Issue8 | Spring 2008

Asbestos Kills!

2 SwitchedOn

Welcome to the eighth edition of

Switched On.

We are now well into the New Year and as you

will see from the articles in this edition, we

continue to develop initiatives to raise

awareness for users of electricity in many safety-

related areas.

These initiatives are taken forward by a relatively

small team of dedicated staff and, to support

them in their endeavours, the Council is

proactive in their ongoing development.

To this end, a decision was taken last year that

we would seek to obtain the Investors in People

award. I am delighted to say that with a lot of

hard work and commitment from staff, and

with the support of the Director General and

the Trustees, we received formal notification in

January that we had achieved the award.

We will be going back on the road this year as

part of our campaign to communicate electrical

safety issues to as wide an audience as possible.

As well as the events mentioned elsewhere in

this issue, we will have the use of the exhibition

trailer that used be seen at country shows and

the like in NICEIC livery. The trailer will now be

seen across the UK throughout the spring and

summer in Electrical Safety Council livery. Our

attendance at events will be well publicized in

advance, so please do come and see us if the

trailer visits your area.

To support the expansion of our objectives to

cover the electrical safety of products, we have

announced a two day conference to be held in

London on 8 - 9 September.

The conference is aimed at raising awareness of

the need to constantly develop standards that

allow innovation in the market place,

enforcement, and the dangers of counterfeit

products. It is being developed to appeal to all

sectors of industry, so I would ask you to

consider attending, particularly as the electrical

installation industry has an important part to

play in combating the increasing problem of

counterfeit products.

As part of our efforts to get politicians and

senior civil servants to support our work, we

held our annual reception at the Palace of

Westminster on 11 March. The purpose of the

reception was to highlight our activities over the

past year and to raise awareness of issues that

we feel need political support.

On a final note, plans are well underway for a

major advertising campaign across the UK to

raise awareness of electrical safety issues. This

will include newspapers, radio and hopefully, if

the budget allows, some TV. So keep an eye out

in your area for our awareness campaign.

WELCOME

Towards the end of last year,

the Council was assessed

against the Investors in People

(IiP) Standard.

The Standard has long been

acknowledged as a business

improvement tool, helping

organisations of every size, type

and location improve

performance and realise

objectives through the

management and development

of its staff.

In January this year, we received

confirmation from the IiP

Recognition Panel that the

Electrical Safety Council had

achieved recognition as an

Investor in People organization.

This is a great achievement for us

as our staff are our most valuable

asset. We depend on their skills,

expertise and commitment to

fulfil our safety aims and

objectives.

The IiP Assessor commented:

‘Staff at all levels are very

professional, highly motivated

and committed to the work of

the Council. Everyone

interviewed spoke about their

pride in the organization and its

achievements to date.’

‘The Charity’s values have been

well embedded into the day to

day running of the organization.

As a result of this, staff were able

to describe how honesty and

transparency were key in their

dealings with colleagues and

stakeholders.’

FROM THE EDITOR

This issue marks the end of the

first two years of publication of

Switched On.

Being a quarterly magazine, not all

the articles can be hot news but,

nevertheless, I hope you are

finding it a good, topical and

informative read.

As a result of an agreement with

Professional Electrician magazine,

I’m pleased to report that the

circulation of Switched On has

now trebled from 40,000 to

120,000 copies per quarter, as

reported in the ‘News in Brief’

section on page 4.

I hope that all our new-found

readers, as well as our regulars,

find the content interesting and

useful. Constructive feedback is

always welcome – email us at

switchedon@esc.org.uk

If you would like to catch up on

the full range of information we’ve

published over the past two years,

all the back issues can be viewed

on our website, at

www.esc.org.uk/switchedon.html

INVESTORS IN PEOPLE

SwitchedOn 3

Compact fluorescent lamps – Not so friendly? see page 19

industry news

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Published by:The Electrical Safety Council18 Buckingham Gate London, SW1E 6LBwww.esc.org.ukwww.switchedonkids.org.ukTel: 0870 040 0561 Fax: 0870 040 0560email: enquiries@esc.org.uk

issue 08 Spring ‘08

switchedon

your insight into the electricalsafety industry

Health and Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos

Call 0845 345 0055 now for yourFREE Asbestos Information Pack.

Any building built or refurbished before the year 2000 could contain asbestos,which is one of the most lethal dangers in the workplace.

Every year there are still 4,000 deaths from asbestos related diseases.You could be working where asbestos is present right now.

Don’t you owe it to your workmates, your family and yourself to fi nd out more?

Every week 6 electricians die from this hidden killer.

Asbestos kills!

Trustmark – the way forconsumers to find reliabletradesmen

Investors In PeopleAlso, Welcome, From the Editor

News in brief

Council set to host InternationalProduct Safety Conference

Also, Events in 2008

Scalding risk caused by oldimmersion heater thermostats

Electrical installation forumestablishedAlso, Child Safety Week

Regulators likely to be given greaterpowers Also, New system for reporting

breaches of building regulations

New electrical safety of productscommittee formedAlso, Guide for consumers when

ordering domestic electrical work

Best Practice Guides

Does the 17th Edition require anew test for RCDs?

Migrant communities puttingthemselves at riskAlso, Manufacturers respond to

concerns over travel adaptors

Yell – working to protect theconsumerAlso, Council liaises with the

Energy Networks Association

Compact fluorescent lamps –not so friendly?Also, Lessons arising from an

electrical fire

Electric shock – what should I do?Also, Mouse killed as it starts

electrical fire

4 SwitchedOn

Circulation of Switched On treblesAs the result of an agreement with

Professional Electrician magazine, the

circulation of Switched On has increased from

about 40,000 to 120,000 copies each quarter.

Copies in a slightly smaller format are being

distributed through electrical wholesalers as

an insert in the issue of Professional Electrician

which most closely follows the publication of

Switched On. This is the second issue of

Switched On to benefit from the increased

circulation.

Boiler repair man electrocutedIn February, an inquest in Cardiff heard how a

29-year-old CORGI-registered gas fitter was

electrocuted whilst working on a domestic

boiler without first having isolated the

electricity supply.

This tragic event again reinforces the need for

all persons working on electrical equipment to

follow safe working procedures, guidance on

which is freely available in the form of one of

our Best Practice Guides.

Corrigendum toBS 7671: 2008A corrigendum to

BS 7671: 2008

(IEE Wiring Regulations

17th Edition) is likely to

be issued before the

new edition comes into

full effect on 1 July, to

address a few editorial

and other issues that have been identified by

early users of the Standard.

Periodic inspection reportingconference proposedIf there is sufficient interest, the Council

proposes to arrange a conference later this year

on the subject of domestic periodic inspection

reporting.

The aim of the

conference would

be to review the

general standard

of domestic

periodic inspection

reporting,

including

associated

inspection and

testing issues, and

to discuss how that standard may be improved

for the benefit of householders and property

owners.

We would be interested to hear from individuals

and organisations (including property owners,

contractors, and registration and training

bodies) who would either like to attend, or to

present a paper at, the conference.

To register an interest, please send an email to:

pir@esc.org.uk

SBSA ‘reintegrated’SBSA, the Scottish Building

Standards Agency, ceased

to be a separate Agency

on 1 April, having been

reintegrated with core

Scottish Government in a

new Directorate for the

Built Environment.

According to a statement issued by SBSA in

advance of the reorganization, it will be

business as usual so far as Certification matters

are concerned.

ASDA recalls microwavesASDA has recalled 300,000 of their own brand

microwaves due to fire risk concerns. The

recalled model is the ASDA Durabrand

Microwave, Model number XB2316 (Barcode –

5050854397271).

