Commercial businesses, risk losing everything!

With their current cavalier attitude to “Electrical Safety” for their customers, and their employees as well.

In the current economic climate, as you would expect large and small organisations alike are seeking to get as much as possible for as little as possible, in many instances this is good common-sense which should have been practised by all organisations for many years.

However, when it comes to electrical safety, cheap is definitely not always better, with the current stranglehold with many large FM companies, on the electrical testing market for large organisations, many vital things are being missed, but as long as they get there piece of paper. They don't care?

Many testing companies out there promise the earth and deliver a farthing, yes all that will show my age.

I was sitting in the offices of a large organisation. Not long ago providing technical breakdown of their electrical report, when I was actually asked to sit in on a meeting the testing contractor who was vying for their work, without recourse to their existing test report.

He promised that they could provide a proper certificate by only doing 10% sample testing and this is perfectly legal. However, they would be charging a small admin fee for writing up each of the circuits that they didn't test on the surface. To the uninitiated this is a wonderful deal.

To say I got grilled over this was an understatement, no point me even considering trying to justify my point of view, just referred them to the NICEIC the ECA and NAPIT, and told them to phone their technical desk and check what this other company had said, to say I was appalled was an understatement.

So were the above organizations, according to the client, who then invited me back to do the work, yes there are some sensible clients out there!

So let me explain, the rules, you can only do sample testing, if you have full results for every circuit on every fuse-board from your previous test report, had they bothered to check this No, did they asked for a copy of the report prior to provide a price No, so had they, accepted the cost and engaged them they would have a piece of paper that wasn't worth the paper it's printed on , in fact the client would have been in breach of their legally duty of care to ensure safe testing practices and the employment of a competent contractor.

Oh, did I forget! under the new legislation. It is the client's responsibility to ensure that the contractor they employ does the job properly! And they can go to prison if they don't?

Unfortunately, like most commercial enterprises from shops, factories to office space.

Their main consideration is only money and the least inconvenience!

This unfortunate cavalier attitude that has been prevalent for the past 25 years in our industry has led to more and more companies that provide a cheap price using every loophole in the book as long as they don't get caught, that is, just to get the work.

The amount of buildings I go into, that are supposedly covered by current test certificates, where I personally would like to physically turn them off because of the dangers I see are now fast outweighing the good ones, due to years of neglect and worthless test and reports.

Time and time again I see reports which are basically worthless pieces of paper supplied to the customer from FM companies and cheap do it at any cost testing contractors, who put in a cheap price just to get remedial works, and in over 60% of the cases I have seen personally prices that are less than half the actual cost of doing the work; but the remedial costs are twice the amount, so the clients think, they are getting a good job, and a very cheap price and then pay through the nose at the end.

The misconception from estate agents that they can get five if not six EICR reports done per day by their engineers at £45 each is an illusion, pure economics state that by the time you've driven to a job with 1 man or two men done the inspection work on site at least another hour minimum if you're lucky, if they bother to  inspected properly and then driven back, produced paperwork your total time spent on the job, For two men is approximately 8 hours.

Pure maths equates to £5.62 p and hour, a decent electrician will cost somewhere between £13 and £15 per hour and a properly qualified time served engineer who understands the requirements of  inspection can cost anywhere between £15 and £25 an hour, (More knowledge is  needed for more complex systems), not hard to work out the type of report you'll get!

How long is it going to take, I hear so often well, I don't know, can you tell me what's wrong with the system or what's right with the system, I don't know! But you must know! You do this all the time!

Well some of them take 10 min others can take an hour, totally depends on what I find.

How many more lives will be put at risk, where money is the ultimate aim along with inconvenience!

For me personally, one life is too many, unfortunately statistics show hundreds of lives are lost every year to electrocution, and in most cases these lives could have been saved if it had been Inspected / Maintained properly.

But the work has been carried out properly, we used Fred the painter to install the electrical systems, he said he know how! or labourers being used to do electrical work and many items missed because the client does not want to pay the true price, of doing it properly! So the cheap contractor cuts corners in order to get the job at any cost.

