Issue 59
Articles include:
- BASEC warning: 6491B low smoke conduit wire: The British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) has issued an industry-wide warning to cable buyers to check the harmonized codes on 6491B single core conduit wire, to ensure it is fit for purpose and conforms to the requirements of BS 7671.
- Consumer units - a brief overview: There are numerous fires in domestic dwellings every year, many due to electrical faults, so Amendment No. 3 to BS 7671, published in 2015, introduced Regulation 421.1.201 to increase the safety of consumer units and similar switchgear.
- Technical considerations for D.C installations: Graham Kenyon has over 20 years’ experience planning, designing and implementing communication, information, control and security systems, and related facilities, in the challenging environments presented by world-class infrastructure projects.
- Stay safe over the festive season: Faulty electrical appliances cause a fire nearly every day in London (339 in 2013/14), so please follow our seasonal safety tips below. We’ve included some useful tips to pass on to your clients – and for your safety in your own home.
- Interview with James Eade: James Eade has an unorthodox background in rock ’n’ roll and events, yet is now a familiar face on the Wiring Regulations panels and related standards committees representing his industry. Wiring Matters asked how he forged such an unusual career path.
- LED Lighting: street lighting case study: Last year Transport for London (TfL) conducted a case study looking at how to improve the energy efficiency of street lighting in the Greater London area.
- Interview with Geoff Cronshaw: contributor to the Student's Guide to IET Wiring Regulations: Wiring Matters caught up with Geoff at the Chichester Marina, where he explains his interest in special locations and his background in electrical engineering.
Downloads:
Issue 58
Articles include:
- Fire performance of cable supports: Recently, BRE undertook research concerning the fire integrity of cable supports and fixings. With the permission of BRE Global Limited (BRE), Wiring Matters provides you with that report.
- Importance of effective electrical safety management: Amy Walker interviews Bill Bates for an overview of what you should look out for when it comes to managing the electrical safety of your workplace.
- Home automation: Marie Parry, group marketing manager at the Scolmore Group, writes for Wiring Matters about this trend for smarter homes and some of the options available for wholesalers.
- Smart electricity meters revisited: A roll-out programme to introduce smart electricity (and gas) meters into consumers’ homes starts in 2016. Geoff Cronshaw provides an update on the newest developments with smart meters since our last article on this subject in 2010.
- Solar PV: interview with Martin Cotterell: Nicole Whitton speaks to Martin Cotterell, managing director of Sundog Energy (acting in his role as a consultant to the BRE National Solar Centre), about the solar PV market and what you need to know about installing solar PV panels.
- A new international Standard for utility connections in ports: Geoff Cronshaw, Chief Engineer at the IET, explains a new international Standard that is likely to be introduced for connecting ships to shore supplies in ports.
Downloads:
Issue 57
Articles include:
- Update on electric vehicle charging equipment installation requirements: Paul Bicheno, Publishing Manager of the Code of Practice for the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment, explains the updates made to the Code of Practice – and what you need to know to ensure that you are fully compliant with the latest regulations.
- Low and extra-low voltage direct current power distribution in buildings: Blane Judd – Chair of the IET Standards Technical Committee 2.4 DC Power Systems responsible for developing the new IET Code of Practice on Low and Extra Low Voltage Direct Current Power Distribution in Buildings – writes about the growing significance of low and extra low voltage d.c. power distribution in buildings.
- IET-Employer Leeds workshop: individual competence and accountability: More than 45 technical professionals from local authorities, housing associations and electrical contractors joined the IET and the Engineering Council (regulator of the engineering profession) in April this year for a discussion workshop that focused on the individual competence and accountability of electricians.
- Guide to how BS 7671 is updated: Nicole Whitton explains the process behind the updates made to BS 7671 and how you can get involved.
- JIB Apprentice Exchange winner announced: Twenty-five year old Samantha Jones has been named winner of the 2015 Apprentice Exchange Programme, organised by the Joint Industry Board (JIB).
- Energy efficiency, the IET Wiring Regulations and future ‘smart’ installations: Bill Wright, Head of Energy Solutions at the Electrical Contractors’ Association and member of the JPEL/64 committee, writes about what we might expect on energy efficiency in the 18th edition of BS 7671.
- Electrical safety management event: Amy Walker reports on the recent Code of Practice for Electrical Safety Management seminar.
- Young Engineering Professionals event: the future of engineering: Nicole Whitton reports on the Young Engineering Professionals event.