Occupational health risks inconstructionIn February, HSE launched a new website-based

tool to help contractors understand and

manage occupational health risks in

construction more effectively. The tool is called

the Construction Occupational Health

Management Essentials (COHME for short).

Over the years, HSE and the construction

industry have published plenty of guidance on

specific risks. However, what's new about

COHME is that it describes a framework to

manage occupational health risks in general.

COHME is intended to assist clients, designers

and contractors, and deals with seven priority

risks:

• Hand-arm vibration

• Musculo-skeletal disorders

• Dermatitis

• Noise

• Stress

• Respiratory disease, and

• Asbestos

The new tool can be found at:

www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks

NEWS IN BRIEF

SwitchedOn 5

We are pleased to be the headline sponsor

of this year’s Scottish Home Building &

Renovating Show, which will be held at the

SECC, Glasgow, on 17 and 18 May.

Based on our experience at the National Home

Building and Renovating Show, we expect to

meet many knowledgeable people at the

Scottish show who will wish to discuss a wide

range of electrical safety issues with us.

This is the first time we will have exhibited in

Scotland. We hope that by sponsoring and

attending the show, we will increase awareness

of the valuable information and guidance we

can give to consumers, industry and

government in Scotland on electrical

safety matters.

EVENTS IN 2008

Other events we will be attending thisyear include:

National Home Building & Renovating Show10-13 April - NEC, Birmingham

Landlord and Buy-to-let Show18-19 April – London Olympia

BBC Gardeners’ World Live11-15 June – NEC, Birmingham

Trading Standards Conference & Exhibition24-26 June – BIC, Bournemouth

Conservative Party Conference28 Sepember -1 October – ICC, Birmingham

Labour Party Conference

21-25 Sepember – MCCC, Manchester

We have a number oftickets for the Scottishshow. The first 25 people toemail events@esc.org.ukwill be sent a pair of ticketswith our compliments.If you are one of the first25, we will respond toyour email.

COUNCIL SET TO HOST INTERNATIONALPRODUCT SAFETY CONFERENCE

In order to raise the profile of our product

safety activities in the UK, Europe and

internationally, we are pleased to announce

that arrangements are being made for the

Council to stage its first International Electrical

Product Safety Conference in September.

The theme of the conference “Safety of

electrical products in the global market-

Challenges and opportunities” recognises the

need for the product safety community and

stakeholders to identify common issues and

workable plans for improving the safety of

products in a truly globalized marketplace.

The conference, to be held at the Church

House Conference Centre in London on 8 - 9

September, will provide an opportunity for

consumer product safety professionals from all

over the world to exchange ideas and share

information, and form a platform for discussion

on issues of common concern.

Over the two days, a wide range of topics will

be discussed through a mix of plenary and

interactive themed break-out sessions that will

encompass the economic, legislative and global

aspects of consumer product safety.

The programme aims to address the current big

issues facing consumers and industry by

tackling:

• The safety of imported goods

• The revision of the New Approach and the

Low Voltage Directive

• Ongoing initiatives in market surveillance

• Counterfeiting

• Protecting vulnerable consumers.

Such a comprehensive programme is expected

to attract delegates from a wide range of

disciplines including regulators, consumer

product safety professionals, lawyers,

consultants, standardization personnel,

designers, manufacturers, retailers and people

from consumer protection organizations.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but please note

that registrations are limited and will be

accepted on a first come, first served basis.

For further information on theconference programme, details onhow to register or the opportunityto become a sponsor or exhibitorat the conference, please visit:www.escconference.org.ukor call +44 (0)207 880 6214.

6 SwitchedOn

In January, the jury at the inquest into the

death of a baby killed by scalding water

when a tank collapsed in the attic above her

bedroom was told that the fault could affect

up to 3.5 million homes

It is estimated that there are some 20 million

homes in the UK that have electric immersion

heaters.

Although in these days of central heating

many of these immersion heaters will run only

occasionally, failure of the thermostat in older

systems having no over-temperature cut-out

can lead to danger.

In particular, there have been cases where,

due to the failure of a thermostat, water in

the cylinder has been heated to boiling point,

causing it to be discharged into the cold water

storage tank through the open vent pipe.

Where the tank is constructed of plastic, the

rise in water temperature can cause the tank

material to soften. This in itself should not be

a problem with relatively modern tanks if the

tank base is adequately supported, but there

have been cases where the tank has slumped

due to inadequate support. Also, the seams of

plastic tanks made to older standards may be

prone to split. In either case, failure of the

tank will cause scalding water to cascade into

the space below.

The risk of injury from such an event is likely

to be higher in homes that were built

between 1945 and 1975 because, usually

having been linked to back boilers, tanks are

more likely to be located over bedrooms.

Also, with older ‘combi boiler’ installations still

utilizing a hot water cylinder, there is a risk

that the hot water pipework would be unable

to cope with the increase in system pressure if

a faulty immersion heater caused water in the

hot water cylinder to boil.

To help minimize the risks to householders,

electrical contractors undertaking maintenance

and repairs to immersion heaters, or periodic

inspections of domestic electrical installations,

are asked to take note of the following:

Maintenance and repairs

• Replacement immersion heaters should

comply with BS EN 60335-2-73. These

must be fitted with a control thermostat

and a non self-resetting over-temperature

cut-out which operates independently of

the thermostat. The over-temperature

cutout may be combined in the same

device as the thermostat but the functions

must operate independently. The over-

temperature cut-out must prevent the

stored water exceeding 98 oC in the event

of failure of the thermostat

• Replacement thermostats should

incorporate a similar non self-resetting

over-temperature cut-out

• Replacement cylinder thermostats

controlling motorised valves in the primary

heating circuit should be the strapped-on

or immersion type. A non self-resetting

over-temperature cut-out should also be

fitted to prevent the stored water

temperature exceeding 98 oC. If this is

adjustable, it should be set at approx

10 oC to 15 oC above the thermostat

setting to prevent nuisance operation.

Control thermostats incorporating a non

self-resetting cut-out should only be

replaced with thermostats incorporating a

similar cut-out device

• Thermostats, over-temperature cut-outs

and combined thermostat/cut-out devices

must comply with BS EN 60730.

Periodic inspections

• If the immersion heater does not comply

with BS EN 60335-2-73 and the cold water

tank is plastic, make an appropriate

observation and assign it a

Recommendation Code 2 (requires

improvement)

• If, however, there are also signs of

overheating or thermostat defects (such as

blueing or burning of terminals,

deteriorated cable insulation), there is

condensation in the roof space, the hot

water cylinder is noisy (like a large kettle),

or cold water taps run warm or hot, a

Recommendation Code 1 (requires urgent

attention) is almost certainly warranted.

The award of either a Recommendation

Code 1 or a Recommendation Code 2

should result in the overall condition of

the electrical installation being recorded as

‘unsatisfactory’ in the periodic inspection

report form.

SCALDING RISK CAUSED BY OLD IMMERSIONHEATER THERMOSTATS

SwitchedOn 7

“Child Safety Week reminds the whole

community – parents, grandparents, carers,

children – not to get complacent about

dangers around the home, garden and

schools. A lovely fun way to remind us to

keep safe”

Christine, Mother, Dorset

Child Safety Week, which this year runs from

23 to 29 June, is the Child Accident

Prevention Trust’s flagship community education

campaign. It raises awareness of serious

childhood accidents, and how to prevent them,

in ways that engage children and families.

The Council is an official sponsor of Child Safety

Week for a second successive year, joining

government departments and other

organisations concerned with child safety.

