• • • CABLING & CABLE MANAGEMENT • • •


MP supports campaign by AEI Cables on Category 3 Control fire performance cables


Stuart Dover, general manager of AEI Cables, said the company has won further valuable support for its initiative highlighting the need for only using approved cabling in a range of critical applications of Category 3 Control fire performance cables


T


he systems powered by these cables – including smoke and heat extraction systems – assist fire services in firefighting and


enabling safe evacuation in the case of life safety. Sharon Hodgson, Labour MP for Washington


and Sunderland West, is supporting the initiative to raise awareness and follows the support of the Electrical Safety First organisation and national fire safety membership body, The Institution of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO). Sharon said: “This is a worthwhile initiative from


a company based in the North East highlighting the need for the use of the most relevant products in the interests of electrical safety. This seems particularly timely especially with the scenes we have seen recently with fires breaking out across the UK in the unusually hot weather.” Category 3 Control fire performance cables


reduce harmful smoke, toxic gases and flame spread in the event of a real fire. The applications of Category 3 Control fire performance cables also apply to evacuation


alarms for the disabled in care homes, emergency voice communications systems and voice alarm systems in relevant buildings including tall buildings, office spaces, hospitals, shopping malls and stadia. The Code of Practice for Category 3 Control fire


performance cables under BS 8519: 2020.which covers how to select and install fire-resistant power and control cable systems that, in the event of a fire, will maintain their circuit integrity for life safety and fire-fighting. The new Code is intended to inform and guide


designers, contractors, fire engineers, regulators and enforcers including building control bodies, fire authorities, Health and Safety inspectors and equipment suppliers and manufacturers. It is primarily intended for use in buildings


which, due to their size, height, form or use, require the installation of life safety and fire- fighting systems, e.g. sprinkler pumps, wet riser pumps, smoke control systems, fire-fighting and evacuation lifts or other systems as required by a


fire engineering strategy. We feel strongly about this issue as a matter of


safety and compliance. Using inferior types of cable for these applications is dangerous and posing a major risk. We are receiving a very positive response from customers who appreciate the information on an issue of such importance. Indeed, these cables also help fire and rescue


services to fight a fire and evacuate people in the event of an incident so we shouldn’t underestimate their importance. By incorporating this guidance into the selection


of cabling for these critical systems, those people using these striking new buildings can move about safe in the knowledge that they are safe. BS 8519:2020 makes reference to the


recommendations of BS 9999 and BS 9991, with regard to the design and installation of the electrical distribution systems for life safety and fire-fighting equipment. It also makes reference to three categories of


circuits required to maintain their circuit integrity under defined fire conditions for varying fire survival times of 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 120 minutes. Appropriate cable tests are identified for each


cable category derived from applicable British Standards assessing cable performance under conditions of fire as might be expected in an actual fire incident. BS 8519:2020 also aims to ensure that the level


of circuit fire integrity is not compromised by other components of the whole electrical distribution system, including cable glands, terminations, joints and cable support systems. AEI Cables’ Firetec Enhanced cabling has been


approved and certified by LPCB to BS8519 (Annex B), Category 3 Control in addition to Category 2 Control.The BS Code of Practice under BS8519 contains six categories of cables, three for power cables and three for control cables each covering survival times of 30, 60 or 120 minutes. Using the very latest in technology and science,


the Firetec Total Fire Solutions range offers Mineral Insulated Cabling (MIC), Firetec Enhanced fire performance cabling, accessories and technical support from the AEI Cables distribution facility at Washington, Tyne and Wear. All AEI Cables’ products are supplied with


approvals from independent bodies including BASEC and LPCB. It also holds approvals from organisations including Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail and LUL and works to international standards around the world.


16 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • SEPTEMBER 2022 electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


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