11th November 2014
Amendment 3 to BS 7671:2008 (the IET Wiring Regulations) will be published on January 5th 2015, and it is likely to contain a requirement that domestic consumer unit enclosures be made of a ‘non-combustible’ such as steel. BEAMA has just clarified this news.
Amendment 3 to BS 7671:2008 is likely to require that domestic consumer unit enclosures be made of a ‘non-combustible’ such as steel.
These regulations will apply to all electrical installations designed after the 1st of July 2015.
One of a number of changes in Amendment 3 is expected to address the selection of consumer units in domestic premises, and it is likely to require that, within domestic premises, consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies will have to comply with the BS EN 61439-3 standard.
BEAMA says that the primary root-cause of fires in consumer units has been clearly identified as resulting from loose connections and this new regulation is intended to provide a level of enhanced fire risk protection in this event.
So, in particular, under Amendment 3 enclosures will need to be made from a suitable non-combustible material, or be enclosed in a cabinet / enclosure made from a suitable non-combustible material complying with regulation 132.12.
An example of such a non-combustible material is steel. The reason, of course, for this likely new requirement of Amendment 3 is to prevent any consumer unit fire from escaping the enclosure – so helping to reduce any fire risk to the domestic property resulting from a consumer unit fault.
Misleading information – a redress by BEAMA
However, BEAMA feels that there has been much misinformation about this likely requirement, so is setting the record straight.
Commented BEAMA’s Deputy Director, Installation Sector, Keith Smith: ”Much has already been written, some of it highly speculatively and potentially misleading, about the forthcoming Regulation 421.1.201 that is intended to improve fire safety in domestic premises.
“BEAMA, on behalf of the leading manufacturers of consumer units, has published a Technical Bulletin entitled ‘Enhanced Fire Safety from Consumer Units’ to give industry guidance and bring some clarity to the intended application of Regulation 421.1.201
“The content of this Technical Bulletin is fully supported and endorsed by leading industry bodies, including ECA, Electrical Safety First, IET and SELECT.
“A further point for clarification is that plastic enclosures manufactured from 960 degree glow-wire rated material would not be classified as ‘non-combustible’ in the context of this regulation.
“Full compliance with this new regulation,” said Keith Smith, “will be required for installations designed after 1st January 2016. However, this does not preclude compliance with this regulation prior to this date.”
To download a copy of the BEAMA Technical Bulletin, go to www.beama.org.uk
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