Child Safety Week generates media coverage

for practical safety advice and last year reached

34 million people through radio, television,

press and websites. This included numerous

radio interviews given by our Director, Phil

Buckle, with journalists keen to reveal survey

findings on children’s lack of awareness of the

basic dangers of electricity and to promote our

‘Switched On Kids’ website,

www.switchedonkids.org.uk

By providing free activity packs, Child Safety

Week also acts as a catalyst for thousands of

local safety activities and events, which reach

millions of children and families UK-wide. Last

year, local activities reached an estimated 2.1

million parents and grandparents, and 1.8

million children and young people.

Feedback on Child Safety Week’s impact

was positive:

“Many parents have relayed that they have

revised their safety measures because it

‘made them think’ and ‘opened their eyes’

to issues they had not thought about

before the awareness campaign.”

Health Visitor Assistant, Bicester, Oxfordshire

“The children have become more aware of

sounds such as sirens and smoke alarms,

and now understand what they are there

for. They have also become more road

aware and now understand the dangers of

playing in the kitchen”

Registered Childminder, Lincoln

Get involved!

This year, Child Safety Week runs from

Monday 23 to Sunday 29 June. There are lots of

ways that you can get involved, either as an

individual or through your workplace:

• Publicise Child Safety Week on your

organisation’s website or in your company’s

email bulletin and provide a link to the Child

Accident

Prevention

Trust’s website

www.capt.org.uk for more information

about the Week

• Sign up to receive free Child Safety Week

resources – just fill in the simple form on

CAPT’s website (www.capt.org.uk)

• Display Child Safety Week posters in your

workplace

• Distribute Child Safety Week activity packs

through your networks and encourage your

contacts to get involved – the packs are full

of ideas for activities and events

• Put out copies of Child Safety Week quizzes

and competitions in your staff room, so

colleagues can test just how much they

know about child safety

• Support activities at your child’s school or

nursery, talk to your childminder about how

they will celebrate the Week, and encourage

your children or grandchildren to enter a

safety competition

• Suggest a child safety quiz night at your

local community centre or pub – you could

even offer electrical safety equipment such

as plug-in RCDs as prizes!

CHILD SAFETY WEEK

The forum provides an opportunity for

participating bodies to submit, for

discussion, technical queries and issues relating

to the application of the requirements of

BS 7671, with a view to arriving at an industry

consensus.

The aim is to build up a data bank of agreed

technical ‘Questions and Answers’, which

participating bodies, installers and others can

draw upon freely for the purposes of developing

their own technical guidance, publications,

training materials etc.

As this issue went to press, the participating

bodies included:

Association of Plumbing and Heating

Contractors, BSI Product Services, CORGI,

ECA, ELECSA, Electrical Safety Council, IET,

NAPIT, NICEIC, OFTEC and SELECT.

Neither the Council nor the forum is able to

respond directly to technical questions from

individual contractors or installers. Electrical

contractors and installers seeking technical

advice on the application of the requirements

of the 17th Edition should contact their

registration or trade body in the first instance.

If the registration or trade body then wishes

to establish a consensus of opinion, they may

refer the question to the forum for

consideration. Then, if the forum is able to

agree an appropriate answer, it will be

added to our website.

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION FORUM ESTABLISHED

The guidance agreed by the forumcan be viewed on our website

www.esc.org.uk/forum

8 SwitchedOn

In the late 1960s, Barrie Rigby trained as anapprentice to become an electrician. Heenjoyed the work and went on to be a

maintenance electrician.

His job involved visiting different sites includingsome cotton mills in Oldham. His work thererequired him to carry out work in boiler houses,close to asbestos-lagged pipes. His wife has saidthat despite the nature of his work, Barrie wasnever given any protective clothing.

Barrie was a keen runner and avid golfer. Despitehis good health in June 2003, Barrie became verybreathless after climbing the stairs to the thirdfloor apartment in Menorca, where he and hisfamily were staying on holiday.

Back home in Cumbria, he visited his GP who senthim for tests at the local hospital. By August, achest x-ray revealed what looked like lung cancer.Two weeks later, a chest consultant asked Barrie ifhe had ever worked with asbestos. Barrie spentthe next few weeks undergoing a series of hospitaltests, and also needed to have his lungs drained offluid.

On 2 October 2003, his granddaughter’s firstbirthday, Barrie was diagnosed with mesotheliomaand told he had 12 -18 months to live.

Barrie spent much of this painful time in hospital.It was also necessary for him to have a lungremoved. Barrie Rigby died in July 2005, aged 62.

Unfortunately Barrie’s story is a familiar one. It ishard to believe that every week, about 20maintenance workers, including six electriciansand three plumbers, die from asbestos-relateddiseases caused simply by breathing in asbestosfibres.

The Health and Safety Executive has launched theAsbestos kills! campaign to make maintenanceworkers, especially electricians, aware thatasbestos is still present in many buildings and thatunless they take precautions, asbestos could killthem too.

Asbestos-related diseases currently account foraround 4,000 deaths a year in Great Britain,making it the UK’s single biggest cause of workrelated deaths. Each year, more people die fromasbestos-related disease than are killed on theroads.

It is predicted that in six years’ time (2013), 5,000people in Britain alone will be dying every yearfrom latent exposure to asbestos.

Naturally occurring fibrous minerals, commonlyknown as asbestos, were used extensively in

“EVERY WEEK,ABOUT 20

MAINTENANCEWORKERS,

INCLUDING SIXELECTRICIANS

AND THREEPLUMBERS, DIE

FROMASBESTOS-

RELATEDDISEASES”

Asbestos kills!

F I RED O O R

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SwitchedOn 9

building materials from the 1950s until the mid-1980s. Asbestos was versatile, plentiful and idealin fireproofing and insulation materials.

Even though many asbestos materials have beenremoved over the years, it is estimated that morethan half a million industrial, commercial andpublic sector premises, plus millions of homes,still contain some form of asbestos. Thesebuildings all need maintenance and repair fromtime to time and, when the asbestos fibres aredisturbed by actions such as drilling or cutting,they can become deadly.

Where is asbestos found in buildings?

Asbestos and asbestos containing materials(ACMs) may be found in any building built orrefurbished up until 1999.

High-risk ACMs include:

• Asbestos moulded or preformed lagging usedas thermal insulation on pipes and boilers

• Sprayed asbestos used for thermal insulation,fire protection, partitioning and ducts

• Asbestos insulating board used for fireprotection, thermal insulation, partitioning andducts

• Some ceiling tiles

Lower risk ACMs include:

• Asbestos containing floor tiles

• Asbestos cement roofing and guttering

Remember, before starting a job that may involvedisturbing asbestos, to check if the task falls underthe requirements for licensing.

Protect yourself if you are doing work that mayinvolve disturbing asbestos

Do:

• Check whether the work falls under therequirements for licensing

• Ensure you’ve received asbestos awarenesstraining

• Use personal protective equipment, including asuitable face mask

• Clean up as you go – don’t let waste pile. Anddon’t sweep - use a suitable vacuum cleaner

• Wash before you take a break and at the end ofthe day’s work, and

• Put asbestos waste in a suitable sealedcontainer. You can use a heavy-duty polythenebag, put it in a second bag, and label the outerbag to show that it contains asbestos.

KEY:

Normally non-licensed

materials:

•Asbestos cement products

•Textured coatings

•Floor tiles, textiles and

composites

Normally licensed materials:

•Sprayed coatings on

walls etc

•Asbestos insulating board

•Lagging

•Loose asbestos in cavity

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10 SwitchedOn

Remember - asbestos waste needs tobe taken to a licensed tip.

