of the card delivers gas safety tips and the other side, electrical safety tips. Both the Electrical Safety Council and Gas Safe will be distributing the card through various channels over the coming months. If you would like to help, you can order 100 copies of the DL-sized card free from leaflets@esc.org.uk or by calling our helpline on 0870 040 0561.
Raising awareness through safety presentations During the second half of 2009, we gave presentations at a wide range of events across the UK with the aim of increasing trade and consumer awareness of electrical safety issues. In addition to our technical presentations at trade events such as Elex, we gave presentations on our Landlords’ Guide to Electrical Safety at a number of landlords’ forums: September Warrington Borough Council, Private Sector Housing. Medway Council, Housing Department and National Landlords Association. October Carlisle City Council, Planning and Housing Services. London Borough of Bromley, Housing Department. Breckland Council, Housing Department. November Building Research Establishment (to social Housing Providers). December Rother and Hastings Councils and National Landlords Association.
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DOWNLIGHTER TEST REPORT PUBLISHED
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of fire where the minimum requirements of the relevant product standards are not met.
We concluded that it was evident from the findings of our independent research that the design, the markings, the installation and user instructions, and the thermal performance of downlighters are all significant factors that can increase the risk
The full results of the tests conducted by the independent test house we commissioned can now be found in the ‘Business and Community’ section of our main website (www.esc.org.uk) under ‘downloads’. The link to the test report can be found at the end of the article there.
n the previous (winter) issue of Switched On, we asked the question “Can downlighters be a fire hazard?”
We are producing two leaflets to draw attention to the hazards associated with downlighters – one aimed at helping the trade to select and install them correctly, and the other aimed at householders to raise their awareness, amongst other things, of the importance of selecting the correct type and rating of replacement lamps.
BARONESS TONGE BECOMES ESC PATRON aroness (Jenny) Tonge has agreed to become Patron of the Electrical Safety Council.
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In 2004 she lost her daughter in a tragic electrical accident, and began campaigning for better electrical safety. She was subsequently raised to the House of Lords, where she continues her campaigning activity directly with politicians. The role of patron was created for her, and we are delighted she has chosen to accept.
It is hoped that with Baroness Tonge as patron we can create greater awareness of electrical safety issues, particularly amongst politicians in Westminster and with civil servants, to achieve our mission of reducing electrical accidents and injuries. Baroness Tonge has had a long political career which began in 1981 when she was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. She stepped down as a councillor in 1990, and fought the 1992 General Election in the Richmond Park constituency. She was elected at the second attempt in 1997. She was rapidly promoted to become Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for International Development between 1999 and 2003 before moving on to take up the children’s brief, which she held until 2004. After the death of her daughter in 2004, she made the decision not to contest the following General Election, and left the House of Commons in 2005.
In June of that year she was made a life peer as Baroness Tonge of Kew in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and took a seat in the House of Lords. Roles of patrons vary greatly between charities, from those that use the patron as a high profile name for the charity, to those where the patron is actively involved in the work and campaigns of the organisation. Baroness Tonge will provide a vital personal link between the charity and the heart of politics in the UK. This will increase our ability to access the corridors of power and influence key decisions and thinking in political circles. With our ongoing campaigning work to improve home safety, support in Parliament will be vital to help us further improve safety for tenants and landlords. Baroness Tonge was a key figure at our parliamentary reception at Westminster in March.
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YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE WIRING REGULATIONS – AVAILABLE NOW! s announced in the previous issue of Switched On, we’ve made our definitive guide to complying with BS 7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations) and related standards available to all* - online!
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Fully updated to the ‘17th Edition’, The Essential Guide to the Wiring Regulations is a unique and authoritative source of reference on electrical installation safety matters, and a definitive guide to complying with the requirements of BS 7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations) and related standards, for the electrical contracting industry and other qualified practitioners.
Formerly known as the ‘Technical Manual’, the constantly developing Guide, which has already been many years in the making, currently comprises over 300 illustrated topics, each giving detailed information and guidance on how to comply with a particular aspect of BS 7671 or a related standard.
Forthcoming topics will cover aspects of the following subjects: G
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In printed form, the topics would fill at least four large A4 binders. However, in this electronic age, all the topics are fully searchable on screen, and are hyperlinked where appropriate to related topics. All the published topics are kept under review, and are updated as and when necessary.
The Essential Guide comprises discrete articles, or ‘topics’, each of which concentrates on an electrical installation issue of interest to, amongst others, electrical installation contractors and installers, electrical engineers, electrical installation designers, college lecturers, electrical equipment manufacturers and the members of those committees responsible for the production of national and industry standards for electrical installations, equipment and products.
The Essential Guide is growing at the rate of about 40 new and significantly revised topics per year towards a target of 800 topics. But there’s no need to download updates – the latest version of the Guide is always the one online.
The relevant requirements of BS 7671, other British Standard and Industry Codes of Practice are identified and amplified, and their implications explained.
The online version contains a range of interactive features, including:
However, for those who might prefer to keep some of the essential information at their fingertips on paper, each of the topics is printable in full colour as a PDF..
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In addition to the wide range of topics, subscribers to the online Essential Guide will gain access to additional technical material, including the latest BEAMA Guides. The intended users of the Essential Guide are persons trained to at least National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 in electrical installation work, and having a good understanding of the requirements of BS 7671 and related standards. The Essential Guide is a valuable source of technical information and guidance for all those involved in electrical installation and allied work, including: G
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Many topics also incorporate data and other useful information on the subjects they cover.
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Your popular searches Your reading list What’s new Options for comments and feedback. Dynamic search options and links
Building Regulations Approved Documents (England and Wales) Fault current Special locations – construction sites Accessories Transformers
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Electrical engineers Electrical installation designers Electrical contractors and installers Building services engineers Building services maintenance engineers Colleges and training bodies Electrical equipment manufacturers Housing associations Local authority building control and environmental services departments NHS Trusts Facilities management companies
A 12 month subscription to the online Essential Guide to the Wiring Regulations currently costs only £85 plus VAT, which is exceptionally good value. But the price is under review, so don’t delay! For a free 7 day trial of the Essential Guide, and to subscribe, please visit our new Electrical Information Hub at www.eschub.org.uk *By arrangement with our trading subsidiary NICEIC Group Ltd, the online version continues to be available free of charge to NICEIC Approved Contractors, NICEIC Domestic Installers and to NICEIC Partners. 6 SwitchedOn
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Would you be interested in an offline version of the Essential Guide? The standard version of the Essential Guide is accessible online only, which means that users need to be connected to the internet whenever using it. We would like to hear from users or potential users who would be interested in subscribing to an enhanced version of the Essential Guide that could also be used on laptops, netbooks etc offline when internet access is not available, such as
may be the case when users are away from their office or base.
