reci newsletter jan 2008 web · five electrical safety rules reci newsletter jan 2008 web 25/1/08...

The CER Criteria Document and Appendices were published on 7thDecember last. The Document outlines the CER’s proposed rules forthe regulation of electrical contractors with regard to safety under theprovisions of the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006.Responses to the consultation should be filled in on the ConsultationResponse Form Template and sent to CER by 6th February 2008. Thedocuments can be viewed on www.cer.ie.

The Document sets out the detailed rules, procedures andrequirements in relation to fulfilling the obligations and functions ofthe new regulatory system by Registered Electrical Contractors andany Body (designated by the Commission as an Electrical SafetySupervisory Body), the DSO (ESB Networks) and any other relevantparty.

It is divided into the following sections:Section A Introduction and Interpretation

Section B The Supervisory Body

Section C The Registered Electrical Contractor

Sections D-F Disciplinary Procedures, Appeals Process, Authorised Officer

Final Section Common Procedures

RECI are pleased to note that the Document states that an inspectionservice can only be provided to non-registered contractors who areproperly qualified and also insured. There are a number of other rulesand procedures which are designed to ensure that registeredcontractors will be inspected and evaluated in the same way,irrespective of which Supervisory Body they belong to. This willinclude a joint disciplinary committee with an independent Chairman.However, there are some proposed procedures with which we do notagree and we will make a submission to the CER on these matters.

The CER expect to be able to designate a Supervisory Body or Bodiesby mid 2008 and we hope that the new regime will be operationalbefore the end of the year.

CER Publish CriteriaDocument

January 2008

NEWSJOURNAL OF THE REGISTER OF ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS OF IRELAND

Electronic CertificateSystem Receives ITAward

ESB were runners-upin the iReach InspiredIT Awards in theBusiness Servicescategory. Theseawards were createdby iReach toacknowledge the roleof IT Managers andtheir teams forcreating businessvalue through theinspired use of IT inIreland.

A new technologycalled “web services”was used for the firsttime in ESB by the Web and eServices team. A webservice is a standardised way of integrating applicationsover the internet and allows businesses to exchange data.For the “Electrical Certificate Interface Service” it meantthat when the regulatory bodies entered a newcompletion certificate into their IT systems ,theyimmediately received data from ESB to validate theMPRN numbers and addresses, and then their IT systemsautomatically send a subset of the certificate details backto ESB. Paul Sullivan was the Senior TechnologyAnalyst on the ESB Development team.

The awards have proved to be a huge success attracting ahost of names from across industry in Ireland. “Last yearwe were astounded with the level and quality of entrieswe received from the island of Ireland” said Oisin Byrneof iReach. “IT is playing such a huge part in today’sorganisations and we believe the key to the successfulimplementation of IT is to use it to drive businessvalue.”

RECI congratulate the ESB team on their success inwinning the award and are very pleased that theelectronic certificate system is benefiting manyregistered contractors.

Award to ESB IT Department

IN THIS ISSUE◆ CER Publish Criteria Document◆ ESB iReach IT Award◆ Sub-Standard Cables◆ British Approvals Service for

Cables ◆ Electronic Meters in Multi-

Metering Panels

REGISTER OF ELECTRICALCONTRACTORS OFIRELANDUnit 9, KCR Industrial Estate,Kimmage, Dublin 12. Tel: 01 - 492 9966; Fax: 01 - 492 9983; email: [email protected] website: www.reci.ie

RECI Newsletter Jan 2008 WEB 25/1/08 2:02 PM

— From 1st January 2008 RECI will no

longer accept temporary domestic

wiring certificates. If a domestic

customer wants a temporary or

advanced connection they will have to

apply for a commercial connection in

a separate metering location;

— If a customer insists on getting a connection for construction purposes, they will have to apply for a Temporary Builders/Commercial connection. This connection will haveto be at the boundary of the site (not the permanent domestic metering cabinet location) and will have to conform to interface standards for Temporary connections (see diagram right). The customer will be charged Commercial tariffs until the connection is regularised;

— Registered contractors have been informed of this change by special notice sent out in early December.

