PART P - NICEIC

ISSUE151AUTUMN 2004
COV E R STO RY
Government publishes Approved Document P PAG E 5
PAGE 5 PAGE 21
PAGE 16
EDITOR
Mike Clark 020 7564 2471
DEPUTY EDITOR
Geoffrey Stokes 020 7564
2342
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
John Ware 020 7564 2357
ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER
Louise Taylor 020 7564
2485
GRAPHIC UNIT MANAGER
Tim Grey 0208 786 2162
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Rod Farquhar 0208 786
2162
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Pauline Still 020 7564
2362
SALES
Vivienne Rowe 01582
539700
SWITCHBOARD
020 7564 2323
TECHNICAL HELPLINE
0870 013 0431 (Approved Contractors)
0 870 013 0391 (Specifiers and others)
E-MAIL: enquiries@niceic.org.uk
WEBSITE: www.niceic.org.uk
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PAG E
Building Regulations amended 3
Stay informed 3
NHIC awards 3
‘De-neutralising’ black 4
Consumer leaflets updated 4
NICEIC hosts another Part P specifier seminar 11
Let us know your views…….Connections survey 11
NICEIC Training 12
NICEIC establishes presence in Liverpool 12
NICEIC welcomes.... 12 &15
Farebrother a winner 15
Building Regulations guidance 16
Pocket guides 18
Landlords’ legal responsibilities to increase 18
Inspection, testing & certification book updated 18
New Snags & Solutions book for wiring systems 19
HSE concerned about certification and reporting standards 19
Occupational health and safety 26
Clowning around 26
To be or not to be compliant with Building Regulations 27
Removals from the Roll 28
Technical Manual: October supplement 29
FEATURES
Technical support to Approved Contractors 13
New electrical danger notification form 16
Driving at work 21
TECHNICAL
Correction: Technical Manual Topic S225-25 29
New Visual Inspection Report form for domestic installations 30
Immersion heaters 32
Use of steel wire armouring as circuit protective conductor 33
From the Helpline 36
Transportable buildings 37
NICEIC Rules for Registration of Domestic Installers
CENTRE PAGES
‘ NI CEI CConnections’ is the journal
of the NI CEIC, published quarterly
National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting
Vintage House, 37 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7UJ
www.niceic.org.uk

ANNOUNCEMENTS
N E W S IN
B R I E F. . .
PART P
Government publishes
Approved Document P.
See page 5.
BUIL D ING REG U LATIONS AME NDE D
On 22 July, the Statutory Instrument introducing
electrical safety into the Building Regulations for
England and Wales was laid before Parliament.
The Amendment Regulations (SI 2004/1808)
introduce into the Building Regulations
requirements for the safety of fixed electrical
installations in dwellings and associated
gardens, greenhouses and outbuildings.
The new requirements come into force on
1 January 20 0 5 .
The Government intends the introduction of
Part P to result in a significant reduction in the
number of deaths, injuries and fires caused by
defective electrical installations. It is also
intended to raise the competence of electrical
installers.
To minimise the impact of Part P on building
control bodies, and at the same time encourage
more electrical installers to register with
certification bodies, the Amendment Regulations
name the NICEIC and four other bodies that
have been authorised to operate competent
person self-certification schemes for electrical
work covered by Part P.
Persons (firms or individuals) registered with the
schemes will not need to submit plans or give a
building notice to a building control body, but
instead will be able to self-certify compliance
with the Building Regulations. To reduce the
impact on contractors and building control
bodies even further, certain types of minor
electrical work, mainly involving existing circuits,
will not be notifiable.
Information and guidance relating to the new
requirements is given in a new Approved
Document P, as explained on page 5.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
FOR APPROVED
CONTRACTORS
Don’t forget that
technical advice, guidance
and support is available
from the NICEIC.
See page 13.
NEW CERTIFICATES
Two new ‘red’ certificates
are now available for
Approved Contractors: the
Electrical Danger
Notification (see page 16)
and the Domestic Visual
Condition Report
(See page 30.)
STAY I NFORM E D
To keep up with changes within the
electrical installation industry, attendance at
the NICEIC Open Forums or Specifier
Seminars is a must.
Details of events taking place over the next
nine months are shown in the table. If you
would like any further information, please
contact NICEIC Marketing on
020 7564 2489, or email
marketing@niceic.org.uk
NHIC AWA R D S
Date Event Venue
12 Oct 2004 Specifier Seminar North Wales
3 Nov 2004 Open Forum Northeast
Jan 2005 Open Forum Leeds and
surrounding area
March 2005 Open Forum Glasgow,
Edinburgh &
Aberdeen
SNAGS AND SOLUTIONS
PART 2
A new book of Snags and
Solutions covering
dilemmas with wiring
systems is now available.
See page 19.
IMMERSION HEATERS
One million immersion
heaters are replaced
every year.
See page 32.
Judging for the 27th Annual
National Home Improvement
Council (NHIC) awards took
place at the beginning of
September, but entrants are
to be kept on tenterhooks
until the Awards luncheon in
November.
The luncheon will be hosted
by the NHIC President, Lord
Ezra, and will take place on
25 November in the
Gladstone Library at One,
Whitehall Place. The guest
speaker and presenter of the
awards is Henry Bellingham
MP, the Conservative Shadow
Minister for Economic Affairs.
The NICEIC is again
sponsoring the electrical
safety category, which has
seen entries from housing
associations, local authorities
and other landlords who have
provided for tenants effective
electrical installation,
maintenance and safety
awareness programmes.
As well as the winners and
runners up for each category,
the awards luncheon will be
attended by a number of
MPs and Peers who have a
specific interest in the home
improvement industry, senior
civil servants from the ODPM,
DTI and DEFRA,
representatives from
organisations working in the
home improvement sector,
and members of the press.
Further information about the
awards can be found on the
NHIC website,
www.nhic.org.uk
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
‘ D E-NEUTRALISING’ BLAC K
Under the new identification colours for
fixed wiring introduced by Amendment 2
to BS 7671, black is now used to identify
a phase conductor, not a neutral
conductor, in new installation work.
Of course, for all single-phase applications,
it would be preferable to use cables
marked for such use, that is with brown,
blue and green-and-yellow cores.
Breaking the black/neutral
association
However, where three-core cables marked
in the new three-phase colours are used
for single-phase applications, it is proposed
that, as a convention, the black core is
used for the protective conductor, the
brown for the phase conductor and the
grey for the neutral. This convention is
intended to break the association between
black and neutral. It would mean that the
black core would normally be overmarked
green-and-yellow, and the grey core
overmarked blue or N. The brown core
would not need additional marking.
Street lighting
The Institute of Lighting Engineers (IL E )
intends to introduce such a convention
where SWA cables with brown, black and
grey cores are used for street lighting
applications, the black core being used as a
circuit protective conductor in parallel with
the armouring to maximise circuit lengt h s .
Fire alarm systems
Applying the same convention to a flat
three-core fire alarm interlink cable, the
grey would be overmarked as the neutral
and the black interlink overmarked brown.
CO N S U M E R L EA F L ETS UPDAT E D
The launch of the first NICEIC consumer
leaflet took place in December 2002. It
was such an immediate success that
three more quickly followed.
The information provided by the four
leaflets is just as relevant today as it was
when they were first published, but with
the inclusion of Part P into the Building
Regulations, it has been decided to
update them all.
The first leaflet, ‘Hmmm… Which
electrician should I use’ informs
consumers about the NICEIC and the
benefits of using an NICEIC registered
contractor to carry out electrical work.
The second in the series, ‘So many
electrical hazards in just one home…’
provides advice on how to deal with and
avoid the wide range of potential
electrical dangers that can be found in
the home.
‘Phew! That was too close for
comfort…’ was first distributed in the
Spring of 2003 to provide electrical
safety information for all those gardeners
venturing out to tidy up the garden for
the summer.
The fourth leaflet was produced to
support Fire Safety Week in September
2003, and for the use of CACFOA, the
Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officer’s
Association. ‘This electrical fire could
so easily have been avoided…’ gives
do’s and don’ts for preventing electrical
fires in the home.
All NICEIC consumer information leaflets
are being updated as part of a wider
programme designed to raise consumer
awareness of Part P, electrical safety, and
the benefits of using an NICEIC
registered contractor.
The programme includes a targeted
media campaign, providing key
information about the NICEIC and Part P
to regional and national newspapers and
broadcast media, as well as to home
improvement and women’s magazines.
Television DIY programmes such as DIY
SOS and Changing Rooms will also be
targeted.
Look out for the full public awareness
programme in the Winter issue of
Connections.
Copies of the consumer leaflets are available free to NI CEIC registered electrical contractors from NI CEIC Sales. To order, call 01528 53970 0 .
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NI CEIC CO N N EC T I O N S 4

