Switched On Issue 8
-
Upload
electrical-safety-first -
Category
Documents
-
view
224 -
download
4
description
Transcript of Switched On Issue 8
Issue8 | Spring 2008
Asbestos Kills!
2 SwitchedOn
Welcome to the eighth edition of
Switched On.
We are now well into the New Year and as you
will see from the articles in this edition, we
continue to develop initiatives to raise
awareness for users of electricity in many safety-
related areas.
These initiatives are taken forward by a relatively
small team of dedicated staff and, to support
them in their endeavours, the Council is
proactive in their ongoing development.
To this end, a decision was taken last year that
we would seek to obtain the Investors in People
award. I am delighted to say that with a lot of
hard work and commitment from staff, and
with the support of the Director General and
the Trustees, we received formal notification in
January that we had achieved the award.
We will be going back on the road this year as
part of our campaign to communicate electrical
safety issues to as wide an audience as possible.
As well as the events mentioned elsewhere in
this issue, we will have the use of the exhibition
trailer that used be seen at country shows and
the like in NICEIC livery. The trailer will now be
seen across the UK throughout the spring and
summer in Electrical Safety Council livery. Our
attendance at events will be well publicized in
advance, so please do come and see us if the
trailer visits your area.
To support the expansion of our objectives to
cover the electrical safety of products, we have
announced a two day conference to be held in
London on 8 - 9 September.
The conference is aimed at raising awareness of
the need to constantly develop standards that
allow innovation in the market place,
enforcement, and the dangers of counterfeit
products. It is being developed to appeal to all
sectors of industry, so I would ask you to
consider attending, particularly as the electrical
installation industry has an important part to
play in combating the increasing problem of
counterfeit products.
As part of our efforts to get politicians and
senior civil servants to support our work, we
held our annual reception at the Palace of
Westminster on 11 March. The purpose of the
reception was to highlight our activities over the
past year and to raise awareness of issues that
we feel need political support.
On a final note, plans are well underway for a
major advertising campaign across the UK to
raise awareness of electrical safety issues. This
will include newspapers, radio and hopefully, if
the budget allows, some TV. So keep an eye out
in your area for our awareness campaign.
WELCOME
Towards the end of last year,
the Council was assessed
against the Investors in People
(IiP) Standard.
The Standard has long been
acknowledged as a business
improvement tool, helping
organisations of every size, type
and location improve
performance and realise
objectives through the
management and development
of its staff.
In January this year, we received
confirmation from the IiP
Recognition Panel that the
Electrical Safety Council had
achieved recognition as an
Investor in People organization.
This is a great achievement for us
as our staff are our most valuable
asset. We depend on their skills,
expertise and commitment to
fulfil our safety aims and
objectives.
The IiP Assessor commented:
‘Staff at all levels are very
professional, highly motivated
and committed to the work of
the Council. Everyone
interviewed spoke about their
pride in the organization and its
achievements to date.’
‘The Charity’s values have been
well embedded into the day to
day running of the organization.
As a result of this, staff were able
to describe how honesty and
transparency were key in their
dealings with colleagues and
stakeholders.’
FROM THE EDITOR
This issue marks the end of the
first two years of publication of
Switched On.
Being a quarterly magazine, not all
the articles can be hot news but,
nevertheless, I hope you are
finding it a good, topical and
informative read.
As a result of an agreement with
Professional Electrician magazine,
I’m pleased to report that the
circulation of Switched On has
now trebled from 40,000 to
120,000 copies per quarter, as
reported in the ‘News in Brief’
section on page 4.
I hope that all our new-found
readers, as well as our regulars,
find the content interesting and
useful. Constructive feedback is
always welcome – email us at
If you would like to catch up on
the full range of information we’ve
published over the past two years,
all the back issues can be viewed
on our website, at
www.esc.org.uk/switchedon.html
INVESTORS IN PEOPLE
SwitchedOn 3
Compact fluorescent lamps – Not so friendly? see page 19
industry news
2
4
5
6
7
11
12
13
14
15
18
19
20
features
8
16
Published by:The Electrical Safety Council18 Buckingham Gate London, SW1E 6LBwww.esc.org.ukwww.switchedonkids.org.ukTel: 0870 040 0561 Fax: 0870 040 0560email: [email protected]
issue 08 Spring ‘08
switchedon
your insight into the electricalsafety industry
Health and Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
Call 0845 345 0055 now for yourFREE Asbestos Information Pack.
Any building built or refurbished before the year 2000 could contain asbestos,which is one of the most lethal dangers in the workplace.
Every year there are still 4,000 deaths from asbestos related diseases.You could be working where asbestos is present right now.
Don’t you owe it to your workmates, your family and yourself to fi nd out more?
Every week 6 electricians die from this hidden killer.
Asbestos kills!
Trustmark – the way forconsumers to find reliabletradesmen
Investors In PeopleAlso, Welcome, From the Editor
News in brief
Council set to host InternationalProduct Safety Conference
Also, Events in 2008
Scalding risk caused by oldimmersion heater thermostats
Electrical installation forumestablishedAlso, Child Safety Week
Regulators likely to be given greaterpowers Also, New system for reporting
breaches of building regulations
New electrical safety of productscommittee formedAlso, Guide for consumers when
ordering domestic electrical work
Best Practice Guides
Does the 17th Edition require anew test for RCDs?
Migrant communities puttingthemselves at riskAlso, Manufacturers respond to
concerns over travel adaptors
Yell – working to protect theconsumerAlso, Council liaises with the
Energy Networks Association
Compact fluorescent lamps –not so friendly?Also, Lessons arising from an
electrical fire
Electric shock – what should I do?Also, Mouse killed as it starts
electrical fire
4 SwitchedOn
Circulation of Switched On treblesAs the result of an agreement with
Professional Electrician magazine, the
circulation of Switched On has increased from
about 40,000 to 120,000 copies each quarter.
Copies in a slightly smaller format are being
distributed through electrical wholesalers as
an insert in the issue of Professional Electrician
which most closely follows the publication of
Switched On. This is the second issue of
Switched On to benefit from the increased
circulation.
Boiler repair man electrocutedIn February, an inquest in Cardiff heard how a
29-year-old CORGI-registered gas fitter was
electrocuted whilst working on a domestic
boiler without first having isolated the
electricity supply.
This tragic event again reinforces the need for
all persons working on electrical equipment to
follow safe working procedures, guidance on
which is freely available in the form of one of
our Best Practice Guides.
Corrigendum toBS 7671: 2008A corrigendum to
BS 7671: 2008
(IEE Wiring Regulations
17th Edition) is likely to
be issued before the
new edition comes into
full effect on 1 July, to
address a few editorial
and other issues that have been identified by
early users of the Standard.
Periodic inspection reportingconference proposedIf there is sufficient interest, the Council
proposes to arrange a conference later this year
on the subject of domestic periodic inspection
reporting.
The aim of the
conference would
be to review the
general standard
of domestic
periodic inspection
reporting,
including
associated
inspection and
testing issues, and
to discuss how that standard may be improved
for the benefit of householders and property
owners.
We would be interested to hear from individuals
and organisations (including property owners,
contractors, and registration and training
bodies) who would either like to attend, or to
present a paper at, the conference.
To register an interest, please send an email to:
SBSA ‘reintegrated’SBSA, the Scottish Building
Standards Agency, ceased
to be a separate Agency
on 1 April, having been
reintegrated with core
Scottish Government in a
new Directorate for the
Built Environment.
According to a statement issued by SBSA in
advance of the reorganization, it will be
business as usual so far as Certification matters
are concerned.
