Best Practice Guide 4

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    Electricalinstallationcondition

    reporting:ClassificationCodes fordomestic and

    similarelectricalinstallations

    Best Prac ce Guide 4 (Issue 3)

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    This is one of a series of Best Practice Guides produced byElectrical Safety First 1 in association with leading industrybodies for the benefit of electrical contractors and installers,and their customers.

    Electrical Safety First is indebted to the following organisationsfor their contribution and/or support to the development ofthis Guide:

    Several of the photographs in this Guide have been extracted from a supersededElectrical Safety First DVD, courtesy of Navigator Productions Ltd. Others were kindlysupplied by Nick Blakeley Electrical and Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

    In electronic format, this Guide is intended to be made availablefree of charge to all interested parties. Further copies may bedownloaded from the websites of some of the contributingorganisations.

    The version of this Guide on the Electrical Safety First website(www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk) will always be the latest. Feedbackon any of the Best Practice Guides is always welcome email:

    [email protected]

    British Gaswww.britishgas.co.uk

    BSI Product Services

    www.bsigroup.com

    City & Guildswww.cityandguilds.com

    EALwww.eal.org.uk

    Electrical Contractors Associationwww.eca.co.uk

    ELECSAwww.elecsa.co.uk

    Institution of Engineering

    and Technologywww.theiet.org

    NAPITwww.napit.org.uk

    NICEICwww.niceic.com

    SCEMEwww.sceme.org

    SELECT(Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland)

    www.select.org.uk

    In electronic format, this Guide is intended to be made available free ofcharge to all interested parties. Further copies may be downloaded fromthe websites of some of the contributing organisations.

    The version of this Guide on the Electrical Safety First website(www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk ) will always be the latest. Feedback onany of the Best Practice Guides is always welcome [email protected]

    Electrical Safety First is supported by all sectors of the electrical industry,approvals and research bodies, consumer interest organisations, theelectrical distribution industry, professional institutes and institutions,regulatory bodies, trade and industry associations and federations, tradeunions, and local and central government.

    *Electrical Safety First (formerly the National Inspection Council forElectrical Installation Contracting) is a charitable non-profit makingorganisation set up in 1956 to protect users of electricity against thehazards of unsafe and unsound electrical installations.

    Published by:

    Electrical Safety FirstUnit 331Metal Box Factory

    30 Great Guildford StreetLondon SE1 0HS

    Tel: 0203 463 5100Email: [email protected]: www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

    Electrical Safety First and other contributors believe that the guidanceand information contained in this Best Practice Guide is correct, but allparties must rely on their own skill and judgement when making use ofit. Neither Electrical Safety First nor any contributor assumes any liabilityto anyone for any loss or damage caused by any error or omission in thisGuide, whether such error or omission is the result of negligence or any

    other cause. Where reference is made to legislation, it is not to beconsidered as legal advice. Any and all such liability is disclaimed.

    Electrical Safety Council. March 2014

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    An electrical installation condition report is, as its titleindicates, a report and not a certificate. It providesan assessment of the in-service condition of anelectrical installation against the requirements of theedition of BS 7671 current at the time of the

    inspection, irrespective of the age of the installation.

    The report is primarily for the benefit of the personordering the work and of persons subsequentlyinvolved in additional or remedial work, or furtherinspections. The report may be required for one ormore of a variety of reasons, each of which mayimpose particular requirements or limitations on theinspection and testing.

    The report is required to include details of the extentof the installation and of any limitations of theinspection and testing, including the reasons for anysuch limitations and the name of the person withwhom those limitations were agreed. It should benoted that the greater the limitations applying, thelesser is the scope of the inspection and testingcarried out, and hence the value of the report iscorrespondingly diminished. The report is alsorequired to include a record of the inspection andthe results of testing.

    The report provides a formal declaration that, withinthe agreed and stated limitations, the detailsrecorded, including the observations andrecommendations, and the completed schedules ofinspection and test results, give an accurateassessment of the condition of the electricalinstallation at the time it was inspected.

    Purpose of periodic inspection,testing and reporting

    The main purpose of periodic inspection and testingis to detect so far as is reasonably practicable, and toreport on, any factors impairing or likely to impairthe safety of an electrical installation.