FEATURE PART P
GOVERNMENT PUBLISHES
APPROVED DOCUMENT P
Approved Document P, which gives guidance on meeting the requirements of the new
Pa rt P of the Building Regulations, was published by the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister (ODPM) in July.
Copies of the Approved Document can be downloaded free of
charge from the ODPM website (www.odpm.gov.uk). A
printable copy will also be included in the October issue of the
Technical Manual CD-ROM. Alternatively, printed copies are
available from the Stationery Office (www.tso.co.uk), priced
£15.00.
What is Part P
As explained in the article on page 3 entitled ‘Building
Regulations amended’, Part P is a brand new part of the Building
Regulations for England and Wales, which will come into effect
on 1 January 2005.
All electrical installation work in dwellings will then become a
‘controlled service’ under the Building Regulations. This means
that, for the first time, the technical standard of electrical
installation work in dwellings (generally houses and flats) in
England and Wales will become subject to statutory
requirements.
These requirements will apply not only to new construction, but
also to any alterations or additions to existing installations,
including full or partial rewires.
What are the new requirements
There are two, simply-stated, legal requirements. The first is
that:
“Reasonable provision shall be made in the design,
installation, inspection and testing of electrical
installations in order to protect persons from fire or
injury.”
The second requirement is that:
“Sufficient information shall be provided so that
persons wishing to operate, maintain or alter an
electrical installation can do so with reasonable
safety.”
Are there any limitations on the application of
the requirements
Yes. They apply only to installations in dwellings
intended to operate at low or extra-low voltage.
The extra-low voltage band was included to
cover such things as extra-low voltage
downlighters, which have been known to be
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
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FEATURE PART P
the cause of a number of house fires, for example due to
incorrectly sized conductors.
Also, for the purposes of Part P, ‘electrical installations’ are
deemed to include everything downstream of the electricity
supply meter. The meter and everything upstream of it are the
responsibility of the meter operator or electricity distributor.
What is a ‘dwelling’
‘Dwelling’ is not defined in Approved Document P, but if it is the
same as defined in Approved Document B, which deals with fire
safety, a dwelling is:
A unit of residential accommodation occupied (whether or
not as a sole or main residence) by a single person or by
people living as a family, or by not more than six residents
living together as a single household, including a household
where care is provided for residents
So, for the purposes of Part P, a dwelling could be more than just
a house or flat. It is to be expected that specifiers and contractors
will be asking building control bodies lots of questions about
whether particular premises fall within the scope of Part P.
Do the Part P requirements extend beyond dwellings
Yes. In addition to electrical installations in houses and flats,
Part P will also apply to electrical installations in:
• common access parts in blocks of flats, such as corridors and
staircases (but not lifts)
• shared amenities in blocks of flats, such as laundries and
gymnasiums
• combined dwelling and business premises having a common
supply, such as shops and pubs with a flat above.
This means that there may be some overlap between Part P and
the Electricity at Work Regulations, but this was intentional, to
avoid any legal loopholes.
Part P will also apply to:
• Electrical installations in outbuildings, such as sheds, detached
garages and greenhouses that receive their electricity from a
consumer unit in a dwelling
• parts of electrical installations on land and in
gardens associated with dwellings, such
as for garden lighting and pond pumps.
Does Part P only apply to new construction
No. It also applies to all alterations and extensions to existing
electrical installations, including full or partial rewires.
Does Part P require parts of existing installations to be
upgraded
Yes, in some circumstances. For alterations and additions to
existing installations, there is a requirement to ensure that the
parts of the existing installation upon which new work will
depend for safety, such as the earthing and bonding
arrangements, comply with the current standard.
How far reaching is Part P
Very. From 1 January 2005, the legal requirements apply to all
electrical installation work in dwellings in England and Wales,
whether carried out professionally or by DIY, whether or not
‘minor work’, and whether or not notifiable to a building control
body.
What is ‘minor work’
Basically, ‘minor work’ is installation work not involving the
addition of a new circuit, such as the addition of socketoutlets
or lighting points to existing circuits, and the
replacement of accessories such as socket-outlets, light
switches and ceiling roses.
How will electrical contractors and others be able
to comply with the Part P requirements
The requirements can be met by applying the
fundamental principles for safety set out in
Chapter 13 of BS 7671: 2001 (as amended).
How can the fundamental principles for
safety be satisfied
A way of satisfying the fundamental safety
principles would be to follow the detailed
technical rules given in the body of BS 7671,
and authoritative guidance such as that
provided by the NICEIC and the IEE.
Examples include the NICEIC Technical
Manual and Inspection, Testing and
Certification book, and the IEE On-Site
Guide and Guidance Notes.
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 NICEIC CO N N EC T I O N S 6

FEATURE PART P
What operation and maintenance information is required
to be provided
The requirement to provide sufficient information for safe
operation, maintenance or alteration of electrical installations puts
greater emphasis on providing all the information called for in
BS 7671. This includes the appropriate warning notices, plus full
details of the installation in diagrammatic or schedule form, all as
required by Section 514 of BS 7671.
The requirement to provide information was included only
shortly before the Approved Document was published. The
NICEIC is still considering how domestic installers can best be
helped to meet this requirement. The development of an
‘owner’s handbook’ is one possibility.
Kitchens and ‘special installations and locations’
Electrical installation work in kitchens and ‘special installations
and locations’, if not undertaken by a prescribed competent
person, will have to be notified, even if only minor (unless only
comprising the replacement of accessories). ‘Special installations
and locations’ include:
• Rooms containing a bath tub or shower basin
• Swimming pools or paddling pools
• Hot air saunas
• Electric floor or ceiling systems
• Garden lighting or power installations
• Solar voltaic power systems
• Small scale generators, such as microCHP units
• Extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than preassembled,
CE-marked lighting sets.
Appropriate warning notices must be provided
What work will have to be notified to Building Control
All proposed electrical installation work in dwellings will need to
be notified to a building control body in advance of the work
starting, except when:
• the work is to be ‘self-certified’ by a prescribed competent
person as compliant with the Building Regulations, or
• the work is of a minor nature not involving the addition of
a new circuit - and it is not in a kitchen or ‘a special
installation or location’, or
• the work only comprises the replacement of
accessories, such as socket-outlets, control switches
and ceiling roses (even in a kitchen or ‘special
installation or location’).
The second and third exceptions are intended to
reduce to some extent the burden on building
control bodies in respect of DIY work.
What is a ‘prescribed competent person’
A prescribed competent person is a ‘legal person’
(that is, a firm or an individual) registered with an
electrical self-certification scheme authorised by the
Secretary of State, such as the NICEIC Domestic
Installer Scheme.
For those registered with the NICEIC Domestic
Installer Scheme (including Approved Contractors),
Approved Document P is now a prescribed
document. A copy (or an appropriate number of
copies) must therefore be held for reference
purposes. Copies downloadable free of charge
from www.odpm.gov.uk or £15 per copy from
the Stationary Office, www.tso.co.uk
How will compliance with Part P be confirmed
Basically, there will be three options for confirming compliance
with Part P:
• inspection of the work by a building control body (or an
agent appointed by them)
• self-certification by a prescribed competent person, and
• certain other arrangements for DIY work.
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NICEIC CO NNEC T I O NS AUTUMN 20 0 4

FEATURE PART P
Inspection by Building Control
As for the first option, few, if any, building control bodies currently
have the technical capability or resources to undertake such a
huge task. The effectiveness of Part P will therefore be largely
dependent on self-certification schemes.
Self-certification
The second option is self-certification by a prescribed competent
person – in this context, a ‘person’ means either a firm or an
individual. This is the option preferred by Government to
minimise the additional burden on local authorities.
Under the Building Act, work can be self-certified only by the
competent person who carried out that work. This rules out
certification of compliance by a third party other than a Building
Control Body, or an agent appointed by them.
DIY work
An exception is made for minor work carried out by DIY
enthusiasts. According to the Approved Document, a way of
showing compliance for such work would be to follow
‘authoritative guidance’, and then to have a competent person
inspect and test the work, and issue a Minor Works Certificate.
The competent person need not necessarily be registered with
an electrical self-certification scheme (ie a prescribed competent
person), but must be competent in the inspection and testing of
electrical work in accordance with BS 7671.
For DIY work other than minor work, prior notification to, and
inspection by, Building Control will be necessary to comply with
the law.
Confirmation of compliance to Building Control
Persons self-certifying compliance with Part P will be required to
provide certain information for Building Control purposes within
30 days of completion of the work. The information will be
required by Building Control in electronic form.
The range of information, which needs to be routed through the
competent person scheme operator, is:
• the address where the work was carried out
• the date the work was completed
• the registered name of the contractor
• the contractor’s registration number
• the scheme operator, and
• a brief description of the work.
The ODPM intends to produce a set of standard descriptions of
electrical installation work to help Building Control deal with the
information.
The NICEIC is still developing systems to handle the data for
Building Control purposes that will be required from contractors
registered with the Domestic Installer Scheme. To enable the
legal 30 day period to be complied with, the NICEIC will require
the data from registered contractors within 25 days of
completion of work.
Building Regulations compliance certificate
In addition to the information required by Building Control, the
customer must also be given a certificate within 30 days of
completion of the work, stating that the work complies with
Regulations 4 and 7 of the Building Regulations.
Regulation 4 requires work to comply with all the relevant
requirements of the Building Regulations, while Regulation 7
requires the use of proper materials and good workmanship.
The NICEIC is developing a suitable Building Regulations
Compliance Certificate for Domestic Installers to give to their
customers for this purpose.
Electrical installation
certificate
In addition to a Building
Regulations compliance
certificate, the customer
must also be given an
appropriate electrical
installation certificate for
the work carried out.
The issue of such a
certificate is already a
requirement of BS 7671, but has often been ignored by
unregistered electrical installers. This is probably because many
such installers do not fully inspect and test their work to confirm
compliance with basic safety requirements before putting the
work into service. Part P will require them to do so in future.
Electrical installation certificates (including minor works
certificates) provide full details of the work undertaken, the
results of inspection and testing, and written confirmation from
the installer that the work fully complies with the safety
requirements of BS 7671.
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NI CEIC CO N N EC T I O N S 8

FEATURE PART P
A revised, three-page NICEIC Domestic Electrical Installation
Certificate, and a new, purple, Minor Domestic Electrical
Installation Works Certificate, were announced in the Summer
issue of Connections, and are available from the NICEIC Sales
Division. The purple versions of the certificates are available only
to contractors registered with the Domestic Installer Scheme.
Compliance with
other Building
Regulations
requirements
Because prescribed
competent persons are
required to self-certify
that their work
complies with
Regulation 4 of the
Building Regulations,
they are in effect
having to certify that
the work also complies
with the relevant
requirements of all the
other Parts of the
Building Regulations,
such as:
Part A: Structure - depth of chases in walls, size and position of
holes and notches in joists etc
Part B: Fire safety - fire detection and alarm systems, fire
resistance of penetrations through floors and walls etc
Part C: Site preparation – moisture resistance of cable
penetrations through external walls etc
Part E: Resistance to passage of sound – penetrations through
floors and walls etc
Part F: Ventilation – mechanical ventilation rates in bathrooms etc
Part L: Energy conservation – energy efficient lighting, currentcarrying
capacity of cables in thermal insulation
Part M: Accessibility – heights of socket-outlets and switches etc
To help electrical installers comply with the relevant requirements
of the Building Regulations, the NICEIC, in conjunction with the
ECA, has produced detailed advice and guidance.
The guidance has been endorsed by LABC, the Local Authority
Building Control body. This will hopefully mean that building
control officers will also refer to the guidance if there are any
disputes about compliance.
When will Part P come into force
Part P will apply only to contracts agreed on or after 1 January
2005. Contracts agreed before that date will be exempt, provided
that the work is completed by 31 March 2005.
However, there is NO transition period after 1 January for
electrical installers to register with self-certification
schemes. This means that, by law, installers that have not
registered with a scheme by that date will have to give
advance notice to the appropriate Building Control office
of their proposals to carry out any electrical installation
work, and to have it inspected by them (for a fee).
How many installers are likely to be affected by Part P
There are estimated to be more than 60,000 electrical
contracting firms involved in electrical installation work in homes
in England and Wales. About 50,000 of these firms are not
registered with any existing competence assessment schemes
recognized for self-certification purposes.
A large proportion of these firms are therefore expected to seek
assessment to enable them to self-certify work as, for them, the
alternative of inspection by Building Control may not be
commercially viable in the long term. But there may be up to
another 150,000 firms that undertake domestic electrical work in
support of their main activity, such as gas installers, and kitchen
and bathroom installers, that may also be subject to Part P.
What action should Approved Contractors take
Approved Contractors that wish to continue undertaking electrical
installation work in homes in England and Wales after the end of
this year, and that have not already taken action to register as
NICEIC Domestic Installers, are advised to apply without further
delay, as there is expected to be an avalanche of applications
from non-registered electrical installers over the coming months,
as the deadline approaches.
For Approved Contractors and Conforming Bodies, registration
under the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme is free – they have
already demonstrated that their businesses are competent to
undertake electrical installation work in accordance with BS 7671.
Ongoing compliance with Part P will be confirmed by the normal
periodic assessment process.
Details of the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme have been
given in previous issues of Connections. Further details are
available from the NICEIC website: www.niceic.org.uk, or by
telephoning the NICEIC call centre, free of charge, on
0800 013 0900.
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
 2004

