INDUSTRY FOCUS: SAFETY IN ENGINEERING After recent extremely high profile fires, such as Grenfell Tower, there has been an
increased focus on safety. Since the fire, there has been questions about existing regulations and whether they are enough to protect people in serious events such as Grenfell
REGULATIONS LEAD THE WAY IN IMPROVED SAFETY O
ne piece of legislation that has been reviewed and will be
published in July 2018, is the 18th Edition of the IET wiring regulations. The focus of the new legislation is to improve fire prevention and protection throughout buildings in the UK, as well as to safeguard workers and the public.
WHAT IS NEW? In addition to measures that will prevent a fire starting in the first place, such as a ‘switching device’ in the installation of renewable energy storage systems, and arc fault detection devices in AC final circuits, the most significant change is the way wiring support systems throughout buildings are protected from premature collapse in the event of a fire. The previous version of the regulations
(Amendment 3 to the 17th Edition, or BS 7671:2008), stated that fire-resistant fastenings and fixings should be used in all cable installations above escape routes. These are deemed as any point that provides access for people to quickly exit a building to be safe from both fire and smoke. The intention was to prevent escape routes from becoming blocked by the premature collapse of cabling installations in the event of a fire, caused
by extreme heat melting their plastic fixings, thereby allowing the occupants to exit the building safely. The latest update now stipulates that
A combination of stainless steel cable ties and concrete screws provides a safe option
this should be extended to include all cabling installations throughout the building. However, this will only apply to wiring systems that could collapse prior to rescue services entering the building. So, cables on top of cable tray, ladder rack or similar, or cables installed within conduit and metal trunking would not need special consideration. This means that anything that is clipped to the walls, or cables inside of plastic trunking where the lid can ‘pop off’ when there is a heat build-up, will require a fire- resistant fixing. Fundamentally this will improve the safety of the occupants in a building in the event of a fire and will ultimately save lives.
HOW CAN SUPPLIERS HELP? The main way suppliers can help is by providing products and advice that will help workers choose the right products for their project. One of the most effective and popular choices is concrete screws. Concrete screws are inserted directly into the concrete without the need for a plastic plug, providing a secure fixing that can withstand a fire. This means they are extremely simple to
install as they do not require many additional tools or fixings, consequently reducing the time it takes to install and increasing efficiencies on site. In addition, they are very flexible as they can be removed and reused. In situations where an unexpected change occurs on site, it can dramatically reduce the risk of a costly and time consuming alteration. Finally, as concrete screws require smaller drill holes, they create a significantly less amount of dust. This is increasingly becoming a consideration on site as contractors focus on protecting workers through providing PPE and minimising risk. Another option to consider is stainless
steel cable ties. Historically these have been seen as an unnecessary expense, especially when their plastic cousins are so readily available from all wholesalers. However, as they provide high strength, reliability and fire resistance, they meet the requirements of the new legislation. In the event of a fire they are capable of withstanding temperatures of over 500°C, significantly reducing the risk of cable installations collapsing and causing blockages in escape routes. It is important to remember that any
installation is only as strong as its weakest point, so stainless steel cable ties will not work if their fixing is still provided using a traditional screw and plastic plug. Therefore, a combination of stainless steel cable ties and concrete screws should be used for cable installations to provide essential support.
www.fixmart.co.uk
18TH EDITION SEMINAR TO BE BEAMED LIVE TO CINEMAS ACROSS UK O
n July 4th this year NICEIC and ELECSA will be transmitting a live talk on the 18th
Edition which will be beamed via satellite to 40 cinema screens
simultaneously.Tickets cost just £5 and can be booked online at a cinema close to you now by visiting
www.18edition.com/cinema “The upcoming launch of the 18th Edition will be an important time for every electrician across the UK,” commented NICEIC and ELECSA’s marketing director Mark Smith. “We wanted to do something unique, affordable and easily accessible to help contractors gain an improved insight into the forthcoming changes.” The 18th Edition seminar will be broadcast
from the world famous Faraday Theatre, in The Royal Institution. Hosted by industry experts Darren Staniforth and Alan Wells, the talk will focus on the changes included in the new regulations and what it will mean for electricians
28 MAY 2018 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
in their day-to-day work. “When the 17th Edition was launched in 2008,
a lot of industry myths emerged because multiple messages were communicated by different speakers. The advantage of broadcasting to all four corners of the UK on a single day is that we can communicate a single, consistent message to the industry,” commented Staniforth. “We believe this will benefit the whole industry and increase safety standards as a result.” There will be audience contributions from some
of the biggest names in the industry, including representatives from JPEL 64 and its sub- committees, who are responsible for writing the new regulations. The seminar will be broadcast live to over 40 screens across the UK. Smith added: “We aim to reach as many people
as possible and will have a live link-up with all the cinema screens. We plan to invite everyone in
the industry to attend, as it will be of value to everyone from apprentices through to time- served electricians.” NICEIC and ELECSA have partnered with Vue,
Odeon, Showcase and Omniplex Cinemas to put on the 18th Edition event. The live seminar and cinema event will take place from 9am on Wednesday, 4 July. Tickets to the cinema screenings are available at the website below.
www.18edition.com/cinema
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