Time and time again, I have lost work personally and know many other people within the industry that have lost work, because their quote, /estimates were too high.

Yet when the other cheap contractor who won the job, gets to site to carry out the work he finds a number of items that need to be done that were not quoted for by him, yet under close inspection were quoted for by  the other apparently expensive contractors.

Yet I'm called back six months, to two years later to fix the problems that they've got the other contractor in to fix on a number of occasions and paid nearly double the price in the end, to have the work put right.

It is time that this country wakes up and realises that incompetence and cheap contractors do not save you money, they in fact cost you double the amount in the end.

If you look at it properly and get your FDs to investigate the real cost when you're contractor has to come back multiple times for quote,  “Apparently additional works." That you’re only actually paying for what should have been done right in the first place?

For Further information call 0800-542-0638

Or contact us via our website: - www.safe-electric.com

CONFUSION BETWEEN LANDLORDS AND TENANTS EXPOSES MILLIONS TO SERIOUS ELECTRICAL DANGERS

CONFUSION BETWEEN LANDLORDS AND TENANTS EXPOSES MILLIONS TO SERIOUS ELECTRICAL DANGERS

•       Electricity kills at least one person every week in the home and almost 1,000 are seriously injured every day - private tenants are disproportionately affected by electric accidents
•             Rise in non-professional landlords - confused over responsibilities - puts tenants at further risk
•       ESC produces tips for landlords and urges tenants to use its new home safety app
•             ESC calls on landlords to ensure properties have adequate RCD protection

As the number of people becoming landlords soars, with 13% of UK adults considering leasing out a property in the near future , research from the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) has found that misunderstandings between landlords and tenants over responsibilities for safety are exposing millions of people to life-threatening electrical dangers.

Electricity kills at least one person every week in the home and almost 1,000 are seriously injured every day. Electricity causes around 20,000 fires a year - almost half of all accidental UK house fires. The ESC has found that of all the people receiving an electric shock, private tenants are disproportionately affected: with 16% of the UK population living in private rented properties, they account for 20% of UK adults receiving an electric shock.

The ESC is concerned that the rise in inexperienced landlords – many of whom are finding it easier to rent out their property than sell it – will further compromise safety. More than one fifth of all private tenants (21%) already report concerns with the electrical safety in their home and three quarters of private tenants (75%) can’t recall discussing electrical safety with their landlord.

Confused over responsibilities

The ESC’s research also found that landlords and tenants are confused about their responsibilities whereby three in ten landlords and two-fifths of renters do not know who is responsible for electrical safety in their rented properties (29% and 40% respectively).

By law, landlords must ensure electrical installations and wiring are maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy. And tenants should feel obliged to flag electrical problems as soon as they appear, as well as maintain any electrical items they bring into the house. The consequences for not understanding obligations can be serious. If a landlord is found to be negligent over electrical safety it can lead to prosecution, with a fine of up to £5,000 on each count or imprisonment. This may come as a shock to the 38% of landlords and over 65% of letting agents, who don’t believe there are any penalties for failing to maintain safety.

For further advice call us today on 0800-542-0638.

Or contact us at www.safe-electric.com

Fuseboxes explained

Fuseboxes explained

Your Fuse board – the fuse board also known as consumer unit should be easy to find. You should make sure you know where it is in case you ever need to turn the electricity off in an emergency. It usually contains three things, and they are used to control and distribute electricity around your home. They are: The main switch; Fuses and/or circuit breakers; and Residual Current Devices.

One simple piece of advice, get an Emergency light installed by your Fuse-board, that way when the power trips out you can at least see what is going on, no trying to find a torch or light a match or lighter, and potentially burn the house down!

A) Main Switch – this allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your home. You might have more than one mains switch, for example if your home has electric storage heaters. In this case you may have a separate fuse board.

B) Residual Current Devices (RCD) these are switches that trip a circuit under dangerous conditions, and instantly disconnect the electricity.