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NICEIC HOSTS ANOTHER PA RT P S P ECIFIER SEMINAR
For the first time at an NICEIC seminar this
year, Paul Everall, Head of the Buildings
Division at the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister, was able to give the 200 or so
delegates a definite date for the
implementation of Part P, and proudly
held up a copy of Approved Document P.
However, many questions remain to be
answered, especially regarding the role of
Local Authority Building Control.
Speaking at the fourth NICEIC Part P
specifier seminar this year, held at the end
of July in Harrogate, Mr Everall explained
that Part P has been introduced to counter
the rising trend in injuries and fires in
households caused by defective electrical
installations.
He advised that a Regulatory Impact
Assessment, published at the same time
as Approved Document P, sets out the
costs and benefits of introducing the new
electrical safety requirements for homes in
England and Wales. The assessment
indicates that, every year, electrical
installation work is undertaken in 13% of
homes in the UK, but that only 50% of
firms carrying out that work actually
comply with the safety requirements of
BS 7671. With information like this, it was
almost a forgone conclusion that electrical
safety would be brought into the Building
Regulations.
Mr Everall concluded that the ODPM’s
work was not yet finished. With the help
of the five bodies now approved to
operate self-certification schemes in
support of Part P, he said that raising
awareness of the new requirements with
the trade, specifiers and the public was
the next task to be undertaken. In fact, the
NICEIC was already very active in each of
these areas.
Mike Clark, NICEIC Technical Director,
explained how electrical contractors and
specifiers could meet the legal
requirements of Part P. However, there
were still questions regarding the
notification of domestic electrical
installation work to Building Control, an
issue taken up by the second guest
speaker, Steve Broughton.
Mr Broughton, immediate past President
of the District Surveyors Association and
Director of LABC Services, estimated that
the implementation of the new regulations
would probably create work for at least
two additional surveyors in each Building
Control department. There would also be
a need for training and external expertise
if Building Control was to cope with the
increase in work that the new regulations
were expected to bring.
Other worries for Building Control included
the creation of a compatible computer
system to receive and allow access to the
data generated by self-certification
schemes, and how Building Control will
enforce Part P. But despite all this, Mr
Broughton said that LABC Services
welcomed the new regulations, and were
looking forward to working with the
NICEIC.
Graham Wretham, NICEIC Operations
Director, gave a run down of the criteria
which electrical contractors and other
businesses must meet if they wished to
register with the NICEIC Domestic Installer
Scheme. He also explained the benefits to
specifiers of using NICEIC registered
contractors to carry out domestic electrical
installation work.
The NICEIC Director General, Jim Speirs,
concluded the seminar with the NICEIC
Marketing and Public Relations plan for
the promotion of Part P, which included
an extensive advertising campaign in the
trade press. Further information about
Part P and the next Part P specifier
seminar can be found on the NICEIC
website: www.niceic.org.uk
L ET U S K N OW YO U R V I E W S.. CO N N EC T I O N S S U R V E Y
We want to know what you think of the new look
NICEIC Connections journal. Fill in and return
the Connections Readership Survey, enclosed in this
issue, for a chance to air your views and win
a set of the new NICEIC ‘Snags and Solutions’ series.
All completed surveys must be returned by Friday
29th October. The first 10 completed surveys out
of the bag will win a copy of Snags and Solutions
Part 1 - Earthing & Bonding, and Part 2 - Wiring
Systems.
If your survey form is not enclosed, call NICEIC
Marketing on 020 7564 2489.
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
2 004

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NICEIC
W ELCOM E S … . .
NICEIC TRAINING
AUTUMN/WINTER PRO G R A M M E
Demand for NICEIC training courses and
in house training has grown significantly
since NICEIC Training was set up in the
Spring of 2003.
The Autumn/Winter programme for 20 0 4
is now available, and includes the popular
two-day Inspection, Testing and Report i n g
course. The course is split into specific
topics which cover inspection procedures,
completion of the NICEIC Pe r i o d i c
Inspection Report, use of test instrument,
hands-on testing and completion of the test
result schedule. The course design allows
for attendance on either or both days.
The training programme also includes
courses on the application of BS 7671,
guidance on the completion of
certification for new electrical installations
and minor works in dwellings, and
procedures for verification of new
domestic and similar electrical installations.
If you would like further details of any of
our training courses or to discuss our
bespoke in-house training programme.
Please contact NICEIC Training on
0870 013 0389, or visit our website
www.niceic.org.uk
Vintage House
Alan Wells I Eng MIIE –
Senior Operations Engi n e e r.
Alan Wells joins us as Senior
Operations Engineer within
the Assessment Services Division,
replacing Malcolm Doughton.
Alan joined in April 2004 and brings
experience of working within quality
assurance systems gained during
previous employment in the roles of
Site Engineering Manager, Buildings and
Estates Manager, Design
Technician, Technical Officer
and Te c h n i c i a n .
Mark Coles BEng MIEE
Operations Engineer. Mark
Coles has been appointed
Operations Engineer and joins us from
Robert Ebdon Ltd where his duties
included project management and
being Qualified Supervisor.
Area Engineers depart i n g
We regret to announce the departure of
three Area Engineers. John Torrance has
decided to retire, Roger Poole has decided
to move back to the Midlands and Stephen
Todd has also moved on. We wish them all
every success for the future.
Contractors are advised that, until replacements are
found for these areas, all enquiries should be
referred to Vintage House.
NICEIC ESTABLISHES PRESENCE IN LIVERPOOL
The NICEIC Group has established a new office in Liverpool.
Situated in Wavertree Business Village, the office supports NICEIC
Training and NQA Training & Development, which incorporates the
Group’s business support service Synergetic Business Solutions.
NICEIC Training is developing a range of courses in response to
demand arising from the introduction of Part P of the Building
Regulations and the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme.
NICEIC Training has already developed a training course for
‘Periodic verification of existing electrical installations - the NICEIC
Periodic Inspection Report’. The Autumn schedule for these
courses, at venues nationwide, was distributed with the Summer
issue of Connections. The training schedule may also be viewed
on the NICEIC website, www.niceic.org.uk.
Synergetic Business Solutions provides business support to
electrical contractors, in particular on health and safety issues.
Synergetic undertakes risk assessments, and helps electrical
contractors establish integrated management systems. Synergetic
offers a comprehensive package of management system support
covering national and international standards such as ISO 14000
environmental, ISO 9001 quality, and OHSAS 18000 health and
safety.
NQA Training provides a range of management systems courses
including implementation awareness and auditing courses. The
majority of auditing courses are registered with the International
Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA).
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2