Domestic One-Off House ConnectionsAs a result of a high percentageof non-compliance with therequirements for temporarysupplies and the consequentialconcern for public safety, theCommission for EnergyRegulation has directed ESBNand the Regulatory Bodies toimplement the following changeswhich are mandatory withoutexception commencing January2008.

A new Guide to the Basic Principles ofElectrical Safety has been prepared byTechnical Committee 5 (TC5) of theElectro-Technical Council of Irelandfollowing a request from one of theETCI’s member organisations. Thepurpose of the Guide is to raise theawareness of electrical safety and todescribe protective measures that are

available to reduce the risk of beinginjured by electricity.

The Guide has been written as a text toaccompany a short training course inpractical electrical safety. The course isaimed at all persons concerned withelectrical safety. This should help toimprove the awareness of electrical

hazards and reduce the risk of peoplebeing injured by electricity. The basicprinciples of electricity are explained, asare the risks and precautions needed tominimise these risks.

For more informationcontact ETCI, tel: 01 - 492 0088or fax: 01 - 4296090.

ETCI Introduces New Guide to BasicPrinciples of Electrical Safety


The ETCI National Wiring RulesCommittee TC2 have made a change inthe guidelines concerning the mandatoryrequirements which decide when theissue of an Industrial /CommercialCompletion Certificate is required ratherthan a Small Commercial / DomesticCertificate.

At present the decision is based onwhether CT’s (current transformers) areused by ESB Networks for metering athree phase installation. The change inapproach is that the decision to issue theIndustrial /Commercial CompletionCertificate will now depend on the MICi.e. Maximum Import Capacity of theinstallation. If the MIC is ≥ 50kVA thenan Industrial /Commercial CompletionCertificate will be required.

The reason for the change is due to therecent modifications in the certificationprocess. This results in the electricalcontractor sending the completed ETCItest certificate to their respective

regulatory body who in turn check thecertificate in question and if it is correctvalidate the certificate which enablesESB Networks to energise the relevantelectrical installation. It isdifficult/impossible for the regulatorybody to establish the load capacity ofevery electrical installation presented forconnection and this fact may result in alarger installation being incorrectlyconnected on the basis of an invalidcertificate (e.g. domestic)

This change will produce the programmelogic necessary to block the use of adomestic small / commercial certificate insituations where the correct certificatenamely the Industrial /Commercialcertificate should have been used.

There will be little difference in theactual impact on the ground because innearly all instances ESB Networks willuse CT’s when the MIC is specified as ≥50kVA. RECI will need to modify itssoftware to accommodate this

enhancement which will further improvethe validation process.

This new arrangement will be operationalon the electronic certificate system in thenear future but it will take some timebefore new paper certificates are issued.It is expected that all completioncertificates will be fully revised andupdated to take account of the newrequirements which the CER will dictate.

New Guidelines for Domestic / Industrial Certificates

We still have some copies of the RECI2008 page-a-day Diary left.

If any contractors would like morecopies of this useful Yearbook wewould be pleased to supply them on afirst come first served basis.

Price e10 including post and packing.

RECI Diary &Year Book

It is with great sadness that wereport the untimely death lastSeptember of Sean Gallagher,RECI Inspector for Donegal.

Sean joined the RECIInspectorate at the outset inSeptember 1992 after a career inESB. He gave whole-heartedcommitment to his role as RECIInspector and was greatlyrespected by the electricalcontracting industry in Donegal.Sean was always willing to give

the benefit of his extensiveexperience to contractors.

Sean made a significantcontribution to the developmentof RECI over the years andalways made very relevant pointsat technical meetings with otherInspectors. He also drafted anumber of training courses whichare used in RECI trainingprogrammes. In his spare timeSean was in the FCA and thesalutes of the threerepresentatives of the FDR as thecoffin was being borne into StColman’s church were trulyearned in recognition of theefforts of the organisation’s latecommandant.

Sean will be sadly missed by allhis colleagues. We extend oursympathy to his wife Ann and histwo sons and five daughters.