ASDA recalls microwavesASDA has recalled 300,000 of their own brand
microwaves due to fire risk concerns. The
recalled model is the ASDA Durabrand
Microwave, Model number XB2316 (Barcode –
5050854397271).
Occupational health risks inconstructionIn February, HSE launched a new website-based
tool to help contractors understand and
manage occupational health risks in
construction more effectively. The tool is called
the Construction Occupational Health
Management Essentials (COHME for short).
Over the years, HSE and the construction
industry have published plenty of guidance on
specific risks. However, what's new about
COHME is that it describes a framework to
manage occupational health risks in general.
COHME is intended to assist clients, designers
and contractors, and deals with seven priority
risks:
• Hand-arm vibration
• Musculo-skeletal disorders
• Dermatitis
• Noise
• Stress
• Respiratory disease, and
• Asbestos
The new tool can be found at:
www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks
NEWS IN BRIEF
SwitchedOn 5
We are pleased to be the headline sponsor
of this year’s Scottish Home Building &
Renovating Show, which will be held at the
SECC, Glasgow, on 17 and 18 May.
Based on our experience at the National Home
Building and Renovating Show, we expect to
meet many knowledgeable people at the
Scottish show who will wish to discuss a wide
range of electrical safety issues with us.
This is the first time we will have exhibited in
Scotland. We hope that by sponsoring and
attending the show, we will increase awareness
of the valuable information and guidance we
can give to consumers, industry and
government in Scotland on electrical
safety matters.
EVENTS IN 2008
Other events we will be attending thisyear include:
National Home Building & Renovating Show10-13 April - NEC, Birmingham
Landlord and Buy-to-let Show18-19 April – London Olympia
BBC Gardeners’ World Live11-15 June – NEC, Birmingham
Trading Standards Conference & Exhibition24-26 June – BIC, Bournemouth
Conservative Party Conference28 Sepember -1 October – ICC, Birmingham
Labour Party Conference
21-25 Sepember – MCCC, Manchester
We have a number oftickets for the Scottishshow. The first 25 people toemail [email protected] be sent a pair of ticketswith our compliments.If you are one of the first25, we will respond toyour email.
COUNCIL SET TO HOST INTERNATIONALPRODUCT SAFETY CONFERENCE
In order to raise the profile of our product
safety activities in the UK, Europe and
internationally, we are pleased to announce
that arrangements are being made for the
Council to stage its first International Electrical
Product Safety Conference in September.
The theme of the conference “Safety of
electrical products in the global market-
Challenges and opportunities” recognises the
need for the product safety community and
stakeholders to identify common issues and
workable plans for improving the safety of
products in a truly globalized marketplace.
The conference, to be held at the Church
House Conference Centre in London on 8 - 9
September, will provide an opportunity for
consumer product safety professionals from all
over the world to exchange ideas and share
information, and form a platform for discussion
on issues of common concern.
Over the two days, a wide range of topics will
be discussed through a mix of plenary and
interactive themed break-out sessions that will
encompass the economic, legislative and global
aspects of consumer product safety.
The programme aims to address the current big
issues facing consumers and industry by
tackling:
• The safety of imported goods
• The revision of the New Approach and the
Low Voltage Directive
• Ongoing initiatives in market surveillance
• Counterfeiting
• Protecting vulnerable consumers.
Such a comprehensive programme is expected
to attract delegates from a wide range of
disciplines including regulators, consumer
product safety professionals, lawyers,
consultants, standardization personnel,
designers, manufacturers, retailers and people
from consumer protection organizations.
Everyone is welcome to attend, but please note
that registrations are limited and will be
accepted on a first come, first served basis.
For further information on theconference programme, details onhow to register or the opportunityto become a sponsor or exhibitorat the conference, please visit:www.escconference.org.ukor call +44 (0)207 880 6214.
6 SwitchedOn
In January, the jury at the inquest into the
death of a baby killed by scalding water
when a tank collapsed in the attic above her
bedroom was told that the fault could affect
up to 3.5 million homes
It is estimated that there are some 20 million
homes in the UK that have electric immersion
heaters.
Although in these days of central heating
many of these immersion heaters will run only
occasionally, failure of the thermostat in older
systems having no over-temperature cut-out
can lead to danger.
In particular, there have been cases where,
due to the failure of a thermostat, water in
the cylinder has been heated to boiling point,
causing it to be discharged into the cold water
storage tank through the open vent pipe.
Where the tank is constructed of plastic, the
rise in water temperature can cause the tank
material to soften. This in itself should not be
a problem with relatively modern tanks if the
tank base is adequately supported, but there
have been cases where the tank has slumped
due to inadequate support. Also, the seams of
plastic tanks made to older standards may be
prone to split. In either case, failure of the
tank will cause scalding water to cascade into
the space below.
The risk of injury from such an event is likely
to be higher in homes that were built
between 1945 and 1975 because, usually
having been linked to back boilers, tanks are
more likely to be located over bedrooms.
Also, with older ‘combi boiler’ installations still
utilizing a hot water cylinder, there is a risk
that the hot water pipework would be unable
to cope with the increase in system pressure if
a faulty immersion heater caused water in the
hot water cylinder to boil.
To help minimize the risks to householders,
electrical contractors undertaking maintenance
and repairs to immersion heaters, or periodic
inspections of domestic electrical installations,
are asked to take note of the following:
Maintenance and repairs
• Replacement immersion heaters should
comply with BS EN 60335-2-73. These
must be fitted with a control thermostat
and a non self-resetting over-temperature
cut-out which operates independently of
the thermostat. The over-temperature
cutout may be combined in the same
device as the thermostat but the functions
must operate independently. The over-
temperature cut-out must prevent the
stored water exceeding 98 oC in the event
of failure of the thermostat
• Replacement thermostats should
incorporate a similar non self-resetting
over-temperature cut-out
• Replacement cylinder thermostats
controlling motorised valves in the primary
heating circuit should be the strapped-on
or immersion type. A non self-resetting
over-temperature cut-out should also be
fitted to prevent the stored water
temperature exceeding 98 oC. If this is
adjustable, it should be set at approx
10 oC to 15 oC above the thermostat
setting to prevent nuisance operation.
Control thermostats incorporating a non
self-resetting cut-out should only be
replaced with thermostats incorporating a
similar cut-out device
• Thermostats, over-temperature cut-outs
and combined thermostat/cut-out devices
must comply with BS EN 60730.
Periodic inspections
• If the immersion heater does not comply
with BS EN 60335-2-73 and the cold water
tank is plastic, make an appropriate
observation and assign it a
Recommendation Code 2 (requires
improvement)
• If, however, there are also signs of
overheating or thermostat defects (such as
blueing or burning of terminals,
deteriorated cable insulation), there is
condensation in the roof space, the hot
water cylinder is noisy (like a large kettle),
or cold water taps run warm or hot, a
Recommendation Code 1 (requires urgent
attention) is almost certainly warranted.
The award of either a Recommendation
Code 1 or a Recommendation Code 2
should result in the overall condition of
the electrical installation being recorded as
‘unsatisfactory’ in the periodic inspection
report form.
SCALDING RISK CAUSED BY OLD IMMERSIONHEATER THERMOSTATS
SwitchedOn 7
“Child Safety Week reminds the whole
community – parents, grandparents, carers,
children – not to get complacent about
dangers around the home, garden and
schools. A lovely fun way to remind us to
keep safe”
Christine, Mother, Dorset
Child Safety Week, which this year runs from
23 to 29 June, is the Child Accident
Prevention Trust’s flagship community education
campaign. It raises awareness of serious
childhood accidents, and how to prevent them,
in ways that engage children and families.
