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BS7671 Rant and Recomendations
Former Community Member
Hi, I'm about a quarter way through reading BS7671 and not impressed at all. I've been studying daily for months now. It's written in a way that makes it very difficult to understand. Long complicated sentences that make you loose track of what's being explained. Repetition. Poor headings and formatting. References to other BS7671 regulations and other BS every few lines. If you want electricians to work safely then make clear and concise safety instructions. I'm guessing most people skim over it. I'm struggling to stay awake reading it. I have started reading a few of the IET guidance notes. They are better but still poorly structured and there's repetition and nonsense. Does anyone know of any better books to learn from that are clear and concise and well structured? Thanks.
Hi, I'm about a quarter way through reading BS7671 and not impressed at all. I've been studying daily for months now. It's written in a way that makes it very difficult to understand. Long complicated sentences that make you loose track of what's being explained. Repetition. Poor headings and formatting. References to other BS7671 regulations and other BS every few lines. If you want electricians to work safely then make clear and concise safety instructions. I'm guessing most people skim over it. I'm struggling to stay awake reading it. I have started reading a few of the IET guidance notes. They are better but still poorly structured and there's repetition and nonsense. Does anyone know of any better books to learn from that are clear and concise and well structured? Thanks.
I'd certainly agree it's not the easiest thing to read. Partly that's the result of 130-odd years of amendements by committee, but also due to trying to cover a very wide range of situations without leaving gaps in the logic. If the regs only had to cover domestic wiring for instance they could be a fraction of the size and much simpler - but as things stand they need to cover just about everything from a garden shed to a huge factory, from the supply to a domestic pond pump to a sewage works, from a lamp-post to Blackpool Tower. So simple details get replaced by somewhat abstract concepts - which it's expected the reader will have to apply to whatever situation they find themselves in.
Believe it or not references out to other standards can actually make it briefer and easier to read - if you look back at much older versions you'll find page after page for things like the construction of cables and insulation testing during manufacture (including soaking samples in water for so many hours) and the requirements for plugs and sockets. Just saying 'xyz must comply with BS whatever' cut out a lot of clutter.
But stick with it - there is a knack to reading it - after a while it starts to make more sense. There are simpler books out there to start with - the On-Site Guide might outline the basics better and there are plenty of Electrician's guides.
Hi, I'm about a quarter way through reading BS7671 and not impressed at all. I've been studying daily for months now. It's written in a way that makes it very difficult to understand. Long complicated sentences that make you loose track of what's being explained. Repetition. Poor headings and formatting. References to other BS7671 regulations and other BS every few lines. If you want electricians to work safely then make clear and concise safety instructions. I'm guessing most people skim over it. I'm struggling to stay awake reading it. I have started reading a few of the IET guidance notes. They are better but still poorly structured and there's repetition and nonsense. Does anyone know of any better books to learn from that are clear and concise and well structured? Thanks.
I'd certainly agree it's not the easiest thing to read. Partly that's the result of 130-odd years of amendements by committee, but also due to trying to cover a very wide range of situations without leaving gaps in the logic. If the regs only had to cover domestic wiring for instance they could be a fraction of the size and much simpler - but as things stand they need to cover just about everything from a garden shed to a huge factory, from the supply to a domestic pond pump to a sewage works, from a lamp-post to Blackpool Tower. So simple details get replaced by somewhat abstract concepts - which it's expected the reader will have to apply to whatever situation they find themselves in.
Believe it or not references out to other standards can actually make it briefer and easier to read - if you look back at much older versions you'll find page after page for things like the construction of cables and insulation testing during manufacture (including soaking samples in water for so many hours) and the requirements for plugs and sockets. Just saying 'xyz must comply with BS whatever' cut out a lot of clutter.
But stick with it - there is a knack to reading it - after a while it starts to make more sense. There are simpler books out there to start with - the On-Site Guide might outline the basics better and there are plenty of Electrician's guides.