We will report the outcome of this enquiry in the next issue of Switched On.
If the level of interest is sufficient, we will look further into the cost of developing such an enhanced version and the effect this would potentially have on the subscription rate for that version. To register your interest in subscribing to an enhanced, offline version of the Essential Guide (at an additional cost yet to be determined), please go to www.eschub.org.uk
ACCESS TO SERVICE FUSES e have been reporting on this important subject over several past issues of Switched On.
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We had been hoping and expecting that the electrical supply industry would at last respond positively to requests from the electrical installation industry and others, including the Electrical Safety Council, to change its policy which currently forbids competent persons other than those employed directly in the supply industry to withdraw and replace the service fuse in distributors’ service heads. The aim of the installation industry’s requests was to enable competent persons, having received additional training as required, to be registered as authorised to effect temporary isolations themselves by means of service fuses in order to be able to work safely on domestic electrical installations, in particular when replacing consumer units. Such a change of policy would have avoided, in many instances, the need for electrical contractors and electricians to try
to arrange with the distributor, supplier and/or the meter operator to carry out the temporary isolation, which years of experience since privatisation of the electrical supply industry have proved to be very problematic. So problematic in fact that many electricians have felt obliged routinely to cut the seals on service heads to remove and replace service fuses, without reference to the owners or managers of those assets.
for such a scheme among the industry (being suppliers, distributors and meter operators). At the time of writing, we and other participants in the consultation process were still awaiting details of the conclusions of the DCUSA Working Group. However, it was understood that the Working Group had produced a guidance document ‘to aid non-industry parties in arranging de-energisation’, which should have been published by the time this issue of Switched On is distributed. In the meantime, the electrical installation industry representatives and other supporters were considering how next to pursue their case for a change of policy.
We were therefore very disappointed to be advised by the DCUSA* Working Group at the end of January that the ‘de-energisation by non-industry parties’ proposal had been withdrawn at the request of the proposer, EDF Energy Networks, because there was no widespread support
* The Distribution, Connection and Use of System Agreement (DCUSA) is a multi-party contract between electricity distributors and electricity suppliers/retailers. It governs the main relationship between people who sell electricity and the owners of the networks that transport it. SwitchedOn 7
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Safety screening: plug-
Cheap plug-in chargers – are they putting consumers at risk
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..none of the samples met the principal safety requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994.
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t is estimated that, every year, around 1.8 million mains plug-in chargers are bought online by UK customers. It is likely that most of these purchases involve cheap, unbranded units.*
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Is this a problem? Last year, Buckinghamshire Trading Standards seized more than 3,600 unsafe chargers from retailers over a 6-8 week period alone. Unsafe charger units are being manufactured in China from as little as HK$0.46 (Hong Kong dollar), which is equivalent to about 3 pence. Allegations have been made that Chinese manufacturers are submitting well-engineered electrical products for conformity testing purposes, but then removing ‘non-essential’ components in production to reduce costs. The importation, wholesale and retail distribution network seems to be well established for these chargers, spreading them far and wide throughout the UK. But potentially they are not being subjected to the legal due diligence processes that underpin the free-flow of goods in the European Union, and indeed the global market, due to the lack of control over purchases made over the internet.
We are concerned that many thousands of lives in the UK, particularly young lives, are being put at risk whenever unsafe cheap chargers are used to charge or power music devices, hand-held games consoles and similar electronic goods.
The size of the problem As part of our investigations, we commissioned an independent laboratory to carry out safety and performance testing on a selection of chargers purchased as new from well known online trading and auction sites, such as Ebay. For all ten chargers selected for testing, the departures observed from the relevant UK products standards were such that none of the samples met the principal safety requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994. One charger failed to operate on receipt. The tests on the others revealed the following defects: • One charger presented a serious and immediate shock risk in that it was possible to detach the plug section from the adaptor by hand, leaving live contacts exposed to touch when inserted into a socket-outlet, as shown here.
During investigations by Trading Standards, traders claimed that they simply relied upon the veracity of the CE mark and made no subsequent checks of their own to ensure that the chargers were safe. The concept of personal responsibility and liability for the goods they sold was frequently alien to them. Since the tragic death of a young British boy in Thailand in 2006, killed by a faulty charger bought by his unknowing parents while they were on holiday, many illegal chargers have been seized in the UK by local Trading Standards officers but, in this internet age, the market is flooded and enforcement is piecemeal. 8 SwitchedOn
• None of the chargers had the required separation between live parts. Typically, there was insufficient insulation and distances between live parts and between input/output circuits. A fault could cause the output of the charger to reach mains voltage, leading to a risk of fire and electric shock. In one case, only a fine enamel coating
*Research carried out by Buckinghamshire Trading Standards – September 2008.
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ug-in chargers
s at risk? between the primary and secondary transformer windings prevented direct connection between the mains supply and the charger output.
• Seven chargers also failed a standard dielectric strength test, the insulation between the input and output circuits breaking down at an applied voltage less than the minimum required withstand voltage. • Under short-circuit testing, three chargers showed signs of significant internal component damage, with soot and metallic deposits covering insulated surfaces within the housing, as shown below. Internal shortcircuit protection had failed to operate (or to operate safely) to prevent internal component and thermal damage. Failure of short-circuit protection is a significant fire (and potentially explosion) risk, as circuits are effectively fried.
• In five chargers, the internal wires connecting the plug pins to the circuit boards were attached by solder only. Should a wire break free, its movement could cause a short-circuit, resulting in a fire hazard or mains voltage appearing at the charger output.