If your home has one or more RCD, test them regularly. Just follow the instruction label, which you should find near to the RCD. It should read as follows:

“This installation, or part of it, is protected by a device which automatically switches off the supply if an earth fault develops. Test every three months by pressing the button marked ‘T’ or ‘Test’.”

Testing the button every three months is important. The device should switch off the electricity. You should then switch it back on to restore the electricity. Do not hold the test button for a long period if the RCD does not trip. If it doesn't switch off the electricity when you press the button, contact a registered electrician.

C) Circuit Breakers – these are automatic protection devices in the fuse-board that switch off a circuit if they detect a fault. They are similar in size to fuses, but give more precise protection. When they ‘trip’, you can simply reset the switch. But make sure you correct the fault first.

Fuses (not on the image, may be found in place of circuit breakers) –rewirable fuses have a piece of special fuse wire running between two screws. When a fault or overload current flows through the fuse wire, it will become hot and melt. The melted fuse breaks the circuit, disconnecting the faulty circuit and keeping you safe.

If your fuse-board has a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a mixture of fuses it is likely that it dates back to before the 1960s and will need to be replaced.

For further information, Contact us today  on 0800-542-0638

On our website: - www.safe-electric.com

RCDs Explained

What is a residual current device (RCD)?

It’s a safety device that automatically switches off the electricity if

there is a fault. It’s far more sensitive than normal fuses and circuit 

breakers. It can be a lifesaver, reacting quickly to prevent electricity
causing a fatal shock.

An RCD constantly monitors the electric current flowing along a circuit.

If it detects electricity flowing down an unintended path, such as 

through a person who has touched a live part, it will switch the circuit

off instantly, reducing the risk of death or serious injury.

RCDs can help protect you from electric shock in potentially dangerous

 areas such as bathrooms and gardens. Using electricity when you may 

be wet significantly increases the risk of electric shock. If you are wet 

and make contact with the ground, it’s easy for electricity to flow through

you. So it’s very important to have RCD protection when using electrical 

equipment in these areas. If you don’t, a job like mowing the lawn could 

turn into a deadly disaster should you cut the lead.

RCDs are available as fixed, socket or portable.

Fixed RCDs – are installed into the fusebox and can provide protection to

individual or groups of circuits. A fixed RCD provides the highest level of 

protection. It protects all sockets and connected appliances on any circuit.

Socket RCDs – these replace a standard socket. They provide protection 

to anyone plugging electrical equipment into that socket.

Portable RCDs – these plug into any standard socket. An appliance can 

then be plugged into the RCD. These are useful when fixed or socket RCDs 

are not available. But again they only provide protection to the person 

plugging electrical equipment into the socket.

Are RCDs reliable?

We’ve found that fixed RCDs are about 97% reliable. This improves if they 

are tested regularly. If you have fixed RCD protection, it will reduce the risk 

of electric shock to you and your family. It can also protect your home 

against the risk of fire caused by faulty wiring or appliances.

Remember – Although RCD protection reduces the risk of death or 

injury from electric shock it does not reduce the need to be careful. 

Have your wiring checked at least once every 10 years to ensure the 

safety of you, your family and your home. If you find a fault with your 

wiring, or an appliance, stop using it immediately and contact 

a registered electrician.

Don’t forget to test – You should test all fixed and socket RCDs about 

every three months. Manufacturers recommend that portable RCDs are 

tested every time you use them.

A good tip is to test them regularly, like when putting your clocks forward, 

or back. Especially as many electric clocks and timers have to be reset anyway.

Beware – If you hold the test button in for a long time and the RCD does 

not switch off the electricity supply, then get advice from a registered electrician.

The new UK standard for safety – Since July 2008 virtually all circuits in 

new or rewired homes have been required to include an RCD under the

 latest edition of BS 7671.

Article information obtained from ESC Site.