    The aspects to be covered include all of thefollowing:

    Safety of persons against the effects of electricshock and burns

    Protection against damage to property by fireand heat arising from an installation defect

    Confirmation that the installation is notdamaged or deteriorated so as to impair safety

    Identification of non-compliances with thecurrent edition of BS 7671, or installationdefects, which may give rise to danger.

    page 4 The Electrical Safety Council

    Electrical installations in poor condition present risks of fire aswell as electric shock

    A typical periodic inspection notice for an older installation

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    Periodic inspection andtesting procedures

    The procedures for periodic inspection and testing

    differ in some respects from those for the initialverification of new installation work. This is becausethe subject of an electrical installation conditionreport is usually an installation which has beenenergised and in use for some time. Particularattention therefore needs to be given during theinspection process to assessing the condition of theinstallation in respect of:

    Safety

    Wear and tear Corrosion Damage and deterioration Excessive loading Age External influences Suitability (taking account of any changes in

    use or building extensions etc).

    Also, for reasons beyond the inspectors control, the

    inspector may be unable to gain access to parts ofthe existing installation. For example, it is usuallyimpracticable to inspect cables that have beenconcealed within the fabric of the building.

    Such restrictions are likely to result in the inspectionand testing of those parts of the installation beinglimited, or being omitted entirely from the process.

    Where, during the course of inspection or testing, areal and immediate danger is found to be present inan installation (from an accessible exposed live part,for example), immediate action will be necessary tomake it safe before continuing. However, thediscovery of the dangerous condition should still berecorded in the report and classified accordingly.

    Inspectors should note that, even in domesticpremises, Section 3 of the Health and Safety atWork etc Act 1974 and the Electricity at WorkRegulations 1989 effectively require them to

    endeavour to make safe, before leaving site and withthe agreement of the user or owner, any dangerousconditions found in an installation. For example,where there are accessible live parts due to blanksmissing from a consumer unit, suitable temporarybarriers should be provided to protect persons fromdirect contact with those live parts.

    As persons using the installation are at risk, it is notsufficient simply to draw attention to the danger

    when submitting the electrical installation conditionreport. At the very least, the inspector must ensurethat the client is made aware, at the time ofdiscovery, of the danger that exists. An agreementshould be made with the client as to the appropriateaction to be taken to remove the source of danger(for example, by switching off and isolating theaffected part of the installation until remedied),before continuing with the inspection or testing.

    page 6 The Electrical Safety Council

    A potentially overloaded socket-outlet

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    page 7The Electrical Safety Council

    Some certification, registration and membershipbodies make available dangerous conditionnotification forms. These assist inspectors to record,and then to communicate immediately to theperson responsible for the safety of the installation,any dangerous condition discovered.

    A dangerous condition - line conductor connected to the metallic enclosure of a light fitting (in addition to exposed conductors)

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    page 9The Electrical Safety Council

    Classification Codes

    Each observation relating to a concern about thesafety of the installation should be attributed an

    appropriate Classification Code selected from thestandard codes C1, C2 and C3. Each code has aparticular meaning:

    Code C1 Danger present. Risk of injury.Immediate remedial action required.

    Code C2 Potentially dangerous.Urgent remedial action required

    Code C3 Improvement recommended.

    Only one of the standard Classification Codes shouldbe attributed to each observation. If more than oneClassification Code could be attributed to anobservation, only the most serious one should beused (Code C1 being the most serious).

    Where the inspection and testing proceduresidentify an item which is dangerous or potentiallydangerous, it should be identified in the inspectionor test results schedule of the report by attributing toit a Classification Code C1 or C2, as appropriate, inthe outcome column of the inspection schedule or,where provided, the remarks column of the testschedule.

    Where the inspection and testing proceduresidentify an item which is not dangerous orpotentially dangerous, but for which improvement isrecommended, it should be identified in theinspection or test results schedule of the report byattributing to it a Classification Code C3 in theoutcome column of the inspection schedule or,where provided, the remarks column of the testschedule.

    Where during inspection and testing a real andimmediate danger is observed that puts thesafety of those using the installation at risk,

    Classification Code C1 (danger present) mustbe given.

    Where a Classification Code C1 is consideredappropriate, the client is to be advised immediately,

    and also in writing, that immediate remedial actionis required (or has been taken) to remove thedanger. As previously indicated, this action isnecessary to satisfy the duties imposed on theinspector and other duty holders by the Health andSafety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Electricity atWork Regulations 1989.

    Wherever an item in the inspection or test resultsschedule has been attributed a Classification Code

    C1, C2 or C3, there should be a correspondingobservation in the observations section ofthe report.

