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Who Polices The Safety of Lighting?

Foffer

I have questioned a supplier about an unsafe light fitting.  In the data sheet and on the equipment it is marked Class 1 but I found that the metal pattress is the only part that is earthed, where the terminals are.  The pendant part which hangs by its own cabling does not have any earth continuity with the pattress although it is all made of steel.  The supplier said they would look into it and then sent me back a communication from the manufacturer stating (in terrible English, full of incorrect terms) explaining that although the pattress was Class 1, the pendant was Class 2.  They also attached the ENEC certification which clearly shows it is Class 1 with no mention of any part being Class 2

I have two questions please.

I didn't think it was possible to have one piece of equipment which is both Class 1 and 2, please confirm.

What body should I report this to in order to stop an unsafe light fitting being sold?

Thanks for your help.

  • 0

    I think you may be quibbling over terminology.  If the appliance has an earth terminal, it'll be class 1.  If it doesn't, it's class 2 (or at least it should be).  The same appliance can't be both class 1 and class 2.

    Your light fitting has an earth terminal and is class 1.

    But that doesn't mean that every single bit of metal on it has to be earthed.  There could be parts that are double insulated and don't need earthing.

    Out of curiosity, I tried poking around my electric cooker (a well-known brand) with a multimeter, to measure the resistance to the house plumbing.  The body of the cooker read about 0.5 ohm to the plumbing.  It's obviously earthed.  The decorative metal panel on the front of the cooker read about 2 to 3M ohm.  Not earthed at all.

  • 0

    First can you clarify how is it unsafe ?  And if it really is, then trading standards via citizen's advice bureau. 

    Class 0 (live parts inside unearthed metal case ) and 0A  live parts inside metal box with earth terminal but no fixed CPC) are potentially single fault to danger and considered unsafe in the EU and UK.
    Parts with either an earthed outer or reinforced insulation between live parts and exposed metal are considered double fault to danger and therefore safe. Protection of the first kind is Class I protection of the second kind is Class II, also called double insulation.  Plenty of devices actually combine these concepts - you may have a laptop supply with a CPC but an unearthed DC output as another example.

    Mike.

    Mike.

  • 0 in reply to Simon Barker

    Thank you Simon, I was obviously under the incorrect assumption that all metal parts of a class 1 item must be earthed.  In this case my complaint may well not be valid.

  • 0 in reply to mapj1

    Thank you Mike.  I can see that my safety worry does not fall into Class 0 or Class 0A.  The reason for my safety worry was - The lighting pendant's label states that it could have up to 2 x 60W bulbs within an enclosed glass bowl about the size of a small flattened football.  The E27 lamp holders are mounted to a metal base which is clamped in place with a centre stud arrangement.  I worry that with age the heat may degrade the bulb holders allowing the metal to become live.  Considering yours and Simon's comments about Class 1 equipment possibly having parts which are double insulated, it could possibly be the case here, because I incorrectly thought that all metal parts of a class 1 item had to be earthed.  This equipment has the Class 1 symbol, but on the non-earthed pendant there is no double insulated symbol.  Surely this situation would make it difficult to pass a PAT, if it were subject to test?  Thanks also for the CAB info.

  • 0

    I had concerns about  mains down lights which were marked as double insulated but had a length of exposed, what appeared to be, thin insulated flex singles from the mains connection block to the bulb holder. I raised this concern with the suppliers who said the thin flex was double insulated. With the aid of a scalpel, magnifying glass and micrometer I managed to separate a bit of the sheath from the insulation and it's thickness was a fraction of a millimetre which would give no mechanical protection but appeared to meet the requirement for double insulated.

  • 0

    yes well as soon as the ink is dry on the rules someone is wiggling right up to the edge of them. In practice of course it is not likely to chafe and if the lamp holder falls apart there are more serious concerns anyway, and having a hand full of cracked plastic and some live terminals as well as an earthed thing to touch may actually be worse than just the handful of live  terminals.
    And then there is plenty of stuff in service that does not really comply at all, being in affect class 0.
    In a perfect world light fittings would all cost about £100 and meet all regs with room to spare but there is no appetite for that, and some might argue that  as inflation and wages diverge, the value of life really ought to fall again so the risk balance moves back to a cheaper, but slightly riskier position. In reality that happens but only in an accidental and often unwise way - folk stretch the interval to change the tyres on the car and so on.

    Mike.

  • 0 in reply to mapj1

    Love your philosophical approach Mike! I know I sometimes I'm wearing blinkers with my technical hat on, but after reading your last comment I think I'm feeling a bit more balanced now!

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