For further information or to have us arrange a visit to inspect 

your electrical system call: -

0800-542-0638 or Visit us at: -www.safe-electric.com

10 Tips for Safe Christmas Lighting

As Christmas approaches and the fairy lights are brought down from the loft, follow these tips to make sure your  Christmas sparkles – without any sparks!

1) Lights that have been stored away in the loft may have suffered damage. Make sure any frayed leads or broken connectors are replaced before use.

2) Tempting as it may be, never overload sockets with your Christmas lights as this could result in overheating, electric shocks, short-circuiting and potentially cause a fire.

3) To cope with winter weather, exterior Christmas lights should either be low voltage – 12V or 24V – or protected by a Residual Current Device (RCD) that will automatically kick into action and break the circuit in the event of an earth fault. Cables should never be fed through doors or windows, as this could cause damage.

4) Ensure that cables are fully unwound. They can overheat and potentially cause a fire if they are left coiled on a reel…

5) …But take care. Trailing wires and lighting leads are one of the most common causes of household trips and falls. Ensure that any cables or extension leads are not left across pathways, and cannot be easily grabbed by children and pets.

6) Never have any lighting equipment, decorative or otherwise, near a water source.

7) Turning off the Christmas lights before going to bed or when away from home will greatly reduce the risk of fire.

8) And if you need to buy new lights as last year’s ones really have seen better days, only buy from reputable outlets. There are lots of budget versions out there, especially at car boot sales, but these are often not up to the required safety standards.

9) Always check for the European Standard CE mark when buying new lights.

10) Make sure lights you buy are suitable for the voltage they are being connected to. In the UK this should be 230 Volts.

To get more advice on safe Christmas lighting, contact us at www.safe-electric.com we are an approved NICEIC Contractor, our motto is "Safety 1st Last and Always"

 

Maximum period between testing for a Domestic rented Accomodation

Maximum Period  for a Residential Accommodation (I.e. Rented Property) is at Change of Occupancy / 1 year for routine Check's re sub-clause 3.5 or a Maximum of 5 Years as laid down in Table 3.2 of page 63 of Guidance note 3

This all depends on the state of the installation and also if the tenancy has changed, and the state the previous tenant left it in?

As a competent tester, it is up to us to assess the state of the installation not have the landlord or the letting agent dictate what they want.

After all you sign it and you go to Prison if you don't do it properly.

Read the book and the landlords and tenancy act, unfortunately as qualified engineers we are not just governed by BS 7671, we also have to be Lawyers.

And as for letting agents saying things like, “my men do 6 a day at £ 45.00 each” and I get proper reports.

If done properly an EICR complete with paperwork can take the whole day, so all those idiots doing it at cut price just to get the remedial works, are out of their minds.

I just finished a 3 bed house near me, 1 board in the house 1 board in the garage ended up at 19 pages long, started at 8am finished the paperwork at 4:30pm 8.5 hours I'm sure we are all going to do it for

£ 45.00.

Oh and by the way, that was one of the so called properties the letting agent had got done for £ 45.00, needless to say there so called cheap testers had missed quight a few things !!!!

When confronted with the new paperwork, there answer was, but the other people said it was satisfactory so its not my problem, wrong they can go to prison as well as the landlord; what price is somebodies life,  is all I said, obviously £ 45.00 to get a piece of paper for this company!

Call us today on 01487-813-600 or go to our Website: - www.safe-electric.com and send us an email, and get it done properly.

So Napit says, and Suddenly NOW people read, I have been saying this for years.

NAPIT says electrical fire casualties are rising

25 October 2012

Fire related casualties caused by faulty electrical wiring are on the increase in homes across the UK. Between 2004 and 2011, injuries in this area rose by more than a third whilst fatalities caused by faulty electrical distribution systems tripled, according to statistics from the Department of Communities and Local Government.

There were around 38,500 accidental domestic fires during 2010 – 2011. Around 22 percent of these were of electrical origin, with 10 percent caused by household wiring.