The Council is an official sponsor of Child Safety
Week for a second successive year, joining
government departments and other
organisations concerned with child safety.
Child Safety Week generates media coverage
for practical safety advice and last year reached
34 million people through radio, television,
press and websites. This included numerous
radio interviews given by our Director, Phil
Buckle, with journalists keen to reveal survey
findings on children’s lack of awareness of the
basic dangers of electricity and to promote our
‘Switched On Kids’ website,
www.switchedonkids.org.uk
By providing free activity packs, Child Safety
Week also acts as a catalyst for thousands of
local safety activities and events, which reach
millions of children and families UK-wide. Last
year, local activities reached an estimated 2.1
million parents and grandparents, and 1.8
million children and young people.
Feedback on Child Safety Week’s impact
was positive:
“Many parents have relayed that they have
revised their safety measures because it
‘made them think’ and ‘opened their eyes’
to issues they had not thought about
before the awareness campaign.”
Health Visitor Assistant, Bicester, Oxfordshire
“The children have become more aware of
sounds such as sirens and smoke alarms,
and now understand what they are there
for. They have also become more road
aware and now understand the dangers of
playing in the kitchen”
Registered Childminder, Lincoln
Get involved!
This year, Child Safety Week runs from
Monday 23 to Sunday 29 June. There are lots of
ways that you can get involved, either as an
individual or through your workplace:
• Publicise Child Safety Week on your
organisation’s website or in your company’s
email bulletin and provide a link to the Child
Accident
Prevention
Trust’s website
www.capt.org.uk for more information
about the Week
• Sign up to receive free Child Safety Week
resources – just fill in the simple form on
CAPT’s website (www.capt.org.uk)
• Display Child Safety Week posters in your
workplace
• Distribute Child Safety Week activity packs
through your networks and encourage your
contacts to get involved – the packs are full
of ideas for activities and events
• Put out copies of Child Safety Week quizzes
and competitions in your staff room, so
colleagues can test just how much they
know about child safety
• Support activities at your child’s school or
nursery, talk to your childminder about how
they will celebrate the Week, and encourage
your children or grandchildren to enter a
safety competition
• Suggest a child safety quiz night at your
local community centre or pub – you could
even offer electrical safety equipment such
as plug-in RCDs as prizes!
CHILD SAFETY WEEK
The forum provides an opportunity for
participating bodies to submit, for
discussion, technical queries and issues relating
to the application of the requirements of
BS 7671, with a view to arriving at an industry
consensus.
The aim is to build up a data bank of agreed
technical ‘Questions and Answers’, which
participating bodies, installers and others can
draw upon freely for the purposes of developing
their own technical guidance, publications,
training materials etc.
As this issue went to press, the participating
bodies included:
Association of Plumbing and Heating
Contractors, BSI Product Services, CORGI,
ECA, ELECSA, Electrical Safety Council, IET,
NAPIT, NICEIC, OFTEC and SELECT.
Neither the Council nor the forum is able to
respond directly to technical questions from
individual contractors or installers. Electrical
contractors and installers seeking technical
advice on the application of the requirements
of the 17th Edition should contact their
registration or trade body in the first instance.
If the registration or trade body then wishes
to establish a consensus of opinion, they may
refer the question to the forum for
consideration. Then, if the forum is able to
agree an appropriate answer, it will be
added to our website.
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION FORUM ESTABLISHED
The guidance agreed by the forumcan be viewed on our website
www.esc.org.uk/forum
8 SwitchedOn
In the late 1960s, Barrie Rigby trained as anapprentice to become an electrician. Heenjoyed the work and went on to be a
maintenance electrician.
His job involved visiting different sites includingsome cotton mills in Oldham. His work thererequired him to carry out work in boiler houses,close to asbestos-lagged pipes. His wife has saidthat despite the nature of his work, Barrie wasnever given any protective clothing.
Barrie was a keen runner and avid golfer. Despitehis good health in June 2003, Barrie became verybreathless after climbing the stairs to the thirdfloor apartment in Menorca, where he and hisfamily were staying on holiday.
Back home in Cumbria, he visited his GP who senthim for tests at the local hospital. By August, achest x-ray revealed what looked like lung cancer.Two weeks later, a chest consultant asked Barrie ifhe had ever worked with asbestos. Barrie spentthe next few weeks undergoing a series of hospitaltests, and also needed to have his lungs drained offluid.
On 2 October 2003, his granddaughter’s firstbirthday, Barrie was diagnosed with mesotheliomaand told he had 12 -18 months to live.
Barrie spent much of this painful time in hospital.It was also necessary for him to have a lungremoved. Barrie Rigby died in July 2005, aged 62.
Unfortunately Barrie’s story is a familiar one. It ishard to believe that every week, about 20maintenance workers, including six electriciansand three plumbers, die from asbestos-relateddiseases caused simply by breathing in asbestosfibres.
The Health and Safety Executive has launched theAsbestos kills! campaign to make maintenanceworkers, especially electricians, aware thatasbestos is still present in many buildings and thatunless they take precautions, asbestos could killthem too.
Asbestos-related diseases currently account foraround 4,000 deaths a year in Great Britain,making it the UK’s single biggest cause of workrelated deaths. Each year, more people die fromasbestos-related disease than are killed on theroads.
It is predicted that in six years’ time (2013), 5,000people in Britain alone will be dying every yearfrom latent exposure to asbestos.
Naturally occurring fibrous minerals, commonlyknown as asbestos, were used extensively in
“EVERY WEEK,ABOUT 20
MAINTENANCEWORKERS,
INCLUDING SIXELECTRICIANS
AND THREEPLUMBERS, DIE
FROMASBESTOS-
RELATEDDISEASES”
Asbestos kills!
F I RED O O R
14
4
5
5
5
77
5
5
55
6
6
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
1
11
11
1
1
11
SwitchedOn 9
building materials from the 1950s until the mid-1980s. Asbestos was versatile, plentiful and idealin fireproofing and insulation materials.
Even though many asbestos materials have beenremoved over the years, it is estimated that morethan half a million industrial, commercial andpublic sector premises, plus millions of homes,still contain some form of asbestos. Thesebuildings all need maintenance and repair fromtime to time and, when the asbestos fibres aredisturbed by actions such as drilling or cutting,they can become deadly.
Where is asbestos found in buildings?
Asbestos and asbestos containing materials(ACMs) may be found in any building built orrefurbished up until 1999.
High-risk ACMs include:
• Asbestos moulded or preformed lagging usedas thermal insulation on pipes and boilers
• Sprayed asbestos used for thermal insulation,fire protection, partitioning and ducts
• Asbestos insulating board used for fireprotection, thermal insulation, partitioning andducts
• Some ceiling tiles
Lower risk ACMs include:
• Asbestos containing floor tiles
• Asbestos cement roofing and guttering
Remember, before starting a job that may involvedisturbing asbestos, to check if the task falls underthe requirements for licensing.
Protect yourself if you are doing work that mayinvolve disturbing asbestos
Do:
• Check whether the work falls under therequirements for licensing
• Ensure you’ve received asbestos awarenesstraining
• Use personal protective equipment, including asuitable face mask
• Clean up as you go – don’t let waste pile. Anddon’t sweep - use a suitable vacuum cleaner
• Wash before you take a break and at the end ofthe day’s work, and
• Put asbestos waste in a suitable sealedcontainer. You can use a heavy-duty polythenebag, put it in a second bag, and label the outerbag to show that it contains asbestos.