    Live parts exposed to touch

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    page 10 The Electrical Safety Council

    In general terms, theClassification Codes should beused as follows:Code C1 (Danger present)

    This code should be used to indicate that dangerexists, requiring immediate remedial action.

    The persons using the installation are at immediaterisk. The person ordering the report should beadvised to take action without delay to remedy theobserved deficiency in the installation, or to takeother appropriate action (such as switching off andisolating the affected parts of the installation) toremove the danger. The inspector should not waitfor the full report to be issued before giving thisadvice.

    As previously indicated, some certification,registration and membership bodies make availabledangerous condition notification forms to enableinspectors to record, and then to communicateimmediately to the person ordering the report, anydangerous condition discovered.

    Code C2 (Potentially dangerous)This code should be used to indicate that, whilst anobserved deficiency is not considered to bedangerous at the time of the periodic inspection, itwould become a real and immediate danger if afault or other foreseeable event was to occur in theinstallation or connected equipment.

    The person ordering the report should be advisedthat, whilst the safety of those using the installation

    may not be at immediate risk, remedial actionshould be taken as a matter of urgency to removethe source of potential danger.

    Code C3 (Improvement recommended)

    This code should be used to indicate that, whilst anobserved deficiency is not considered to be a sourceof immediate or potential danger, improvementwould contribute to a significant enhancement ofthe safety of the electrical installation.

    Further investigation

    The model forms in BS 7671: 2008 incorporatingAmendment 1 provide for a need for furtherinvestigation to be indicated against each inspectionand test outcome, and against each observation.Usually, however, it should be possible to attribute aClassification Code to each observation without theneed for further investigation.

    The purpose of periodic inspection, as previouslystated, is not to carry out a fault-finding exercise, butto assess and report on the condition of aninstallation within the agreed extent and limitationsof the inspection. Therefore, where an observationcan be attributed a Classification Code, furtherinvestigation would not be required for the purposesof completing the condition report.

    Further investigation should not be called for inrespect of any observation unless that investigationcould reasonably be expected to reveal danger orpotential danger. Further investigation should not becalled for simply because it would be nice to know for example, why a socket-outlet is unearthed.

    If an observation cannot be attributed aClassification Code due to reasonable doubt asto whether danger or potential danger exists,the outcome of the assessment must bereported to be unsatisfactory.

    The person ordering the report should be advisedthat the inspection and/or testing has revealed apotential safety issue which could not, due to theagreed extent or limitations of the inspection, befully determined, and that the issue should be

    investigated as soon as possible.

    An example of an observation that might possibly justify further investigation is given on page 17.

    Departures from the requirements of the currentedition of BS 7671 that do not give rise todanger or need improvement

    Amendment 1 to BS 7671: 2008 no longer requiresdepartures from the requirements of the current

    edition of BS 7671 that do not give rise to danger orneed improvement to be recorded in conditionreports. (Examples of such departures are given onpage 17.)

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    Summary of the conditionof the installation

    The summary should adequately describe the

    general condition of the installation in terms ofelectrical safety, taking into account the specificobservations made. It is essential to provide a clearsummary of the condition of the installation havingconsidered, for example:

    The adequacy of the earthing and bondingarrangements

    The suitability of the consumer unit and othercontrol equipment

    The type(s) of wiring system, and its condition The serviceability of equipment, including

    accessories

    The presence of adequate identification andnotices

    The extent of any wear and tear, damage orother deterioration

    Changes in use of the premises that have ledto, or might lead to, deficiencies in theinstallation.

    Minimal descriptions such as poor, andsuperficial statements such as recommend arewire, are considered unacceptable as they donot indicate the true condition of aninstallation. It will often be necessary orappropriate to explain the implications of anelectrical installation condition report in acovering letter, for the benefit of recipients whorequire additional advice and guidance abouttheir installation.

    For example, where an installation has deterioratedor been damaged to such an extent that its safeserviceable life can reasonably be considered to beat an end, a recommendation for renewal should bemade in a covering letter, giving adequatesupporting reasons. Reference to the covering lettershould be made in the report.

    On the model electrical installation condition reportgiven in BS 7671, a box is provided for the overallassessment of the condition of the installation to be

    given. After due consideration, the overall conditionof the installation should be given as eithersatisfactory or unsatisfactory.

    If any observation in the report has been givena Code C1 or Code C2 classification ascategorised in this Guide, or if any observationsrequire further investigation to determinewhether danger or potential danger exists, theoverall assessment of the condition of theinstallation must be reported to beunsatisfactory.