Don’t:

• Use work methods which create a lot of dust, suchas using power tools

• Take home overalls you have worn while workingwith asbestos

• Eat or drink in the work area, or

• Smoke – the risk of lung cancer from asbestos ishigher among smokers

Ask before you start

Part of the tendering process for any job shouldinclude asking the client whether asbestos is presentwhere work will be carried out. Those responsible fornon-domestic premises have a duty to find out ifasbestos is present and if so, to record where it isand its condition, so should be able to tell you. If theyare unable to do so, you must ask them to find out oryou will have to get tests done before you start work.

In domestic premises, householders will probably notknow if their homes contain asbestos, and the onusis on the employer of those carrying out the work toeither find out, or to assume that asbestos is presentand take the necessary precautions.

If you come across any hidden or dusty materialswhich you suspect may contain asbestos, stop workand get advice.

Training

It is important that people carrying out any work onasbestos materials are properly trained andsupervised. If you do not have the right trainingand/or the job is not adequately supervised, there is astrong possibility that the work will not be carried outproperly. This can result in you and others beingexposed to asbestos fibres. If you are self-employedyou will need to obtain this training yourself. If youare an employee, your employer should arrange foryou to be trained.

Barrie Rigby was a highly respected electrician whoworked for a professional body that representselectricians and deals with electrical safety. He evenwrote a book on the design of electrical services forbuildings. Despite this, he didn't know about thedangers of asbestos. All electricians should beaware of the dangers and take the simpleprecautions necessary. Don’t let asbestos kill you.

Full details of the Control of Asbestos Regulations2006 are available onwww.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/regulations.htm

Further guidance on asbestos, including informationon what work requires a licence and how to worksafely is available on the HSE website atwww.hse.gov.uk/asbestos

Workers’ campaign packs are available fromHSE’s Infoline 0845 345 0055.

“ALLELECTRICIANSSHOULD BEAWARE OF THEDANGERS ANDTAKE THESIMPLEPRECAUTIONSNECESSARY.DON’T LETASBESTOSKILL YOU.”

Health and Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos

Call 0845 345 0055 now for yourFREE Asbestos Information Pack.

Any building built or refurbished before the year 2000 could contain asbestos,which is one of the most lethal dangers in the workplace.

Every year there are still 4,000 deaths from asbestos related diseases.You could be working where asbestos is present right now.

Don’t you owe it to your workmates, your family and yourself to fi nd out more?

Every week 6 electricians die from this hidden killer.

Enclosed with this issue of Switched On, you will find an asbestos awareness pack from the HSE.Please read and act upon the contents - it could help you to avoid becoming a victim yourself.

To order further packs, visit www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/campaign/orderpack.htm

Anew Act has been proposed that will give

much greater powers to regulators,

including the Health and Safety Executive and

local authorities, to impose alternative penalties,

including on-the-spot fines, on businesses that

commit regulatory breaches. These include

breaches of the Electricity at Work Regulations

and Building Regulations.

The Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill

is a response to the Macrory Review, which

identified inconsistencies and restraints in

powers available to regulators.

The review found that the use of criminal

prosecutions can be a disproportionate response

in many instances of regulatory non-compliance

and that penalties handed down by the courts

often failed to act as a sufficient deterrent. It

recommended an extension of monetary

penalties and a strengthening of statutory

notices to work alongside the criminal law.

If enacted, the Bill, which extends to England

and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, will

establish a new statutory body called the Local

Better Regulation Office.

The Bill creates new sanctions for regulators,

including:

• Fixed monetary penalties – it is envisaged

that such fines will be imposed by a

regulator in respect of low-level, minor or

high volume instances of non-compliance,

without the need to resort to criminal

prosecution

• Discretionary requirements which include:

• Variable monetary penalties – requiring

a person to pay a monetary penalty

whose size will be determined by the

regulator

• Compliance notices – requiring a non-

compliant business to undertake certain

actions to bring themselves back into

compliance, and

• Restoration notices – requiring a person

to undertake certain actions to restore

the position, as far as possible, to the

way it would have been had regulatory

non-compliance not occurred.

• Stop notices – requiring a person to cease an

activity that has given rise, or is likely to give

rise, to regulatory non-compliance; and

Enforcement undertakings – an agreement

offered by a person to a regulator to take

specific actions related to what the

regulator suspects to be an offence.

The options available under the Bill will also give

wider whistleblowing opportunities to

employees and greater sanctioning options to

the regulators. In addition, employers are likely

to feel greater pressure because the regulators

will be able to speed up punishment and

therefore cut delay in dealing with backlogs.

In conjunction with the proposed extension of

the time limit for Building Regulations

prosecutions reported in previous issues of

Switched On, the Regulatory Enforcement and

Sanctions Bill promises to give local authorities

in England and

Wales the

additional

powers they

need to

effectively tackle

those electrical

installers who

continue to

ignore the

requirements of

Part P.

REGULATORS LIKELY TO BE GIVEN GREATER POWERS

In addition to the proposed regulatory changes

reported in the previous article, a new initiative

has been agreed between Building Regulations

competent person scheme operators and local

authorities in England and Wales that promises

a more effective way of dealing with rogue

installers.

Members of competent person schemes who

become aware of notifiable work being carried

out by unregistered installers have been asked

to report those installers to their registration

body.

If the report includes sufficient evidence of a

breach of the Building Regulations, the

registration body will pass the information to

the relevant local authority via a new dedicated

reporting system which will be monitored by

LABC, the national body representing Local

Authority Building Control.

NEW SYSTEM FOR REPORTING BREACHES OFBUILDING REGULATIONS

SwitchedOn 11

•

12 SwitchedOn

We are pleased to announce the

establishment of an ‘Electrical Safety of

Products Committee’ as a sub-committee of

the Council’s Technical Committee. Its purpose

is to assist us in our efforts to improve the

electrical safety of consumer products.

The committee consists of Council staff and

co-opted members from industry representing

a wide range of organisations, associations,

institutions and regulatory bodies, all with an

interest or involvement in product safety

matters.

Active members include:

• Age Concern

• AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of

Domestic Appliances)

• Intertek (ASTA BEAB)

• BEAMA (British Electrotechnical & Allied

Manufacturers Association)

• Institution of Engineering and Technology

• RoSPA

• Trading Standards Institute

• UNITE

‘Papers only’ members include:

• ABI (Association of British Insurers)

• BASEC (British Approvals Service for

Cables)

• BERR (Department for Business, Enterprise

& Regulatory Reform)

• BSI Consumer Safety Policy Committee

• Chief Fire Officers’ Association

The inaugural meeting took place in January.

The committee will now meet on a quarterly

basis, mainly to:

• Advise on electrical safety issues of

significance to the Council relating to

consumer products that are intended to

be connected to extra-low voltage or low

voltage supplies

• Consider and advise on draft material

proposed for publication in this magazine,

on our website and elsewhere.

We would like to thank those representatives

who were able to accept our invitation to join

the committee, and for the valuable

contributions they are able offer.

NEW ELECTRICAL SAFETY OF PRODUCTS COMMITTEE FORMED

The release of the Guide for Consumers

when ordering domestic electrical work was

publicised to consumers in March with a media

campaign which included radio messaging.

It is also planned to include the Guide in some

of the Yellow Pages directories, and we are

pleased to be working with Yell’s Consumer

Development Team (see page 18) to make this

happen. This will be a great help to consumers,

as the Guide will be directly to hand when they

use the directories to find an electrical installer.

