Fire Supports on Cat5 cables EICR

Part of the structure, innit.

OK, that wasn't a well chosen example...


My point was that compliance with a BS shouldn't be the only or even the main criteria for deciding whether something is suitable - especially for an EICR where we're meant to be deducing whether the installation is safe for continued use (using thee current version of the regs as a yardstick for the level of safety to be expected). Some things that don't have a BS (I'm now thinking of proprietary systems like unistrut) are likely to perfectly satisfactory in practice and their actual safety or suitability isn't really reduced at all by the lack of a bit of paper certifying compliance with something or other. Likewise just because and item of equipment does comply with a BS it doesn't necessarily mean it's suitable for every particular situation (the debacle with BS 1363 sockets and EV charge points come to mind).


For sure compliance with a BS is a nice easy way of palming off most of the hard thinking onto someone else and of course BS 7671 demands a certain level of compliance for a new installation - but we should not overlook the judgement that should also be applied in every situation.


Most ceiling grids for example are intended to directly supply 4'x2' light fittings - weighing in at several kg each - is it really plausible to suggest a few tens of grams of cat 5 in the same area will make an appreciable difference to the systems support capabilities?


I do agree that slinging cables over a grid isn't exactly good practice - but sometimes there are few alternatives especially when the ceiling is already up and the space underneath a fully populated office. CAT 5 (and higher) really doesn't want to be supported from a catenary wire with a few ty-wraps (data cable installation standards demand protection of the cable's geometry for performance reasons) and getting anything like tray or basket up there is likely to be difficult and disruptive - i.e. expensive - and customers tend to prefer cheaper solutions.


   - Andy.

Part of the structure, innit.

OK, that wasn't a well chosen example...


My point was that compliance with a BS shouldn't be the only or even the main criteria for deciding whether something is suitable - especially for an EICR where we're meant to be deducing whether the installation is safe for continued use (using thee current version of the regs as a yardstick for the level of safety to be expected). Some things that don't have a BS (I'm now thinking of proprietary systems like unistrut) are likely to perfectly satisfactory in practice and their actual safety or suitability isn't really reduced at all by the lack of a bit of paper certifying compliance with something or other. Likewise just because and item of equipment does comply with a BS it doesn't necessarily mean it's suitable for every particular situation (the debacle with BS 1363 sockets and EV charge points come to mind).


For sure compliance with a BS is a nice easy way of palming off most of the hard thinking onto someone else and of course BS 7671 demands a certain level of compliance for a new installation - but we should not overlook the judgement that should also be applied in every situation.


Most ceiling grids for example are intended to directly supply 4'x2' light fittings - weighing in at several kg each - is it really plausible to suggest a few tens of grams of cat 5 in the same area will make an appreciable difference to the systems support capabilities?


I do agree that slinging cables over a grid isn't exactly good practice - but sometimes there are few alternatives especially when the ceiling is already up and the space underneath a fully populated office. CAT 5 (and higher) really doesn't want to be supported from a catenary wire with a few ty-wraps (data cable installation standards demand protection of the cable's geometry for performance reasons) and getting anything like tray or basket up there is likely to be difficult and disruptive - i.e. expensive - and customers tend to prefer cheaper solutions.


   - Andy.