KEY:
Normally non-licensed
materials:
•Asbestos cement products
•Textured coatings
•Floor tiles, textiles and
composites
Normally licensed materials:
•Sprayed coatings on
walls etc
•Asbestos insulating board
•Lagging
•Loose asbestos in cavity
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
10 SwitchedOn
Remember - asbestos waste needs tobe taken to a licensed tip.
Don’t:
• Use work methods which create a lot of dust, suchas using power tools
• Take home overalls you have worn while workingwith asbestos
• Eat or drink in the work area, or
• Smoke – the risk of lung cancer from asbestos ishigher among smokers
Ask before you start
Part of the tendering process for any job shouldinclude asking the client whether asbestos is presentwhere work will be carried out. Those responsible fornon-domestic premises have a duty to find out ifasbestos is present and if so, to record where it isand its condition, so should be able to tell you. If theyare unable to do so, you must ask them to find out oryou will have to get tests done before you start work.
In domestic premises, householders will probably notknow if their homes contain asbestos, and the onusis on the employer of those carrying out the work toeither find out, or to assume that asbestos is presentand take the necessary precautions.
If you come across any hidden or dusty materialswhich you suspect may contain asbestos, stop workand get advice.
Training
It is important that people carrying out any work onasbestos materials are properly trained andsupervised. If you do not have the right trainingand/or the job is not adequately supervised, there is astrong possibility that the work will not be carried outproperly. This can result in you and others beingexposed to asbestos fibres. If you are self-employedyou will need to obtain this training yourself. If youare an employee, your employer should arrange foryou to be trained.
Barrie Rigby was a highly respected electrician whoworked for a professional body that representselectricians and deals with electrical safety. He evenwrote a book on the design of electrical services forbuildings. Despite this, he didn't know about thedangers of asbestos. All electricians should beaware of the dangers and take the simpleprecautions necessary. Don’t let asbestos kill you.
Full details of the Control of Asbestos Regulations2006 are available onwww.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/regulations.htm
Further guidance on asbestos, including informationon what work requires a licence and how to worksafely is available on the HSE website atwww.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
Workers’ campaign packs are available fromHSE’s Infoline 0845 345 0055.
“ALLELECTRICIANSSHOULD BEAWARE OF THEDANGERS ANDTAKE THESIMPLEPRECAUTIONSNECESSARY.DON’T LETASBESTOSKILL YOU.”
Health and Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
Call 0845 345 0055 now for yourFREE Asbestos Information Pack.
Any building built or refurbished before the year 2000 could contain asbestos,which is one of the most lethal dangers in the workplace.
Every year there are still 4,000 deaths from asbestos related diseases.You could be working where asbestos is present right now.
Don’t you owe it to your workmates, your family and yourself to fi nd out more?
Every week 6 electricians die from this hidden killer.
Enclosed with this issue of Switched On, you will find an asbestos awareness pack from the HSE.Please read and act upon the contents - it could help you to avoid becoming a victim yourself.
To order further packs, visit www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/campaign/orderpack.htm
Anew Act has been proposed that will give
much greater powers to regulators,
including the Health and Safety Executive and
local authorities, to impose alternative penalties,
including on-the-spot fines, on businesses that
commit regulatory breaches. These include
breaches of the Electricity at Work Regulations
and Building Regulations.
The Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill
is a response to the Macrory Review, which
identified inconsistencies and restraints in
powers available to regulators.
The review found that the use of criminal
prosecutions can be a disproportionate response
in many instances of regulatory non-compliance
and that penalties handed down by the courts
often failed to act as a sufficient deterrent. It
recommended an extension of monetary
penalties and a strengthening of statutory
notices to work alongside the criminal law.
If enacted, the Bill, which extends to England
and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, will
establish a new statutory body called the Local
Better Regulation Office.
The Bill creates new sanctions for regulators,
including:
• Fixed monetary penalties – it is envisaged
that such fines will be imposed by a
regulator in respect of low-level, minor or
high volume instances of non-compliance,
without the need to resort to criminal
prosecution
• Discretionary requirements which include:
• Variable monetary penalties – requiring
a person to pay a monetary penalty
whose size will be determined by the
regulator
• Compliance notices – requiring a non-
compliant business to undertake certain
actions to bring themselves back into
compliance, and
• Restoration notices – requiring a person
to undertake certain actions to restore
the position, as far as possible, to the
way it would have been had regulatory
non-compliance not occurred.
• Stop notices – requiring a person to cease an
activity that has given rise, or is likely to give
rise, to regulatory non-compliance; and
Enforcement undertakings – an agreement
offered by a person to a regulator to take
specific actions related to what the
regulator suspects to be an offence.
The options available under the Bill will also give
wider whistleblowing opportunities to
employees and greater sanctioning options to
the regulators. In addition, employers are likely
to feel greater pressure because the regulators
will be able to speed up punishment and
therefore cut delay in dealing with backlogs.
In conjunction with the proposed extension of
the time limit for Building Regulations
prosecutions reported in previous issues of
Switched On, the Regulatory Enforcement and
Sanctions Bill promises to give local authorities
in England and
Wales the
additional
powers they
need to
effectively tackle
those electrical
installers who
continue to
ignore the
requirements of
Part P.
REGULATORS LIKELY TO BE GIVEN GREATER POWERS
In addition to the proposed regulatory changes
reported in the previous article, a new initiative
has been agreed between Building Regulations
competent person scheme operators and local
authorities in England and Wales that promises
a more effective way of dealing with rogue
installers.
Members of competent person schemes who
become aware of notifiable work being carried
out by unregistered installers have been asked
to report those installers to their registration
body.
If the report includes sufficient evidence of a
breach of the Building Regulations, the
registration body will pass the information to
the relevant local authority via a new dedicated
reporting system which will be monitored by
LABC, the national body representing Local
Authority Building Control.
NEW SYSTEM FOR REPORTING BREACHES OFBUILDING REGULATIONS
SwitchedOn 11
•
12 SwitchedOn
We are pleased to announce the
establishment of an ‘Electrical Safety of
Products Committee’ as a sub-committee of
the Council’s Technical Committee. Its purpose
is to assist us in our efforts to improve the
electrical safety of consumer products.
The committee consists of Council staff and
co-opted members from industry representing
a wide range of organisations, associations,
institutions and regulatory bodies, all with an
interest or involvement in product safety
matters.
Active members include:
• Age Concern
• AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of
Domestic Appliances)
• Intertek (ASTA BEAB)
• BEAMA (British Electrotechnical & Allied
Manufacturers Association)
• Institution of Engineering and Technology
• RoSPA
• Trading Standards Institute
• UNITE
‘Papers only’ members include:
• ABI (Association of British Insurers)
• BASEC (British Approvals Service for
Cables)
• BERR (Department for Business, Enterprise
& Regulatory Reform)
• BSI Consumer Safety Policy Committee
• Chief Fire Officers’ Association
The inaugural meeting took place in January.
The committee will now meet on a quarterly
basis, mainly to:
• Advise on electrical safety issues of
significance to the Council relating to
consumer products that are intended to
be connected to extra-low voltage or low
voltage supplies
• Consider and advise on draft material
proposed for publication in this magazine,
on our website and elsewhere.
We would like to thank those representatives
who were able to accept our invitation to join
the committee, and for the valuable
contributions they are able offer.
NEW ELECTRICAL SAFETY OF PRODUCTS COMMITTEE FORMED
The release of the Guide for Consumers
when ordering domestic electrical work was
publicised to consumers in March with a media
campaign which included radio messaging.
