BSEE


INDUSTRY COMMENT


Fight fire with technology: the connected approach to fire prevention


By Sean Miller, Electrician Programme Manager at Schneider Electric


The government has commied to new legislaon that will require electrical installaons in the private rented sector to be inspected and tested at least every five years. Landlords will need to hire qualified


electricians to carry out this work, and will face fines of up to £30,000 for non compliance


P


revention is the best cure and this legislation is set to ensure that safety is upheld by all landlords in the private rented sector. When it


comes to fires, much attention has been given to building design, rules and procedures to ensure property and staff are protected once the fire has started. However, by that stage it is already too late for most properties.


Fire directly endangers life and property. It’s not enough to have a fire response plan – it is necessary to have a comprehensive fire prevention strategy that utilises the latest technologies for fast detection and rapid response.


Trailblazing technology


A fire can spring from many sources. Current standards do a good job of ensuring properties are properly defended against fires created by overcurrent caused by overloads and short circuits.


However, electrical fires can also result from mistakes made during the installation process, namely loose cabling or aging circuits that will not be detected by overcurrent protection. Indeed, a defective or worn insulation is the cause of 14% of all electrical fires in buildings. The danger of landlords only performing the bare minimum to protect their buildings is that, should a fire start from a source they haven’t accounted for, the loss and disruption to property could be devastating.


For maximum protection, individuals need reliable, innovative products that excel past the minimum standards to prevent a fire from starting in the first place. The pending legislation will add to this safety from the start. It will require landlords to use qualified electricians when installing, repairing and maintaining systems, benefitting both landlords and tenants by mitigating electrical issues.


The risk of cable insulation faults grows over time and the consequences can be severe. Low-intensity arc faults are more likely to occur in humid, dusty environments, causing injury and deadly fires if precautions aren’t taken. Protection against insulation faults within cables can be assured by residual current devices (RCD), which are triggered by earth leakage currents exceeding 300mA.


Additionally, final circuits in critical locations (as recommended in IEC 60364), should be protected by an arc fault detection device (AFDD). This is a circuit breaker that automatically cuts off the electricity supply when it detects an arc fault in the circuit. By immediately stopping the supply, AFDDs stop arc faults from reaching temperatures where fires can break out.


The announcement also represents an opportunity for electricians to get more work and grow their skills. Moving forward, we expect to see more electricians securing long running contracts with landlords, across multiple properties to meet the ongoing demand. This will go hand-in- hand with ensuring tenants feel safe where they live.


Fire is never an inevitability. When you follow the right approach to electrical fire prevention with the best tools, a fire can be put out before it even has a chance to begin. The government announcement is a great first step in improving safety standards across the entire sector and ensuring all properties receive the qualified attention they require.


10 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MARCH 2020 Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


‘


Fire is never an


inevitability. When you follow the right approach to electrical fire prevenon with the best tools, a fire can be put out before it has a chance to begin


’


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50