Cases & enclosures
Specifying fire safety compliant enclosures
Specifying the correct electrical equipment for lighting and emergency systems can help improve the fire resistance of buildings. Unfortunately there are currently no universal standards available to help contractors ensure they pick suitable housings. Therefore it is important to work with an enclosure supplier that can prove the fire resistance of their product. In this article, Chris Lloyd, managing director of Spelsberg UK, looks at safety regulations and how to safely house critical electrical systems to protect from fire
of the electrical equipment is key to guaranteeing the safe functioning of emergency electrical systems relevant for rescue and escape, such as emergency lighting and smoke extractor systems. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the electrical installations meet fire safety regulations and guarantee safe function during a fire. In the UK, BS 7671: 2008 (Requirements
I
for Electrical Installations, IEE Wiring Regulations 17th Edition) is the national standard for the safety of electrical installations. It specifies that the electrical equipment must not present a fire hazard to adjacent materials and that the wiring
n the event of a fire in a building, ensuring the safety and well-being of anyone inside is the top priority. Critically, fire resistance
systems must be selected and erected to minimise the spread of fire. According to the BS 7671 requirements,
there are two main methods that provide fire protection to electrical circuits. The first one consists in encasing the conduits in concrete, mostly within walls; while the second option is ensuring cables and enclosures can withstand fire for a prolonged amount of time. The first method presents some
limitations. First, it is necessary to design the encasement before the building is erected. Second, the concrete encasement protects against flame passage, but does not protect an electrical circuit from failure. Finally, this design does not allow for access or visual inspection of conduits and cables. All these factors make it challenging to
maintain fire resistance properties during and after any renovation. In fact, any modernisation or maintenance requires the demolition of the original concrete encasement. The action is therefore expensive, time consuming and there is a risk of jeopardising the fire protection of the system and the building. The adoption of electrical circuit
protection systems, like Spelsberg’s WKE fire protection enclosures, provides a cost- effective and easily replaceable alternative that makes maintenance and upgrades easier. When this system is used, the outage required to complete maintenance and installation projects is shorter as it is not necessary to dismantle concrete encasement and the action does not compromise the fire
Spelsberg’s WKE 404 RK Cable junction and connection box with IP66 certified acc. EN 60670
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August 2019 Instrumentation Monthly
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