• Inadequate mechanical strength. During testing, the cover of one charger had broken completely away from the base, presenting an immediate shock risk from exposed live parts. Also, the plastic earth pin of two chargers broke away from the base, one with only light finger pressure. If an earth pin breaks away whilst inserted in a socket-outlet, the safety shutters will not close to protect against contact with live socket contacts when the charger is unplugged. • Five chargers had been wired using sub-standard components connecting the live parts of the primary and secondary circuits. The components used did not provide sufficient insulation between the mains supply and the output of the charger. • Live plug pins are required to be not less than 9.5 mm away from the edge of the charger body. Nine chargers failed to meet this requirement; the worst case noted as having live pins only a fraction of a millimetre away from the edge. The main danger from the peripheral distance being less than 9.5 mm is one of electric shock from finger contact, although this is less likely (but still possible) where adequate insulated sleeving has been applied to the pins. A typical example of incorrectly located plug pins is shown below. • Incorrect plug pin alignment and oversized/undersized pins. If pins do not fit properly into UK sockets, overheating, arcing and damage to the socket can occur. Only one charger met the dimension and size requirements for plug pins. Three chargers could not be inserted into a standard socket gauge properly due to the incorrect alignment of plug pins. Continued on Page 10 >
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Other problems found included inadequate markings and lack of instructions. In many cases, chargers were supplied loose or with minimal protective packaging to prevent damage, and no instructions were provided to ensure chargers could be used safely. Whilst this did not make the charger unsafe, the omission of standard markings is a departure from the British Standard. Also, the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 require the manufacturer's brand name or trade mark to be clearly printed on the electrical equipment. Their absence is therefore a technical breach of these Regulations. CE marking is a mandatory conformity mark on many products placed on the single market in the European Economic Area (EEA). Failure to provide the CE mark can result in heavy fines and imprisonment. The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 require the placing of CE marking on all electrical equipment to confirm that the equipment satisfies all the ‘health and safety’ requirements of the Regulations. One charger, although specifically described in online advertising by the trader as a ‘CE Approved Charger’, did not bear the mark. The charger was supplied by a trader operating in the UK. Also, many of the chargers as supplied did not match the descriptions or illustrations given by the trader. In one case, a charger illustrated for use in the UK was supplied with plug pins configured for use in the United States only. A comparison of the charger as described by the trader and what was supplied is shown below.
Charger supplied
Apart from supplying an incompatible charger, it was also noted that the plug pins were bent, presumably during transit, due to insufficient protective packaging.
Our conclusions It is evident from our investigations and the issues described above that there are many pitfalls and potential safety risks that may result from buying cheap unbranded chargers on the internet. We have published guidance about internet buying to raise awareness of the problems and to encourage consumers to become more discerning in their purchasing decisions. The guidance can be viewed on, or downloaded from, www.escsafeshoppersguide.org.uk or our main website www.esc.org.uk. A detailed report giving a full description of the samples, the tests applied and the findings of the assessment can be viewed on our main website As with all product safety investigations undertaken, we are following up all the identified failures with the retailers and manufacturers concerned, and keeping the relevant authorities informed of our actions. Anyone who has reason to believe they have purchased an unsafe charger should contact their local authority trading standards office in the first instance. However, we would also like to hear from anyone regarding any general concerns about the safety of chargers. Please send details to: productsafety@esc.org.uk
Trader’s description of charger purchased
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THE SMART METER PROGRAMME – A SAFETY OPPORTUNITY WAITING TO BE MISSED? Ambitious plan nder the government’s ambitious plans announced last year, smart meters are to be fitted in all 26 million UK homes by 2020.
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On average then, this will involve over two and a half million electricity meters being replaced each year over the next ten years. Responsibility for this huge task has fallen to the energy suppliers, rather than the distributors. This raises the question of who will actually carry out the meter replacement work, and how their competence and standard of workmanship will be assured. At the present time, as referred to in the article on page 7, electricians who are not directly employed by the public supply industry are not permitted to cut distributors’ or suppliers’ seals to access cut-out fuses or meter terminals. So, unless there’s a change of policy in this area, it seems likely that large numbers of non-electricians will be trained especially to do the meter replacement work.
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service heads in a dangerous condition inadequate installation earthing arrangements polarity of existing supply connections reversed damaged, deteriorated or inadequately-sized meter ‘tails’ meters fixed to boards containing asbestos
Will they be able to take appropriate action if they do discover a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation? And indeed, might the meter fixers occasionally introduce hazards that didn’t exist before their visit, such as inadvertently reversing the polarity of the supply connections? Or perhaps causing the existing connections to consumer units and service heads to loosen when they necessarily disturb the meter tails, potentially leading to overheating or even fires at those points of connection?
Competence This would seem to have safety implications. In particular, to what standards will the meter fixers be required to work? They and their employers will of course be subject to the general requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act and to the particular requirements of the Electricity at Work Regulations.
Amongst other things, the competent persons could check and report on the condition of the distributor’s service head because, before starting work on the meter, safe working procedures will require them to remove the distributor’s cut-out fuse in the service head to isolate the incoming supply. That’s unless an isolating switch has already been installed between the service head and the meter, as has been the practice in some parts of the UK. On the practical side, many existing service heads are very old, and some are likely to be in poor condition. In particular, it’s believed that despite longstanding requirements to the contrary, many pre1937 service heads remain is service today that have a fuse in the neutral as well as in the line conductor. Installations supplied by such service heads may present a serious risk of electric shock if only the fuse in the neutral operates, as equipment that appears to have been disconnected will still be live. There would also be the opportunity for the meter fixers to confirm and, if necessary, mark the rating of the service fuse on the service head for the benefit of those inspecting or working on the electrical installation at a later date. At the present time, distributors are often unable to confirm the rating of service fuses to those needing to know for design and safety reasons. But will such once-in-a-lifetime
Result of overheating at a Distributor’s service head opportunities for basic electrical safety
checks and improvements be taken? Possible causes of loose connections include not only poor workmanship, but perhaps also the design of the terminals in some equipment that may not provide sufficiently durable connections, especially when the connected cables are later disturbed.
Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Result of a loose connection at a consumer unit main switch
But will the meter fixers have the wider knowledge, skill and experience necessary to
On the positive side, the meter replacement programme will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for electrically competent persons to check the condition of the electrical intake arrangements in all consumers’ premises over a relatively short period of time.
We fear not, or at least not fully, as the focus is likely to be firmly on fitting the replacement meters in minimum time and at minimum cost. We can only hope though that those responsible for planning and executing the smart meter programme will be equally smart when it comes to the related electrical safety issues. We will be raising these issues with the appropriate parties as and when opportunities arise. SwitchedOn 11
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WEBSITE NEWS
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the online Essential Guide (see the article on page 6)
he Electrical Safety Council now has four separate and distinctive websites: The original and main website – www.esc.org.uk. This site received almost 31,000 visits in the three months up to the end of January The very popular Switched On Kids website, aimed at primary school children www.switchedonkids.org.uk. This site received almost 40,000 visits in the same period. The more recent TwoThirtyVolts website aimed at teenagers www.twothirtyvolts.org.uk. This site received almost 5000 visits.