Older houses often have outdated internal wiring which can sometimes be worn, corroded or even damaged. Some properties will also have outdated fuse boxes which do not contain the same safety measures of newer models, such as RCD’s. This can leave members of the household exposed to the risk of electrical fires and even electrocution.

If you’ve recently purchased a new house or even if you’ve been living in your home for years, you can’t always be sure that its electrical wiring and the fuse box that keeps it all safe have been worked on by reputable electricians. Previous owners, with little or no electrical experience, may even have worked on the household electrics themselves as part of a DIY project.

Most of us can’t be one hundred percent sure that our electrical wiring is as safe as it could be. There could be all manner of underlying problems with your electrics which will go unnoticed until something goes wrong.

It is important to ensure electrical wiring is in good working condition. If you think your home electrics could have been damaged, bodged, or have simply deteriorated over time, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So why not hire a NAPIT registered electrician to check your home is safe?

Established for over 20 years, NAPIT – a nationwide, Government approved register professional tradesmen – aim to ensure the workmanship standards of each and every NAPIT registered Electrician comply with UK legal requirements. NAPIT registered electricians are assessed annually to make sure they are working to the highest standards; with NAPIT, your home is in safe hands.

A NAPIT registered electrician will be able to check your household wiring is safe and can also compile an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) that will demonstrate the integrity of your electrics; a document that will come in handy when you come to sell your house.

Is it really worth the risk? Remember, you probably won’t know whether your home electrics pose a safety hazard until something goes wrong. So for the peace of mind that comes with hiring a registered professional.

Article taken from EP Magazine.

For peace of mind contact us today at www.safe-electric.com 

EICR Reports the true cost?

I have been involved with some interesting debates in the past two weeks, in respect of the new EICR reports, which replaced the periodic / fixed wire reports, as of January 2012.

As an independent test and inspection engineer, with over 34 years experience, in the testing of domestic, commercial and industrial installations, it never ceases to amaze me, how often managers FM managers, directors owners and large corporations try to get this type of work done for the cheapest price possible.

So let's just take an example of, say a standard three bed house and truly break down the costs involved in carrying out the work.

1. Overheads, so people can find you, such as (advertising, telephone, broadband, e-mail etc).
2. normal running costs, vehicle, road tax, vehicle insurance, (diesel), public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance, membership, such as (N.I.C.E.I.C, CHAS, construction line), and so many more.
3. Re-examination costs to ensure that you are conversant with the latest regulations.
4. Calibration costs, for all your test instruments, sometimes biannually, due to the amount of use.
5. Leave office to go to job, somewhere between 30 and 60 min to travel.
6. set up and go round property taking readings, results, removing sockets switches light fittings, dismantling the fuse board,taking all the necessary readings as is required along with noting any defects on average anywhere between 2 to 4 hours on site depending on the number of items found.
7. Leave job go back to office, somewhere between 30 and 60 min to travel.
8. Start filling out paperwork, old periodic 5 to 6 pages, new E.I.C.R 10 to 14 pages, depending on what you find, approximate time to complete every item now needs to be ticked, and write all comments, 2 to 3 hours.

So let's add this up, forgetting the costs involved in item 1 to 4 because customers don't ever see that let's just go with items 5 to 8, if you assume 30 min both ways which is very conservative doesn't even include parking or congestion charging. If you are in a place like London.

Your average time spent doing just that one job, from start to finish. If you do it properly, is approximately 7 to 8 hours.

As you can see, the Cowboys that do this type of work, who arrived at say 9 AM and are gone by 10:30AM, having already completed the paperwork within that time frame, can in no way be doing the job properly.

Yet their charges range, from £45-£90 to do the work, when the real cost, is anywhere between and £150.00 and £200.00, plus VAT.

Unfortunately, the public; and I don't like using this word are "ignorant" and assume that once they have the piece of paper everything is okay.

Unfortunately it has been my experience over many years of having to re-attend these jobs, only to find numerous items that were never picked up properly because it was never tested properly and to give the customer the bad news that they now have to spend even more money that they had no idea about, leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Because quite often I'm the one that receives the attack because they went to a cheap outfit that quite often can no longer be found.