    If there are no observations in the report classifiedas C1 or C2, or that require further investigation, itwould not be reasonable to report the overallcondition of the installation as unsatisfactory.

    The recommended interval until the nextinspection should be made conditional upon allobservations that have been given a

    Classification Code C1 (danger present) beingremedied immediately and all observations thathave been given a Code C2 (potentiallydangerous) or that require further investigationbeing remedied or investigated respectively as amatter of urgency.

    Where the space provided for the description of thegeneral condition of the installation is inadequatefor the purpose and it is necessary to continue thedescription on an additional page(s), the pagenumber(s) of the additional page(s) should berecorded.

    page 11The Electrical Safety Council

    Unsatisfactory connection to a downlighter

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    Examples of the use of Classification Codes

    It is entirely a matter for the competent personconducting the inspection to decide on theClassification Code to be attributed to anobservation. The inspectors own judgement asa competent person should not be unduly influenced by the person ordering the work. The person(s) signing the report are fully responsiblefor its content and accuracy.

    The following examples are not exhaustive. All references to RCD protection mean additional

    protection by an RCD having a rated operating(tripping) current (I n ) not greater than 30 mAand an operating time not exceeding 40 ms at aresidual current of 5 I n .

    Code C1 (Danger present)

    Observations that would almost certainly warrant aCode C1 classification include:

    Exposed live parts that are accessible to touch,

    such as where:a fuse carrier or circuit-breaker is missingfrom a consumer unit and a blanking piece isnot fitted in its place

    terminations or connections have no (ordamaged) barriers or enclosures

    live conductors have no (or damaged)insulation

    an accessory is badly damaged.

    Conductive parts have become live as theresult of a fault

    Incorrect polarityCode C2 (Potentially dangerous)

    Observations that would usually warrant a Code C2classification include:

    Absence of a reliable and effective means ofearthing for the installation

    A public utility water pipe being used as themeans of earthing for the installation

    A gas or oil pipe being used as the means ofearthing for the installation

    Cross-sectional area of the earthing conductordoes not satisfy adiabatic requirements (that is,does not comply with Regulation 543.1.1)

    Absence of a circuit protective conductor for alighting circuit supplying one or more items ofClass I equipment, or connected to switches

    having metallic face plates 2

    Absence of a notice warning that lightingcircuits have no circuit protective conductor 2

    Absence of a circuit protective conductor for acircuit, other than a lighting circuit, supplyingone or more items of Class I equipment

    Absence of earthing at a socket-outlet Absence of main protective bonding

    Examples of the use of Classification Codes

    page 12 The Electrical Safety Council

    Socket-outlet with broken face plate

    Absence of a reliable means of earthing

    2 See the Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide No 1 - replacing a consumer unit in domestic premises where lighting circuits haveno protective conductor.

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    Inadequate cross-sectional area of a mainprotective bonding conductor where theconductor is less than 6 mm 2 or where there isevidence of thermal damage

    Absence of supplementary bonding whererequired 3 , such as in a location containing abath or shower, where any of the followingthree conditions are not satisfied:

    All final circuits of the location comply withthe requirements of Regulation 411.3.2 forautomatic disconnection, and

    All final circuits of the location haveadditional protection by means of a 30 mARCD,and

    All extraneous-conductive-parts of thelocation are effectively connected to theprotective equipotential bonding (mainearthing terminal).

    The main RCD or voltage-operated earth-leakage circuit-breaker on a TT system fails tooperate when tested with an instrument orintegral test button

    Absence of RCD protection for portable ormobile equipment that may reasonably beexpected to be used outdoors

    Absence of RCD protection for socket-outlets ina location containing a bath or shower, otherthan for SELV or shaver socket-outlets

    Socket-outlets other than SELV or shaver socket-outlets located less than 3 m horizontally fromthe boundary of zone 1 in a location containinga bath or shower

    Absence of fault protection (protection againstindirect contact) by RCD where required, suchas for a socket-outlet circuit in an installationforming part of a TT system

    Circuits with ineffective overcurrent protection(due, for example, to oversized fuse wire inrewireable fuses)

    A protective device installed in a neutralconductor only

    Separate protective devices in line and neutralconductors (for example, double-pole fusing)

    Examples of the use of Classification Codes

    page 13The Electrical Safety Council

    Checking a fuse carrier (base missing)