We intend to transfer all the information for the industry that is currently on the main website to the new Electrical Information Hub by the autumn, with improved design, accessibility and navigation features. Until then, electrical contractors, electricians and domestic installers can continue to find a wide range of relevant and useful information in the ‘Business and Community’ section of our main website, including: G
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The latest website, destined to be our Electrical Information Hub – www.eschub.org.uk - was launched at the end of January, and currently hosts
Best Practice Guides – a growing range of guidance developed in association with leading industry bodies 17th Edition Guidance – industry-agreed answers to a wide range of commonlyasked questions about the current requirements for electrical installations
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Electronic copies of all the previous issues of Switched On, together with a free subscription facility Guidance on periodic inspection reporting Reports on our independent research into the in-service reliability of RCDs, the thermal performance of downlighters, the electrical safety of plug-in chargers etc Electrical accident statistics (including fires having an electrical origin).
If you haven’t visited these sites before, we believe you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find there. For example, you’ll find in the 17th Edition Guidance section and in the Best Practice Guides definitive and authoritative answers to many of the electrical installation questions repeatedly being asked and discussed on internet forums!
EVENTS FOR 2010 his year, we have the most varied events programme so far. We will be travelling throughout the UK to talk to consumers, electricians, apprentices and trainees, landlords, MPs, MSPs and industry bodies alike.
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The programme includes another summer tour of country shows where we can discuss electrical safety issues with consumers faceto-face. Research amongst visitors to our exhibition trailer during last year’s tour showed that: G
Sparks Elex* Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show* Trading Standards Conference & Exhibition Gardeners World Live Elex* Citizens’ Advice service annual conference National Housing Federation's Social Housing Exhibition 2010 Labour Party Conference Conservative Party Conference Elex*
75% had learned something new about electrical safety
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75% said they would behave differently around electricity because of what they had learned.
These responses were very encouraging, and so we are all keen to get out again this year to reach even more consumers. The 2010 events programme is shown below. For those events marked with an asterisk, we have free tickets available which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis – please register your interest at enquiries@esc.org.uk.
21-22 Apr 29-30 Apr 15-16 May 15-17 June 16-20 June 16-17 Sep TBC 22-24 Sep
Newbury Racecourse Exeter SECC Glasgow Edinburgh International Conference Centre NEC, Birmingham Ricoh Arena, Coventry
26-30 Sep 4-7 Oct 30 Nov – 1 Dec
Manchester Birmingham Sandown Race Course, Surrey
International Conference Centre, Birmingham
This programme is subject to amendment – for the latest news, please visit the events page of our main website, www.esc.org.uk 12 SwitchedOn
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WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRADING STANDARDS on-compliant or counterfeit electrical products can cause fire, injury and – in the worse case scenario – even death.
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Yet every year, the number of counterfeit products on the market (which are almost always substandard) increases. Last year, an estimated £30m worth of counterfeit electrical products reached the UK. We have therefore been working with a range of partners to address the problem. Last spring, we hosted a round table debate on the subject (reported on in the summer 2009 issue of Switched On). The objective was to start developing a strategy to combat counterfeit and non-
compliant products and explore ways to build upon the work already initiated through the Electrical Installation Industry Charter* Now, in a further step to address the problem, we have linked up with the Trading Standards Institute to enhance cooperation between the Electrical Safety Council, regulators and enforcement agencies. We are working with Trading Standards to develop a secure online system that will enable the Electrical Safety Council and Trading Standards officers throughout the UK to share information about electrical product safety issues.
Our aim is to improve market surveillance and enhance cooperation with regulatory and enforcement bodies – and, of course, thereby to improve public safety. * The Charter is a written agreement that confirms the commitment of all signatories to develop practical and effective solutions to eliminate the trade in dangerous, noncompliant electrical products and improve consumer safety. Current signatories are BASEC, BCA, BEAMA, ECA, EDA, ESC, LIF and SELECT.
THE SWITCHED ON READERSHIP SURVEY n the autumn issue of Switched On, we asked our readers to go online to let us know what they thought of our magazine.
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To support the survey, we also established a number of focus groups and conducted over twenty face-to-face interviews with electrical contractors. In all, over two hundred people took part in our research, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated. Most people who completed the online survey work in the electrical and building industries, with around half working in companies of five employees or less. Over 50% described electrical safety as the most important part of their job. The vast majority of participants responded positively to questions about Switched On’s
current format and content – emphasizing its value as a technical resource amongst industry professionals. Many online respondents commented on the clear and attractive design of the publication and the clarity of the technical articles in particular. However, we were also pleased to see so many of you contributing to a lively debate on how we could improve the publication in the future: •
A large percentage of those surveyed said they wanted more choice in how they receive the magazine, with many asking for it to be sent to them electronically
•
Within the focus groups, it was suggested that more clearly marked sections – including one for general consumers would allow people to easily access the articles most relevant to them.
Our research clearly showed that readers want Switched On to provide more consumer-related advice, with the magazine acting as an authoritative guide on electrical issues and products. The increasing circulation of Switched On means that we are now reaching more people than ever before. Our aim is to further broaden the magazine’s appeal to engage a wider audience, while retaining the technical focus that has made it such a popular resource for industry professionals. The feedback we received via our research will be vital in helping us make the changes you want to see, while maintaining our most popular features. We’ll bring you further news of our plans for Switched On in future issues.
ARE YOU GETTING SWITCHED ON REGULARLY? f you’ve been receiving printed copies of Switched On regularly with Professional Electrician, SELECT’s CableTalk or the NICEIC Connections magazines, you can expect to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.
