Wiring & Main Feeders in Medical Locations

Question

Good afternoon Team Members, 
 
 Is Terminal wiring & Feeders with LSZH ( Low Smoke Zero Halogen) insulation a requirements under BS 7671:2018 for medical locations for Group 0,1,2 as this concern sick people? Kindly help to clarify under the standard.

AJJewsbury · Accepted Answer

Not my area of expertise, but I can't see anything in BS 7671 section 710 (medical locations) that directly demands LSZH cabling. It might not be as simple as that though - if the circuits are safety circuits then they may need to have some fire resisting properties (which isn't quite the same as being LSZH - although many fire resisting cables will be low emission, not all low emission cables will be fire resistant). Likewise there may be demands from other parts of the regulations which aren't specific to medical locations, but might include your particular locations, depending on the details. Also other standards/regulations might have a bearing - e.g. the Construction Products Regulations, or HTM series for NHS buildings in the UK. Not to mention customer requirements. 
 - Andy.

OHeath · Answer

As per Andy's reply, there is no explicit wording within BS7671, nor the Department for Health Document HTM-06-01, that states the requirement for LSZH cabling within medical locations. It actually specifies that XLPE is the preferred construction type, although I would personally use LSZH. 
 Health Technical Memorandum 06-01: Electrical services supply and distribution (2017 edition) (england.nhs.uk) )

gkenyon · Answer

Satish Kumar said: Is Terminal wiring & Feeders with LSZH ( Low Smoke Zero Halogen) insulation a requirements under BS 7671:2018 for medical locations for Group 0,1,2 as this concern sick people? Kindly help to clarify under the standard. 
 It's really do with fire safety and evacuation risk assessments and procedures procedures, reducing smoke and toxic gas impact in the areas because of people with reduced mobility. Relevant devolved nation's healthcare technical memoranda for fire safety, as well as electrical services, will provide the right steer in this regard. As others have said, not specifically stated in BS 7671, perhaps with the exception of Regulation 422.2.1 and 560.8.1.

John Peckham · Answer

Good Morning Satish 
 Well as Graham says we already have requirements in BS 7671 and he has referenced these. 
 Andy has pointed to the HTM 06 series of documents. 
 You will also need to look at the HTM-05 series of documents that specifically deal with fire. 
 The HTMs also point to BS 8519 for safety services and CIBSE guides. 
 You should put your proposal together and Tech. Sub. it to the hospitals fire engineer for approval to ensure that it meets his/her fire strategy for the building. 
 I recently did a design for a large hospital using LSOH cables with limited fire propagation for ordinary supplies and fire resistant LSOH cables with limited fire propagation for the safety services. All Tech. Subed. for approval which was approved. 
 So in essence you propose your design and others approve. 
 
 Hope this helps. 
 
 JP

gkenyon · Answer

Satish Kumar said: Also I shall go by your & Heath suggestion HTM-05 & HTM 06 series of documents. 
 Just to mention, that "HTM's" only apply in England - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own versions of these documents, so there may be slight changes in practice in each of the nations of the UK (as there is with Building Regulations)

Satish Kumar · Answer

Thank you Graham. I have taken note on that

Wiring & Main Feeders in Medical Locations

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Community Rules & Guidelines