Passing of Sean GallagherSafety is Everyone’s

Business— Contractors should always be alert to the dangers

and hazards associated with electrical work;— Particular attention is required when an installation

is made live, whether on a permanent or temporary basis;

— Always make sure if you make part of an installation “live” that you have not created a dangerous situation for someone else;

— Always check for absence of voltage before you work on any installation;

1. Disconnectcompletely.2. Secure againstreconnection.3. Verify that theinstallation is “dead”.4. Carry out earthingand short-circuiting (ifrelevant).5. Provide protectionagainst adjacent “live”parts.

Remember theFive ElectricalSafety Rules


A number of years ago Ireland was awash with unapproved/sub-standard twin and earth electric cable. The cable initiallywas being dumped from the UK where the Department ofTrading Standards had banned it. Through a lot of effort themarket place was eventually cleaned up and the relative cableswere removed from the wholesalers. Unfortunately, with theglobalisation of the manufacturers and the harmonisation of thecore colours within Cenelec the problem has returned. Whilethe cable may look perfect, generally this is furthest from thetruth. Copper and PVC are global commodities and as such areinternationally traded. Therefore the costs of high grade copperand premium grade PVC are subject to market fluctuations.

If cables are being sold at knockdown prices, it may seem abargain to the contractor giving them increased profit marginsin the short term. In the long term, it is likely they will haveheadaches as the installations consistently break down.

The golden rule is look for an approvals mark. This mark isnormally embossed on the insulation of non-sheathed singlecore cables and on the outer sheath on flexible cables that arefully harmonised within the EU, an example is <VDE><HAR>plus the manufacturers name or trademark. This markingensures the cables are subjected to third party testing. VDE isthe German National Accredited Body that runs the HARscheme within Germany. Most countries have their own uniqueaccredited bodies and are registered within the Cenelec systemunder the HAR Agreement. The HAR Agreement entails therandom selection and testing (to the required cable standard) offinished cable from the manufacturing plant, where up to 150samples are selected and tested per annum, ensuring that high-quality is maintained.

The graphical symbols of the common HAR mark from eachcountry are as follows:—Austria <OVE> <HAR>Belgium CEBEC <HAR>Czech Republic <EZU> <HAR>Denmark <DEMKO> <HAR>Finland FIMKO <HAR>France USE <HAR>Germany <VDE> <HAR>Great Britain BASEC <HAR>Greece ELOT <HAR>Hungary MEEI <HAR>Ireland <NSAI> <HAR>Italy IEMMEQU <HAR>The Netherlands KEMA-KEUR <HAR>Norway <NEMKO> <HAR>Portugal <CERTIF> <HAR>Spain AENOR <HAR>Sweden SEMKO <HAR>Switzerland SEV <HAR>Turkey TSE <HAR>

A similar scheme is in place for “House Wiring Twin and EarthCables”. The only difference is the HAR mark does not appear,only the manufacturers name and the approvals body egBASEC.

In relation to non-approved cable, this is where themanufacturers are using the CE marking directive. They aremarking the cable with their name plus the letters CE, this isgiving the impression that the cables have third party approval.

The main problems with unapproved cable is as follows:— Low grade copper giving a high conductor resistance;— Poor quality PVC ie polymer that has excessive amounts of

filler and low grade plasticizer resulting in poor insulating properties;

— Thin insulation and sheath.

With the combination of the above, the life span of the cableoperating at the designed temperature is reduced significantly.The normal life span of a high-quality cable is in the region of25 years, however, with the unapproved cable this can be aslittle as 5 to 7 years.

In conclusion, contractors should be extremely careful in theselection of cables they are purchasing ensuring the appropriateapproval marks are visible on the cables.

Sub-Standard Cables — Contractors Beware

Mick McKennaChairman ETCI TC14 Cable Committee

In-House Training CoursesWe would like to remind contractors who employ a numberof electricians that we are always happy to run any of ourtraining courses in your own premises. This can often bemore efficient and cost-effective for you than sending someof your electricians from time-to-time to our training centreor local venue. Contact Denise McAuley at RECI to discussdetails and prices.

Donegal InspectorWilliam McGarvey is our new inspector for Donegal. William has extensive experience of inspecting and testingof electrical installations in Ireland and in the UK.

