OLEV Installation Auditor problems

How about a departure based upon the impracticality of installing SPD provision when a recently fitted but nearly full consumer unit is present? Surely SPD provision cannot be forced upon an unwilling adopter against both their will and their wallet?

I doubt it's that impractical - the SPD could always be put in a separate enclosure after all. Pretty similar situation to having to add 30mA RCD protection when adding a socket to an old installation - usually there's a way if there's a will.

A departure would be debatable - any departure should not reduce the level of safety compared with what compliance would achieve - and as as the fundamental purpose of the regs is to 'provide for the safety of persons, livestock and property' (my emphasis) (131.1) it's hard to see that leaving out an SPD where a risk assessment would say it's required would do that.

As for cost - that's always a stumbling point. I suppose that in general a customer could ask for something that's below BS 7671 standard (building reg etc permitting), but I suspect that in this case the government grant makes things more complicated as I guess it's a condition of the grant that the work complies with the current (or some specified) edition of BS 7671.

   - Andy.

How about a departure based upon the impracticality of installing SPD provision when a recently fitted but nearly full consumer unit is present? Surely SPD provision cannot be forced upon an unwilling adopter against both their will and their wallet?

I doubt it's that impractical - the SPD could always be put in a separate enclosure after all. Pretty similar situation to having to add 30mA RCD protection when adding a socket to an old installation - usually there's a way if there's a will.

A departure would be debatable - any departure should not reduce the level of safety compared with what compliance would achieve - and as as the fundamental purpose of the regs is to 'provide for the safety of persons, livestock and property' (my emphasis) (131.1) it's hard to see that leaving out an SPD where a risk assessment would say it's required would do that.

As for cost - that's always a stumbling point. I suppose that in general a customer could ask for something that's below BS 7671 standard (building reg etc permitting), but I suspect that in this case the government grant makes things more complicated as I guess it's a condition of the grant that the work complies with the current (or some specified) edition of BS 7671.

   - Andy.