13th November 2014
All users of the IET Wiring Regulations, should be aware of the forthcoming changes in Amendment No. 3 to the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2008+A3:2015). The IET says that potentially life-saving changes are proposed, making this a vital update.
The new yellow cover for Amendment 3 of BS 7671: 2008.
The Third Amendment is to be published in January 2015 and is expected to include a number of new requirements, including for consumer units (to come into effect January 2016), wiring in escape routes, changes to earth fault loop impedances for all protective devices, updated Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) and Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) forms, plus some changes to definitions throughout the Regulations.
Note that these changes may not be limited to the above amendments but will apply to all electrical installations designed after the 1st of July 2015 (apart from the January 2016 date for the consumer unit changes).
Fire safety and consumer units
BEAMA has said that the primary root-cause of fires in consumer units is loose connections, so Amendment 3 will provide a degree of enhanced fire risk protection such that enclosures will have to be made from a suitable non-combustible material, or be enclosed in a cabinet or enclosure made from a suitable non-combustible material complying with regulation 132.12 – such as steel. Clearly, this is an important change.
London Fire Brigade too has recorded statistics showing that the number of incidents of fire involving consumer units has increased rapidly to around five incidents each week.
Since then, LFB has been working with Electrical Safety First, BEAMA and other industry organisations to include in the Third Amendment requirements that will improve safety in the home and reduce the consequent risk of fire. This includes the forthcoming requirement that consumer unit enclosures be made from non-combustible material.
More about the Third Amendment
It is believed that the Third Amendment to BS 7671: 2008 will come in a yellow cover, and it will carry a trade price of £85.
BEAMA have also clarified this latest news about Amendment 3 – See separate article in MIDA News.
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