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However, if you’ve received recent issues by direct mail or with IET Wiring Matters, you may wish to register on our website to be sure of continuing to be sent, free of charge, either the printed version or, if you prefer, the electronic version (all issues of
which can be viewed on, or downloaded from, our website at www.esc.org.uk). If you wish to register to be sure of continuing to receive your free copy of Switched On, please go to the ‘business and community’section of our website www.esc.org.uk to subscribe online. SwitchedOn
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SHOPPING SAFELY ONLINE – A NEW CONSUMER GUIDE To help consumers avoid potential pitfalls on the web, we have produced The Safe Shopper’s Guide to buying electrical products online. In the run-up to last Christmas, newspapers reported that £320m was spent via the web in just one day – ‘Mega Monday’, as the press called it. Part of the reason for the huge growth in internet shopping is the potential to bag a bargain. However, there has also been a corresponding increase in the number of counterfeit goods being sold on the web.
ore than 26 million Britons shop over the internet, with electrical products accounting for more than one in ten online purchases.
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Although most website shopping is troublefree there are risks, particularly from the growing sale of counterfeit products online. Substandard or counterfeit electrical products can damage much more than your wallet. They can cause fire, injury and – in the worse case scenario – even death.
While there has been a significant amount of publicity around fake designer goods, little has been heard of the hazards of counterfeit electrical products. These are often substandard and potentially dangerous, so we are concerned that consumers could be putting themselves and their families at risk. We therefore decided to produce a short, simple guide to provide all the basic information people need to buy electrical goods safely online. The guide offers ten top tips to keep safe when purchasing goods via the web, advice on what to do if you get a ‘problem’ product or are sent counterfeit goods, and an outline of consumer rights.
A survey of 2,000 people’s online buying habits was also undertaken, to inform the guide and determine the kind of information shoppers might need. Some of the outcomes of the research were quite literally shocking. For example, we found that: •
Almost a third (30%) of respondents claimed to have had a problem with electrical goods bought online.
•
27% said the item either didn’t work or broke after a month.
•
16% said the problem caused an injury or fire.
•
Of those who bought an item from outside the EU, an even higher percentage – 26% - said the item caused injury or fire.
Price was the main driver for people buying electrical products online and we understand that, particularly in these financially difficult times, cost is a major concern. However, with the high number of problems reported in our survey, it’s well worth following the basic precautions set out in our guide.
To download a free copy of The Safe Shopper’s Guide, go to www.escsafeshoppersguide.org.uk, or visit our website www.esc.org.uk
RESEARCH CONFIRMS THAT THE INDUSTRY IS STILL PASSIONATE ABOUT ELECTRICAL SAFETY
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ast year, we carried out research with volunteers from the electrical industry.
to be ‘a chore’ and ‘more demanding than ten years ago’.
Participants included a mix of electricians and electrical company managers, with the research being conducted through a series of focus groups and in-depth interviews.
When explored further, it was found that many respondents were very concerned that ‘the general public don’t know enough about electrical safety’ and that ‘they underestimate the seriousness of electrical dangers’. It was felt that the public assume that ‘compared to gas, electricity is safe and easy to deal with’ and that electricians ‘only use safety as a ruse to charge more money’.
One of the main questions participants were asked was what ‘electrical safety’ meant to them in their day to day jobs. Encouragingly, respondents claimed that electrical safety was of huge importance to them and they confirmed that it was an ‘everyday part of their job’. Many felt they were directly responsible for ‘prevention of electric shock’ and acknowledged the importance of procedures, checks and regulations, though a few perceived them
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When discussing with participants what they felt the Electrical Safety Council should be doing to help protect and educate the public, the majority of them believed that we should be lobbying for greater enforcement to remove ‘cowboy electricians’ (a source of constant frustration
to professional electricians who feel that the unregulated sector are giving the industry a bad name), and that we should build on our reputation as an effective consumer safety body by delivering ‘high profile’ and impactful electrical safety campaigns and messages. Respondents were also quick to confirm their eagerness for a body like the Electrical Safety Council to ‘take the lead’ in educating consumers on electrical safety issues and their willingness to give ‘whole hearted support’ to any initiatives that would help to do this. We would like to thank again all those who took part in the research, the results of which are being taken into account in our campaign plans for 2010/11.
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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ASKED … Why can an unfused spur of a ring final circuit be wired in 2.5 mm2 cable? n unfused spur (cable branch) of a 30 A or 32 A ring final circuit supplying 13 A accessories to BS 1363 may be wired with thermoplastic (pvc) or thermosetting insulated copper line and neutral conductors as small as 2.5 mm2, as is the case for the ring itself. (Regulation 433.1.5 refers.)
periods (typically 1 hour) under the intended conditions of use (Regulation 433.1.5 refers). c) A conductor size larger than 2.5 mm2 may be required for reasons of voltage drop (Section 525 refers), such as for long cable runs.
Designers and installers will recognise that the current-carrying capacity of 2.5 mm2 thermoplastic insulated conductors is generally less than the 30 A or 32 A rated current of the fuse or circuit breaker of the ring circuit, depending on the cable installation method and the ambient temperature etc. (The same is true for 2.5 mm2 thermosetting insulated conductors, such as in 6242B cable, where operated at a conductor temperature not exceeding 70 ºC, as is usually necessary to suit the temperature rating of accessories.)
Note. For an unfused spur, compliance with condition (b) leads to compliance with indent (ii) of Regulation 433.3.1. This allows the omission of protection against overload for the spur cable, on the basis that the characteristics of the load on that cable are such that its conductors are unlikely to carry overload current.
A
Consequently, the circuit protective device cannot protect the unfused spur cable against overload current. Thus, if the spur cable becomes overloaded, damage may be caused to the insulation, sheath or surroundings of the cable, or to connected accessories, due to the temperature of the conductors of the cable rising to above their rated value (such as 70 ºC for thermoplastic insulated cable).
Why is a 2.5 mm2 conductor size allowed? The question therefore arises of ‘why is it permitted to use 2.5 mm2 thermoplastic insulated line and neutral conductors to wire an unfused spur?’ The answer mainly lies in condition (b) of the following three conditions that apply to the wiring of a ring final circuit: a) The current-carrying capacity (Iz) of the circuit cable (including that in any unfused spurs) must be not less than 20 A, taking into account the conditions of ambient temperature, grouping and thermal insulation along the cable run (Regulation 433.1.5 refers). b) The circuit must be designed such that the load current in any part of the circuit, including unfused spurs, is unlikely to exceed the currentcarrying capacity of cable for long
So far as an unfused spur cable is concerned, condition (b) will generally be met by designing the installation so that conditions (1) and (2) below are both met. 1) The spur feeds only: G one single or one twin 13 A socket-outlet, or G one item of fixed equipment supplied through a fused connection unit, or G more than one item of fixed equipment, each item being supplied through a separate fused connection unit, provided the total load on the spur cable (taking into account diversity) does not exceed the current-carrying capacity of the spur cable. 2) Where necessary, to avoid too much load being plugged into a 13 A socketoutlet supplied through the spur cable, a sufficient number of other 13 A socket-outlets, not supplied through the same spur cable, are installed in suitable positions in the vicinity of the socket-outlet.