It is also planned to include the Guide in some
of the Yellow Pages directories, and we are
pleased to be working with Yell’s Consumer
Development Team (see page 18) to make this
happen. This will be a great help to consumers,
as the Guide will be directly to hand when they
use the directories to find an electrical installer.
The Guide, which was produced in
collaboration with the Institution of
Engineering & Technology, has already been
welcomed by many electrical installers who
said that they will be using it to help improve
communication with their customers.
We have also received positive feedback and
support from consumer groups and local
authority building control departments who
see the Guide as an effective way of giving
consumers advice and guidance up front, to
help ensure they get the service they expect.
In January
this year,
Consumer
Direct
released its
statistics for
2007, which
show that
complaints
about electrical services and installations rose by
15% to 2,890. This increase was significantly
greater than the overall increase in home
maintenance complaints, which rose by 8% to
72,134.
It is hoped that by encouraging consumers to
use the quotation request form in the Guide, it
will help to reduce the number of complaints
about electrical installers over the coming year,
something we will be paying close attention to.
The full Guide can be downloaded free of
charge from the ‘find an electrician’ section of
our website (www.esc.org.uk).
A printer-friendly version of the quotation
request form has now been made available
following requests from electrical installers who
wish to print copies on their own letterhead
paper. (Visit www.esc.org.uk/consumerguide).
GUIDE FOR CONSUMERS WHEN ORDERINGDOMESTIC ELECTRICAL WORK
Home maintenance complaintsand enquiries combined
Periodic inspection reportingThe guidance on the use of recommendation
codes for domestic and similar periodic
inspection reports has now been published on
our website, as Guide No 4.
Entitled Periodic Inspection Reporting -
Recommendation Codes for domestic and
similar electrical installations, this fourth Guide
was developed in association with:
• Electrical Contractors’ Association
• Institution of Engineering and Technology
• NICEIC Group Ltd
• Society of Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers Serving Local Government
• SELECT (Electrical Contractors’ Association
of Scotland)
Subsequently, CORGI and ELECSA also
confirmed their support for the guidance.
As previously reported, the guidance
embodies a new concept. This is that any
observation given a Recommendation Code 2
(requires improvement), not just a
Recommendation Code 1 (requires urgent
attention), should result in the overall
assessment of the condition of the installation
being recorded as unsatisfactory.
Previous guidance has been that only one or
more observations given a Recommendation
Code 1 should automatically result in the
overall assessment being given as
unsatisfactory. However, this has commonly
led to Recommendation Code 2 observations
being ignored by many householders and
other persons responsible for the safety of
such potentially dangerous electrical
installations.
The examples of common observations given in
the new Guide have been arranged such that:
• Recommendation Code 1 is assigned to
observations indicating that real and
immediate danger exists, or would exist in
the event of a fault occurring in the
installation (such as where accessible live
parts are exposed to touch, or where there
is no effective means of earthing)
• Recommendation Code 2 is assigned to
items where potential danger exists (such
as where there is no main bonding, or
where there is a borrowed neutral).
Fire precautionsWork continues on the development of the Best
Practice Guide on the impact of electrical
installation work on fire precautions in domestic
premises, where the work involves the
penetration or removal of linings forming
ceilings or walls.
Generally, fire safety in buildings requires that in
the event of a fire, the structure resists collapse
and critical elements provide fire separation for
the purposes of constructing fire compartments
and or protected escape routes.
In a typical two storey house for example, the
floor between ground and first floor has never
had anything other than a minor separating
function in the event of a fire, primarily because
none of the doors to the rooms off the staircase
have to be fire resisting. Indeed, open plan stairs
are common.
The floor, however, is required to provide 30
minutes load bearing capacity to prevent
complete structural collapse. This gives some
protection to occupants should they be trapped
upstairs, and also protects fire fighters who may
be engaged in search and rescue.
It is this load bearing capacity that is threatened
by early failure of the ceiling lining, not the fire
separating function. The advice given in the
Guide is therefore aimed primarily at preserving
the structural integrity of the premises.
Many modern forms of engineered construction
are heavily reliant on the contribution made by
the plasterboard, or similar linings, used in the
construction of the critical elements for their fire
resistance and this can be readily compromised
by inadequate 'making good' after any
penetration to accommodate electrical
equipment and associated wiring.
The components that have been identified as
having direct and significant influence on the
fire performance of the critical elements include:
• flush-mounted consumer units
• concealed and recessed luminaires including
downlighters
• flush-mounted electrical socket-outlets, flex
outlet plates and data points
• flush-mounted switches, detection and
control devices
• recessed wall luminaires
• concealed speakers.
With regard to the installation of downlighters,
the guidance to be given is that downlighters
with integral fire protection are the
recommended type for installing in all ceilings
where the lining that is being penetrated is the
sole method of keeping fire and heat out of the
cavity.
It is hoped to publish this Guide before the next
issue of Switched On is issued, and to increase
awareness of the important guidance it contains
by launching it at a seminar for electrical
installers and other building professionals later
in the year.
Other GuidesCopies of all published Best Practice Guides can
be downloaded free of charge from the
‘Business & Community’ section of our website,
and also from the websites of several of the
other contributors. In addition to the Guide on
recommendation codes (No 4), the published
Guides include:
No 1. Replacing a consumer unit where lighting
circuits have no circuit protective conductor
No 2. Safe isolation procedures for low voltage
installations
No 3. Connecting a microgeneration system to
a domestic or similar electrical installation
Further Best Practice Guides in the series may
include replacing domestic consumer units,
dealing with the effects of flooding, avoiding
the dangers of asbestos, and the use of plug-in
socket-outlet testers.
News about the development and availability of
these and other guides will be announced from
time to time on our website, and in future
issues of Switched On.
BEST PRACTICE GUIDES
SwitchedOn 13
14 SwitchedOn
DOES THE 17th EDITION REQUIRE A NEW TEST FOR RCDs?
BS 7671: 2008 (IEE Wiring Regulations 17th
Edition) was published in January and comes
into effect on 1 July.
A rumour has been circulating amongst
electrical contractors that the 17th Edition
requires RCDs to be subjected to a test at twice
their rated residual operating current (2 I∆n).
However, as explained in this article, the
familiar currents of 0.5 I∆n, 1 I∆n and 5 I∆n (as
applicable) should be all that are needed when
testing RCDs in the vast majority of
installations, as is the case under the 16th
Edition.
A 2 I∆n test would be needed only in
exceptional circumstances. But even where this
is the case, it does not necessarily mean that an
RCD test instrument having a 2 I∆n test setting
is required.
The rumour seems to have originated from
Note 2 of Table 41.1 of the 17th Edition, which
gives maximum permitted disconnection times
for final circuits rated at up to 32 A. The note
states that: “Where compliance with this
regulation is provided by an RCD, the
disconnection times in accordance with
Table 41.1 relate to prospective residual fault
currents significantly higher than the rated
residual operating current of the RCD (typically
2 I∆n).” However, Note 2 does not mean that
a 2 I∆n test is required.
The basic requirement of the 17th Edition for
testing RCDs with a test instrument (which
must comply with BS EN 61557-6) is that it
must be verified that the relevant requirements
of Chapter 41 are met (Regulations 612.8.1
and 612.10 refer). These requirements depend
on which type of electric shock protection the
RCD is being used to provide – fault protection
or additional protection.
Fault protection (protection against
indirect contact)
For an RCD being used for fault protection, it
must be verified by test that the device would
operate within the relevant maximum
disconnection time permitted by the 17th
Edition if an earth fault occurred in the circuit
protected by the device.
Examples of the maximum disconnection times
permitted by the 17th Edition, for a.c. circuits
of nominal voltage (U0) 230 V to Earth, are
0.2 s, 0.4 s, 1 s and 5 s (0.4 s being the most
common in TN systems and 0.2 s in TT
systems).