The Guide, which was produced in

collaboration with the Institution of

Engineering & Technology, has already been

welcomed by many electrical installers who

said that they will be using it to help improve

communication with their customers.

We have also received positive feedback and

support from consumer groups and local

authority building control departments who

see the Guide as an effective way of giving

consumers advice and guidance up front, to

help ensure they get the service they expect.

In January

this year,

Consumer

Direct

released its

statistics for

2007, which

show that

complaints

about electrical services and installations rose by

15% to 2,890. This increase was significantly

greater than the overall increase in home

maintenance complaints, which rose by 8% to

72,134.

It is hoped that by encouraging consumers to

use the quotation request form in the Guide, it

will help to reduce the number of complaints

about electrical installers over the coming year,

something we will be paying close attention to.

The full Guide can be downloaded free of

charge from the ‘find an electrician’ section of

our website (www.esc.org.uk).

A printer-friendly version of the quotation

request form has now been made available

following requests from electrical installers who

wish to print copies on their own letterhead

paper. (Visit www.esc.org.uk/consumerguide).

GUIDE FOR CONSUMERS WHEN ORDERINGDOMESTIC ELECTRICAL WORK

Home maintenance complaintsand enquiries combined

Periodic inspection reportingThe guidance on the use of recommendation

codes for domestic and similar periodic

inspection reports has now been published on

our website, as Guide No 4.

Entitled Periodic Inspection Reporting -

Recommendation Codes for domestic and

similar electrical installations, this fourth Guide

was developed in association with:

• Electrical Contractors’ Association

• Institution of Engineering and Technology

• NICEIC Group Ltd

• Society of Electrical and Mechanical

Engineers Serving Local Government

• SELECT (Electrical Contractors’ Association

of Scotland)

Subsequently, CORGI and ELECSA also

confirmed their support for the guidance.

As previously reported, the guidance

embodies a new concept. This is that any

observation given a Recommendation Code 2

(requires improvement), not just a

Recommendation Code 1 (requires urgent

attention), should result in the overall

assessment of the condition of the installation

being recorded as unsatisfactory.

Previous guidance has been that only one or

more observations given a Recommendation

Code 1 should automatically result in the

overall assessment being given as

unsatisfactory. However, this has commonly

led to Recommendation Code 2 observations

being ignored by many householders and

other persons responsible for the safety of

such potentially dangerous electrical

installations.

The examples of common observations given in

the new Guide have been arranged such that:

• Recommendation Code 1 is assigned to

observations indicating that real and

immediate danger exists, or would exist in

the event of a fault occurring in the

installation (such as where accessible live

parts are exposed to touch, or where there

is no effective means of earthing)

• Recommendation Code 2 is assigned to

items where potential danger exists (such

as where there is no main bonding, or

where there is a borrowed neutral).

Fire precautionsWork continues on the development of the Best

Practice Guide on the impact of electrical

installation work on fire precautions in domestic

premises, where the work involves the

penetration or removal of linings forming

ceilings or walls.

Generally, fire safety in buildings requires that in

the event of a fire, the structure resists collapse

and critical elements provide fire separation for

the purposes of constructing fire compartments

and or protected escape routes.

In a typical two storey house for example, the

floor between ground and first floor has never

had anything other than a minor separating

function in the event of a fire, primarily because

none of the doors to the rooms off the staircase

have to be fire resisting. Indeed, open plan stairs

are common.

The floor, however, is required to provide 30

minutes load bearing capacity to prevent

complete structural collapse. This gives some

protection to occupants should they be trapped

upstairs, and also protects fire fighters who may

be engaged in search and rescue.

It is this load bearing capacity that is threatened

by early failure of the ceiling lining, not the fire

separating function. The advice given in the

Guide is therefore aimed primarily at preserving

the structural integrity of the premises.

Many modern forms of engineered construction

are heavily reliant on the contribution made by

the plasterboard, or similar linings, used in the

construction of the critical elements for their fire

resistance and this can be readily compromised

by inadequate 'making good' after any

penetration to accommodate electrical

equipment and associated wiring.

The components that have been identified as

having direct and significant influence on the

fire performance of the critical elements include:

• flush-mounted consumer units

• concealed and recessed luminaires including

downlighters

• flush-mounted electrical socket-outlets, flex

outlet plates and data points

• flush-mounted switches, detection and

control devices

• recessed wall luminaires

• concealed speakers.

With regard to the installation of downlighters,

the guidance to be given is that downlighters

with integral fire protection are the

recommended type for installing in all ceilings

where the lining that is being penetrated is the

sole method of keeping fire and heat out of the

cavity.

It is hoped to publish this Guide before the next

issue of Switched On is issued, and to increase

awareness of the important guidance it contains

by launching it at a seminar for electrical

installers and other building professionals later

in the year.

Other GuidesCopies of all published Best Practice Guides can

be downloaded free of charge from the

‘Business & Community’ section of our website,

and also from the websites of several of the

other contributors. In addition to the Guide on

recommendation codes (No 4), the published

Guides include:

No 1. Replacing a consumer unit where lighting

circuits have no circuit protective conductor

No 2. Safe isolation procedures for low voltage

installations

No 3. Connecting a microgeneration system to

a domestic or similar electrical installation

Further Best Practice Guides in the series may

include replacing domestic consumer units,

dealing with the effects of flooding, avoiding

the dangers of asbestos, and the use of plug-in

socket-outlet testers.

News about the development and availability of

these and other guides will be announced from

time to time on our website, and in future

issues of Switched On.

BEST PRACTICE GUIDES

SwitchedOn 13

14 SwitchedOn

DOES THE 17th EDITION REQUIRE A NEW TEST FOR RCDs?

BS 7671: 2008 (IEE Wiring Regulations 17th

Edition) was published in January and comes

into effect on 1 July.

A rumour has been circulating amongst

electrical contractors that the 17th Edition

requires RCDs to be subjected to a test at twice

their rated residual operating current (2 I∆n).

However, as explained in this article, the

familiar currents of 0.5 I∆n, 1 I∆n and 5 I∆n (as

applicable) should be all that are needed when

testing RCDs in the vast majority of

installations, as is the case under the 16th

Edition.

A 2 I∆n test would be needed only in

exceptional circumstances. But even where this

is the case, it does not necessarily mean that an

RCD test instrument having a 2 I∆n test setting

is required.

The rumour seems to have originated from

Note 2 of Table 41.1 of the 17th Edition, which

gives maximum permitted disconnection times

for final circuits rated at up to 32 A. The note

states that: “Where compliance with this

regulation is provided by an RCD, the

disconnection times in accordance with

Table 41.1 relate to prospective residual fault

currents significantly higher than the rated

residual operating current of the RCD (typically

2 I∆n).” However, Note 2 does not mean that

a 2 I∆n test is required.

The basic requirement of the 17th Edition for

testing RCDs with a test instrument (which

must comply with BS EN 61557-6) is that it

must be verified that the relevant requirements

of Chapter 41 are met (Regulations 612.8.1

and 612.10 refer). These requirements depend

on which type of electric shock protection the

RCD is being used to provide – fault protection

or additional protection.

Fault protection (protection against

indirect contact)

For an RCD being used for fault protection, it

must be verified by test that the device would

operate within the relevant maximum

disconnection time permitted by the 17th

Edition if an earth fault occurred in the circuit

protected by the device.

Examples of the maximum disconnection times

permitted by the 17th Edition, for a.c. circuits

of nominal voltage (U0) 230 V to Earth, are

0.2 s, 0.4 s, 1 s and 5 s (0.4 s being the most

common in TN systems and 0.2 s in TT

systems).