    Double-pole switch with fuses in each pole

    Absence of supplementary bonding

    3 Where the presence of supplementary bonding cannot be confirmed by inspection, it may be verified by a continuity test (< 0.05 )

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    Earth fault loop impedance value greater thanthat required for operation of the protectivedevice within the time prescribed in the versionof BS 7671/IET Wiring Regulations current atthe time of installation

    A ring final circuit having a discontinuousconductor

    A ring final circuit cross-connected withanother circuit

    Inconsistent resistance values for theconductors of ring final circuits

    Unsatisfactory electrical connection (such asa loose connection or type, number and/orsize of conductors unsuitable for the meansof connection)

    A borrowed neutral, for example where asingle final circuit neutral is shared by two finalcircuits (such as an upstairs lighting circuit anda separately-protected downstairs lightingcircuit)

    Insulation resistance of less than 1 M between live conductors connected togetherand Earth, when measured at the consumerunit with all final circuits connected

    Insulation of live conductors deteriorated tosuch an extent that the insulating materialreadily breaks away from the conductors

    Sheath of an insulated and sheathed non-armoured cable not taken inside the enclosureof an accessory, such as at a socket-outlet orlighting switch, where the unsheathed cores areaccessible to touch and/or likely to come intocontact with metalwork. (Note: Code C3 wouldapply if the unsheathed cores are notaccessible to touch nor likely to come intocontact with metalwork)

    Unenclosed electrical connections, such as atluminaires. (Such a defect can contribute to afire, particularly where extra-low voltagefilament lamps are used)

    Fire risk from incorrectly installed electricalequipment, including incorrectly selected orinstalled downlighters

    Examples of the use of Classification Codes

    page 14 The Electrical Safety Council

    Cable sheath not taken inside metallic enclosure

    Crumbling vulcanised rubber insulation

    Unsatisfactory electrical connections

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    Fire risk from lamps exceeding the maximumrated wattage for the luminaires, or placed tooclose to combustible materials

    Evidence of excessive heat (such as charring)

    from electrical equipment causing damage tothe installation or its surroundings

    Unsatisfactory functional operation ofequipment where this might result in danger

    Immersion heater does not comply withBS EN 60335-2-73 (that is, it does not have abuilt-in cut-out that will operate if the storedwater temperature reaches 98 OC if thethermostat fails), and the cold water storagetank is plastic

    Electrical equipment having an inadequatedegree of ingress protection (IP rating) for theexternal influences likely to occur in thelocation, if this results in potential danger

    Absence of warning notices indicating thepresence of an alternative or secondary sourceof electricity, such as a standby generator ormicrogenerator

    Fixed equipment does not have a means ofswitching off for mechanical maintenance,where such maintenance involves a risk ofburns, or injury from mechanical movement.

    Code C3 (Improvement recommended)

    Observations that would usually warrant a Code C3classification include:

    Absence of RCD protection for a socket-outletthat is unlikely to supply portable or mobileequipment for use outdoors, does not serve alocation containing a bath or shower, and theuse of which is otherwise not considered by the

    inspector to result in potential danger.(Note: Code C2 would apply if the circuitsupplied a socket-outlet in a locationcontaining a bath or shower in accordancewith Regulation 701.512.3)

    Absence of RCD protection for cables installedat a depth of less than 50 mm from a surface

    of a wall or partition where the cables do notincorporate an earthed metallic covering, arenot enclosed in earthed metalwork, or are notmechanically protected against penetration bynails and the like

    Absence of RCD protection for circuits of alocation containing a bath or shower wheresatisfactory supplementary bonding is present

    Examples of the use of Classification Codes

    page 15The Electrical Safety Council

    Older immersion heater without thermal cut-out

    Photovoltaic installation (Photo courtesy Energy Saving Trust)

    RCD in a consumer unit

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    Examples of the use of Classification Codes

    page 16 The Electrical Safety Council

    Reliance on a voltage-operated earth-leakagecircuit-breaker for fault protection (protectionagainst indirect contact), subject to the devicebeing proved to operate correctly. (If thecircuit-breaker relies on a water pipe not

    permitted by Regulation 542.2.6 as the meansof earthing, this would attract a Code C2classification.)