The table below gives the maximum tripping
times for the most commonly used types of
RCD at residual currents of 1 I∆n, 2 I∆n and 5
I∆n, as specified in the relevant British Standards.
It can readily be appreciated from the Table that
when verifying the operation of the RCDs listed
in the Table within disconnection times of 0.2 s,
0.4 s, 1 s or 5 s, either a 1 I∆n test or a 5 I∆n
test is always suitable.
For example, a 1 I∆n test is suitable for verifying
the operation of:
• a BS 4293 or BS 7288 non-delay RCD
within a disconnection time of 0.2 s, and
• any non-delay RCD referred to in the Table
within a disconnection time of 0.4 s or
1 s or 5 s.
A 5 I∆n test is suitable for verifying the
operation of (for example):
• any delay type RCD referred to in Table 1
within a disconnection time of 1 s or 5 s,
and
• a BS EN 61008-1 or BS EN 61009-1 non-
delay RCD within a disconnection time of
0.2 s.
A 2 I∆n test would be necessary only in
exceptional circumstances. An example is
where a current of 1 I∆n may legitimately not
be enough to trip an RCD within the maximum
disconnection time permitted by
BS 7671 (such as where a BS EN 61008-1 RCD
is used in a circuit where a disconnection time
not exceeding 0.2 s is required), but the test
instrument will not perform a 5 I∆n test for the
particular rating of RCD concerned. (Some
RCD test instruments will only perform a 5 I∆n
test for RCDs of rated residual operating
current (I∆n) 30 mA or less.)
Where this is the case, sufficient test current to
trip the RCD within the required time may be
obtained by setting the test instrument to suit
an RCD of a higher rated residual operating
current than the RCD being tested.
For example, if a 100 mA BS EN 61008-1 non-
delay RCD was being tested to verify operation
within 0.2 s, the test instrument could be set to
test a 300 mA RCD at a current of 1 I∆n. This
would be equivalent to testing the 100 mA
RCD at three times its rated residual operating
current (3 I∆n). As can be deduced from the
Table 1, a test current of 3 I∆n would be
suitable to verify operation of the device within
0.2 s, as this current exceeds 2 I∆n (the current
that BS EN 61008-1 requires to cause operation
within a maximum of 0.15 s).
Additional protection (supplementary
protection against direct contact)
An RCD used for additional protection must
have a rated residual operating current (I∆n) not
exceeding 30 mA and an operating time not
exceeding 40 ms at a residual current of
5 I∆n (Regulation 415.1.1 of the 17th Edition
refers).
The test procedure currently used under the
16th Edition for RCDs used for this purpose is
therefore still applicable (a 0.5 I∆n (no trip) test
followed by a 1 I∆n test and a 5 I∆n test).
BS EN 61008-1 (RCCBs)BS EN 61009-1 (RCBOs) Within 300 ms Within 150 ms Within 40 ms
BS 4293 (RCCBs)BS 7288 (SRCDs) Within 200 ms _ Within 40 ms
BS EN 61008-1 (RCCBs)BS EN 61009-1 (RCBOs) Within 500 ms Within 200 ms Within 150 ms
BS 4293 (RCCBs) Between 200 ms _ Between 40 ms+ 50 % of time + 50 % of timedelay and 200 ms delay and 40 ms+ 100 % of time + 100 % of timedelay delay
Note: A 0.5 I∆n test should also be carried out, to check for unwanted tripping.
Non-delay(general)
Delay
RCD type British Standard At 1 I∆n At 2 I∆n At 5 I∆n
Tripping times for RCDs at residual currents of 1 I∆n, 2 I∆n and 5 I∆n
Trip time
SwitchedOn 15
In last autumn’s edition of Switched On, we
reported on the findings of an independent
laboratory we had commissioned to test a
selection of travel adaptors that were readily
available on the UK market.
Their investigation revealed significant electrical
safety hazards that were common to most of
the adaptors tested, particularly to those that
did not incorporate all the safeguards found in
socket-outlets conforming to the UK product
standard BS 1363.
As soon as the hazards became apparent, we
alerted those responsible in the supply chain for
the safety of the particular adaptors tested. We
also stated our intention to monitor the
situation to help ensure that appropriate action
was being taken by manufacturers, suppliers
and the relevant authorities to remove, or at
least minimize, the electric shock risk to users.
To this end, a number of initiatives have been
set in motion.
To establish the safety of travel adaptors as a
high priority for local and central government,
we raised our concerns in October last year with
MPs and others representing regulatory and
consumer interests at a meeting of the All Party
Parliamentary Group for Consumer Affairs and
Trading Standards.
We have also been meeting with the
manufacturers of the particular adaptors
concerned to discuss in more detail the safety
issues identified, and to encourage action to be
taken at the very heart of the supply chain.
We were pleased to be informed by a major UK
travel adaptor manufacturer earlier this year that
they were already modifying the design of their
products to address the safety issues we had
drawn to their attention.
We will continue to work closely with them and
other manufacturers to build upon the positive
steps that have been taken so far to improve
the safety of travel adaptors supplied to the UK
market.
However, it has become evident from
discussions with manufacturers and product
certification bodies that working with those in
the supply chain alone will not necessarily
ensure the safety of future products.
The absence of any specific reference to a UK
product standard for travel adaptors (intended
for use outside the UK) in Statutory Regulations
has resulted in significant differences of opinion
within the industry as to which product
standard, if any, is most applicable.
This deficiency in UK legislation and standards
has been acknowledged by government in their
response to a public consultation on draft
Regulations to replace the Plugs and Sockets
etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, and in an earlier
proposal by BSI to prepare a draft British
Standard for travel adaptors, based on BS 1363:
Part 3.
Through our representation on relevant BSI
product standard technical committees, we
intend to pursue the development of a British
Standard for travel adaptors that will clearly set
out and underpin the safety requirements for
such products, and meet consumer
expectations.
Anyone who is concerned that they have
purchased an unsafe product should contact
their local authority trading standards
department in the first instance. However, we
would also like to hear from anyone regarding
any general concerns about the safety of an
electrical product they have recently purchased.
Please send details to:
or write to us at:
Product Safety, The Electrical Safety Council
18 Buckingham Gate,
London SW1E 6LB
MANUFACTURERS RESPOND TO CONCERNSOVER TRAVEL ADAPTORS
We have been made aware from various
sources, including Fire & Rescue Services
up and down the country, of a growing
electrical safety problem amongst migrant
communities.
Many Eastern Europeans living in the UK are
putting themselves and their families at risk of
electric shock or fire by continuing to use,
without adaptation, electrical appliance leads
that have 2-pin ‘Europlugs’. These plugs, which
are quite safe to use with the electrical
installations in their countries of origin, do not
incorporate a fuse.
The way in which they have been able to
continue using these non-BS 1363 type
plugs in the UK is by overriding the safety
shutter mechanism in 13 Amp socket-
outlets.
This practice is potentially dangerous, not least
because the appliance lead will almost certainly
not be adequately rated for connection to a UK
ring final circuit having a 30 or 32 Amp
protective device. Forcing the 2-pin plugs in
may also damage the plugs or the sockets.
With the number of Eastern
Europeans coming to settle
in the UK on the increase,
we are keen to find ways
of reaching them to
make them aware of the
potential dangers to
themselves and their
families, to encourage them
to desist from the unsafe
practice, and to offer
practical assistance.
We are helping to
overcome the problem by
promoting the use of
fused, purpose-made 3-
pin conversion plugs.
