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BS 7671 : 2001

 


Paul Cook, Wiring Regulations Committee Secretary


Following a full review in accordance with BSI rules BS 7671 : 2001
was published on 1st June 2001. The 2001 edition will come into
effect on 1 January 2002. Installations designed after 1st January 2002
should comply with the new edition. Prior to that date designers have
the choice of either edition.

 
 

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The major changes are:


1) Complete revision of Section 607: Earthing requirements for
the installation of equipment having high protective
conductive currents.
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2) A new Section 482: Precautions where particular risks or


dangers of fire exist.
3) A new Section 443: Precautions against overvoltages of atmospheric origin
4) All European electrical installation standards issued since the last edition have
been considered and any necessary technical changes made to BS 7671 to
bring it into line. This has resulted in a new Part 1: Scope object and
fundamental principles and minor changes to Chapter 43: Overcurrent,
Chapter 46: Switching, Section 604: Construction Site Installations and
Section 611: Installation of highway power supplies..
Information Technology Installations (Section 607)
Every office in the country now has Information Technology (IT) equipment installed
and must comply with Section 607: Earthing requirements for the installation of
equipment having high protective conductor currents. The high protective conductor
currents are a feature of IT equipment. The first change that readers will notice is the
reference to high protective conductor currents instead of high earth leakage
currents. In the case of IT equipment the high protective conductor currents are not
the result of earth leakage, the currents are a design feature resulting from the need for
suppression and the use of switch-mode power supplies.
The amendment, allows perhaps even encourages, the use of twin socket-outlets on
standard ring circuits provided the socket-outlets have two earth terminals and the two
ends of the protective conductor at the fuse board are secured in separate terminals of
the earth bar. This is very much in line with the guidance given by the IEE in
Guidance Note 7.
DISTRIBUTION BOARD
PE

separate
connections

Ring final circuit supplying twin


socket-outlets (total earth leakage
current exceeding 10 mA).

Double socket-outlets must have two


terminals for protective conductors. One
terminal to be used for each protective
conductor, of a minimum size of 1.5 mm2

  

Locations where a particular risk of danger of fire exists (Section 482)


This is the new section with requirements for installations in locations where there is a
risk of fire due to the nature of the processed materials or stored material such as
barns, paper mills, textile manufacture. Guidance had been given in Guidance Note 7:
Special locations, so the requirements will not be unfamiliar to persons who have
made use of that publication. Some of the more fundamental requirements include 300 mA
RCDs protecting wiring systems and requirements to install spotlight and projectors at
minimum distances from combustible materials.
Thermosetting and Thermoplastic
PVC-insulated cables are not going to be called pvc cables anymore they are
thermoplastic insulated cables and rubber cables are thermosetting! The use of the
terms thermoplastic and thermosetting is the solution to the problem of an ever
increasing number and variety of materials and blends available for the manufacture
of cables. It has been decided to change the method of classification of materials away
from the main ingredient to a generic system based on the main properties of the
material. The terms thermoplastic and thermosetting linked with the operating
temperature of the cable will give a simple method of material classification. The
British Standards Institute are revising their cable standards and it is necessary to
bring BS 7671 in line.
Plastic and rubber are the general terms that most people are familiar with. 'Plastic'
usually means pvc 'polyvinyl chloride' which is now classified as thermoplastic.
Rubber could mean a number of rubbers e.g. EPR 'ethylene propylene rubber', or CSP
'chlorosulphonated polyethylene', which will now be classified as thermosetting.
Thermoplastic materials are materials that when heated to an appropriate temperature
will melt and can be moulded and reformed repeatedly (i.e. plastic in nature).
Thermosetting materials are materials that are chemically cross linked (i.e. set in
shape and not capable of being remoulded), which give improved characteristics over
thermoplastics such as deformation resistance and higher operating temperatures.
The new method, with the addition of operating temperature, gives an all-inclusive
method of material classification. For example, XLPE 'cross linked polyeythylene'
was neither a plastic or rubber material but is a thermosetting material rated at 90 deg. C.
To help users, where the terms PVC and rubber are being replaced in BS7671, they
will have the old terms in brackets, e.g.'thermoplastic (PVC)' and 'thermosetting
(rubber)'.
TABLE 4D2A
Multicore 70 C thermoplastic (pvc) insulated and thermosetting insulated cables, non-armoured
(COPPER CONDUCTORS)
Ambient temperature: 30 C
Conductor operating temperature: 70 C

CURRENT-CARRYING CAPACITY (amperes):


Conductor
crosssectional
area

Reference Method 4
(enclosed in an
insulated wall, etc.)
1 twocore cable*,
single-phase
a.c. or d.c.

1 three-core
cable* or 1
four-core
cable, threephase a.c.

Reference Method 3
(enclosed in conduit
on a wall or ceiling,
or in trunking)
1 twocore cable*,
single-phase
a.c. or d.c.

1 three-core
cable* or 1
four-core
cable, threephase a.c.

Reference Method 1
(clipped direct)

1 twocore cable*,
single-phase
a.c. or d.c.

1 three-core
cable* or 1
four-core
cable, threephase a.c.

Reference Method 11
(on a perforated cable
tray) or Reference
Method 13 (free air)
1 twocore cable*,
single-phase
a.c. or d.c.

1 three-core
cable* or 1
four-core
cable, threephase a.c.