He was employed by Brown Boveri who manufacture lowand medium voltage electrical equipment for power stationsand large commercial and industrial plants. He was aninspecting engineer in the UK and also for Precision Electricin Dublin.


“Sub-standard cables have become a serious issue in Britainwhere a similar requirement to use compliant products exists inthe IEE Wiring Regulations. BASEC and other bodies areraising the profile of this issue and are running an initiative inthe UK which we would be happy to open up to Irish users.BASEC provides product certification services to the Irish cablemanufacturers and to overseas manufacturers manufacturing toIrish and European standards (as well as to British Standards,of course).

“Working closely with cablemakers and with the co-operationof the UK installation organisations and safety groups, we havelaunched an initiative on faulty cables. If installers haveconcerns about cable they have been sold, in particular itscompliance with the relevant standards, BASEC will offeradvice and will if necessary independently test the cable inquestion at no cost to the installer. Problems we have foundwith non-compliant cable include undersized conductors andfaulty insulation. Of particular concern has been the fireperformance of supposedly low-smoke and fume cable, which isbecoming increasingly widely specified. If Irish installers comeacross cable which they have concerns about, as regards itscompliance with standards, please ask them to get in touch with us.

“Here is a statement we have put out on the UK initiative:BASEC is highlighting the problem of sub-standard cable in theUK marketplace. Some manufacturers claim that their cablecomplies with British Standards but they provide no evidence ofthis. When independently tested some of their cable has beenfound not to comply with British Standards and hence the claimof compliance is false. In some cases the faults identified havepotentially serious consequences for safety (electric shock, fire).

“BASEC invites end-users (electrical contractors, consultants,purchasers) and the cable trade (manufacturers, distributors,wholesalers) to contact BASEC if they have any concerns aboutcable on sale in the UK market. BASEC will independently testrelevant cable samples at no cost to the enquirer to determine ifthe cable complies with British Standards, and will providefeedback and advice based on the findings.

“Enquirers are encouraged to contact BASEC by telephone oremail in the first instance. The information BASEC requires toinitiate the process is: the identity of the cable (type, size andmanufacturer); the full marking on the cable; copies of label /reel markings; and a sample of at least 1.5 metres, sent to theBASEC offices. A longer sample would permit a broader rangeof tests to be conducted. Cable should not be specially removedfrom an existing installation — if the cable is already installed

BASEC would be happy to visit the site. If a particular piece ofcable has an observable fault or has failed, this is also usefulfor diagnosis.

“Should BASEC find serious faults with a cable such thatBASEC would under normal circumstances issue a productrecall to the manufacturer, BASEC will contact themanufacturer and suppliers (importers / distributors /wholesalers) with the findings. Dependent upon the response,BASEC may choose to make public details of the faulty cableand the parties responsible. This information will be madeavailable to the trade media and professional organisations inthe interests of public safety.

“In addition, if any of your installers has any problem with aBASEC approved and marked cable, we are always available toprovide assistance and investigate if necessary, at no cost to theinstaller.

“If you would like any further details please do not hesitate toget in touch.”

British Approvals Service for Cables

Dr Jeremy Hodge, Chief Executive of BASEChas written to RECI to kindly offer assistance toIrish electrical contractors and wholesalersregarding the problem of sub-standard cables.

He writes:

From time to time it comes to our attention that a non-

registered electrical contractor or a former RECI registered

contractor is using the RECI logo on his van or his stationery.

This of course is illegal and we always put these matters in

the hands of our solicitors to take legal action against th

persons concerned.

Should any registered contractor or other reader of the RECI

newsletter have clear evidence of such misrepresentation

(such as a copy of an advertisement and details of its source)

it should be referred to the General Manager of RECI who

will take appropriate action.

Misuse of

Logo


Electronic Meters in Multi-Metering PanelsDay / Night Meters

Up to now theESB has usedElectro-mechanical metersfor the majority ofwhole currentmeteringinstallations. In2007 Meter AssetManagemententered into a newmetering contractwith supplierswhich resulted inthe use ofelectronic metersright across thewhole range ofmeteringrequirements.