So when you get estate agents that quote anywhere between £60 and £90 to carry out a "proper report" remember one thing, their estate agents, they add a percentage sometimes in excess of 10% to a testing contractors costs, for the privilege of finding someone for you.

You don't get a butcher, to carry out brain surgery, so why on earth do you get people who are cheap. Don't know what they're doing produce half-hearted reports and leave you in a dangerous situation, and quite often and are gone within three months.

If you run your car to the corner shop once a week for half a mile and then came back your servicing costs would be possibly two years apart Maybe!

If you run your car around the M25, at 70 mph, five days a week, your servicing would be biannual and anywhere between £300-£600, each time, yet you pay without question.

When asked to check the safety of your home, against electrical dangers, you scream and shout about paying up to, £200 plus VAT, if you live in your own property, this test, is required by your insurance once every 10 years, which is you can see amounts to £20 a year.

You will spend up to £6000 in 10 years servicing a vehicle that depreciates down to a worthless piece of junk the moment it touches the tarmac, yet when asked to spend £200, once every 10 years you scream that it is too much, and always look for the cheap option, on an asset that increases in value.

Don't you think it is time that you started the value your lives and your family's lives above the cost of the car!

For further information, please go to www.safe-electric.com and contact us, for it is far better to know there is a problem. To do something about it than live in blissful ignorance until such time as you lose the most expensive object you have in your lives and I'm not talking about your home and talking about you!

Just five Steps, can make such a difference to peoples lives

Just five Steps!

I woke up this morning, apart from it being my birthday, (7/9/58) and realising so many others in my life are no longer here, and that I was lucky to have the love and support of my family and friends around me.

However, running around my head was another crazy thought, for those of you that know me, that's not unusual.

If 10 of my friends, went out and bought my book in aid of Cancer research, on Kindle, and then asked, 10 friends each also to buy it, that would be 110  people,  that would raise a small amount of money. (Step 1)

If those additional 100 People went out and asked 10 of their friends to buy it that would be 1000 people supporting Cancer Research. (Step2)

If those 1000 friends sent it out to 10 more friends, and asked them to buy it, then that would be 10,000 people supporting Cancer research. (Step3)

If that 10,000 people sent it to 10 more friends and ask them to buy it that would be 100,000 people, supporting Cancer research. (Step4)

If that 100,000, sent it to 10 more friends and ask them to buy it, that would be 1 million people supporting Cancer research. (Step Five)

Five steps! Is all it would take if everybody that everyone spoke to went to (http://tinyurl.com/8ecxelk), and bought this book we could raise nearly £1 million in just five steps!

On our own, we are like tiny grains of sand, being pushed around by the might of the ocean, but together we are so much stronger.

Such a difference could be made for (less than the price of a cup of coffee at your favourite vendor).

All it would take is a little effort, amazing, when joined by so many others, we can all make a difference, and it starts by taking that first step!

I hope you will join me, in making a difference to the world around us, maybe it will be us that with our very small individual effort causes finally; the next breakthrough that could save millions of lives in our world, it is so little yet so much when we join together. :-)

(Step 6) well Just do the Math.

£2.52p, is all it costs, minus kindles cost of publishing, the VAT man, and the Taxman, it doesn't leave very much, that's why only part of the proceeds are being donated, the rest is taken by others, but still enough to make a huge difference in just five steps.

A Poets Muse

tinyurl.com

A Poets Muse, Authors Notes: - This book has been put together with the help of my friends; it is dedicated to my Parents whom I sadly lost in the past few years to Cancer. Consequently part of the proceeds are, being donated to Cancer Research with their full Permission.

What is an RCD and what does it do?

What is an RCD and what does it do?

1.       An RCD is defined, in BS 7671, as: ‘A mechanical switching device or association of devices intended to cause the opening of the contacts when the residual current attains a given value under specified conditions’.