FEATURETECHNICALHELP
TECHNICAL SUPP ORT TO
APPROVED CO N T R ACTORS
Electrical contractors will sometimes meet a technical problem which, despite consulting
their own reference documents, they are unable to fully resolve themselves. One of the
benefits of being an NICEIC Approved Contractor is that, in such cases, technical advice
and guidance can be obtained from the NICEIC Technical Helpline and, during assessment
visits, from Area Engi n e e r s .
The NICEIC Technical Helpline tries to help all those having
technical enquiries falling within the Council’s electrical safety
remit, including those from specifiers and the general public.
However, where possible, preference is given to enquiries from
Approved Contractors, by providing them with more detailed
assistance in the interests of electrical safety.
Unfortunately, it is evident that a number of Approved
Contractors would rather pick up the telephone to call the
NICEIC’s ‘free’ technical helpline service than first trying to solve
relatively simple problems themselves by consulting their own
technical reference documents, including BS 7671!
Of course, the technical helpline service is not really free - the
cost of staffing it is borne by all Approved Contractors as an
element of their annual enrolment fee. Consideration has been
given to converting the helpline service to a premium rate line to
enable funds to be generated to employ additional technical staff
but, when last consulted, a majority of Approved Contractors
were not in favour of this ‘charge per use’ principle.
The NICEIC does its best to respond promptly to all technical
enquiries, but this has been putting an increasing strain on
technical staff resources. In particular, Approved Contractors
trying to use the Technical Helpline will have often found it
engaged for long periods. Unfortunately, many of the calls
queuing on the helpline are found to relate to technical issues
which a competent person should have been able to resolve
relatively easily by consulting BS 7671, the NICEIC Technical
Manual, past issues of Connections, or similar reference
documents.
Extent of advice and guidance available
Another problem is that the subject of a significant number of
enquiries on the technical helpline either falls outside the remit
of the NICEIC (such as commercial or contractual matters), or
call for information we are not in a position to provide. For
example, as a matter of policy, NICEIC staff will not check design
calculations, approve specific design proposals, or recommend
the use or otherwise of particular equipment. Nor can they
provide an interpretation of particular BS 7671 Regulations or
recommendations from other Codes of Practice in connection
with a particular installation - such interpretations can only be
given by the committee responsible for the particular Standard or
Code of Practice.
The NICEIC technical staff will however, when appropriate,
provide advice and guidance on the application of BS 7671 or
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
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FEATURETECHNICALHELP
related Codes of Practice, but only in general terms; it can never
be specific to a particular design.
Technical advice given by NICEIC staff will be confined to matters
of fact, matters relating to good installation practice, or providing
an explanation, generally by example, of the intended effect of
specific BS 7671 Regulations or Code of Practice
recommendations. Advice will also be limited to electrical safety
issues - advice on the operational performance of electrical
systems (such as lighting levels for emergency lighting systems)
cannot be provided.
Technical reference documents
It is essential that Approved Contractors have up-to-date technical
reference material appropriate to the range and scale of the
electrical work they undertake. All Approved Contractors’ electrical
staff are expected not only to have access to a copy of the
current issue of BS 7671, the Technical Manual and NICEIC
Inspection and Testing Book (or alternatively IEE Guidance Notes
1 and 3) and any other Standard or Code of Practice relevant to
the range of work they undertake, but also to be familiar with the
technical requirements and guidance they contain.
Many other useful sources of basic technical guidance are also
available, such as this magazine and HSE documents. The
answer to many of the technical questions asked over the
Technical Helpline can readily be found in such documents.
Where it is evident that an Approved Contractor has made no
effort themselves to find the answer to a relatively simple
question, the enquirer will be asked to consult an appropriate
reference document himself before, if necessary, referring back to
the NICEIC. In this way, the enquirer will be encouraged to
improve his technical knowledge and understanding, rather than
continually relying on external assistance.
Technical support from Area Engineers
During their half-day periodic assessment visits, Area Engineers
are always willing to discuss, within the limits outlined above, any
technical questions or problems Approved Contractors may raise.
Due to their busy schedules, however, the Area Engineers may
not have sufficient time to give detailed advice on all the issues
raised.
In such circumstances, Approved Contractors can arrange through
the Operations Division at Vintage House for their Area Engineer
to spend a further half day or full day with them, at the standard
rate, to discuss particular issues falling within the NICEIC’s remit.
Such discussions might include general advice and guidance on:
• inspection, testing and certification procedures
• electrical installation design principles
• electrical installation aspects of fire alarm and emergency
lighting systems etc.
Alternatively, Approved Contractors wishing to have more time to
discuss technical issues with their Area Engineer on an annual
basis may arrange to have a Supplementary Unit added to their
annual enrolment fee.
Except for technical issues raised during assessment visits, Approved
Contractors are requested to direct their technical enquiries to the
Technical Helpline rather than to their local Area Engi n e e r, whose
time is already committed to other NICEIC activities.
Technical support from Vintage House
As mentioned previously, the NICEIC Technical Helpline is often
overloaded. To ensure the provision of the best possible service
within the limits of the resources available at Vintage House,
Approved Contractors are reminded that technical advice and
guidance should be requested only by the registered Qualified
Supervisor. It is not unreasonable to expect operatives having a
technical problem to first try to resolve it with their Qualified
Supervisor, who is responsible on behalf of the business for
supervising their work and for ensuring that they are competent
to carry out the work assigned to them.
Only in cases where the Qualified Supervisor is unable to answer
a technical question, having himself consulted the appropriate
sources of reference (such as BS 7671, the Technical Manual,
IEE Guidance Notes etc) is it considered appropriate for him to
refer the enquiry to the NICEIC.
Technical helpline enquiry procedure
The helpline enquiry procedure expects Qualified Supervisors to
identify themselves by giving their name and the business’
enrolment number. The nature of the technical enquiry will then
be recorded in the business’ enrolment history. The information
recorded will be used to identify frequently occurring subjects for
which it would be appropriate to give general guidance through
Connections, and to assist Area Engineers to identify and discuss
the need for additional training for Qualified Supervisors during
their assessment visits.
Under the helpline procedure, it may not be possible to provide
technical advice and guidance to Approved Contractors unless
they are prepared to identify themselves for record purposes.
Technical enquiries received by email, letter or fax
Due to the limited technical resources available, enquiries
received in writing can generally be given no greater priority than
enquiries received on the Helpline. All written technical enquiries
are answered in the order they are received. It is helpful to
provide a contact telephone number with all written enquiries.
NICEIC call centre
In an effort to improve the response to technical
enquiries, calls to the Technical Helpline are now being
routed through the new NICEIC call centre. Callers
whose enquiries are of a non-technical nature will be
redirected to the appropriate department.
Although the call centre is open every working day from
0800 hrs to 1800 hrs, technical staff are currently
available to deal with technical enquiries between
0900 hrs to 1700 hrs only.
All calls to the Technical Helpline should be directed to:
Approved Contractors: 0870 013 0431
Specifiers and others: 0870 013 0391
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4

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NICEIC WELCOM E S … . .
Area Engineers arriving
Philip Boyes (Area Engineer for a new area
centred on Bolton.) Philip joins us from
B S Entwistle, where he was Contracts Manager
and Qualified Supervisor.
Mark Donovan (Area Engineer for a new area
centred on Milton Keynes.) Mark joins us from
Legrand Electrical Ltd, where he was their
Regional Technical Assistant providing technical
support.
Neil Guilfoyle IEng MIIE (Area Engineer for a
new area centred on Preston.) Neil joins us
from Capita Property Consultancy where his
responsibilities included the preparation,
management and procurement of electrical and
mechanical contracts in education, government and private
sector buildings.
Andy Goudie (Area Engineer for a new area in
the West Midlands.) Andy joins us from R G
Slater Electrical in Bilston where he was their
Contracts Manager and Development Officer.
Scott Lindsey (Area Engineer for a new area
on the South Coast.) Scott joins us from
Marston Hotels as their Qualified Supervisor.
Scott was responsible for health and safety,
apprentice and team development, team
management and project management.
Pat Lyne (Area Engineer for North & West
London.) Pat joins us from the London Borough
of Enfield, where he was employed as Electrical
Design Engineer providing technical services to
all Council departments.
David Simmonite (Area Engineer for
Doncaster & Rotherham.) David was previously
the Health & Safety and Training & Quality
Control Manager of Tilen Electrics Ltd in
Sheffield.
Peter Williams (Area Engineer for a new area
in the North East.) Peter was formerly the
Electrical Inspector for Coast & Country Housing
in Redcar responsible for all remedial electrical
work to Coast & Country’s buildings, together
with the supervision of a team of electricians.
FA R E B ROT H E R A W I N N E R
Farebrother, the winner of this year’s NICEIC-sponsored Health
and Safety Initiative award at the Building Services Awards,
considers safety to be paramount.
John Johnson, Deputy Managing Director of Farebrother, was
delighted at winning the award.
The judges were impressed by the dedication of Farebrother
Chief Executive John Steward, who recently gained the National
General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health
qualification, and for the company’s series of on-site initiatives.
The initiatives included a near-miss reporting scheme, and
enforcement of the use of personal protective equipment. The
near-miss scheme promotes awareness of health and safety by
encouraging operatives to come forward with reports on any
situation or activity that could lead to an accident. An added
bonus is a £5 donation to charity by Farebrother for every nearmiss
reported.
If a Farebrother operative is found to be not wearing the correct
personal protective equipment, they are issued a ‘yellow card’
which includes a written warning that is then recorded on their
personal file. If a second failure to wear the correct equipment
occurs, a ‘red card’ is issued which results in instant dismissal.
Congratulations to all the winners and runners up of the NICEIC
Health and Safety Initiative Awards at this year’s Building Services
Awards.
Runners up for the award were:
Training provider JTL, for a number of initiatives designed to
ensure employers and apprentices follow the appropriate
health and safety guidelines.
Rolton Group for their Cyrax laser scanner, which addresses
the issue of surveying buildings in industrial environments
when the use of traditional methods can be difficult and
dangerous.
Skanska Rashleigh Weatherfoil for their Take 5 and Near-
Miss initiatives, developed in conjunction with BP.
Southern Electric Contracting (SEC) for their Injury
Prevention Process, a risk assessment method that has
contributed significantly to the safe behaviour of the SEC staff.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW ELECTRICAL DANGER NOT I F I C ATION FO R M
On occasion, Approved Contractors may
discover a condition in an existing
electrical installation that poses real and
immediate danger to users or others in
the vicinity. Such a condition requires
immediate action to be taken in the
interests of safety.
At the request of Approved Contractors, an
NICEIC ‘Electrical Danger Notification’ form
has been produced to help them take
appropriate action.
The new form:
• enables a contractor to formally notify
a person having responsibility for the
safety of an existing electrical
installation that a dangerous condition
has been discovered in the installation
which requires immediate action
• provides a record of the action taken
to remove or minimize the danger,
thereby assisting the contractor to
discharge the duty imposed on
competent persons by Regulations
4(1) and 4(2) of the Electricity at
Work Regulations, and
• provides a record of the action taken,
and the advice given to a responsible
person, to remove or minimize the
danger.
The notification is intended to identify only
damage, deterioration, defects, dangerous
conditions and any non-compliances
which give rise to real and immediate
danger.
A notification should not be issued unless
the Approved Contractor considers that
real and immediate danger actually exists.
Not all conditions that would warrant a
Code 1 Recommendation (‘requires
urgent attention’) in a Periodic Inspection
Report would necessarily constitute real
and immediate danger. Notifications will
be subject to challenge by duty holders,
and the NICEIC will investigate any
complaint that the issue of a notification
was not justified.
Where a real and immediate danger does
exist, with the agreement of a person
having responsibility for the safety of the
electrical installation, appropriate action
should be taken to remove or minimize
the danger immediately (such as
switching off and isolating the affected
part(s) of the installation).
Approved Contractors have no legal right
to isolate or disconnect any part of an
electrical installation without the
permission of the owner or another
person having responsibility for the safety
of that installation. If permission cannot be
obtained to remove danger immediately,
the Approved Contractor should act
without delay to minimise the danger so
far as is reasonably practicable, such as by
providing temporary barriers or enclosures
for exposed live parts, posting danger
notices etc.
Real and immediate danger may arise
from conditions such as:
• Live parts exposed to touch
• Connections or equipment showing
evidence of arcing or overheating
• Safety devices removed or bypassed
• Overheating cables
• Inadequate switching arrangements for
emergency or mechanical maintenance
purposes
• Incorrectly selected, damaged or poorly
maintained equipment in potentially
explosive atmospheres (hazardous
areas).
The form makes it clear that the
notification is not a detailed or
comprehensive report on the condition of
the installation or equipment concerned. If
necessary to determine the full extent and
nature of any dangerous conditions, a full
periodic inspection and test of the
installation should be recommended.
The new form is available only in the red,
controlled, serially-numbered NICEIC
format. See enclosed order form for
details.
BUILDING REG U L ATIONS GUIDA N C E
In collaboration with the ECA, the NICEIC has produced
guidance to help electrical installers self-certifying electrical
installation work to comply with all the other relevant
requirements of the Building Regulations.
The guidance, which is expected to become available by the
end of October, will be endorsed by LABC, the body
representing Local Authority Building Control interests. It is
hoped that, with such endorsement, the guidance will be
recognized as an authoritative reference source for both
domestic installers and building control
officers alike. The availability of the
guidance will be announced on the
NICEIC website.
Printed copies are available from
NICEIC Sales – see enclosed order form for details.
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6

