PART P - NICEIC

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 .
AUTUMN
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NI CEIC CO N N EC T I O N S 4