Getting to grip with the latest wiring regulations

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in the UK.

With British Standards being used in the UAE for many years, Michael Borrowdale from AEI Cables looks at some of the changes in the new 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations, and the implications for specifiers and installers.

The 17th Edition IEE Wiring Regulations is a long-overdue update of the previous edition. All domestic and industrial electrical installations and wiring must conform to these regulations and, in order to align with European documents, the latest edition contains some substantial changes over the previous edition.

Distinguished by its red cover, it is produced by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, otherwise known as the IET.

Anyone who is involved in the maintenance, installation and/or design of electrical installations or wiring in buildings will be affected by the 17th edition wiring regulations, as would professional engineers and students needing to gain recognised electrical qualifications. The update is important to a range of professionals, including surveyors, local authorities, electricians, electrical contractors, consultants and architects, as well as many other allied trades involved in electrical work.

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When a specifier asks for products to meet a certain British Standard, then it is always better to check for clarification, especially with the many changes in the industry, and the new 17th Edition causing some concern for specifiers and installers, notes Borrowdale.

The additional rules include protection against voltage disturbances and implementing measures against electromagnetic influences. There are also added requirements for safety services such as emergency escape lighting and fire protection applications. Installation methods can now be affected by skill levels, with distinctions being made where installations are supervised by skilled, instructed or ordinary persons.

There are even new references to the terms used, says Borrowdale. The term ‘protection against direct contact’ has been simplified to ‘basic protection’, while ‘protection against indirect contact’ has been amended to ‘fault protection’. Another regulation concerns protection of cables buried in wall plaster or enclosed within partition walls. This situation requires armoured or screened cables to appropriate standards, while another option in this regard is earthed metal protection.

The changing nature of the construction of buildings has also been taken into account, as with a steel-framed system, for example, where the entire frame of the building could potentially go ‘live’. This means that safety has to be ensured during the construction process itself, as well as upon final occupation.

“The overriding effect of the new rules is that the choice of the cable is potentially more complex and more important than before. The selection of traditional flat twin and earth, for example, may simply not be enough as has been the case in so many instances.

“One of the toughest and most challenging areas of systems specification today is for fire performance for fire alarms and emergency lighting installed later in the build, which makes it even more important to get it right first time. The need to re-specify or start ripping out cabling because of a wrong choice or a wrong assumption is time-consuming and costly all round,” says Borrowdale.

Next generation

An example of the latest ‘smart’ networks that are paving the way for the next generation of fire alarm and protection systems are being showcased by AEI Cables at the new £580 million Queen Elizabeth Hospital for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

The installation is being managed by Protec Fire Detection Plc, which specialises in the design and installation of these systems. Balfour Beatty is working in conjunction with Haden Young on the actual construction of the project.

AEI Cables is supplying this prestigious project with high-quality Firetec Standard and Firetec Enhanced cabling specified to meet all British Standards requirements. The cables provide continuity of power so alarm systems can function properly. They have been adapted to configure a network for the Protec Algo-Tec system, which controls smoke damper systems and works as part of the sophisticated overall fire-detection system.

The integration of the smoke damper system into the fire alarm system means that, via the graphics on a PC, operators can see all areas, and the dampers can be closed to prevent any smoke and subsequent toxicity from spreading from any fire, enabling any people in other areas to evacuate safely. A voice evacuation public address system has also been linked to the fire detection system.

“We have drawn on our experience in this field from similar partnership arrangements with international clients to ensure we are making informed decisions throughout the process,” comments AEI Cables CE Jim Duffy.