The table below gives the maximum tripping

times for the most commonly used types of

RCD at residual currents of 1 I∆n, 2 I∆n and 5

I∆n, as specified in the relevant British Standards.

It can readily be appreciated from the Table that

when verifying the operation of the RCDs listed

in the Table within disconnection times of 0.2 s,

0.4 s, 1 s or 5 s, either a 1 I∆n test or a 5 I∆n

test is always suitable.

For example, a 1 I∆n test is suitable for verifying

the operation of:

• a BS 4293 or BS 7288 non-delay RCD

within a disconnection time of 0.2 s, and

• any non-delay RCD referred to in the Table

within a disconnection time of 0.4 s or

1 s or 5 s.

A 5 I∆n test is suitable for verifying the

operation of (for example):

• any delay type RCD referred to in Table 1

within a disconnection time of 1 s or 5 s,

and

• a BS EN 61008-1 or BS EN 61009-1 non-

delay RCD within a disconnection time of

0.2 s.

A 2 I∆n test would be necessary only in

exceptional circumstances. An example is

where a current of 1 I∆n may legitimately not

be enough to trip an RCD within the maximum

disconnection time permitted by

BS 7671 (such as where a BS EN 61008-1 RCD

is used in a circuit where a disconnection time

not exceeding 0.2 s is required), but the test

instrument will not perform a 5 I∆n test for the

particular rating of RCD concerned. (Some

RCD test instruments will only perform a 5 I∆n

test for RCDs of rated residual operating

current (I∆n) 30 mA or less.)

Where this is the case, sufficient test current to

trip the RCD within the required time may be

obtained by setting the test instrument to suit

an RCD of a higher rated residual operating

current than the RCD being tested.

For example, if a 100 mA BS EN 61008-1 non-

delay RCD was being tested to verify operation

within 0.2 s, the test instrument could be set to

test a 300 mA RCD at a current of 1 I∆n. This

would be equivalent to testing the 100 mA

RCD at three times its rated residual operating

current (3 I∆n). As can be deduced from the

Table 1, a test current of 3 I∆n would be

suitable to verify operation of the device within

0.2 s, as this current exceeds 2 I∆n (the current

that BS EN 61008-1 requires to cause operation

within a maximum of 0.15 s).

Additional protection (supplementary

protection against direct contact)

An RCD used for additional protection must

have a rated residual operating current (I∆n) not

exceeding 30 mA and an operating time not

exceeding 40 ms at a residual current of

5 I∆n (Regulation 415.1.1 of the 17th Edition

refers).

The test procedure currently used under the

16th Edition for RCDs used for this purpose is

therefore still applicable (a 0.5 I∆n (no trip) test

followed by a 1 I∆n test and a 5 I∆n test).

BS EN 61008-1 (RCCBs)BS EN 61009-1 (RCBOs) Within 300 ms Within 150 ms Within 40 ms

BS 4293 (RCCBs)BS 7288 (SRCDs) Within 200 ms _ Within 40 ms

BS EN 61008-1 (RCCBs)BS EN 61009-1 (RCBOs) Within 500 ms Within 200 ms Within 150 ms

BS 4293 (RCCBs) Between 200 ms _ Between 40 ms+ 50 % of time + 50 % of timedelay and 200 ms delay and 40 ms+ 100 % of time + 100 % of timedelay delay

Note: A 0.5 I∆n test should also be carried out, to check for unwanted tripping.

Non-delay(general)

Delay

RCD type British Standard At 1 I∆n At 2 I∆n At 5 I∆n

Tripping times for RCDs at residual currents of 1 I∆n, 2 I∆n and 5 I∆n

Trip time

SwitchedOn 15

In last autumn’s edition of Switched On, we

reported on the findings of an independent

laboratory we had commissioned to test a

selection of travel adaptors that were readily

available on the UK market.

Their investigation revealed significant electrical

safety hazards that were common to most of

the adaptors tested, particularly to those that

did not incorporate all the safeguards found in

socket-outlets conforming to the UK product

standard BS 1363.

As soon as the hazards became apparent, we

alerted those responsible in the supply chain for

the safety of the particular adaptors tested. We

also stated our intention to monitor the

situation to help ensure that appropriate action

was being taken by manufacturers, suppliers

and the relevant authorities to remove, or at

least minimize, the electric shock risk to users.

To this end, a number of initiatives have been

set in motion.

To establish the safety of travel adaptors as a

high priority for local and central government,

we raised our concerns in October last year with

MPs and others representing regulatory and

consumer interests at a meeting of the All Party

Parliamentary Group for Consumer Affairs and

Trading Standards.

We have also been meeting with the

manufacturers of the particular adaptors

concerned to discuss in more detail the safety

issues identified, and to encourage action to be

taken at the very heart of the supply chain.

We were pleased to be informed by a major UK

travel adaptor manufacturer earlier this year that

they were already modifying the design of their

products to address the safety issues we had

drawn to their attention.

We will continue to work closely with them and

other manufacturers to build upon the positive

steps that have been taken so far to improve

the safety of travel adaptors supplied to the UK

market.

However, it has become evident from

discussions with manufacturers and product

certification bodies that working with those in

the supply chain alone will not necessarily

ensure the safety of future products.

The absence of any specific reference to a UK

product standard for travel adaptors (intended

for use outside the UK) in Statutory Regulations

has resulted in significant differences of opinion

within the industry as to which product

standard, if any, is most applicable.

This deficiency in UK legislation and standards

has been acknowledged by government in their

response to a public consultation on draft

Regulations to replace the Plugs and Sockets

etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, and in an earlier

proposal by BSI to prepare a draft British

Standard for travel adaptors, based on BS 1363:

Part 3.

Through our representation on relevant BSI

product standard technical committees, we

intend to pursue the development of a British

Standard for travel adaptors that will clearly set

out and underpin the safety requirements for

such products, and meet consumer

expectations.

Anyone who is concerned that they have

purchased an unsafe product should contact

their local authority trading standards

department in the first instance. However, we

would also like to hear from anyone regarding

any general concerns about the safety of an

electrical product they have recently purchased.

Please send details to:

productsafety@esc.org.uk

or write to us at:

Product Safety, The Electrical Safety Council

18 Buckingham Gate,

London SW1E 6LB

MANUFACTURERS RESPOND TO CONCERNSOVER TRAVEL ADAPTORS

We have been made aware from various

sources, including Fire & Rescue Services

up and down the country, of a growing

electrical safety problem amongst migrant

communities.

Many Eastern Europeans living in the UK are

putting themselves and their families at risk of

electric shock or fire by continuing to use,

without adaptation, electrical appliance leads

that have 2-pin ‘Europlugs’. These plugs, which

are quite safe to use with the electrical

installations in their countries of origin, do not

incorporate a fuse.

The way in which they have been able to

continue using these non-BS 1363 type

plugs in the UK is by overriding the safety

shutter mechanism in 13 Amp socket-

outlets.

This practice is potentially dangerous, not least

because the appliance lead will almost certainly

not be adequately rated for connection to a UK

ring final circuit having a 30 or 32 Amp

protective device. Forcing the 2-pin plugs in

may also damage the plugs or the sockets.

With the number of Eastern

Europeans coming to settle

in the UK on the increase,

we are keen to find ways

of reaching them to

make them aware of the

potential dangers to

themselves and their

families, to encourage them

to desist from the unsafe

practice, and to offer

practical assistance.

We are helping to

overcome the problem by

promoting the use of

fused, purpose-made 3-

pin conversion plugs.