ANNOUNCEMENTS PART P
P O C K ET GUIDES
The fifth NICEIC pocket guide, to be
distributed with the October Technical
Manual supplement and CD-ROM,
provides a reminder about the isolation
procedure to be followed to ensure that
an electrical installation, or part of it, is
made safe to work on.
The sixth guide in the series, to be
distributed with the January Technical
Manual and CD-ROM, will be on
permitted cable route zones in a wall or
partition.
Any complaint
concerning
missing pocket
guides should be
addressed to the
Technical Manual
distribution
centre, tel: 0208 319 7601, fax: 020
8319 7609, quoting your registered
trading title, address (including
postcode) and enrolment number
(where applicable).
Additional copies of NICEIC pocket
guides may be obtained on
application to NICEIC Sales.
L A N D LORDS’ LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO I N C R EAS E
The NICEIC was one of over 35 exhibitors at this year’s London
Landlords’ Day, arranged by the London Private Sector Housing
Partnership.
The event was designed to provide help and support to anyone
letting or managing private rented accommodation in London,
and was held at the prestigious QEII Conference Centre in
Westminster.
The NICEIC stand was inundated with visitors wanting information
on Part P and how the changes will affect them and their legal
responsibility for electrical safety.
The introduction of Part P into the building regulations means that
it will become a requirement for landlords to be able to prove
that all electrical installation work, including alterations and
additions to existing installations, has been carried out and
certified by a competent person.
Many landlords were also interested in the implications of the
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which puts the onus on landlords
to ensure that electrical installations in their properties are safe
when tenancies begin, and that they are maintained in a safe
condition throughout those tenancies. NICEIC Engineers were on
hand to explain to landlords how having a periodic inspection on
the electrical installations in their properties would enable them to
fulfill their legal obligations.
Other exhibitors included the National Federation of Residential
Landlords, the National Landlords Association, the Health and
Safety Executive, mortgage advisors, and insurance providers.
Over 70 workshop sessions were available for delegates to attend
throughout the day, covering a broad range of topics.
Further information for landlords about electrical safety is available
on the NICEIC website – www.niceic.org.uk
Information about the London Landlords’ Day can be found on
www.londonlandlords.org.uk
I N S P ECTION, TESTING AND CERTIFI CAT I O N
BOOK UPDATED – A REMINDER
As announced in the Summer issue of
Connections, the NICEIC Inspection, Testing and
Certification book has been revised to take
account of the changes brought about by
Amendment 2 to BS 7671: 2001, and to
recognize the new three-page Domestic
Electrical Installation Certificate and the new
(purple) certificates for the NICEIC Domestic
Installer Scheme.
The revised, fourth, edition is distinguished by its
brown spine, which aligns with the colour
scheme of Amendment 2 to BS 7671. The
revised book includes an index to assist in the
rapid location of relevant information. Copies are
available now from NICEIC Sales – see enclosed
order form for details.
The third edition of the book, which was
distributed free of charge to all Approved
Contractors, will continue to be accepted as an
alternative to IEE Guidance Note 3 until further
notice.
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8

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW SNAGS & SOLUTIONS BOOK FOR WIRING SY ST E M S
A new Snags and Solutions book is
now available, covering 55 common
problems that may be found with
wiring systems (and, of course, their
solutions!).
Part 2 of Snags and Solutions explains,
in the preface, the requirements for the
new wiring colours introduced by
Amendment 2 to BS 7671: 2001. All of
the illustrations in the book show the
new cable colours, except in one snag
dealing with an older installation having
a fuse in the neutral conductor. The
book also covers the changed
requirements for installing cables in thin
walls and partitions.
Other snags and solutions cover the
requirements for circuits supplying
computer equipment producing
protective conductor currents, the
different ways in which a neutral can be
borrowed, and the phenomenon of
‘green goo’. Even the kitchen sink is
included!
Snags and Solutions Part 2 - ‘Wiring
Systems’ - costs just £15.00 and is
available from NICEIC Sales.
HSE CONCERNED ABOUT CERT I F I C ATION AND
R E P O RTING STA N DA R D S
During incident investigations, the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) may examine
electrical installation certificates and
periodic inspection reports looking for
clues. For example, they may wish to
establish the reason why earthing
arrangements were inadequate, and for
how long the condition had existed. The
HSE may also review certificates and
reports during routine inspections of
premises.
Where there is cause to do so, the HSE
may serve an Improvement Notice on the
owner of an electrical installation to
require inspection and testing. The
purpose of such inspection and testing is
to establish whether or not the
requirements of the Electricity at Work
Regulations, rather than the requirements
of BS 7671, are being met. However, the
most common response to such an
Improvement Notice is the production of a
Periodic Inspection Report.
The HSE reports that it is not uncommon
to find significant errors in Periodic
Inspection Reports and Electrical
Installation Certificates they examine.
Typical errors found include one or
more of:
• Cross-sectional area of cable too small
for protective device
• Loop impedance too high
• Continuity tests not undertaken
• RCDs not tested
• List of defects not properly prioritised
in safety terms (for example, exposed
live parts or inadequate earthing
arrangements categorised as a Code 2
defect)
• Inspection Schedule check list
completed incorrectly (in such a way
as to indicate that the inspector may
not be competent)
• Failure to adequately describe the
extent of the installation inspected and
tested. (This is of particular importance
when only a part of the installation has
been inspected and tested, but this
has not been made clear to the client)
• Supply characteristics identified
incorrectly, particularly the earthing
arrangements
Less common errors include:
• Schedule of test results not issued
• Fictitious test results
• Use of wrong type of certificate, eg
Minor Works Certificate for substantial
new work
• Periodic Inspection Reports issued for
new installation work undertaken by
others
• Prospective fault current value too low
to operate protective device within
appropriate disconnection time.
It is important that all Approved
Contractors consistently issue accurately
compiled Electrical Installation Certificates
and Periodic Inspection Reports. Qualified
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring
such consistency. The NICEIC Inspection,
Testing and Certification book gives
detailed advice and guidance on the
proper completion of NICEIC forms.
The NICEIC will investigate any complaint
that a certificate or report does not
accurately reflect the condition of the
subject installation. Corrective action
required may extend to the re-inspection
and testing of a complete installation,
correction of any deficiencies found in
new work, and the re-issue of an accurate
certificate or report.
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FEATURE DRIVING
2
1
AUTUMN
2 004

FEATURE DRIVING
DRIVING AT WORK
Accident facts: It has been estimated that up to a third of all road traffic accidents involve
somebody who is at work at the time. This may account for over 20 fatalities and 250
serious injuries every week.
The law
Some contractors believe, incorrectly, that provided they comply
with certain road traffic law requirements, such as company
vehicles having a valid MOT certificate, and drivers holding valid
licences, this is enough to ensure the safety of their employees,
and others, when they are on the road.
However, health and safety law applies to on-the-road work
activities as to all work activities, and the risks should be
effectively managed within a health and safety management
system.
These requirements are in addition to the duties employers have
under road traffic law, such as the Road Traffic Act and the Road
Vehicle (Construction and Use) Regulations, which are
administered by the police and other agencies such as the
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
The Act requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably
practicable, the health and safety of all employees while at work.
Employers also have a responsibility to ensure that others are not
put at risk by work-related driving activities. (Self-employed
people have a similar responsibility to that of employers.)
The Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999
These Regulations place a responsibility to manage health and
safety effectively. Employers need to carry out an assessment of
the risks to the health and safety of their employees while they
are at work, and to other people who may be affected by their
work activities. The Regulations require the risk assessments to be
reviewed periodically so that they remain appropriate.
Consultation with employers
Employees are required to consult with their employers and,
where applicable, their health and safety representatives, on
health and safety issues. Health and safety law does not apply to
commuting, unless the employee is travelling from their home to
a location which is not their usual place of work.
HSE Guidance
The Health and Safety Executive has produced a guidance
document, INDG382, entitled ‘Driving at Work – Managing
work – related road safety’ for any employer, manager or
supervisor with staff who drive, or ride a motorcycle or bicycle at
work, and in particularly those with responsibility for fleet
management. It also applies to self-employed people. Employees
and trade union appointed safety representatives will also find it
helpful. It covers people whose main job is driving, and those
who drive or ride occasionally or for short distances. References
to drivers and driving include riders and riding.
The benefits of managing work-related road safety
The benefits can be considerable, no matter the size of business,
as it allows employers to exercise better control over costs, such
as wear and tear, fuel, insurance premiums and legal fees and
claims from employees and third parties. It also allows employers
to make informed decisions about matters such as driver training
and vehicle purchase, and helps them identify where health and
safety improvements can be made.
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FEATURE DRIVING
Case studies
Research has shown that benefits from managing work-related
road safety and reducing crashes include:
• fewer days lost due to injury
• reduced risk of work-related ill health
• reduced stress and improved morale
• less need for investigation and paperwork
• less lost time due to work rescheduling
• fewer vehicles off the road for repair
• reduced running costs through better driving standards
• more business opportunities and less risk of losing the
goodwill of customers
• less chance of key employees being banned from driving, for
example, as a result of points on their licences.
Policy
Work-related road safety can only be effectively managed if it is
integrated into the business’ arrangements for managing health
and safety at work. Employers should look at their health and
safety systems and consider whether they adequately cover this
area of work. The main areas needing to be addressed are:
Policy, Responsibility, Organisation, Systems and Monitoring.
Risk assessments
Risk assessments for any work-related driving activity should
follow the same principles as for any other work activity. It should
be borne in mind that failure to properly manage work-related
road safety is more likely to endanger other people than a failure
to properly manage risks in the workplace.
A risk assessment is nothing more than a careful examination of
what at work activities can cause harm to people. It helps
employers weigh up whether they have done enough to ensure
safe working practices, or should do more to prevent harm. A risk
assessment should be appropriate to the circumstances of the
business, and does not have to be over-complex or technical.
It should be carried out by a competent person with a practical
knowledge of the work activities being assessed. For most small
businesses and the self-employed, the hazards will be easy to
identify. Employers who employ less than five people do not
have to record their findings, but they may find it helpful to make
some notes. The aim is to make the risk of someone being
injured or killed as low as possible.
The five steps to risk assessment:
Step 1)
Step 2)
Step 3)
Step 4)
Step 5)
Look for hazards.
Decide who might be harmed.
Evaluate the risk and decide whether existing
precautions are adequate.
Record the findings.
Review the assessment and revise it if necessary.
Items to consider
Some of the items to help make these risk assessments are
given below:
The driver
Competency - Are you satisfied that your drivers are competent
and capable of doing their work in a way that is safe for them
and other people
Training - Are you satisfied that your drivers are properly trained
Fitness and health - Are you satisfied that your drivers are
sufficiently fit and healthy to drive safely and not put themselves
or others at risk
The vehicle
Suitability - Are you satisfied that vehicles are fit for the purpose
for which they are used
Condition - Are you satisfied that vehicles are maintained in a
safe and fit condition
Safety equipment - Are you satisfied that safety equipment is
properly fitted and maintained
Safety critical information - Are you satisfied that drivers have
access to information that will help them reduce risks
Ergonomic considerations - Are you satisfied that drivers’
health, and possibly safety, is not being put at risk, eg from
inappropriate seating position or driving posture
The journey
Routes - Do you plan routes thoroughly
Scheduling - Are work schedules realistic
Time - Are you satisfied that sufficient time is allowed to
complete journeys safely
Distance - Are you satisfied that drivers will not be put at risk
from fatigue caused by driving excessive distances without
appropriate breaks
Weather conditions - Are you satisfied that sufficient
consideration is given to adverse weather conditions, such as
snow or high winds, when planning journeys
Where to obtain the full guidance:
HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from
HSE Books, PO box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2WA Tel:
01787 881165 Website www.hsebooks.co.uk.
The Guidance Document INDG382 is priced in packs of 4, or
free for a single copy.
2
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
20 04
For all enquiries about the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme, freephone 0800 013 0900

ANNOUNCEMENTS
O CC U PAT I O N A L H EA LT H A N D SA F ET Y
Occupational Health and Safety is a
subject that must be addressed by all
organisations large and small. The
organisation’s health and safety system
should identify all legislative requirements
and address the hazards and control the
risks of the organisation. Progressive
businesses will aim to go beyond
compulsory measures and promote
continuous improvement on health and
safety matters.
This formal health and safety management
system will provide the following benefits:
• Identify legal requirements;
• A clear set of objectives for
improvement with measurable results;
• A structured, planned and documented
approach to risk assessment; and
• Increased awareness and knowledge
of health and safety matters.
The NQA part of the NICEIC Group of
Companies will work in partnership with
your organisation to ensure that you have
implemented your management system in
line with the requirements of OHSAS
18001. They will pay particular attention to
the hazards that your staff may face, and
how you have assessed the significance of
these hazards and developed suitable
‘controls’ in an attempt to minimise them.
Once you achieve registration to OHSAS
18001, you are then armed with a
valuable marketing tool. The award of the
certificate will announce your success to
your customers, stakeholders and the
community at large. In addition, you
should see financial returns in terms of:
• A reduction in the risk of accidents and
occupational ill health;
• A safer workplace, leading to less
stress and greater productivity;
• An improvement in underwriting risk;
and
• A reduction in the likelihood of paying
legal costs and compensation.
Contact NQA by telephoning
01582 539500 or visit www.nqa.com
C LOW N I N G A RO U N D
Two newcomers have been representing
the NICEIC at external events since June
this year, and both have been a great
success.
The NICEIC Roadshow Trailer has
attended several county and trade shows
providing electrical safety information to
electrical contractors and consumers with
the help of the NICEIC safety clown.
The trailer has a fully working kitchen
and a fitted bathroom featuring electrical
equipment siting zones that can be used
by the NICEIC engineers to provide
awareness training and advice.
Electrical contractors who visit the trailer
also have the opportunity to talk one-onone
with NICEIC engineers, who are
available to provide first class technical
advice and guidance. Staff are also
available to discuss any enrolment issues
and to provide information about the
new NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme.
The Roadshow Trailer will next be
appearing at the Professional Builder
Toolfair / Professional Electrician Elex
2004 exhibition, taking place on 7 and 8
December at Sandown Park, Esher,
Surrey. A full calendar of events is on the
NICEIC website – www.niceic.org.uk
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 NICEIC CO N N EC T I O N S 2
6

ANNOUNCEMENTS
C A L E N DA R O F E V E N TS
AUTUMN 2004
TO BE OR NOT TO BE.........
OCTOBER
5th Copper Development Association **
Power Quality and Availability in LV Installations
Lecture. London Central
12th
NICEIC Specifier Seminar, North Wales
12th Copper Development Association **
Power Quality and Availability in
LV Installations Lecture. Birmingham
19th
2nd
2nd
3rd
9th
9th
9th
The IEE Sir Eric Eastwood Lecture and Dinner
Savoy Place, London
IEE Summit – Law and Computing
Savoy Place, London
The IEE Lord Nelson of Stafford Lecture
Savoy Place, London
NICEIC Open Forum, Northeast
Electrical Roadshow, Manchester
IEE Seminar – Power Semiconductors,
Devices and Circuits. Savoy Place, London
IEE 27th Mountbatten Lecture ‘HSE, Friend or Foe’
and Dinner. Savoy Place, London
12 - 14 t h Homebuilding and Renovating show,
Harrogate International Centre
16 - 17 t h IEE Conference – Sustainability Week – Accelerating
Sustainable Development
25th
3rd
Austin Court, Birmingham
NHIC Awards Luncheon
The Gladstone Library, London
CIBSE West Midlands Regional Dinner
Birmingham
7-8th Professional Builder Toolfair 2004
Professional Electrician Elex 2004
8th
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Sandown Park, Esher
IEE Wheatstone Discussion Meeting – Lecture and
Dinner. Savoy Place, London
* For further details of IEE events call: 020 7240 1871
** For further details of CIBSE Events call: 020 8675 5211
All dates correct at time of going to press.
The NICEIC is not responsible for any alterations of dates or venues
That is the question! All Approved Contractors should, by now,
have applied to register with the NICEIC Domestic Installer
Scheme if they wish to self-certify electrical installation work in
dwellings in England and Wales as compliant with the Building
Regulations, when Pa rt P comes into force on 1 January next year.
From that date, the only lawful alternative (if not registered with
an equivalent scheme) will be to notify virtually all proposed
electrical installation work in dwellings in England and Wales to
the relevant Local Authority Building Control office before starting
work, and to have that work inspected by them for a fee.
For Approved Contractors, registration with the Domestic Installer
Scheme - effectively an extension to enrolment - provides
probably the most straightforward and cost-effective route to selfcertifying
compliance with Building Regulations, whilst retaining
all the benefits of Approved Contractor status.
However, despite announcements in previous issues of
Connections and in direct mail, not all Approved Contractors
appear to appreciate that there are no additional fees to pay
for them to register with the NICEIC Domestic Installer
Scheme – this is a fact!
Although Approved Contractors are deemed to satisfy all the
technical requirements of Part P in terms of electrical safety, selfcertification
of compliance with the Building Regulations requires
compliance with some additional requirements.
Therefore, in common with all other registrants, Approved
Contractors registering with the Domestic Installer Scheme are
required to comply with the ‘Rules for Registration of Domestic
Installers’. A copy of these rules, which differ from the NICEIC
Rules Relating to Enrolment, is included as the centre pages of
this issue of Connections for information and reference
purposes.
For Approved Contractors registered as Domestic Installers, the
new rules apply in addition to the Rules Relating to Enrolment.
The main requirements that Approved Contractors need to
satisfy in addition to those in the NICEIC Rules Relating to
Enrolment are outlined below. Further details about some of
these requirements can be found in the lead article on page 5.
Application
Although no additional technical assessment is necessary before
registration can be granted, Approved Contractors will have to
make a written application to register with the Domestic Installer
2
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
...COMPLIANT WITH BUILDING REG U L AT I O N S
Scheme, in which they agree to be bound by the rules of the
scheme. In the application, the registered Qualified Supervisor(s)
who will be responsible for work subject to Part P, need to be
identified.
Approved Contractors on the Roll will have already received a
letter inviting them to apply for registration.
Approved Contractors that operate from more than one location
should note that a separate application is required from each
contracting office wishing to be registered under the scheme as,
under the Domestic Installer Scheme, each office is considered
on a ‘stand alone’ basis. Non-contracting offices cannot register
with the Domestic Installer Scheme.
Domestic Electrical Installation Work
Approved Contractors applying for registration must be
undertaking domestic electrical installation work. Examples of this
type of work must be available, and will be selected for
inspection, at the next Periodic Assessment visit.
Compliance with Building Regulations
Assessment of work for those registering with the Domestic
Installer Scheme will include assessment of compliance with
other relevant parts of the Building Regulations, such as Part A
(Structure), Part B (Fire Safety), Part M (Accessibility). Guidance
on compliance with relevant non-electrical requirements of the
Building Regulations is available from the NICEIC – see the article
on page 16.
Complaints
Approved Contractors will be required to deal appropriately with
any complaint that their domestic electrical installation work does
not comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations.
This is in addition to dealing with complaints about noncompliance
with BS 7671, as required under the Approved
Contractor scheme.
Warranty
The Rules for Registration of Domestic Installers require registered
businesses to offer a warranty to their customers for all domestic
electrical installation work subject to Part P. This is a government
requirement that has been placed on all businesses self-certifying
compliance with the Building Regulations, regardless of the
scheme operator they are registered with. Details will be
announced when the Government makes its full requirements
known.
Building Regulation Compliance Certificates
With effect from 1 January 2005, Domestic Installers will be
required to issue to customers a certificate confirming that the
domestic electrical installation work they have carried out
complies with Regulations 4 and 7 of the Building Regulations.
(Regulation 4 requires work to comply with all the relevant
requirements of the Building Regulations, and Regulation 7
requires the use of proper materials and good workmanship.)
Domestic Installers will be required to provide the person
ordering the work with a copy of a Building Regulations
Compliance Certificate, in addition to an electrical installation (or
minor works) certificate. The NICEIC is currently developing a
Building Regulations Compliance Certificate for Domestic Installers
to issue to their customers.
Domestic Installers will also have to notify the NICEIC of all work
completed, so that the information can be forwarded to the
relevant Local Authority Building Control office. Details of how this
information is to be notified to the NICEIC will be given as soon
as possible.
Qualified Supervisor responsibilities
When a Qualified Supervisor ceases to carry out that function, the
NICEIC must be advised within five days of the change occurring.
This is a much shorter timescale than for the Approved Contractor
scheme because, without a Qualified Supervisor, the business is
no longer authorised to self-certify that their work complies with
the Building Regulations.
In effect, for Approved Contractors having only one Qualified
Supervisor, Domestic Installer Scheme registration, and the
associated authorisation to self-certify work, will be suspended
until such time as a replacement Qualified Supervisor has been
proposed by the business, and assessed and accepted by the
NICEIC. In the meantime, it will be necessary for the contractor
to notify Building Control before commencing any work subject to
Part P, and to have that work inspected by them.
Rules
A copy of the NICEIC Rules for Registration of Domestic Installers
is included as the centre pages of this issue. Further copies of the
Rules, and copies of the NICEIC Rules Relating to Enrolment (for
Approved Contractors), may be downloaded from the NICEIC
website: www.niceic.org.uk.
Enquiries
For all enquiries about the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme,
freephone 0800 013 0900
R E MOVALS FROM THE RO L L
The following contractors have been removed from
the Roll under the Council’s Rule 18(2):
A L Property Services Ltd
324 Wolverhampton Road
East Sedsley
Wolverhampton
West Midlands
WV4 6AY
Akron Electrical
Contractors
63 Wilton Way
London
E8 1BG
A Calvey Electrical
The Elms
33 Ashby Road
Daventry
Northamptonshire
NN11 5QD
Electrical Plus Ltd
2 Station Parade
Ickenham Road
West Ruislip
Middlesex
HA4 7DL
AUTUMN
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NI CEIC CO N N EC T I O N S 2
8