- Career spotlight: working as an electro-technical officer on mega yachts: David Carlisle takes us through the electronics systems on the mega yachts, and what you need to know to become an electro-technical officer.
- Students and the Wiring Regulations: Nicole Whitton speaks to Steven Devine, Electrical Engineer, Educational Sector at the IET, about the IET’s focus on students.
- The new Trailblazer apprenticeships and the effect on electrical apprentices: Peter Tanner, Lead Technical Consultant: City and Guilds, writes exclusively for Wiring Matters about the changes made to the Trailblazer apprentice schemes.
Downloads:
Issue 56
Articles include:
- Amendment No. 3: lighting and luminaires: Chief Engineer Geoff Cronshaw looks at how lighting and luminaires have been affected by Amendment No. 3.
- Protection against fire: the fire officer’s view: The London Fire Brigade have an extremely busy, full time team of professional fire investigators. As part of the Fire Safety Regulation department, the team seek to produce quality evidence to help improve public safety.
- Group 2 medical locations: designing IT systems: Paul Harris, an independent consultant working with the medical locations working group for BS 7671 and author of Electrical Installations in Medical Locations, discusses medical IT system final design.
- Fire protection: panel discussion 1 at the ELEX show in Harrogate: video.
- Fire protection: panel discussion 2 at the ELEX show in Harrogate: video.
Downloads:
Issue 55 - Special Edition II
Articles include:
- New non-combustible enclosure requirement for consumer units: The third amendment to BS 7671:2011 (IET Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition), which was published in January and comes into effect on 1 July, will include a new regulation requiring consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies in domestic premises to have a non-combustible enclosure.
- Separation from lightning conductors: The Rev Christopher Miles CEng, FIET takes us through some important points on the requirements of providing separation from lightning conductors.
- Surge protection: Steven Devine, Engineer at the IET, recently visited DEHN and SÖHNE in Germany for the purposes of understanding progress in surge protection devices. Here, he writes about his experience.
- Interview with Paul Galbraith: Paul Galbraith’s six-year tenure as Chair of JPEL/64, the decision-making committee for the BS 7671 Wiring Regulations, came to an end last year. His tenure culminated in a Leadership Award presented by BSI. Here, Paul chats to us about his time as Chair.
- Interview with John Bradley, Chair of JPEL/64: John Bradley has recently been appointed Chair of JPEL/64, the decision-making committee for the BS 7671 Wiring Regulations. We talk to John about his career and the changes he foresees to the future editions of BS 7671.
- Winners of the 2014 BEC Young Professionals Awards: The BEC Young Professionals event was held in last year, with Marcin Wloch and Neil Moran winning the opportunity to attend an IEC standard-setting meeting in Tokyo. Here, we catch up with them about their experience and what they learned about global standard setting.
- Podcast: Download Wiring Matters podcast: In this second Wiring Matters podcast, Technical Regulations Manager Mark Coles and Chief Engineer Geoff Cronshaw discuss changes made by Amendment No. 3 to consumer units.
Downloads:
Issue 54 - Special Edition
Articles include:
- RCDs - protection of cables concealed in walls or partitions: A change to the requirements of Regulation Group 522.6, relating to RCD protection of cables concealed in walls or partitions, forms part of BS 7671:2008+A3:2015 (Seventeenth Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations), which was published on 1 January 2015 and comes into effect on 1 July.
- Changes to model forms of certification and reporting in BS 7671: As part of BS 7671:2008+A3:2015 (IET Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition) some changes have been made to the model forms of certification and reporting in Appendix 6 of BS 7671. This article summarises the main changes.
- Fire resisting supports in escape routes: BS 7671:2011+A3:2015 (IET Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition) will include a requirement that wiring systems in escape routes shall have fire-resisting supports. The requirement is included in a new regulation (Regulation 521.11.201), which is reproduced below.
- Reduction in maximum values of earth fault loop impedance in BS 7671: One of the changes being introduced by BS 7671:2008+A3:2015 (IET Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition) is a reduction of maximum values of earth fault loop impedance (Zs) in Tables 41.2, 41.3, 41.4 and 41.6.
- Changes to requirements for RCD protection of socket-outlets: A new, revised version of Regulation 411.3.3, relating to RCD protection of socket-outlets, forms part of BS 7671:2008+A3:2015 (IET Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition). The current and new versions of the regulation are shown side by side.