    Absence of a quarterly test notice for any RCDor voltage-operated earth-leakage circuit-breaker

    Absence of circuit protective conductors incircuits having only Class II (or all-insulated)luminaires and switches 4

    Absence of Safety Electrical Connection DoNot Remove notice

    Sheath of an insulated and sheathed non-armoured cable not taken inside the enclosureof an accessory, such as at a socket-outlet orlighting switch. (Note: Code C2 would apply ifunsheathed cores are accessible to touch

    and/or likely to come into contact withmetalwork)

    Bare protective conductor of an insulated andsheathed cable not sleeved with insulation,colour coded to indicate its function

    Electrical equipment having an inadequatedegree of ingress protection (IP rating) for theexternal influences likely to occur in thelocation, if this does not result in potentialdanger

    Socket-outlet mounted in such a position as toresult in potential damage to socket, plugand/or flex

    Absence of a notice indicating that theinstallation has wiring colours to two versionsof BS 7671 (if appropriate)

    Absence of circuit identification details

    Unmarked bonding conductor

    Cable sheaths not taken inside non-conducting enclosure

    60 A voltage-operated earth-leakage circuit-breaker.

    (Photo courtesy of RF Lighting)

    4 See the Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide No1 - replacing a consumer unit in domestic premises where lighting circuits haveno protective conductor.

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    Further investigation required

    Observations that would usually require furtherinvestigation include:

    Characteristics of electricity supply (such asvoltage or external earth fault loop impedance)do not conform to supply industry norms.

    Departures from the requirements of the currentedition of BS 7671 that do not give rise todanger or need improvement

    Amendment 1 to BS 7671: 2008 no longer requiresdepartures from the requirements of the currentedition of BS 7671 that do not give rise to danger orrequire improvement to be included in condition

    reports. Such departures include:

    Absence of a reliable earth connection to arecessed metallic back box of an insulatedaccessory, such as where there is no earthingtail connecting the earthing terminal of theaccessory to the box, and the box does nothave a fixed lug that comes into contact withan earthed eyelet on the accessory

    Inadequate cross-sectional area of a main

    protective bonding conductor provided that theconductor is at least 6 mm 2 and that there isno evidence of thermal damage

    Absence of supplementary bonding forinstalled Class II equipment where required(such as in a location containing a bath orshower), in case the equipment is replaced withClass I equipment in the future

    Main protective bonding to gas, water or otherservice pipe is inaccessible for inspection,testing and maintenance, or connection notmade before any branch pipework.(Note: The connection should preferably be

    within 600 mm of the meter outlet union or atthe point of entry to the building if the meter isexternal.)

    Protective conductor of a lighting circuit not (orincorrectly) terminated at the final circuitconnection point to a Class II (or insulated)item of equipment, such as at a switchmounting box or luminaire

    Switch lines not identified as line conductors atterminations (for example, a conductor havingblue insulation is not sleeved brown in switchesor lighting points)

    Circuit protective conductors or final circuitconductors in a consumer unit not arranged ormarked so that they can be identified forinspection, testing or alteration of theinstallation

    Installation not divided into an adequatenumber of circuits to minimise inconvenience

    for safe operation, fault clearance, inspectionand testing

    Inadequate number of socket-outlets. (Code C3or, where appropriate C2, if extension leads runthrough doorways, walls or windows, or undercarpets, or are otherwise being used in anunsafe manner)

    Use of unsheathed flex for lighting pendants Cable core colours complying with a previous

    edition of BS 7671.

    Examples of the use of Classification Codes

    page 17The Electrical Safety Council

    Main bonding connection not made before branch pipework

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    Other issuesThe following items are worthy of an appropriatenote in the electrical installation condition report, butshould not be given a Classification Code:

    The absence of a fire detection and alarmsystem (smoke/heat/carbon monoxidedetectors etc)

    The absence of an emergency lighting systemin a location normally requiring such a system(for example in a communal area of a blockof flats)

    Combustible materials stored in close proximityto the electrical intake equipment (consumer

    unit/meter/service head)

    Label warning against storing combustible materials near toelectrical equipment

    page 19The Electrical Safety Council

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    Electrical Safety FirstUnit 331, Metal Box Factory, 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HSHelpline: 020 3463 5100Email: enquiries@electri calsafetyrst.org.uk Web: www.electricalsafetyrst.org.ukRegistered Charity (England and Wales) No.257376 (Scotland) No. SCO39990

    Electrical Safety First is the UK charity dedicated to reducing deaths andinjuries caused by electrical accidents. Our aim is to ensure everyone in the UKcan use electricity safely

    The latest versions of all the BestPractice Guidesare available to download from www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk