Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations - 2009 Edition

(3) Electrical equipment in bathrooms
(a) Except for SELV, for a circuit supplying equipment in a room
containing a fixed bath or shower, where the equipment is
simultaneously accessible with exposed conductive parts of other
equipment or with extraneous conductive parts, the characteristics
of the protective devices and the earthing arrangements should be
such that, in the event of a fault to earth, disconnection occurs
within 0.4s. All circuits supplying electrical equipment with exposed
conductive parts within 2.25m height above finished floor level
should be protected by one or more residual current device (RCD)
with a residual operating current not exceeding 30mA.
(b) Except for equipment supplied from a SELV circuit, in a room
containing a fixed bath or shower, supplementary equipotential
bonding to Code 11 should be provided between simultaneously
accessible exposed conductive parts of equipment, between exposed
conductive parts and simultaneously accessible extraneous
conductive parts, and between simultaneously accessible extraneous
conductive parts.
(Note: Where the bathroom is in a building with a protective
equipotential bonding system in accordance with Code
11E, supplementary equipotential bonding may be omitted
where all of the following conditions are met:
(i) All final circuits of the bathroom comply with the
requirements for automatic disconnection according to
Code 11B;
(ii) All final circuits have additional protection by means of
an RCD having the characteristics specified in Code
11J;
(iii) All extraneous conductive parts of the bathroom are
effectively connected to the protective equipotential
bonding according to Code 11E.)
(c) Where electrical equipment is installed in the space below a bath,
that space should be accessible only by the use of a tool and, in
addition, the requirement of subparagraph (b) above should extend
to the interior of that space.
(d ) Every switch or other means of electrical control or adjustment
should be so situated as to be normally inaccessible to a person
using a fixed bath or shower. This requirement does not apply to:
(i) the insulating cords of cord-operated switches which comply
with IEC 60669-1 or BS EN 60669-1 or equivalent;
(ii) mechanical actuators, with linkages incorporated insulating
components, of remotely operated switches;
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