What about the possibility of short-circuit? The question also arises of ‘what happens if a short-circuit occurs in the unfused spur cable?’ In other words, will the 30 A or 32 A circuit protective device protect against thermal damage in the event of a short-circuit involving the line and neutral conductors of the spur? Protection is checked using the adiabatic equation in Regulation 434.5.2. It can be shown that any of the 30 A or 32 A circuit-breakers, RCBOs or fuses listed in Regulation 433.1.5 for use as the protective device for a ring final circuit will protect 2.5 mm2 thermoplastic (or thermosetting) insulated conductors of an unfused spur cable against short-circuit current.
And what about earth fault? Similarly, the question arises of ‘will the 30 A or 32 A protective device protect the 1.5 mm2 circuit protective conductor (cpc) of a 2.5 mm2 BS 6004 flat twin-and-earth cable in an unfused spur against earth fault current?’ Protection is checked using the adiabatic equation in Regulation 543.1.3. It can also be shown that any of the 30 A or 32 A fuses, circuit breakers or RCBOs listed in Regulation 433.1.5 will protect the bare 1.5 mm2 cpc of a flat thermoplastic (or thermosetting) insulated and sheathed twin-and-earth unfused spur cable, provided the earth fault loop impedance (Zs) at the points supplied by the spur is within the maximum value required by BS 7671 for a disconnection time of 0.4 s.
Note. Although not shown in the diagram, additional protection by means of an RCD must be provided for socketoutlets and for cables concealed in walls or partitions, where required by Regulations 411.3.3 and Regulation Group 522.6, respectively. SwitchedOn
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THE PURPOSES OF EARTHING – A LOOK AT FUNCTIONAL EARTHING arthing’ is a familiar term to those involved with electrical installations and electricity supply networks. However, the purposes of earthing are not always clearly understood.
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BS 7671: 2008 (IEE Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition) considers three main types of earthing: G G G
protective earthing functional earthing earthing for combined protective and functional purposes.
The article in the autumn 2009 issue of Switched On covered protective earthing, which is provided for reasons of safety.
An example of functional earthing is a lownoise earth, sometimes called a ‘clean earth’. This is an earth connection in which the level of conducted or induced interference from external sources does not produce an unacceptable incidence of malfunction in the data-processing or similar equipment to which it is connected.
Earthing for combined protective and functional purposes As the term suggests, earthing for combined protective and functional purposes has two main purposes: a protective purpose (for reasons of electrical safety) and a functional purpose (to facilitate the proper functioning of electrical equipment). Fig 1 – Part of a circuit supplying equipment having high protective conductor current
In this article, we look at functional earthing and at earthing for combined protective and functional purposes.
Some examples of the use of conductors for combined protective and functional purposes are: G
G
the protective conductor of a circuit in an installation supplying equipment having high protective conductor current, as shown in Fig 1 (Regulation Group 543.7 of BS 7671 refers) a protective conductor that is also used for low noise earthing in an installation.
It is important to recognise that where earthing is provided for combined protective and functional purposes, the requirements for protective measures must take precedence (Regulation 543.5). Where the requirements for protective and functional purposes cannot both be achieved by the same earthing system, separate earthing systems should be employed.
Functional earthing The purpose of functional earthing is given in a definition in Part 2 of BS 7671: ‘Functional earth. Earthing of a point or points in a system or in an installation or in equipment, for purposes other than electrical safety, such as for proper functioning of electrical equipment.’
BEST PRACTICE GUIDE PRESENTATIONS IN SCOTLAND embers attending SELECT branch meetings in Glasgow and Edinburgh earlier this year were treated to a short presentation on the content of our latest Best Practice Guide*, Replacing a consumer unit in domestic premises.
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This provided a great opportunity for us to meet Scottish electrical contractors and to discuss with them current issues surrounding the replacement of consumer units in domestic premises. Both events were kindly sponsored by Electricfix, part of the Screwfix family. The main topics covered in the presentation were:
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Legal requirements, including the Scottish Building Standards and the Electricity at Work Regulations
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Requirements of BS 7671
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Main earthing, bonding and meter tails
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Reason for change – planned change or distress change
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Pre-work survey and risk assessment
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Remedial work to the existing installation where necessary, and
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Inspection, testing and certification.
We had a really positive response at these events. Results from a survey indicated that most attendees gained useful information from the presentation, which in turn would help them to do their job more effectively. Additionally, around 90% of those surveyed expressed the view that the Best Practice Guide would be a useful tool to help them explain to consumers what work needed to be done when replacing a consumer unit. * All our Best Practice Guides can be downloaded free of charge from the ‘Business and Community’ Section of our main website www.esc.org.uk
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FIRE SAFETY FUND 2009-2010 Of the successful applications, 19 came from England, 6 from Scotland and 4 from Wales.
ollowing the success of our electric blanket testing and replacement initiative last year, we are supporting a range of fire safety initiatives again this year.
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Through this initiative, we have been able to support a broad range of fire safety activity at local level, ranging from appliance testing and market surveillance projects to supporting Fire & Rescue Services with their home safety checks and the replacement of defective electrical equipment found during those visits.
We made funding available to Fire & Rescue Services and Trading Standards officers across the UK to deliver their own electrical fire prevention schemes, working through partnerships at local level. 130 applications were received and we were able to make awards to 29 schemes, bringing the total funding provided by us to £130,000.
Successful schemes were chosen on the basis of their capability to potentially reduce fire-related incidents and to deliver public benefit by targeting those most at risk.
One of the schemes, run by Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Services, provided young people with the knowledge required to deliver fire safety messages to elderly people within their families and the wider community. This served a dual purpose in raising young people’s awareness of fire safety, and enabling them to act as ambassadors to pass those messages on to other vulnerable groups. If you would like find out more about our Fire Safety Fund and/or the schemes we supported, please visit the Business and Community section of our website at www.esc.org.uk.