(mm2)

(A)

(A)

(A)

(A)

(A)

(A)

(A)

(A)

1
1.5

11
14

10
13

13
16.5

11.5
15

15
19.5

13.5
17.5

17
22

14.5
18.5

2.5
4

18.5
25

17.5
23

23
30

20
27

27
36

24
32

30
40

25
34

I hope everybody followed that.

NOTES:
1. Where the conductor is to be
protected by a semi-enclosed fuse to
BS 3036, see item 6.2 of the preface
to this appendix.
2. Circular conductors are assumed for
sizes up to and including 16 mm2.
Values for larger sizes relate to

British Standards (Appendix 1)


Reference to the new Appendix 1 listing the British Standards in BS 7671 : 2001
makes obvious the enormous number of changes that have been made to British
Standards in the five years or so since amendment 2. Harmonisation of standards with
the rest of Europe is progressing at a good pace. This has got to be good for those
who benefit from lowering barriers to trade.
Lightning Protection (Section 443)
At a first reading the new Section 443: Protection against overvoltages of atmospheric
origin or due to switching may seem to require the installation of surge protection
devices in all installations.
Where an installation is supplied from a low voltage system containing no overhead
lines the only protection against overvoltage of atmospheric origin (lightning)
required is that the impulse withstand of equipment is appropriate.
A simplification of the requirements is as follows:
Voltages

Equipment for use at the Equipment of fixed


origin of the installation installation e.g.
fuseboards, wiring
systems

Energy Consuming
equipment supplied from
fixed installation e.g.
household appliances

Equipment for connection


to a circuit in which
measures are taken to
limit transient overvoltage

Category IV

Category III

Category II

Category I

230V

6kV

4kV

2kV

1.5kV

400V

8kV

6kV

4kV

2.5kV

This is a reminder to us all only to install equipment suitable for the position in the
installation.
The equipment standards call up the various impulse withstand voltages and
providing we put equipment in appropriate parts of the installation there is no
problem.
Where an installation is supplied by an overhead line and if the lightning level
(ceraunic level) exceeds 25 thunderstorms per year then surge protective devices are
required. The UK is fortunate in
almost all locations in having
lightning levels less than this
please see enclosed world map.
So there is usually no
requirement to install surge
protective devices. Other parts of
the world are not so fortunate and
protection is required. BS 7671 is
harmonised with the European
(CENELEC) standards so that
these requirements have to be
included and as many users will
know it is used in many parts of
the world where the lightning
levels are very high.

Inspection and testing (Part 7)


Schedules of inspections as well as schedules
of test results are required to be completed
and given to the person ordering the work
together with the installation certificate or
periodic inspection report. Typical schedules
are included in appendix 6. These will
continue to be available on the IEE web site
www.iee.org.uk/technical Please see the
article on free forms for contractors.

SCHEDULE OF INSPECTIONS
Methods of protection against electric shock
(a) Protection against both direct and indirect
contact:
(i)

SELV

(ii)

Limitation of discharge of energy

(b) Protection against direct contact:

(a)

Proximity of non-electrical services and other influences

(b)

Segregation of band I and band II circuits or band II


insulation used

(c)

Segregation of safety circuits

Identification
(a)

Presence of diagrams, instructions, circuit charts and


similar information

Barriers or enclosures

(b)

Presence of danger notices and other warning notices

Obstacles

(c)

Labelling of protective devices, switches and terminals

Placing out of reach

(d)

Identification of conductors

(i)

Insulation of live parts

(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)

PELV

(vi)

Presence of RCD for supplementary


protection

(c) Protection against indirect contact:


(i)

Prevention of mutual detrimental influence

Cables and conductors


(a)

Routing of cables in prescribed zones or within


mechanical protection

(b)

Connection of conductors

EEBAD including:

(c)

Erection methods

Presence of earthing conductor

(d)

Selection of conductors for current-carrying capacity and


voltage drop

(e)

Presence of fire barriers, suitable seals and protection


against thermal effects

Presence of circuit protective conductors


Presence of main equipotential bonding
conductors
Presence of supplementary equipotential
bonding conductors
Presence of earthing arrangements for
combined protective and functional
purposes
Presence of adequate arrangements for
alternative source(s), where applicable

General
(a)

Presence and correct location of appropriate devices for


isolation and switching

(b)

Adequacy of access to switchgear and other equipment

(c)

Particular protective measures for special installations


and locations

(d)

Connection of single-pole devices for protection or


switching in phase conductors only

(e)

Correct connection of accessories and equipment

Presence of residual current device(s)


(ii)

Use of Class II equipment or equivalent


insulation

(iii)

Non-conducting location:
Absence of protective conductors

(iv)

Earth-free equipotential bonding:


Presence of earth-free equipotential
bonding conductors

(v)

Electrical separation

(f)

Presence of undervoltage protective devices

(g)

Choice and setting of protective and monitoring devices


for protection against indirect contact and/or overcurrent

(h)

Selection of equipment and protective measures


appropriate to external influences

(i)

Selection of appropriate functional switching devices

Date ........................................................................
Inspected by ...........................................................

6=J
+

Notes:
to indicate an inspection has been carried out and the result is satisfactory
to indicate an inspection has been carried out and the result was unsatisfactory
N/A to indicate the inspection is not applicable

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