An RCD is a protective device used to automatically disconnect the electrical supply when an imbalance is detected between live conductors.

In the case of a single-phase circuit, the device monitors the difference in currents between the phase and neutral conductors. In a healthy circuit, where there is no earth fault current or protective conductor current, the sum of the currents in the phase and neutral conductors is zero.

If a phase to earth fault develops, a portion of the phase conductor current will not return through the neutral conductor. The device

monitors this difference, operates and disconnects the circuit when the residual current reaches a pre-set limit, the residual operating current (IDn).

RCDs are used to provide protection against the specific dangers that may arise in electrical installations including:

> Protection against indirect contact

> Supplementary protection against direct contact

> Protection against fire and thermal effects

An RCD on its own does not provide protection against overcurrent’s. Overcurrent protection is provided by a fuse or a miniature circuit-breaker (MCB).

However, combined RCD and MCBs are available and are designated RCBOs.

2.     Types of RCDs

RCD is the generic term for a device that operates when the residual current in the circuit reaches a predetermined value.

2.1  Older installations with ELCBs

Historically, two basic types of earth leakage circuit-breaker (ELCB) were recognised by the Regulations; the familiar current-operated type and the earlier voltage-operated type. The voltage-operated type ceased to be recognised by the Regulations in 1981and today, only the current-operated type is recognised. The voltage operated device can be distinguished by its two separate earthing terminals– one for the connection of the

earthing conductor of the installation and the other for a connection to a means of earthing. Such devices were often used on installations forming part of a TT system where the means of earthing was an earth electrode.

The major drawback with the voltage operated earth leakage circuit-breaker is that a parallel earth path can  disable the device.

  

2.2  Recognised devices

RCDs are manufactured to harmonised standards and can be identified by their BS EN numbers. An RCD found  in an older installation may not provide protection in accordance with current standards. The following list identifies the applicable current standards:

> BS 4293 : 1983 (1993)

Specification for residual current operatedcircuit-breakers. (Replaced by BS EN 61008-

1: 1995, BS EN 61008-2-1: 1995 and BS

IEC 61008-2-2: 1990). This Standard

remains current

> BS 7071 : 1992 (1998)

Specification for portable residual current

Devices

> BS 7288 : 1990 (1998)

Specification for socket-outlets incorporating

residual current devices. (SRCDs)

> BS EN 61008-1 : 1995 (2001)

Residual current operated circuit-breakers

without integral overcurrent protection for

household and similar uses (RCCBs)

> BS EN 61009-1 : 2004

Residual current operated circuit-breakers

with integral overcurrent protection for

household and similar uses (RCBOs)

2.3  Characteristics of RCDs

RCDs are defined by a series of electrical characteristics, three main characteristics are:

1. The rating of the device in amperes, I.

2. The rated residual operating current of the protective device in amperes, IDn.

3. Whether the device operates instantaneously or incorporates an intentional time delay to permit discrimination. Such devices are called ‘S’ or Selective.

Devices are manufactured with different values of rated current and rated residual operating current but we will just consider the rated residual operating current of the protective device in amperes, IDn.

3.     Applications

The correct device must be selected for the particular application. Choosing the wrong device could have serious consequences and could result in electric shock or fire.

3.1  Unwanted tripping

Unwanted tripping of RCDs can occur when a protective conductor current or leakage current causes unnecessary operation of the RCD.

An RCD must be so selected and the electrical circuits so subdivided that any protective conductor current that may be expected to occur during normal operation of the connected load(s) will be unlikely to cause  unnecessary tripping of the device (Regulation 531-02-04 refers). Such tripping can occur on heating elements, cooking appliances etc., which may have elements that absorb a small amount of moisture through imperfect element end seals when cold. When energised, this moisture provides a conductive path for increased leakage and could operate the RCD. The moisture dries out as the element heats up. Although not precluded in BS 7671, it is not a requirement to use an RCD on such circuits if other satisfactory means of protection are available.