Heretofore, formulti-meteringpanels electro-mechanical meterswere utilised. ForDay/Night multi-metering panelsthere was arequirement forthe use of acombination ofelectro-mechanical two rate meters,timeswitches and interposing relaysat the multi-metering panel asdescribed on pages 32 and 33 of thepresent code book. With theintroduction of electronic meters thisrequirement has now changed.

Electronic meters as now supplied forDay/Night installations have anintegrated timeswitch in the meter,and also have the facility of anauxiliary contact which will close onnight rate. This auxiliary relay israted at 230V AC and 80mA Max.For all new Day/Night multi-metering panels therefore, there is noneed for an external timeswitch orrelays at the metering panel.

The requirements for the mainswiring will remain as before. ForNSH control, it is essential that theoperating current of the coil in thecontrol relay in each apartment doesnot exceed 80mA. Control cables foreach apartment are to be broughtdirectly to the meter. As before,control cable to be labelled withapartment numbers at file terminalsand meter positions and the colourcode of the control wiring is to bebrown and white. Where the controlpair is brought directly from theapartment to the meter it isacceptable to use a twin brown, butthe cable must be identified with theapartment number and the live andswitch wire must be clearly identifiedat the meter position. Control pair

(1.5sqmm) to be fused appropriatelyin each apartment.

Note: If the operating current of thecoil exceeds 80mA, then there will bea requirement for the panelmanufacturer to provide separateinterposing relays for each apartmentat the meter panel, whose coil doesnot exceed a current of 80mA. Notealso the 80mA max rating relates tothe inrush/starting current of the relaycoil.

NB: The foot print of the singlephase meter is unchanged and thepresent space allocations must not bereduced. This is to allow futureexchanges or metering upgrades.

New arrangement to replace page 32 and 33 in the present code book

Refer to page 23 forspace required forcable terminators

1m

ESB NetworksCut-Out

Control pair from each apartmentMax switch 230v AC and 80mA

Sw-Fuse/McbTo comply with ETCI

For fuse type see page 17

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Three-Phase Meters NewDrilling Template (cont.)

Three-phase meter new drilling template

Where three phase meters arerequired new drilling dimensionsare required for the fixing screws.The drilling template attachedcovers all the meter variations nowavailable.

NB: The foot print of the threephase meter is unchanged and thepresent space allocations must notbe reduced. This is to allow future

exchanges or metering upgrades.It is vitally important that the newdrilling dimensions are applied toall three phase metering panelsfrom now on.

If contractors have queries re thisinformation they should contactJim Keogh, Standards Manager forCustomer Interface, ESB Networkson tel: 021 - 484 4526.

The ETCI report in their currentnewsletter that the fourth edition ofthe Wiring Rules are due to bepublished in 2008. Within the past sixyears or so, the international technicalcommittees have been workingactively on improving, extending andupdating the Rules, and ETCITechnical Committee 2 has workedeffectively to ensure that Irish interestsare protected. The format, firstdeveloped about 1970, needed to berestructured.

It became clear that a completely newedition of the Rules was needed, andwork began on a fourth edition in2004. The new Rules contain somefurther improvements in safety, withincreased use of RCD protection, egfor bathrooms and agriculturalinstallations. They have been extendedto cover marinas, medical locations,solar PV installations, ELV lighting,mobile installations, exhibitions,circuses and amusement parks, andfloor heating systems.

There are other changes for example:

1. The rules for cable core colours arenow complete, after years of discussions in CENELEC.

2. Chapter 43 contains new requirements for the overcurrent protection of meter tails.

3. There are changes to the values in the tables for fault loop impedance values for two reasons, arising from CENELEC decisions:

(a) In Chapter 41, Table 41A, the 0.4 disconnecting time applies to all circuits up to 32A instead of merely socket outlet circuits.

(b) Temperature rise caused by the fault current is now taken into consideration.

4. The Rules for bathrooms require RCD protection for all circuits. This permits a wider range of installed appliances than before. There are new requirements for concealed wiring in bathrooms.

The general requirements for wiringconcealed in walls, which appeared inthe present Amendment 2 areunchanged.

New Edition ofWiring RulesDue in 2008


reci newsletter jan 2008 web · five electrical safety rules reci newsletter jan 2008 web 25/1/08...

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