Wiring Regulations in Brief, Second Edition: A complete guide to the requirements of the 17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations, BS 7671 and Part P of the Building Regulations

695 Pages·2008·9.05 MB·English

by  Ray Tricker (MSc IEng FIET FCIM FIQA FIRSE)

Wiring Regulations in Brief
To Claire
W iring Regulations in Brief
A complete guide to the requirements of the17th Edition of the
IEE Wiring Regulations, BS 7671: 2008 and Part P of the Building
Regulations
Second edition
R ay Tricker
AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON
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First edition 2007
Reprinted 2007
Second edition 2008
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A bout the author
Ray Tricker (MSc, IEng, FIET, FCMI, FCQI, FIRSE) is
the Principal Consultant of Herne European Consultancy –
a company specializing in Integrated Management
Systems – and an established Butterworth-Heinemann
author (39 titles). He served with the Royal Corps of
Signals (for a total of 37 years) during which time
he held various managerial posts culminating in his
being appointed as the Chief Engineer of NATO’s
Communication Security Agency (ACE COMSEC).
M ost of Ray’s work since joining Herne has centred on
the European railways. He has held a number of posts with
the Union International des Chemins de fer (UIC), for
example, Quality Manager of the European Train Control
System (ETCS), European Union (EU) T500 Review
Team Leader, European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Users’ Group
Project Co-ordinator and HEROE (Harmonization of European Rail Rules) Project
Co-ordinator, and currently (as well as writing books for Butterworth-Heinemann!) he
is busy assisting small businesses from around the world (usually on a no-cost basis)
to produce their own auditable Quality Management Systems to meet the require-
ments of ISO 9001:2000. He is also a Consultant to the Association of American
Railroads (AAR) advising them on ISO 9001:2000 compliance, was recently
appointed as UKAS Technical Specialist for the assessment of Notified Bodies for the
Harmonization of the trans-European high-speed rail system, and, is currently the
Quality Manager for the Trinidad Rapid Rail Project – Programme Management
Consultancy who are overseeing the Design Stage of a brand-new, multi-billion dollar
Trinidadian railway system.
Contents
Preface xxiii
Acknowledgements xxxi
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Historical background 2
1.3 What does the standard contain? 4
1.3.1 W hat about the standard’s numbering
system? 6
1.4 W hat are the objectives of the IEE Wiring
Regulations? 7
1.5 W hat is the legal status of the IEE Wiring
Regulations? 7
1.6 What do they cover? 8
1.6.1 Electrical installation 8
1.6.2 Electrical equipment 10
1.7 W hat effect does using the Regulation have
on other Statutory Instruments? 10
1.7.1 What is The Building Act 1984? 10
1.7.2 What is the Disability Discrimination Act 2005? 12
1.7.3 W hat are the Electricity at Work Regulations
1989? 13
1.7.4 W hat are the Fire Precautions (Workplace)
Regulations 1997? 16
1.7.5 What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974? 17
1.8 H ow are the IEE Wiring Regulations
implemented? 18
1.8.1 Statutory Instruments 18
1.8.2 CENELEC Harmonised Documents 20
2 Domestic buildings 22
2.1 The Building Act 1984 22
2.2 The Building Regulations 22
2.3 Approved Documents 23
2.4 What about the rest of the United Kingdom? 24
2.4.1 Scotland 24
2.4.2 Northern Ireland 24
viii Contents
2.5 Electrical Safety 26
2.5.1 What is the aim of Approved Document P? 26
2.5.2 Who is responsible for electrical safety? 27
2.5.3 What are the statutory requirements? 27
2.5.4 W hat types of building does Approved
Document P cover? 29
2.5.5 What is a competent fi rm? 30
2.5.6 What is a competent person responsible for? 30
2.5.7 Who is entitled to self-certify an installation? 30
2.5.8 W hen do I have to inform the local authority
Building Control Body? 31
2.5.9 W hat if the work is completed by a friend, a
relative or me? 33
2.5.10 W hat if the work is completed by a contractor or
an installer? 33
2.6 W hat inspections and tests will have to be completed
and recorded? 33
2.6.1 W hat should be included in the records of the
instalation? 3
2.6.2 W here can I get more information about the
requirements of Part P? 34
2.7 Requirements from the Approved Documents 36
2.7.1 Part P – Electrical safety 37
2.7.2 Part M – Access and facilities for disabled people 37
2.7.3 Part L – Conservation of fuel and power 38
2.7.4 Part B – Fire safety 38
2.7.5 Design 39
2.7.6 E xtensions, material alterations and material
changes of use 40
2.7.7 Electricity distributors responsibilities 40
2.7.8 Earthing 42
2.7.9 Electrical installations 43
2.7.10 Electrical installation work 45
2.7.11 Inspection and Test 46
2.7.12 A dditional requirements and facilities for
disabled people 47
2.7.13 Electrical components and installations 48
3 Earthing 57
3.1 What is earth? 58
3.2 What is meant by ‘earthing’ and how is it used? 59
3.3 Advantages of earthing 60
3.4 What types of earthing system are there? 62
3.4.1 System classifi cation 63
3.4.2 TN systems 64
Contents ix
3.4.3 TN-C system 65
3.4.4 TN-S system 66
3.4.5 TN-C-S system 66
3.4.6 TT system 67
3.4.7 IT system 68
3.5 Earth fault loop impendence 68
3.6 Earthing points 70
3.7 Main earthing terminals 71
3.8 Earth electrodes 73
3.9 Earthing conductors 73
3.10 Requirements from the Regulations 73
3.10.1 Additions and alterations to an installation 73
3.10.2 Automatic disconnection of supply 74
3.10.3 Autotransformers and step-up transformers 74
3.10.4 Cables 75
3.10.5 Earthing conductors 76
3.10.6 Earth electrodes 77
3.10.7 Earth fault current 78
3.10.8 Earth faults 78
3.10.9 Earthing arrangements 79
3.10.10 Earthing conductors 81
3.10.11 Earthing systems 81
3.10.12 Electrical separation 81
3.10.13 Electrical services 82
3.10.14 Emergency switching 82
3.10.15 Earthing terminals or bars 82
3.10.16 Fault protection 84
3.10.17 High leakage current 85
3.10.18 Isolation 85
3.10.19 Protective and neutral (PEN) conductors 85
3.10.20 Protective bonding conductors (PME) 86
3.10.21 Protective conductors 86
3.10.22 Protective devices 87
3.10.23 Protective devices and switches 87
3.10.24 Protective earthing 88
3.10.25 Protective measures 89
3.10.26 RCDs 89
3.10.27 Requirements for SELV and PELV circuits 90
3.10.28 Sources 90
3.10.29 Warning notices: earthing and bonding connections 91
3.10.30 Warning notices: periodic inspection and testing 91
3.10.31 Testing 92
3.10.32 Special locations an installations 95
3.10.33 TN System 102
3.10.34 TN-C system 105
3.10.35 TN-S system 106