When correctly fitted and

fused, these conversion

plugs enable 2-pin

Europlugs to be safely

connected to standard UK

13 Amp socket-outlets.

We are supplying

thousands of these

conversion plugs free of

charge to Fire & Rescue

Services across the UK, for

them to give out when they come across the

problem during their home safety checks.

MIGRANT COMMUNITIES PUTTING THEMSELVES AT RISK

Phot

osco

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syof

Pow

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nnec

tions

16 SwitchedOn

TrustMark is the Government-backedinitiative, supported by consumerprotection organizations and the building

industry, to help householders find reliable andtrustworthy tradesmen to carry out repair andimprovements to the inside and outside of theirhomes – from builders and electricians, toroofing specialists and landscape gardeners.

The Consumer Minister, Gareth Thomas MP,recently launched the TrustMark Consumer Forum.This initiative received considerable interest fromconsumer protection organisations that want toengage further with TrustMark.

The Minister said: “Dodgy builders costhomeowners millions of pounds every year. Theyare one of the most common causes of complaintto Consumer Direct. This is why the work thatTrustMark is doing to drive up standards is soimportant. It’s crucial that continues, as there arestill too many rogue traders and businesses whoprey on vulnerable people and undermine honesttraders.”

“TrustMark is the opportunity everyone has beenlooking for to give consumers exactly what theywant, need and deserve: the confidence to employtradesmen throughout the home, not get ripped off,to judge tradesmen on other aspects than merelyprice and to be safe in the knowledge that theirmoney is protected, competence is assured andfurther protection is given through a robustinspection and complaints procedure.”

Cowboy builders and rogue traders are an annual£1.5 billion problem for consumers across thecountry. Cowboy builders ruin the homes and livesof hundreds of thousands of people every year, andgive a bad name to an industry which in reality isfull of hard-working and trustworthy professionals.

TrustMark seeks to:

• allow firms and individuals that already havegood competence and customer care practisesto demonstrate why they offer better protectionto homeowners

• use the Government Endorsed Standards toimprove the competence and customer care offirms that currently fall short

• improve the standard of existing trade andcommercial organisations that apply for aTrustMark Scheme operator licence. To date,every licensed organization including a numberof trade bodies has had to change somethingabout the way they work with their members inorder to gain a licence such as ending ‘self-policing’, introducing independent inspections oroffering FSA regulated insurance-backedwarranties.

What TrustMark does and does not offer

• A firm’s technical skills have beenindependently checked through regular on-siteinspections, as well checks on their tradingrecords and financial position

TrustMark – the way for consumers to find reliable tradesmen

“DODGYBUILDERSCOSTHOMEOWNERSMILLIONS OFPOUNDS EVERY YEAR.

”

SwitchedOn 17

• The firm has signed up to a code of practice thatincludes insurance, good health and safetypractices, and customer care

• The approved scheme operator has checked andwill continue to monitor their quality of work,trading practices and customer satisfaction

• The firm will tell homeowners about anybuilding regulations they must meet and may beable to provide the certificates they need

• If homeowners have a problem or disagreementwith the firm, there will be a clear and user-friendly complaints procedure to help sort outthe problem

• If the firm doesn't automatically provideinsurance cover, homeowners will have theoption to buy a warranty. Customers may haveproblems on occasion but, if they do, they’recovered through the Insurance BackedWarranty facility and the independentcomplaints process

• In return for this level of reassurance,customers are expected to deal fairly with thefirm, agree a fair price for good work, and payquickly when the job is finished

• TrustMark firms will be appropriately qualified,trade legally, are signed up to a Code of Practicethat ensures they look after their customers,will dispose of materials in an ecologicallyfriendly manner, will work safely, informcustomers of Building regulations if relevant,

have been independently inspected, will offerwarranties on work over £250 which is coveredby the Financial Services CompensationScheme, and have an independent complaintsand disciplinary process

What TrustMark doesn’t offer is a guarantee thatcustomers will never have problems. However, ifthey do, they are well-protected by the scheme.

Working through approved scheme operators,TrustMark can now offer the public, access to awide range of trades, including electricians,builders, plumbers and heating engineers, gardenlandscaping, roofing contractors, damp-proofingand timber treatment specialists, glaziers, fenceinstallers, conservatory companies, drainagecontractors, joiners, plasterers, painters anddecorators and service agents.

By using the TrustMark website, people can searchthe list of approved organisations by simplyselecting the trade they require and then adding intheir local postcode. This gives access to the manythousands of TrustMark registered tradesmen ontheir books.

To find out how to become a TrustMark-registeredfirm, visit www.trustmark.org.uk

mers to find reliable tradesmen

18 SwitchedOn

Yell takes its responsibilities in relation to

consumer protection very seriously, and

is committed to supporting and protecting

users of its products, including Yellow Pages,

Yell.com, and Yellow Pages 118 24 7.

A dedicated consumer development team was

established more than ten years ago to

actively promote consumer protection within

its products, focusing predominantly on the

home improvement sector.

By working with a number of key trade

associations and bodies within the UK

(including NICEIC and CORGI), Yell has

established strong relationships in order to

stamp out those advertisers who seek to

mislead the consumer by including false

information in their advertising.

Selecting trade associations and other bodies

to work with is not a simple process. Yell look

to those with the following criteria:

• membership qualifications

• membership vetting

• codes of conduct

• complaint/arbitration procedures

• member disciplinary procedures

Clearly both NICEIC and CORGI fall into

these categories, and Yell has worked

closely with both organisations since the

outset by checking that their logos are not

used incorrectly within Yell’s products.

Wendy Bridge, head of consumer

development at Yell, said: “This activity is

the cornerstone of our work with NICEIC,

CORGI and selected trade associations. It

sends a strong message to our advertisers

and has removed all incidents of traders

‘passing off’ as trade association members

within the sectors that we work.”

In addition to the checking of logos, Yell

actively supports various conferences and

exhibitions arranged by NICEIC, CORGI and

selected trade associations, in order to

demonstrate Yell’s support for the

organisations and their members.

Yell also publishes consumer tips and advice in

specific classification headings of the Yellow

Pages directory.

The aim is to ensure that consumers are able

to make an informed choice, using the simple

tips that have been provided by the

Department for Business, Enterprise &

Regulatory Reform (BERR). The tips also

include the website address of BERR’s

Consumer Direct, giving a full range of

impartial consumer information.

ENA, the Energy Networks Association, is

the trade association for UK energy

transmission and distribution licence holders

and operators, acting in the interest of its

members in the energy 'wires and pipes'

sectors.

ENA's Safety, Health and Environment (SHE)

team co-ordinate safety, health and

environmental issues to help its members

achieve their business objectives safely.

As well as managing the industry sector

accident database and producing quarterly

updates, the SHE team oversees the industry

SAFELEC 2010 initiative, which sets targets for

reductions in accidents and cases of ill health,

and publishes a range of public safety

guidance leaflets.

The team liaises with the industry bodies

including regulators such as HSE, BERR, the

Environment Agency, and with other

interested parties including the Electrical

Safety Council, to develop a partnership

approach to managing SHE issues.

One such issue is the ongoing difficulties

electrical contractors have when needing to

arrange the temporary disconnection of the

electricity supply to domestic premises to

enable them to carry out certain work,

such as the replacement of consumer units,

in safety.

ENA is currently in discussion with the ECA,

NICEIC and SELECT, together with the HSE

and ourselves, about the possibility of

authorizing competent persons other than

meter operatives to withdraw service fuses in

order to effect temporary isolation.