When correctly fitted and
fused, these conversion
plugs enable 2-pin
Europlugs to be safely
connected to standard UK
13 Amp socket-outlets.
We are supplying
thousands of these
conversion plugs free of
charge to Fire & Rescue
Services across the UK, for
them to give out when they come across the
problem during their home safety checks.
MIGRANT COMMUNITIES PUTTING THEMSELVES AT RISK
Phot
osco
urte
syof
Pow
erCo
nnec
tions
16 SwitchedOn
TrustMark is the Government-backedinitiative, supported by consumerprotection organizations and the building
industry, to help householders find reliable andtrustworthy tradesmen to carry out repair andimprovements to the inside and outside of theirhomes – from builders and electricians, toroofing specialists and landscape gardeners.
The Consumer Minister, Gareth Thomas MP,recently launched the TrustMark Consumer Forum.This initiative received considerable interest fromconsumer protection organisations that want toengage further with TrustMark.
The Minister said: “Dodgy builders costhomeowners millions of pounds every year. Theyare one of the most common causes of complaintto Consumer Direct. This is why the work thatTrustMark is doing to drive up standards is soimportant. It’s crucial that continues, as there arestill too many rogue traders and businesses whoprey on vulnerable people and undermine honesttraders.”
“TrustMark is the opportunity everyone has beenlooking for to give consumers exactly what theywant, need and deserve: the confidence to employtradesmen throughout the home, not get ripped off,to judge tradesmen on other aspects than merelyprice and to be safe in the knowledge that theirmoney is protected, competence is assured andfurther protection is given through a robustinspection and complaints procedure.”
Cowboy builders and rogue traders are an annual£1.5 billion problem for consumers across thecountry. Cowboy builders ruin the homes and livesof hundreds of thousands of people every year, andgive a bad name to an industry which in reality isfull of hard-working and trustworthy professionals.
TrustMark seeks to:
• allow firms and individuals that already havegood competence and customer care practisesto demonstrate why they offer better protectionto homeowners
• use the Government Endorsed Standards toimprove the competence and customer care offirms that currently fall short
• improve the standard of existing trade andcommercial organisations that apply for aTrustMark Scheme operator licence. To date,every licensed organization including a numberof trade bodies has had to change somethingabout the way they work with their members inorder to gain a licence such as ending ‘self-policing’, introducing independent inspections oroffering FSA regulated insurance-backedwarranties.
What TrustMark does and does not offer
• A firm’s technical skills have beenindependently checked through regular on-siteinspections, as well checks on their tradingrecords and financial position
TrustMark – the way for consumers to find reliable tradesmen
“DODGYBUILDERSCOSTHOMEOWNERSMILLIONS OFPOUNDS EVERY YEAR.
”
SwitchedOn 17
• The firm has signed up to a code of practice thatincludes insurance, good health and safetypractices, and customer care
• The approved scheme operator has checked andwill continue to monitor their quality of work,trading practices and customer satisfaction
• The firm will tell homeowners about anybuilding regulations they must meet and may beable to provide the certificates they need
• If homeowners have a problem or disagreementwith the firm, there will be a clear and user-friendly complaints procedure to help sort outthe problem
• If the firm doesn't automatically provideinsurance cover, homeowners will have theoption to buy a warranty. Customers may haveproblems on occasion but, if they do, they’recovered through the Insurance BackedWarranty facility and the independentcomplaints process
• In return for this level of reassurance,customers are expected to deal fairly with thefirm, agree a fair price for good work, and payquickly when the job is finished
• TrustMark firms will be appropriately qualified,trade legally, are signed up to a Code of Practicethat ensures they look after their customers,will dispose of materials in an ecologicallyfriendly manner, will work safely, informcustomers of Building regulations if relevant,
have been independently inspected, will offerwarranties on work over £250 which is coveredby the Financial Services CompensationScheme, and have an independent complaintsand disciplinary process
What TrustMark doesn’t offer is a guarantee thatcustomers will never have problems. However, ifthey do, they are well-protected by the scheme.
Working through approved scheme operators,TrustMark can now offer the public, access to awide range of trades, including electricians,builders, plumbers and heating engineers, gardenlandscaping, roofing contractors, damp-proofingand timber treatment specialists, glaziers, fenceinstallers, conservatory companies, drainagecontractors, joiners, plasterers, painters anddecorators and service agents.
By using the TrustMark website, people can searchthe list of approved organisations by simplyselecting the trade they require and then adding intheir local postcode. This gives access to the manythousands of TrustMark registered tradesmen ontheir books.
To find out how to become a TrustMark-registeredfirm, visit www.trustmark.org.uk
mers to find reliable tradesmen
18 SwitchedOn
Yell takes its responsibilities in relation to
consumer protection very seriously, and
is committed to supporting and protecting
users of its products, including Yellow Pages,
Yell.com, and Yellow Pages 118 24 7.
A dedicated consumer development team was
established more than ten years ago to
actively promote consumer protection within
its products, focusing predominantly on the
home improvement sector.
By working with a number of key trade
associations and bodies within the UK
(including NICEIC and CORGI), Yell has
established strong relationships in order to
stamp out those advertisers who seek to
mislead the consumer by including false
information in their advertising.
Selecting trade associations and other bodies
to work with is not a simple process. Yell look
to those with the following criteria:
• membership qualifications
• membership vetting
• codes of conduct
• complaint/arbitration procedures
• member disciplinary procedures
Clearly both NICEIC and CORGI fall into
these categories, and Yell has worked
closely with both organisations since the
outset by checking that their logos are not
used incorrectly within Yell’s products.
Wendy Bridge, head of consumer
development at Yell, said: “This activity is
the cornerstone of our work with NICEIC,
CORGI and selected trade associations. It
sends a strong message to our advertisers
and has removed all incidents of traders
‘passing off’ as trade association members
within the sectors that we work.”
In addition to the checking of logos, Yell
actively supports various conferences and
exhibitions arranged by NICEIC, CORGI and
selected trade associations, in order to
demonstrate Yell’s support for the
organisations and their members.
Yell also publishes consumer tips and advice in
specific classification headings of the Yellow
Pages directory.
The aim is to ensure that consumers are able
to make an informed choice, using the simple
tips that have been provided by the
Department for Business, Enterprise &
Regulatory Reform (BERR). The tips also
include the website address of BERR’s
Consumer Direct, giving a full range of
impartial consumer information.
ENA, the Energy Networks Association, is
the trade association for UK energy
transmission and distribution licence holders
and operators, acting in the interest of its
members in the energy 'wires and pipes'
sectors.
ENA's Safety, Health and Environment (SHE)
team co-ordinate safety, health and
environmental issues to help its members
achieve their business objectives safely.
As well as managing the industry sector
accident database and producing quarterly
updates, the SHE team oversees the industry
SAFELEC 2010 initiative, which sets targets for
reductions in accidents and cases of ill health,
and publishes a range of public safety
guidance leaflets.
The team liaises with the industry bodies
including regulators such as HSE, BERR, the
Environment Agency, and with other
interested parties including the Electrical
Safety Council, to develop a partnership
approach to managing SHE issues.
One such issue is the ongoing difficulties
electrical contractors have when needing to
arrange the temporary disconnection of the
electricity supply to domestic premises to
enable them to carry out certain work,
such as the replacement of consumer units,
in safety.
ENA is currently in discussion with the ECA,
NICEIC and SELECT, together with the HSE
and ourselves, about the possibility of
authorizing competent persons other than
meter operatives to withdraw service fuses in
order to effect temporary isolation.