Providing an RCD with a higher rated residual operating current may solve the problem but the requirements of the Regulations would still have to be met.

3.2  Discrimination

Where two, or more, RCDs are connected in series, discrimination must be provided, if necessary, to prevent danger (Regulation 531-02-09 refers). During a fault, discrimination will be achieved when the device electrically nearest to the fault operates and does not affect other upstream devices.

Discrimination will be achieved when ‘S’ (Selective) types are used in conjunction with downstream general

type RCDs. The ‘S’ type has a built-in time delay and provides discrimination by simply ignoring the fault for a set period of time allowing more sensitive downstream devices to operate and  remove the fault.

For example, when two RCDs are connected in series, to provide discrimination, the first RCD should

be an ‘S’ type. RCDs with built in time delays should not be used

4.     Labelling

Regulation 514-12-02, states that:

“Where an installation incorporates a residual current device a notice shall be fixed in a prominent position at or near the origin of the installation. The notice shall be in indelible characters not smaller than those here illustrated and shall read as follows:”

	This installation or part of it, is protected by a  device which automatically switches off the  supply if an earth fault develops. Test quarterly by pressing the button marked “T” or “Test”. The device should switch of the  supply and should then be switched on to restore the supply. If the device does not switch of the supply when the button is pressed, seek expert advice

 

           5.     Testing

RCDs must be tested. The requirements are stated in the following Regulations:

a. The effectiveness of the RCD must be verified by a test simulating an appropriate fault condition and independent of any test facility, or test button, incorporated in the device (Regulation 713-13-01)

b. Where an RCD of 30mA provides supplementary protection the operating time must not exceed 40 ms at a residual current of 5 IDn.

(Regulation 412-06-02 refers) Tests are made on the load side of the RCD between the phase conductor of the protected circuit and the associated cpc. Any load or appliances should be disconnected prior to testing. RCD test instruments require a few milliamperes to operate; this is normally obtained from the phase and neutral of  the circuit under test.

When testing a three-phase RCD protecting a three-wire circuit, the instrument’s neutral is required to be connected to earth. This means that the test current will be increased by the instrument supply current and

will cause some devices to operate during the 50% test, possibly indicating an incorrect operating time. Under this circumstance it is necessary to check the operating parameters of the RCD with the manufacturer before failing the RCD.

5.1  Range of tests

5.2  Integral test device

An integral test device is incorporated in each RCD. This device enables the mechanical parts of the RCD to be

Verified by pressing the button marked

‘T’ or ‘Test’.

6.     Test Instrument

The test instrument used to test RCDs should be capable of applying the full range of test current to an in- service accuracy, as given in BS EN 61557-6.

This in-service reading accuracy will include the effects of voltage variations around the nominal voltage of the tester. To check RCD operation and to minimise danger during the test, the test current should be applied for no longer than 2s. Instruments conforming to BS EN 61557-6 will fulfil the above requirements. ■

Device Instrument test current setting Satisfactory result

General purpose RCDs to BS 4293 and RCD protected socket-outlets to BS 7288

50% of operating current Device should not operate 100% of operating current Device should operate in less than 200ms. Where the RCD incorporates an intentional time delay it should trip within a time range from 50% of the rated time delay plus 200ms’ to 100 % of the rated time delay plus 200ms

General purpose RCCBs to BS EN 61008 or RCBOs to BS EN 61009

50% of operating current Device should not operate 100% of operating current Device should operate in less than 300ms unless it is of ‘Type S’ (or selective) which incorporates an intentional

time delay. In this case, it should trip within a time range from 130ms to 500ms

Supplementary protection against direct contact IDn ≤ 30mA

Test current at 5 IDn. The maximum test time must not be longer than 40ms, unless the protective conductor potential does not exceed 50V. (The instrument supplier will advise on compliance).

Device should operate in less than 40ms.

I hope this overview will be of service to others, for further information do not hesitate to contact me directly from our website www.safe-electric.com or by E-Mail : - enquiries@safe-electric.com