I would value comments on the following unusual installation in the UK.
I used to work for a worldwide German manufacturing company. By 1989 they had expanded systematically all over Europe and after several successful new factory builds they ventured for the first time into the UK. They had a complete Engineering department which did nothing else other than build new factories. Not only did they assemble and commission all the specialised equipment to carry out the manufacturing but they also built the factory buildings as well.
All the components for this new UK factory were supplied in the form of a kit put together in Germany and transported over here in containers. Subsequently British plumbers were surprised to see toilets of the continental variety and I remember a locksmith was amazed to see all the door locks were of a kind that had never been available in the UK. Where possible, all electrical items were Siemens, including the lampposts! This all made life very interesting for people like me working in the maintenance dept. Often simple electrical hardware was not available in the UK.
I joined them in 1996 as an Electrical Engineer primarily concerned with the process equipment, but I also got involved with the building installation. It was all to German standards. The power from the DNO came into the plant at 11kV, supplying four 2000 kVA factory owned transformers. The LV substation was kitted out with German panels the like of which UK electricians had never seen before. The distribution was all in TNC supplying localised DBs that did not even have the option of separate earth and neutral, just a PEN terminal bar. All the office sockets were two pin Schuko. It was all identical to the wiring in the German factories. All cables had one conductor missing (if you were used to UK wiring).
Following a very interesting Periodic Inspection report, funds were made available to change things to UK standards. Over the next few years the whole factory was gradually rewired as required to achieve TNC-S, including new DB’s with RCD’s (cannot be fitted with TNC) and the socket outlets were all changed for BS1363. It was challenging achieving this without stopping production and keeping the offices running.
I note regulation 543.4 about PEN conductors and that 543.4.2 (ii) appears to make the above installation conform with BS7671, but Regulation 8(4) of the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 prohibits the use of PEN in consumer’s installations.
I have now retired, but as far as I know this installation now complies with all UK regs. I am just very interested in the legalities and otherwise of the installation as it was.