RECOGNITION OF SAFETY INNOVATION IN ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS ehind the scenes, we have been looking into the feasibility of operating an awards scheme designed to enhance consumer safety through recognition of innovative product design.
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The development of a ‘Safety Innovation Awards Scheme’ will support a key corporate objective - to provide a watching brief for consumers. The intention is for the scheme to raise consumer awareness of electrical product safety issues, help them to make informed purchasing decisions; and encourage manufacturers to improve product safety.
Why recognise safety innovation? Many leading manufacturers of electrical equipment offer extra safety features, which are not available on lower-priced products, as a point of differentiation. Some smaller innovative companies also offer unique product solutions that can increase consumer safety. If commercially successful, these innovations are eventually adopted by mainstream competitors, thereby increasing safety for an increasing range of consumers. The proposal for an ESC Safety Innovation Awards Scheme for electrical products arose from a desire to highlight such safety innovations and reward their developers. Initial meetings with manufacturers of a range of leading electrical products – from domestic appliances and wiring accessories, to gardening and power tools - have been very encouraging.
There is a growing awareness that the proposed awards would provide companies with a competitive edge, as it offers a means of product differentiation in a market which, historically, has not used safety as a key selling point. We also expect trade associations to appreciate the benefit of this award for their members.
disconnects the live contacts when a lamp is removed.
The over-arching aims of the scheme would be to:
Manufacturers of products recognised under the scheme would be able to place an ‘ESC Safety Innovation Award’ mark on the product, its packaging and/or the user instructions.
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Encourage, recognise and promote innovative products (and their designers) in the interest of consumer safety Raise industry and consumer awareness of the latest innovations in electrical product safety.
Our thoughts on how the scheme should work… Electrical products designed and intended to be used by consumers in and around the home would be eligible for the scheme. This would include household electrical appliances and electrical installation accessories intended for domestic use.
Submissions will be judged by an independent panel comprising representatives of key external stakeholders including consumers, industry, and product safety experts.
If you know of an electrical product that you believe would be worthy of such an award, or you have any thoughts on the type of products that should be considered, we would like to hear from you. Please email us at: productsafety@esc.org.uk, or write to us at: The Electrical Safety Council Product Safety Unit 18 Buckingham Gate London SW1E 6LB
It is envisaged that manufacturers will be invited to submit current-line or pre-launch products that they believe demonstrate ‘enhanced’ safety features that would differentiate their product from others currently available to purchase. An example could be a lamp holder that has a built-in mechanism that automatically shields or SwitchedOn 17
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POWERBREAKERS: MAKING THE UK SAFER FOR 35 YEARS By Richard Shaw, Managing Director, GreenBrook - the pioneers of the Powerbreaker RCD
That was over 35 years ago. The concept of the RCD has since developed so much that their inclusion in domestic electrical installations to provide additional protection is now effectively a mandatory requirement of the UK Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) and, by reference, building regulations compliance. RCDs are now available in numerous formats to suit all kinds of domestic and commercial applications.
RCD-protected socket-outlet (SRCD) circa 1988
Present-day SRCD
t’s de rigeur these days to claim that your business is customer-focused and that your product development is customer-driven. But long before these marketing buzzwords became so over-used, it genuinely was a customer request that sparked one of the electrical industry’s biggest ever safety improvements - the development of the residual current device (RCD).
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Now retired, Doug Knight was responsible for developing the first applications of the residual current device in the UK. He was the engineering manager and later technical director at Besson and Robinson, the electrical relay manufacturer that would eventually become part of GreenBrook. The idea of a circuit-breaker was not new, but in the 70s they were great big things that had to be included in the original specification of an electrical installation. The original enquiry came from the brewer, Watney Mann. They had a code of practice that stated that the electric pumps in their pubs had to be supplied from a 110 V socket or else be connected to a circuit-breaker. We were asked whether it would be possible to create a circuit-breaker that would fit into a 13 A plug, and the development process started from there.
The irony was that the company was not really involved in the plug and socket market at that time. They were an electrical relay specialist. Doug set about designing a mechanism that could do the job using one of their relays and, within around three months, had produced the first product. The first RCD that Doug produced was a single-socket RCD in a unit the size of a double-socket. However, he kept the development process going, and within six months had managed to create an RCD socket-outlet that would fit within a normal, surface-mounted box. Now, the company had a product that was marketable and there was considerable demand for it. There had been some fatalities in discos and other places of entertainment with young musicians being electrocuted by faulty equipment. So safety was high on the agenda in the commercial world and very much on the general public’s radar too. GreenBrook successfully marketed the RCD sockets for commercial use but people also started buying them for their own homes. By this time, the prospect of creating an RCD in a plug seemed like a realistic goal and there was such industry support and political will behind achieving it that we even received a government research grant to help us on our way. At this stage, GreenBrook joined EEIMA (later part of BEAMA). This helped raise the profile of the new-style circuit-breaker still further, and Doug succeeded in fitting the technology into a 13 A plug. The result was the Powerbreaker plug-in RCD, which has been saving lives now for 35 years. Amazingly, it took just a year from first concept to development of the Powerbreaker and the brand was firmly established as a name synonymous with electrical safety, with
Powerbreaker units available both in the trade and from the high street. GreenBrook has continued to develop its range of RCD products over the past 35 years and was responsible for introducing the first double-pole RCD in 1988. RCDs are now firmly established across the world as an effective way of protecting people against electrocution and to prevent fires associated with some electrical faults. Broadly speaking, there are now three types of fixed RCD on the market. For domestic use, the main product types are consumer unit modules, and SRCD wall socket units, which replace the standard, unprotected socket-outlet. For commercial environments where there may be a need to connect appliances directly to the fixed wiring, RCD-protected fused connection units are also available. These are installed in the same way as an SRCD, but have only the RCD buttons, a fuse holder and provision for a cable to be wiredin direct, making them ideal for applications like hand-dryers in public toilets. Notwithstanding these innovations, there is still a huge market for portable RCD products ranging from plugs that can be fitted to individual appliances, adaptors that can be moved from appliance to appliance, and in-line RCDs that are best suited to applications where equipment may need to be moved around frequently, as on a building site for example. GreenBrook continues to develop the concept pioneered by Doug Knight 35 years ago and is currently working on bringing the next generation of SRCDs to market, which will have enhanced features and capability. The use of RCDs is now common in both commercial and domestic settings and wholesalers and contractors need to recognise the advantages they offer both in terms of enhanced safety and added value when compared to standard plugs and sockets. It’s hard to believe that it’s only 35 years since we first set about trying to make our first one! Original prototype RCD
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SAFETY OF PORTABLE APPLIANCES PROVIDED BY LANDLORDS his article follows on from a related article in the previous edition of Switched On (winter 2009) that gave safety recommendations for portable appliances provided by landlords.