ANNOUNCEMENTS
T ECHNICAL MANUA L: OCTOBER SUPPLEMENT
updated list of contents. The paper version
is being maintained by the NICEIC
primarily for the benefit of the smaller
Approved Contractor businesses that may
not have ready access to the necessary
computer equipment to use the CD-ROM.
The tenth quarterly supplement to the
NICEIC Technical Manual is due to be
distributed to Approved Contractors and
subscribers in October, on a new CD-ROM
and as a paper version. The supplement
is expected to include the following topics:
CABLES: Size to be used, determination
of, general
CABLES: Size to be used, determination
of, from considerations of normal load and
overload
CABLES: Size to be used, determination
of, from considerations of protection
against fault current
CURRENT-CARRYING CAPACITY:
Conditions on which it depends
DISCRIMINATION: Between circuitbreakers
DISCRIMINATION: Between a circuitbreaker
and an HBC fuse
DISCRIMINATION: Between HBC fuses
EMERGENCY LIGHTING: ICEL: 1006:
1999 Emergency lighting design guide.
Third edition. May 1999
FREQUENCY (Hz): General
FREQUENCY (Hz): Effect upon
impedance
GROUPING: Of cables
NATIONAL JOINT UTILITIES GROUP:
Guidelines on positioning and colour
coding of utilities’ apparatus
SPECIAL INSTALLATIONS OR
LOCATIONS: Highway power supplies and
street furniture
STANDARD CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS:
Radial final circuits, cooking
VOLTAGE DROP: In ring circuits with
distributed loads
VOLTAGE: Range
All of the topics in the October
supplement will be included on the new
issue of the fully searchable copy of the
Technical Manual on CD-ROM, which also
includes a printable version of the Manual.
The paper version of the supplement,
which is provided for incorporation into
the two-volume paper version of the
Manual, will include only about four of the
sixteen new topics, together with an
The Technical Manual can be purchased
from NICEIC Sales - see enclosed order
form for details, or visit the NICEIC website
www.niceic.org.uk (which also shows a
few sample topics).
If you have a problem getting your CD-
ROM to work which cannot be resolved by
consulting the User’s Guide, please
contact SomCom, our software provider,
preferably by email at
tmhelp@somcom.co.uk. Alternatively, if
you do not have an email facility, please
telephone Somcom on 01608 643302.
If you do not receive a quarterly issue of
the CD-ROM and/or printed supplement,
please contact the Technical Manual
distribution centre on 020 8319 7601.
Any complaint concerning damaged or
missing items should be faxed to the
distribution centre 020 8319 7609,
quoting your registered trading title,
address (including postcode) and
enrolment number (where applicable).
Please note that the NICEIC is unable to
respond to queries relating to the
functioning of the CD-ROM on particular
PCs, or to non-delivery of items.
If you have a technical query about any of
the topics published in the Technical
Manual, please contact the NICEIC
Technical Helpline via the call centre on:
0870 013 0431 (Approved Contractors)
or 0870 013 0391 (specifiers and others).
CO R R ECTION: TECHNICAL MANUAL TOPIC S225-2 5
In NICEIC Technical Manual Topic
S225-25, dated April 2004, a correction
is required concerning notes d, e and g
of Table 2, relating to ring final circuits in
household premises.
The notes relate to the installation of
non-fused spurs (cable branches) where
the alternative method of Regulation
413-02-12 is applied. Given in the
notes is a value of earth fault loop
impedance which must not be exceeded
at the furthest point of the spur.
However, the notes do not point out that
it must be ensured that the impedance
of the circuit protective conductor does
not exceed the applicable maximum
value given in Table 41C of BS 7671.
A revised issue of Topic S225-25,
corrected to take account of the above,
will be included in the October quarterly
supplement of the NICEIC Technical
Manual, which is due to be distributed to
Approved Contractors and subscribers in
October (see the article above).
In the meantime, a printable version of
the revised topic is available for
downloading on the NICEIC website
www.niceic.org.uk.
2
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
20 04

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW VISUAL INSPECTION REPORT
FORM FOR DOM E STIC INSTA L L A-
The NICEIC is occasionally contacted by Approved Contractors
concerned that other Approved Contractors are offering to carry
out ‘free visual inspections’ for householders.
Although there is inevitably a commercial motive behind such
speculative schemes, visual inspection can serve the electrical
safety interests of domestic consumers, if conducted in a
professional, objective manner by competent persons.
Until an obvious fault develops, most householders appear to
assume that their electrical installations are safe, and will remain
so forever. Even those who appreciate that electrical installations
eventually need to be checked appear reluctant to pay for a full
BS 7671-style periodic inspection, except perhaps when they are
buying or selling a property. Therefore, even given the significant
limitations of ‘visual inspection only’, such inspection by a
competent person can usefully serve to identify damage,
deterioration and, to some extent, defects, which might otherwise
go unnoticed by those using the installations.
The NICEIC accepts that, in principle, visual inspection of the
electrical installation in a dwelling by a competent person is an
important part of the assessment of the condition of that
installation. Visual inspection can identify damage, deterioration
and some defects in installations.
Given the potential benefits, the NICEIC does not consider the
practice of ‘visual inspection only’ to be non-compliant with the
requirements of BS 7671, provided that:
• The visual inspection is carried out by an electrically
competent person with good knowledge and experience of
the electrical installation practices existing at the time the
installation was first constructed
• The inspection is carried out in accordance with all the
requirements of BS 7671that are applicable to visual
inspection
• The limitations of ‘visual inspection only’ are made clear in
writing to the person ordering the work
• No claim is made that ‘visual inspection only’ can or will fully
determine whether an installation is safe for continued use
• An objective report of the findings of the visual inspection is
given to the person ordering the work, whether or not
specifically requested by that person
• The scope of the
condition report
includes all the
aspects of the
model periodic
inspection report given in BS 7671 which are relevant to
visual inspection
• Visual condition reports do not include items that can only be
checked with test instruments (such as the adequacy of
earthing arrangements)
• Any quotation for proposed remedial work is given separately
from the visual condition report
• A full periodic inspection is recommended to the customer if
it is suspected that the installation is in an unsafe condition.
The NICEIC has therefore produced a customized report form for
the ‘visual inspection only’ of domestic premises by Approved
Contractors, to help ensure that consumers are fully informed of
the limitations, as well as the benefits, of such inspections.
In providing the overall assessment of the condition of an
installation, it may well be reasonable for a competent person to
come to the conclusion that it is in an ‘unsatisfactory’ condition,
solely on the basis of visual inspection. However, it would not be
appropriate to report that an installation is in a ‘satisfactory’
condition solely on the basis of a visual inspection because,
amongst many other things, the intended means of earthing
and/or the protective conductor arrangements could be
unsatisfactory.
Therefore, where a visual inspection does not reveal any damage,
deterioration or defects that would reasonably result in the overall
condition being reported as ‘unsatisfactory’, the alternative would
be to report the condition as ‘visually not unsatisfactory’. This
summary reflects the significant limitations of ‘visual inspection
only’.
Any complaints about the standard of visual inspections carried
out by Approved Contractors will be investigated under the
NICEIC Complaints Procedure.
Visual only inspections are not considered appropriate for places
of work, where duty holders and others have legal obligations
under the Electricity at Work Regulations.
AUTUMN
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 NICEIC CO N N EC T I O N S 3
0

TECHNICAL IMMERSIONHEATERS
IMMERSION HEAT E R S
The importance of thermostats and the possible hazards associated with hot water
systems are well understood; manufacturers of domestic water heating products must
incorporate safety devices and thermostats to protect the people who use them. However,
thermostat failure can occur with immersion heaters, particularly towards the end of their
working life.
According to AMDEA, the Association of Manufacturers of
Domestic Appliances, there are about 16 million household
immersion heaters in operation in the UK, of which about one
million are replaced annually. A small proportion of these
immersion heaters fail due to the thermostat contacts failing
closed, causing the water in the storage cylinder to boil.
Up to the end of March this year, there were two product
standards for household immersion heaters in effect. However,
BS 3456 Part 2 Section 2-21 was withdrawn on 1 April. From
that date, BS EN 60335-2-73: 1997 – Safety of household and
similar electrical appliances – Part 2: Particular requirements –
Section 2.73. Fixed immersion heaters became the only
applicable standard for household immersion heaters. This means
that all new household immersion heaters manufactured for sale
should now comply with this standard.
BS EN 60335-2-73: 1997 brings household immersion heaters
for vented water systems into line with existing requirements for
unvented water heaters and other domestic applications.
The 1997 standard recommends all fixed immersion heaters
installed in a water tank in a vented system in a household, or
used for similar purposes, incorporate a safety cut-out
independent of the immersion heater tank thermostat, to limit the
temperature of the stored water should the thermostat fail.
The cut-out should not reset automatically, and the water
temperature should not be permitted to exceed 98 °C.
The requirement for a safety cut-out independent of the
immersion heater tank thermostat may be satisfied by either:
• a single operation device that cuts out when the water
exceeds the safety limit (such a device would then need to be
replaced after it has operated), or
• a device that can be reset manually after it has cut out when
the water exceeds the safety limit.
The safety cut-out devices may be either:
• separated completely from the thermostat, or
• combined within a separate section of the thermostat.
In summary, any fixed immersion heater that is repaired, replaced
or installed in a tank in a vented water system in a household (or
used for similar purposes) should now be manufactured to
BS EN 60335-2-73: 1997, to comply with current European and
national safety legislation.
However, contractors and others may still be holding some stocks
of the old immersion heaters. The changes introduced in the
1997 European Standard have improved the product, but this
does not imply that products conforming to the previous British
Standard were unsafe.
AUTUMN
20 04
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 NICEIC CO N N EC T I O N S 3
2

