I have a Client that will not provide a Risk Assessment to omit an RCD Commando Socket for a Data Cabinet. He wishes to employ a local isolator for the Cabinet, however he is concerned that the PDU Strip that arrived on site from the factory and pre-fitted within the data cabinet would still need an RCD. It is my opinion that the Factory built Data Rack is classed as a piece of equipment and as such does not form part of the Contractor's installation. If the Rack had arrived on site without the PDU strip fitted and it was installed by the Contractor then this would form part of the installation and therefore would require an RCD. Any advice/assistance would be appreciated.
I've been thinking about this from a different direction, but I'm probably arriving at a similar conclusion to Graham (for once!).
I've been thinking, not from a BS 7671 and equipment standards point of view, but from a Health & Safety at Work Act & Electricity at Work Regulations direction. The legislation doesn't distinguish between fixed wiring and other equipment, but concentrates on the overall level of safety. So say we had a rather uncontrolled environment. Rack placed alongside the system manager's desk in an open plan working area. IT guys aren't particularly knowledgable about mains electricity but know enough to get things to work. Not adverse to running a lead out from the rack to the desk if they need an extra socket for a new bit of equipment. Cleaner plugs their vacuum into whatever spare socket they can find. Likewise the mobile car valeting guy. Equipment from home sneaks in occasionally. Certainly not all IT offices are like that - but some are (I've been in them). So we're now at a position where the "norm" is that ordinary sockets for general use are expected to have 30mA RCD protection - so what what your position be if someone used one of the non-RCD sockets supplied from the rack supply for something dodgy and came a cropper as a result?
Hopefully at this point you're saying something like 'but my environment isn't like that - the rack will be in a locked machine room, or there's no chance of equipment outdoors being plugged into it, or the IT guys have been trained in some basic electrical safety - can't I take those factors into account' - to which I'd say yes of course - but the means the regs provide for doing that (paperwork wise) is via a risk assessment.
I've been thinking about this from a different direction, but I'm probably arriving at a similar conclusion to Graham (for once!).
I've been thinking, not from a BS 7671 and equipment standards point of view, but from a Health & Safety at Work Act & Electricity at Work Regulations direction. The legislation doesn't distinguish between fixed wiring and other equipment, but concentrates on the overall level of safety. So say we had a rather uncontrolled environment. Rack placed alongside the system manager's desk in an open plan working area. IT guys aren't particularly knowledgable about mains electricity but know enough to get things to work. Not adverse to running a lead out from the rack to the desk if they need an extra socket for a new bit of equipment. Cleaner plugs their vacuum into whatever spare socket they can find. Likewise the mobile car valeting guy. Equipment from home sneaks in occasionally. Certainly not all IT offices are like that - but some are (I've been in them). So we're now at a position where the "norm" is that ordinary sockets for general use are expected to have 30mA RCD protection - so what what your position be if someone used one of the non-RCD sockets supplied from the rack supply for something dodgy and came a cropper as a result?
Hopefully at this point you're saying something like 'but my environment isn't like that - the rack will be in a locked machine room, or there's no chance of equipment outdoors being plugged into it, or the IT guys have been trained in some basic electrical safety - can't I take those factors into account' - to which I'd say yes of course - but the means the regs provide for doing that (paperwork wise) is via a risk assessment.