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Further information can be found in our Landlords’ Guide to Electrical Safety, which is freely available to view or download on our main website www.esc.org.uk Limited quantities of printed guides are also available on request to enquiries@esc.org.uk
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) Where landlords provide appliances such as electric kettles, fridges and washing machines as part of a tenancy agreement, they are required to ensure that the appliances are safe for continued use. The Electrical Safety Council recommends that such appliances are tested either by a business competent in PAT or a registered electrician at the start of each tenancy and at regular intervals during any long term tenancy. The checks that need to be carried out will include an inspection to ensure that: • • •
•
connections inside the plug are correct and secure the fuse inside the plug is of the correct rating no bare wires are visible other than at the terminals inside the plug and appliance, and there is no sign of internal damage, overheating or entry of liquid, dust or dirt.
The person carrying out the testing will normally use a portable appliance test instrument to check the electrical characteristics of the appliance. Such test instruments are designed to carry out a range of tests on appliances, including tests for continuity and insulation resistance. PAT should be carried out by suitably trained and experienced persons, which is why we recommend that either a business competent in PAT or a registered electrician is employed to do this work.
portable appliances. A risk assessment needs to be made in relation to the type of equipment, its users, and the environment in which it is used. The IEE Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (ISITEE) provides information relating to the in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment. The Health and Safety Executive document INDG236 Maintaining portable electrical equipment in offices and other low-risk environments is another useful source of information when considering the safety of electrical equipment. The ISITEE Code of Practice categorises electrical equipment as follows: Stationary equipment: Either fixed in position or heavier than 18 kg and without a carrying handle, such as refrigerators and washing machines Information technology equipment: Such as computers, fax machines, modems, telephones, printers Movable (or transportable) equipment: Lighter than 18 kg and not fixed, such as electric heaters, and equipment with wheels, castors etc to facilitate movement to perform its intended use, such as compressors and air-conditioning units Portable equipment: Equipment that is lighter than 18 kg and moved in operation, such as fans, table lamps, kettles, toasters and vacuum cleaners Hand-held equipment (portable equipment intended to be held in the
hand during normal use, for example hairdryers, power drills and soldering irons. In addition to the above categories, the frequency and range of inspection and testing will depend upon whether the equipment is Class I (equipment that is required to be earthed) or Class II (equipment having double or reinforced insulation). The ISITEE Code of Practice gives separate categories for the inspection and testing of electrical equipment in industrial premises, schools, offices, hotels etc. Although domestic premises are not given as a separate category, the environment that is considered to be the least onerous (hotels, offices and shops) could be taken as a benchmark for domestic premises. The intervals between inspection and tests given in the table below are based on information given in the ISITEE Code of Practice and HSE INDG236. They are valid for the first in-service inspection and test. The intervals between subsequent inspections and tests may need to be reduced, based on previous results. (See page 45 of the Landlords’ Guide to Electrical Safety) The frequency of inspection and of combined inspection and testing should be reviewed in the light of experience of operating an equipment maintenance system over a period of time. It is not normally necessary to test new items of equipment before putting them into service as the manufacturer will have already tested them. However, a check should be made that the equipment has not been damaged in transit.
Frequency of portable appliance testing There are no specific legal requirements relating to the frequency of inspecting and testing electrical equipment, including SwitchedOn 19
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ASBESTOS – THE HIDDEN KILLER Last November and this January, HSE together with key partner organisations ran follow-up campaigns to further target tradesmen who are still at risk. The campaign built on the success of the previous one, aiming to raise awareness amongst tradesmen that they are more at risk than they think from asbestos, and prompt them to find out more about asbestos and the precautions they should be taking.
likely to be come into contact with asbestos at work.
Don’t start work if: G
G
The campaign’s key messages were: G
Asbestos can be present in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000
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You are not sure if there is asbestos where you are working The asbestos materials are sprayed coatings, board or insulation and lagging on pipes and boilers – only licensed contractors should work on these You have not been trained to do non-licensed work with asbestos. Basic awareness training is not enough.
You are more at risk than you think … G
t’s hard to believe that six electricians are amongst the 20 tradesmen who die from asbestos-related disease on average every week.
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Asbestos accounts for an estimated 4,000 deaths a year in Great Britain, making it the UK’s single biggest work-based killer. The number of deaths continues to rise and is predicted to peak around 2015. Asbestos can be found in any building built or refurbished before 2000. It is estimated that more than half a million workplace premises could still contain asbestos. A quarter of those dying are tradesmen or maintenance workers who, while doing their jobs, had unknowingly disturbed and breathed in asbestos. That is why the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), together with its partners, is continuing to do all it can to continue to raise awareness of the risks asbestos poses to tradesmen.
The risks with asbestos still exist – it is not just an issue for former tradesmen
You should only continue to work if: G
G
G
G
G
You may not realise it, but you may be disturbing asbestos when you work Even today, an estimated 500,000 non-domestic buildings contain asbestos and there is a duty on landlords or owners of non-domestic premises to ‘manage asbestos’ by creating and maintaining a record of where it is etc Generally, asbestos is only a risk if it is disturbed or damaged causing fibres to be released into the air. If materials containing asbestos are in good condition and in a position where they are not going to be disturbed or damaged, then it is safer to leave them where they are
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The work has been properly planned, the right precautions are in place and you have the right equipment The materials are asbestos cement, textured coatings and certain other materials that do not need a licence You have had training in asbestos work and know how to work with it safely.
According to HSE, the ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign in 2009, supported by a range of bodies including the Electrical Safety Council, was a huge success. Nine out of ten electricians heard or saw the adverts and, of all the tradesmen who recognised the campaign, 90% said that they had taken precautions or planned to do so.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 require mandatory information, instruction and training for anyone
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HSE’s asbestos web pages at www.hse.gov.uk/hiddenkiller
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Asbestos essentials’ gives guidance on non-licensed work – download it from the asbestos web pages at www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
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HSE’s Infoline Tel: 0845 345 0055 E-mail: hse@connaught.plc.uk
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