For further information about ENA and the
forthcoming SHE2008 conference (24 - 25
April), visit www.energynetworks.org
COUNCIL LIAISES WITH THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION
YELL – WORKING TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER
2-pole disconnector
10 Amp Type Bcircuit-breaker
Junction box
Extractor fan
Ceiling light
Permanentlive
Switchedlive
Pull switch
2-core and earth1.5 mm2 cable
Consumer unit(10 outgoing
ways)
IP44; delay-off timer
As-installed supply arrangements
SwitchedOn 19
During 2007, a serious fire occurred in a
residential property. Fortunately the
occupants were evacuated before anyone was
seriously harmed. This article, written by John
Madden, HM Principal Inspector (Electrical
Engineering) with the HSE, briefly explains the
circumstances of the incident and draws out
some important lessons that can be learned
by electrical contractors and others.
“Investigations carried out by the Health and
Safety Executive concluded that the fire most
probably started in a wall-mounted extractor
fan in one of the property’s shower rooms.
The fan, which was supplied at 230 volts and
incorporated an adjustable delay-off timer,
was switched on and off by a pull-cord switch
that also switched the shower room’s light.
The fan was installed about 200 mm above
the shower head, within reach of people using
the shower, and inside the space that is
defined as zone 2 in Section 601 of BS 7671:
2001. It had been installed in that location
during the mid-1990s, well before the zoning
requirements of Section 601 were published,
and it had been in continuous use since then.
Although the fan had an ingress protection
rating of IP44, the manufacturer’s installation
instructions specifically advised that the fan
was not suitable for installation inside a
shower cubicle. The instructions also
stipulated that the fan should have been
supplied through a 2-pole switch
incorporating a 3 amp fuse.
The illustration shows the as-installed supply
arrangements to the fan, indicating that the
instruction relating to the 3 amp fuse had not
been followed.
The extent of the fire damage meant that the
precise cause of the fire could only be a
matter of informed speculation, but it is most
likely that long-term moisture ingress had
caused deterioration of the insulation or
created tracking paths on the fan’s internal
components. The flow of fault current would
have created the conditions for the generation
of heat that could have been sufficient to
cause the fire.
HSE’s investigation concluded that the supply
to the fan was unsafe and that the work
carried out by the electricians who originally
installed the fan was of a poor standard. The
incident raises questions about the quality not
just of the electrician’s work but also of the
verification process that should have been
carried out at the time of the installation to
confirm compliance with BS 7671.
Another important issue concerns the
effectiveness of routine preventive
maintenance of the fixed electrical system,
which comprised formal inspections and tests
carried out by electricians on a five-yearly
cycle. A legitimate question to be asked is
why the unsafe location of the fan was not
identified during routine periodic inspections
of the electrical installation? Perhaps a more
basic question concerns whether or not it is
reasonable to expect this type of installation
error to be picked up during periodic
inspections.
My own view is that the electricians who
carried out these periodic inspections should
have recognised the unsafe location of the fan
and brought it to the attention of the
property’s owners. My justification for making
this observation is as follows. Firstly, IEE
Guidance Note 3 Inspection and Testing
explains that, among other things, the
purpose of periodic inspection and testing is
to provide, so far as is reasonably practicable,
for the identification of installation defects
and non-compliance with the requirements of
the Regulations (BS 7671) which may give rise
to danger.
Secondly, the Schedule of Inspections
introduced in BS7671: 2001 specifically
requires the person carrying out a periodic
inspection to check particular protective
measures for special installations and locations.
This would include checking the electrical
safety of installations in bathrooms and shower
rooms. I would argue that, at the very least, it
is reasonable to expect that any periodic
inspection carried out after the introduction of
this Schedule would identify the unsafe
location of the extractor fan and bring it to the
attention of the client as a Code 1 observation
– requiring urgent attention.
So what lessons can be drawn from this
incident? I suggest that there are four, as
follows:
Lesson 1 Installation work of this nature
should be carried out only by people who
have the appropriate skills and knowledge and
who are able to apply them diligently and
consistently.
Lesson 2 The people who install fixed
electrical equipment such as extractor fans
must read the manufacturer’s installation
instructions and then follow those
instructions.
Lesson 3 The importance of the verification
process being carried out thoroughly and
diligently by competent people should not be
underestimated.
Lesson 4 Electricians who carry out visual
inspections of electrical installations should do
so thoroughly and diligently. If they fill in the
Schedule of Inspections to indicate compliance
with the requirements relating to special
locations such as bathrooms and shower
rooms, they should ensure that those
requirements are in fact satisfied.
If the actions associated with any one of these
lessons had actually been implemented at the
appropriate time, this incident would not have
happened and people’s lives would not have
been put at risk. I very much hope that
electricians and others reading this will take
these lessons to heart.”
LESSONS ARISING FROM AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
20 SwitchedOn
BACK ISSUES OFSWITCHED ONAll the previous issues ofSwitched On are available to read ordownload from the ‘Business &Community’ section of our website,www.esc.org.uk
Firefighters called to a fuse box short-
circuiting in a pub near Oswestry found the
culprit had paid the ultimate price for
tampering with electricity.
When Station Officer Mike Wilkinson took the
cover off the box, he found a dead mouse inside.
A fire crew was called to the Lime Kiln in
Porthywaen just after midnight yesterday to
reports of a fire inside the fuse box.
‘When we arrived the supply was short-
circuiting,” Mr Wilkinson said. “We isolated
the supply and contacted the electricity
company. However, when I took the cover off
the fuse box, there was a mouse, dead inside.
It had obviously been exploring or perhaps
had climbed inside to keep warm. “The
landlady at the Lime Kiln screamed when she
saw the mouse.”
He said if the fuse box had short-circuited in
the middle of the night and gone undetected
it may have led to a fire in the premises.
MOUSE KILLED AS IT STARTS ELECTRICAL FIRE
Story courtesy of Shropshire Star newspaper
COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS –NOT SO FRIENDLY?
Recent press reports have highlighted the
potential risks posed by low-energy
compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) if broken, or
disposed of carelessly.
The health and environmental issues relating
to this type of lamp have become more
significant following government plans
announced late last year to phase out by 2011
the traditional, incandescent, type of light
bulb for energy conservation reasons.
Although the risks are considered to be
minimal, an understanding of the issues will
help to prevent potential harm to people and
the environment.
Compact fluorescent lamps contain a small
quantity of mercury which can be harmful if it
accumulates in the body. Risks of low level
mercury poisoning may occur when lamps are
broken, but the issues relating to correct
disposal procedures and the environment also
need to be considered.
Broken lamps Defra (the Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs) has warned consumers that
if a compact fluorescent lamp is smashed, the
room should be evacuated, and ventilated for
15 minutes. A vacuum cleaner should not be
used to clear up the debris, and care should
be taken not to inhale the dust.
They have further advised that the lamp
should be cleared up, using rubber gloves, by
carefully collecting the broken material
(including fine particles) and putting it into a
sealed plastic bag. The bag should then be
taken to the local council waste disposal site.
Unbroken lampsUnbroken lamps should also be taken to local
council waste disposal sites, where there
should be a facility to collect and safely
dispose of them.
Another option might be to return lamps to
the retailer from where they were originally
purchased. Some retailers are members of the
Distributor Take-back Scheme, which operates
to afford compliance with the Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.
Specialist companies then collect the lamps
from the waste disposal sites or retailers, and
safely recycle the materials.
Other types of fluorescent lampWhilst the recent press reports related to
compact fluorescent lamps, the advice applies
equally to the linear fluorescent lamps often
used in kitchens and garages, as well as in
offices and shops.