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Coding for Sockets Following EICR

Gents/Ladies, We have just had an EICR carried out on our premises (industrial) and the following Code C3 as been given for no RCD protection on sockets. I was under the impression that all single phase and three phase sockets up to 32amp were required to have RCD'S/RCBO'S or RCD sockets, unless a written Risk Assessment was issued. Is this correct?

  • yes, when installing to the current regs. I presume for the avoidance of doubt there is no written RA available ? then it would be OK.

    Without  it the installation could not be installed today. So it is not a clear pass. The question is how dangerous is it? To that end it is worth asking how many other things have to go wrong to get to a dangerous state.

    if it was an immediate danger, like exposed live parts in easy reach it would be a code 1 - "stop using it today".
    Clearly its not that sort of risk.
    If it would become a danger in the event of faulty appliance  or if it was something that disabled the ADS, like a missing earth conductor or a bypassed fuse, then it would be a code 2 - "fix ASAP"

    It is probably not that either, or at least this inspector thinks not - though in some cases it could be, depending what the (not)RCD protected sockets were likely to be used for and if the RCD is essential to avoid a danger condition.

    So in that case it is a a code 3  "improvement recommended but not an immediate matter"


    The only sure fire way to be sure is to ask the inspector, but that is the sort of thinking he or  she should have used.
    Mike.

  • The area of which he as picked up on is the engineering department were metal frames are being manufactured, extension leads are used but not many, handheld tools like grinders are also being in the welding bays.

    Thanks in advance 

  • I was under the impression that all single phase and three phase sockets up to 32amp were required to have RCD'S/RCBO'S or RCD sockets, unless a written Risk Assessment was issued. Is this correct?

    It is not clear what you have in mind if that were the case; or not.

    What do you think the inspector should have done?

  • It may be that had there been water or animals or naked bodies the inspectors opinion would have veered towards a C2, these being things that up the risk.

    Sounds like fully clothed and instructed persons rather than random public, so less risk of large area contact shocks, or drunken horseplay, maybe there is a process for inspecting those tools and reporting cut extension leads  that mitigates quite a lot of the risk as well ? Is there a risk in the opposite direction that if the power went off mid weld or whatever suddenly someone could be hurt by that? all things that need to be weighed up - doing an inspection well is not a simple tick box job.

    AND c3 is NOT 'do nothing', rather it is an early warning to start thinking about improvement - can  some sockets be changed to RCD types during maintainence and the rest risk assessed properly? could RCDs be added? just not so serious to be an immediate 'stop the job'.

    Mike.

  • Cheers Mike

  • The usual rule of thumb for lack of additional protection by 30mA RCD on domestic sockets is C3 for ones just serving indoor areas, C2 for those serving outdoor areas. Partly that's due to very long extension leads typically used outdoors that can defeat ADS by overcurrent device due to the increased loop impedance aren't reasonably going to be needed indoors, and partly that the machines in unskilled hands that can easily cut through flexes (hedge trimmers, lawn mowers) again aren't to be expected indoors, and outdoors connection with Earth potential is far more likely. For industrial settings, some extra judgement will be needed depending on the exact circumstances. If the floor is reasonably insulated from Earth (usually is via the damp proof membrane) and the workforce reasonably trained, the hazard from the cut flex for example may be quite small - both in terms of likelihood of it occurring and the chances of a serious shock if it does. If sliced flexes are a regular occurrence than there are bigger H&S problems than can be addressed by an RCD (since fatal shocks can be had from L & N). On the other hand some fabrication areas are more like outdoors if with a bit of shelter from the rain. It all depends...

        - Andy.

  • Thanks Andy

  • C3 sounds reasonable to me. There would be chaos if changes in BS 7671 gave rise to C2 because under those circumstances, the Regs would have become retrospective to all intents and purposes.

  • There would be chaos if changes in BS 7671 gave rise to C2 because under those circumstances, the Regs would have become retrospective

    In general ... perhaps ... but this is a place of work, and whilst we might be arguing over what code to give it in terms of the informative (guidance) Appendix 6 to BS 7671, it's important to communicate this properly to the relevant duty holder so that they can review their risk assessment.

    In accordance with H&S legislation, risk assessments need to be reviewed regularly, and when anything changes ... which includes changes to standards.

    One might ask whether it is now "reasonably practicable" to retrofit RCDs to circuits supplying some, or all, of those socket-outlets? ... that question would certainly be asked if anyone were seriously injured or killed as a result of an electrical fault and an RCD might have operated to prevent or lessen the impact of the injury.

    I was under the impression that all single phase and three phase sockets up to 32amp were required to have RCD'S/RCBO'S or RCD sockets, unless a written Risk Assessment was issued. Is this correct?

    That has been true (32 A) since BS 7671:2018 (18th Edition), although prior to that there were requirements for socket-outlets up to 20 A to have RCD protection, which hasn't really changed much since BS 7671:2008 (except tightening up the wording around when risk assessments can say they are not needed, and more recently in 2018 changing to 32 A).

    The use of RCDs is not new, (and the costs are definitely not what they were back in the late 1980's / early 1990's).

  • One might ask whether it is now "reasonably practicable" to retrofit RCDs to circuits supplying some, or all, of those socket-outlets?

    I can see no reason why it would not be reasonably practicable for RCD sockets to be fitted (like going back to 15th Edn). The cost might be another matter, but I think that it would come into the realms of not reasonably practicable only if it threatened to bankrupt the company.