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EICR coding for lack of local isolation of kitchen appliances

Alan B

I have been asked by a friend to provide a second opinion on EICR coding for kitchen appliances connected to sockets that can only be accessed by moving the appliance, in this case the appliances are free standing and it's in rented accommodation, not HMO.

It certainly contravenes current regulation 537.3.2.

Electrician that completed the EICR is coding it as a C2 and want's to install suitable isolators with associated costs and disruption. To my mind it's a C3 as it's a bit inconvenient but the appliances can still be isolated by turning a circuit breaker of at the CU. Alternatively everything is RCD  protected, moving a free standing appliance without isolation isn't that risky.

I then started to look for documentation  and articles to provide guidance on the sittuation without much luck. Plenty describing why it's required and how to achieve it.

How would others code this, are there any articles you are aware of on the subject. When was the requirement introduced?

Appreciate any input you have. 

  • 0 in reply to Chris Pearson

    Folk dieing in the hour or so after a shock is not unknown, and for HV DC capacitor type shocks, as this would have been, is quite common - the current would not have been passing for long enough to induce ventricular fibrillation. (a typical microwave oven has 4 or 5uF and it was probably holding 2-3kV when he touched it. *)

    In any case, the mechanisms are more complex and relate to internal burns or muscle damage. And of course there may be some underlying weakness the victim is unaware of.

    Agree totally that pretty much  all instant deaths are fibrillation, especially on AC or DC supplies where the current can flow for a long time compared to a heart period.

    There is a good reason for the advice to get a medical check up as soon as possible after a bad electric shock.

    There is a fair amount of evidence for some very delayed effects in terms of greater risk of other problems later on.

    (*) And that is unlucky, any machine bearing a CE mark would have a discharge resistor, but they can fail, and also this was the USA were EU standard does not apply.

    Mike.

  • 0 in reply to Chris Pearson

    There is a similar thing with drowning or more precisely near drowning.  If there is a near drowning (so the person survives a drowning event) then the person should always go to hospital to be checked over.  The reason is they could suffer from secondary drowning. 

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