Inadequate inspections on the safety of wiring in buildings across England are increasing the risk of fires, E&T has found. A flawed regulatory system has sparked a race to the bottom, with some businesses profiting at the expense of the public’s safety.
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There isn’t an electrician under the age of 58 who has been able to install a plug socket in a domestic property without having to consider the requirements for 30 mA RCD protection, so the majority of electricians just accept that it’s not something that can just be discounted and ignored.
It does seem though that some older people of a similar age to myself are very slow adopters of changes in Wiring Regulations, though over forty years to acknowledge and accept changes is really is pushing it a bit too far.
Andy and Zoom, It is rather disingenuous to suggest I am a dinosaur because I say fitting a single RCD (not none as you seem to suggest) is an easy and cheap way to significantly improve an installation. All your customers may have a grand or two they don't need and you do, but with the present situation of the economy you are going to have to think again. The regulations say nothing about fitting multiple RCDs except to suggest that inconvenience should be considered. The next inconvenience will be having serious power cuts, or being cut off because you cannot pay the present astronomical charges. If all properties were completely rewired, would there really be a change in the electric shock statistics, I think it would not be statistically significant. You seem to have a serious problem with any risk, life is a risk, and there are many things you can do excepting electrics to reduce those risks. About two-thirds of deaths occur in bed, do you suggest we eliminate beds? It would be much more effective to stop people eating too much, driving, riding motor bikes and cycles, or even the very low risk of traveling by air. You must find life horrific to contemplate. If the lights go off in winter due to an RCD trip, surely one finds out why? If you have a stack of RCBOs you probably don't even notice, which is a snag if it is the freezer or shed. More is rarely better! More circuits is better, probably not.
Are you just considering able bodied active people that may be affected by your one R.C.D. that disconnects everything in a house David? Why are you retrogressing back to the 80s?What about disabled people, elderly people or people with mobility issues, children and house visitors such as baby sitters that may be affected by the blackout. Could they all cope easily without panicking? Would they know what to do to get the mains back on. What if the one and only R.C.D. would not reset?
"Safety and proper functioning" David, "Safety and property functioning."
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Z.
but hey-ho folk tend to rely on safety devices by reducing their own safety practices.
Which might be another way of stating my comment below (or was it above?) that if you maintain your equipment properly, and use it properly, you should never trip an RCD.
This discussion is about the Electrical Safety Regulations covering Private Rented Sector Homes, homes which are rented from landlords running businesses by tenants, the cost of safety in these homes is actually irrelevant, it is a cost that has to be met, if it cannot be met then the landlord cannot rent the property out.
No one is suggesting that these properties need gold plated fittings, I am merely saying that electrical safety standards that have been a general requirement for many years should be met, such as providing 30 mA RCD protection for sockets used mowing lawns, etc which has been a requirement for over forty years.
Is providing 30 mA RCD protection for sockets supplying equipment used outdoors or for that matter an electric shower in PRS homes really and truly an unnecessary expense for the landlord?
Bear in mind the Working Group stated:
”The group noted that 62% of PRS households currently had RCDs installed.”
Now if the 38% without RCD protection are all flats without access to outdoor spaces such as gardens and driveways and they also don’t have electric showers I would not raise so many concerns.
But I doubt that is the reality of the situation.
Some years ago I was working in a kitchen doing electrical work and another electrician was working completely independently in the conservatory, the customer was mowing the lawn when the mower stopped with a bang, I realised the customer had just snagged the mower cable and ran to the consumer unit to throw the main switch as the other electrician screamed “No!” at the customer.
When I went into the garden the customer was stood holding the end of the cable saying “Look, it’s okay I have had one of those consumer units with a RCD fitted that turns the electric off if you cut the lawnmower cable”.
The other electrician looked at me and said “Did it?” you can guess the answer I gave.
On another occasion I was working in a house when an air ambulance landed in the road outside after the neighbour cut through his lawnmower flex, they were too late to do anything he died instantly.
So please don’t even suggest I am going over the top saying that sockets supplying outdoor equipment need 30 mA RCD protection, they need it although in reality it may not actually be enough.
Let's not forget the sad, tragic, Emma Shaw case.
No R.C.D.
IET Forums - EMMA SHAW CASE (theiet.org)
Z.
I don’t think a RCD was actually a requirement at the time for cables in metal stud walls at that time also the I&T was falsified, but a PRS EICR should have picked that up, assuming it was of course actually a rented home, so possibly not the best example in this instance but certainly an example of what should have been avoided.
Is providing 30 mA RCD protection for sockets supplying equipment used outdoors or for that matter an electric shower in PRS homes really and truly an unnecessary expense for the landlord?
Are we saying that the expense is justified because tenants are more stupid than those who own their own homes (or have a mortgage)?
Is providing 30 mA RCD protection for sockets supplying equipment used outdoors or for that matter an electric shower in PRS homes really and truly an unnecessary expense for the landlord?
“Are we saying that the expense is justified because tenants are more stupid than those who own their own homes (or have a mortgage)?”
Can an employer fail to comply with H&S requirements because training and PPE for employees is “too expensive”?
Those who are homeowners make their own decisions, generally tenants are reliant on landlords for their homes electrical installation being safe.
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