For further information about ENA and the

forthcoming SHE2008 conference (24 - 25

April), visit www.energynetworks.org

COUNCIL LIAISES WITH THE ENERGY NETWORKS ASSOCIATION

YELL – WORKING TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER

2-pole disconnector

10 Amp Type Bcircuit-breaker

Junction box

Extractor fan

Ceiling light

Permanentlive

Switchedlive

Pull switch

2-core and earth1.5 mm2 cable

Consumer unit(10 outgoing

ways)

IP44; delay-off timer

As-installed supply arrangements

SwitchedOn 19

During 2007, a serious fire occurred in a

residential property. Fortunately the

occupants were evacuated before anyone was

seriously harmed. This article, written by John

Madden, HM Principal Inspector (Electrical

Engineering) with the HSE, briefly explains the

circumstances of the incident and draws out

some important lessons that can be learned

by electrical contractors and others.

“Investigations carried out by the Health and

Safety Executive concluded that the fire most

probably started in a wall-mounted extractor

fan in one of the property’s shower rooms.

The fan, which was supplied at 230 volts and

incorporated an adjustable delay-off timer,

was switched on and off by a pull-cord switch

that also switched the shower room’s light.

The fan was installed about 200 mm above

the shower head, within reach of people using

the shower, and inside the space that is

defined as zone 2 in Section 601 of BS 7671:

2001. It had been installed in that location

during the mid-1990s, well before the zoning

requirements of Section 601 were published,

and it had been in continuous use since then.

Although the fan had an ingress protection

rating of IP44, the manufacturer’s installation

instructions specifically advised that the fan

was not suitable for installation inside a

shower cubicle. The instructions also

stipulated that the fan should have been

supplied through a 2-pole switch

incorporating a 3 amp fuse.

The illustration shows the as-installed supply

arrangements to the fan, indicating that the

instruction relating to the 3 amp fuse had not

been followed.

The extent of the fire damage meant that the

precise cause of the fire could only be a

matter of informed speculation, but it is most

likely that long-term moisture ingress had

caused deterioration of the insulation or

created tracking paths on the fan’s internal

components. The flow of fault current would

have created the conditions for the generation

of heat that could have been sufficient to

cause the fire.

HSE’s investigation concluded that the supply

to the fan was unsafe and that the work

carried out by the electricians who originally

installed the fan was of a poor standard. The

incident raises questions about the quality not

just of the electrician’s work but also of the

verification process that should have been

carried out at the time of the installation to

confirm compliance with BS 7671.

Another important issue concerns the

effectiveness of routine preventive

maintenance of the fixed electrical system,

which comprised formal inspections and tests

carried out by electricians on a five-yearly

cycle. A legitimate question to be asked is

why the unsafe location of the fan was not

identified during routine periodic inspections

of the electrical installation? Perhaps a more

basic question concerns whether or not it is

reasonable to expect this type of installation

error to be picked up during periodic

inspections.

My own view is that the electricians who

carried out these periodic inspections should

have recognised the unsafe location of the fan

and brought it to the attention of the

property’s owners. My justification for making

this observation is as follows. Firstly, IEE

Guidance Note 3 Inspection and Testing

explains that, among other things, the

purpose of periodic inspection and testing is

to provide, so far as is reasonably practicable,

for the identification of installation defects

and non-compliance with the requirements of

the Regulations (BS 7671) which may give rise

to danger.

Secondly, the Schedule of Inspections

introduced in BS7671: 2001 specifically

requires the person carrying out a periodic

inspection to check particular protective

measures for special installations and locations.

This would include checking the electrical

safety of installations in bathrooms and shower

rooms. I would argue that, at the very least, it

is reasonable to expect that any periodic

inspection carried out after the introduction of

this Schedule would identify the unsafe

location of the extractor fan and bring it to the

attention of the client as a Code 1 observation

– requiring urgent attention.

So what lessons can be drawn from this

incident? I suggest that there are four, as

follows:

Lesson 1 Installation work of this nature

should be carried out only by people who

have the appropriate skills and knowledge and

who are able to apply them diligently and

consistently.

Lesson 2 The people who install fixed

electrical equipment such as extractor fans

must read the manufacturer’s installation

instructions and then follow those

instructions.

Lesson 3 The importance of the verification

process being carried out thoroughly and

diligently by competent people should not be

underestimated.

Lesson 4 Electricians who carry out visual

inspections of electrical installations should do

so thoroughly and diligently. If they fill in the

Schedule of Inspections to indicate compliance

with the requirements relating to special

locations such as bathrooms and shower

rooms, they should ensure that those

requirements are in fact satisfied.

If the actions associated with any one of these

lessons had actually been implemented at the

appropriate time, this incident would not have

happened and people’s lives would not have

been put at risk. I very much hope that

electricians and others reading this will take

these lessons to heart.”

LESSONS ARISING FROM AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

20 SwitchedOn

BACK ISSUES OFSWITCHED ONAll the previous issues ofSwitched On are available to read ordownload from the ‘Business &Community’ section of our website,www.esc.org.uk

Firefighters called to a fuse box short-

circuiting in a pub near Oswestry found the

culprit had paid the ultimate price for

tampering with electricity.

When Station Officer Mike Wilkinson took the

cover off the box, he found a dead mouse inside.

A fire crew was called to the Lime Kiln in

Porthywaen just after midnight yesterday to

reports of a fire inside the fuse box.

‘When we arrived the supply was short-

circuiting,” Mr Wilkinson said. “We isolated

the supply and contacted the electricity

company. However, when I took the cover off

the fuse box, there was a mouse, dead inside.

It had obviously been exploring or perhaps

had climbed inside to keep warm. “The

landlady at the Lime Kiln screamed when she

saw the mouse.”

He said if the fuse box had short-circuited in

the middle of the night and gone undetected

it may have led to a fire in the premises.

MOUSE KILLED AS IT STARTS ELECTRICAL FIRE

Story courtesy of Shropshire Star newspaper

COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS –NOT SO FRIENDLY?

Recent press reports have highlighted the

potential risks posed by low-energy

compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) if broken, or

disposed of carelessly.

The health and environmental issues relating

to this type of lamp have become more

significant following government plans

announced late last year to phase out by 2011

the traditional, incandescent, type of light

bulb for energy conservation reasons.

Although the risks are considered to be

minimal, an understanding of the issues will

help to prevent potential harm to people and

the environment.

Compact fluorescent lamps contain a small

quantity of mercury which can be harmful if it

accumulates in the body. Risks of low level

mercury poisoning may occur when lamps are

broken, but the issues relating to correct

disposal procedures and the environment also

need to be considered.

Broken lamps Defra (the Department for Environment, Food

and Rural Affairs) has warned consumers that

if a compact fluorescent lamp is smashed, the

room should be evacuated, and ventilated for

15 minutes. A vacuum cleaner should not be

used to clear up the debris, and care should

be taken not to inhale the dust.

They have further advised that the lamp

should be cleared up, using rubber gloves, by

carefully collecting the broken material

(including fine particles) and putting it into a

sealed plastic bag. The bag should then be

taken to the local council waste disposal site.

Unbroken lampsUnbroken lamps should also be taken to local

council waste disposal sites, where there

should be a facility to collect and safely

dispose of them.

Another option might be to return lamps to

the retailer from where they were originally

purchased. Some retailers are members of the

Distributor Take-back Scheme, which operates

to afford compliance with the Waste Electrical

and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.

Specialist companies then collect the lamps

from the waste disposal sites or retailers, and

safely recycle the materials.

Other types of fluorescent lampWhilst the recent press reports related to

compact fluorescent lamps, the advice applies

equally to the linear fluorescent lamps often

used in kitchens and garages, as well as in

offices and shops.