TECHNICALARMOURING
USE OF STEEL WIRE ARMOURING AS
One of the questions most frequently asked of the NICEIC Helpline is whether the
armouring of steel wire armoured cables (SWA) with copper or aluminium conductors is
adequate for use as a circuit protective conductor under earth fault conditions.
There are two methods to determine the minimum required
cross-sectional area (csa) of a circuit protective conductor. One
method is by calculation making use of the adiabatic equation
given in Regulation 543-01-03. Alternatively, the minimum csa
may be deduced by applying Table 54G of the same regulation
and this method is more commonly utilized in preference to the
adiabatic equation, although the latter may be used to determine
marginal cases.
The tables identify the common standard sized cables together
with the applicable formula to be used both for copper and
aluminium live conductors with steel wire as the armouring for
evaluation as a circuit protective conductor. The applicable
formula from Table 54G of BS 7671 is given in column 2 of both
tables together with the required csa of armour in column 3,
calculated in accordance with the given formula. The actual csa
areas of the various cables are given in columns 4, 5 and 6.
TABLE 1: XLPE CABLES TO BS 5467 (COPPER CONDUCTORS) WITH STEEL ARMOURING
csa of phase Table 54G Required csa of Actual csa of armouring (mm 2 )
conductor (mm 2 ) formula armouring (mm 2 )
2 core 3 core 4 core 5 core
1.5 k 1 S/k 2 4.66 15 16 17 18
2.5 “ “ 7.77 17 19 20 22
4 “ “ 12.43 19 20 22 25
6 “ “ 18.65 22 23 36 40
10 “ “ 31.09 26 39 42 46
16 “ “ 49.74 42 45 50 72
25 16 k 1 /k 2 49.74 42 62 70 88
35 k 1 S/2k 2 54.40 60 68 78 100
50 “ “ 77.72 68 78 90 144
70 “ “ 108.80 80 90 131 166
95 “ “ 147.70 113 128 147 -
120 “ “ 186.50 125 141 206 -
150 “ “ 233.20 138 201 230 -
185 “ “ 287.60 191 220 255 -
240 “ “ 373.10 215 250 289 -
300 “ “ 466.30 235 269 319 -
400 “ “ 621.70 265 304 452 -
Notes: 1. Darker shaded entries indicate that the csa is insufficient to meet Table 54G requirements.
2. k 1 = 143 (from Table 43A - copper conductors with 90 o C insulation).
3. k 2 = 46 (from Table 54D - steel conductor with 90 o C insulation).
3
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NICEIC CO N N ECTIONS AUTUMN
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TECHNICALARMOURING
CIRCUIT PROTECTIVE COND U CTO R
From the tables, it can be seen that, according to
Table 54G of BS 7671, the following cables have sufficient csa to
be used as a circuit protective conductor:
XLPE cables to BS 5467 with copper conductors:
• 2-core, 1.5 mm 2 through to 6.0 mm 2 and 35 mm 2
• 3-core, 1.5 mm 2 through to 10 mm 2 and 25 mm 2 through
to 50 mm 2
• 4-core 1.5 mm 2 , through to 70 mm 2 and 120 mm 2
• 5-core 1.5 mm 2 through to 70 mm 2
XLPE cables to BS 5467 with aluminium conductors:
• 2-core, 16 mm 2 through to 50 mm 2 and 95 mm 2
• 3-core, 16 mm 2 through to 185 mm 2
• 4-core 16 mm 2 through to 300 mm 2
The information given in the tables relate only to XLPE cables
complying with BS 5467. Different calculations are required for
armoured cable covered by other product specifications (because
they will have different energy withstand capabilities) such as
armoured low smoke or fume cables, or armoured cables with
thermosetting insulation.
Notwithstanding consideration of the thermal constraints, the
contribution that the armouring impedance, if used as the circuit
protective conductor, makes to the total earth fault loop
impedance, Zs, must be considered. In some cases the
impedance of the circuit protective conductor may impose a
constraint on the overall length of a circuit in terms of affording
protection against indirect contact.
It should be noted that the csa of the armouring is unlikely
to be such as to meet the requirements for a main
equipotential bonding conductor. (For minimum crosssectional
areas of main bonding conductors for installations fed
with PME supplies, see Table 54H of BS 7671).
TABLE 2: XLPE CABLES TO BS 5467 (ALUMINIUM CONDUCTORS) WITH STEEL ARMOURING
csa of phase Table 54G Required csa of Actual csa of armouring (mm 2 )
conductor (mm 2 ) formula armouring (mm 2 )
2 core 3 core 4 core
16 k 1 S/k 2 32.70 39 41 46
25 16 k 1 /k 2 32.70 38 58 66
35 k 1 S/k 2 35.76 54 64 72
50 “ “ 51.09 60 72 82
70 “ “ 71.52 70 84 122
95 “ “ 97.07 100 119 135
120 “ “ 122.61 - 131 191
150 “ “ 153.26 - 181 211
185 “ “ 189.26 - 206 235
240 “ “ 245.22 - 230 265
300 “ “ 306.52 - 250 289
Notes: 1. Darker shaded entries indicate that the csa is insufficient to meet Table 54G requirements.
2. k 1 = 94 (from Table 43A – aluminum conductors with 90 0 C insulation).
3. k 2 = 46 (from Table 54D - steel conductor with 90 0 C insulation).
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TECHNICALHELPLINE
F ROM THE HELPLINE. . .
We continue our series of articles on questions commonly asked on the NICEIC Technical Helpline.
The origin of the installation
Question: When making alterations or additions to existing
installations, it is sometimes difficult to obtain access to the origin
of the installation in order to assess the adequacy of the supply
and that of the earthing and bonding to satisfy Regulation
130-07-01. What action should be taken when access to the
origin of the installation is denied
Answer: The NICEIC recognises that in certain instances,
particularly on large and complex sites, access to the electricity
intake position is not always easy. However, access is absolutely
necessary because it is imperative to determine the adequacy of
the existing earthing and bonding and the suitability of the main
switchgear and of the supply. Only in very exceptional cases
where there is adequate and convincing documentary evidence
that the existing arrangements are adequate for the modifications
to be undertaken should denial of access be accepted.
Where an Approved Contractor is confronted with opposition
from those in control of the site to his requests for access, he
should write to the person responsible for the site. In seeking
authority for access rights, it would be proper to point out that
even where an alteration or addition does not affect the total
load, it is sometimes wrongly assumed that the equipment at the
origin of the installation is adequate and suitable. However, in all
cases it must be established that earthing and bonding is
adequate and suitable for the altered circumstances. Regulation
712-01-03 item (viii) (c) requires presence of an earthing
conductor and presence of main equipotential bonding
conductors to be checked by inspection. This cannot be done
without reasonable access to the equipment.
Other aspects which access to the origin of the installation may
facilitate include checking of devices for isolation and switching,
choice of settings of protective and monitoring devices, labelling
of protective devices, and adequacy of access to switchgear,
presence of danger notices, diagrams, instructions and similar
information. (Regulation 712-01-03 refers). The effectiveness of
the means of earthing should be verified by measurement.
However, where the results of a previous test are known and can
be relied upon, such a measurement need not necessarily be
repeated.
In difficult cases, Approved Contractors are required to use
judgement. As mentioned earlier, for a large and complex
installation under the control of a suitably qualified person, it may
be acceptable to assess the suitability of the equipment at the
origin on the basis of information provided by a responsible
engineer, provided the contractor can show that it is reasonable
in all the circumstances to do so, and it is not practicable to
assess the suitability by inspection and measurement.
Main and supplementar y equipotential bonding
Question: In remote locations of water treatment plants,
electrical equipment such as drives, pumps, level monitoring and
other controls are often fed with SWA cables from the main plant
building complex.
The external structures are constructed from reinforced concrete.
Hand rails are embedded in the top and may or may not be in
contact directly with the reinforcing. The structures are open to
the elements and are not interconnected. If however these areas
were enclosed in an industrial cladding they would be classed as
a remote building and a main equipotential bond would have to
be installed.
Each armoured cable uses the armour as the circuit protective
conductor. The armour is terminated at the drive with a gland
and an earth tag bolted to the metal enclosure. A bonding
conductor is taken from the earth tag bolt and connects to the
handrail. Is such a bond necessary; in other words, should such
handrails be deemed to be an extraneous-conductive-part or
not and, if so, should ‘main’ or ‘supplementary’ bonding be
provided
Answer: This question refers to equipment outdoors and
outside the ‘zone of influence’ of the main equipotential bonding.
Where protection against indirect contact is by EEBAD, the
requirements of Regulation 471-08-03 should be applied which
states that ‘Where a circuit supplies fixed equipment installed
outside the earthed equipotential zone and the equipment has
exposed-conductive-parts which may be touched by a person in
contact directly with the general mass of Earth, the earth fault
impedance should be such that automatic disconnection will
occur within the time stated in Table 41A of BS 7671’ (i.e. 0.4 s
for Uo = 230 V).
There is no requirement for extraneous-conductive-parts outside
the earthed equipotential zone to be connected to the main
bonding. Supplementary equipotential bonding is additional to
(not instead of) main bonding and is usually only required in
special locations. Water treatment plants as such are not one of
the special locations covered by Part 6 of BS 7671. This does not
preclude the use of main and supplementary bonding if it is
judged that such bonding improves electrical safety where, for
example, the above-mentioned limit of disconnection times
cannot be met.
Where earthing is by PME, it should be noted that Electricity
Distributor’s notes for guidance often do not permit PME earthing
to be extended outside the zone of influence of the earthed
equipotential bonding.
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TECHNICALHELPLINE
T RA NS P O RTA BLE BUIL D IN G S
About a year ago, the NICEIC published the Tr a n s p o rtable Building Electrical Installation Certificate and the
Tr a n s p o rtable Building Periodic Inspection Report for certification and reporting for electrical installations in
t r a n s p o rtable buildings. Such buildings represent a difficulty in terms of certification because the building
electrical installations are fabricated in a factory environment and, when completed, shipped to site. Only
p a rt of the process of verification and certification of the installation can therefore be done in the factory,
the remainder having to wait until the transportable building is connected to the site supply. This art i c l e
gives guidance on the appropriate use of each form.
The Transportable Building Electrical Installation
Certificate
This certificate is intended to be issued in connection with the
transportable building’s electrical installation on its completion in
the factory. The box entitled ‘Transportable Building Supply
Parameters’ makes provision to list all the supply characteristics
which the particular installation will tolerate, in terms of nominal
voltage and frequency, number of phases, maximum load,
acceptable system type(s), maximum tolerable earth fault loop
impedance, and maximum tolerable fault current. A copy of this
certificate accompanies the transportable building to site where it
is to be connected to the supply, provided the supply parameters
are within the tolerances stated on the certificate.
Upon connection to the site supply, a ‘normal’ Electrical
Installation Certificate should be used for certification of the
transportable building installation as connected to its new supply.
The Transportable Building Periodic Inspection Report
The Transportable Building Periodic Inspection Report form is
intended to be used for the periodic inspection and testing of a
transportable building itself, for example where it is returned to
the factory, or to the company hiring it out, or to be shipped to a
new location. It is not to be used for the periodic inspection and
testing of a transportable building when connected to its
permanent supply, for which a ‘normal’ Periodic Inspection Report
must be used.
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