Amend.3 compliance with commercial consumer unit

[spud1]

Hey,

I think I'm right in saying that the fire rating requirements of consumer units laid out in Amend.3 of BS7671 do not apply to commercial installations. Can you confirm?

If so would anyone still mention the absence of this fire rating on a commercial consumer unit during an EICR in the form of an observation, coded maybe as N/A ?

Cheers.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

421.1.201 refers. No code or mention for non domestic installations as there is no requirement under 421.1.201

Edit.....I've a job coming up with a DB resite and replace in a disabled non domestic sensory room, it's just providing RCBO protection to each of the FCU's in the room serving the low current equipment and is fed from a RFC serving that room only.
My CEF told me it was 'illegal' to use an insulated DB when asked to quote....at present the level of misunderstanding on this is up there with bonding and will probably remain so for the next few decades as it has with bonding!

 

[buzzlightyear]

are you talking about commercial flats?

 

[westward10]

are you talking about commercial flats?

What is a commercial flat?

 

[spud1]

What is a commercial flat?

Haha brilliant! Yeah what is a commercial flat!?
No its a business unit.
Just loathed not to mention it at all as my common sense is forcing me to ask the question ; Why is it less important to have a fire containing consumer unit in a workplace than in a home? I wouldn't code the observation obviously

 

[telectrix]

What is a commercial flat?

it's a blown tyre on your van, silly.

 

[spud1]

it's a blown tyre on your van, silly.

Funny story, I had one of those a couple of weeks ago! Mr practical electrician trying to change a tyre and look manly (But struggling like hell) in a layby only to be shot down in flames by the HSS driver who pulls over to tell him hes got his jack in the wrong place and thats why he cant jack it up high enough to get the spare on.... If only there was a changing van tyre forum.

 

[spud1]

Why is it less important to have a fire containing consumer unit in a workplace than in a home? Why does this ONLY apply to domestic installations? Don't tell me this is a political thing.

 

[Pete999]

Why is it less important to have a fire containing consumer unit in a workplace than in a home? Why does this ONLY apply to domestic installations? Don't tell me this is a political thing.

You can't get better than a quick fit Sparky???

 

[spud1]

Explain Pete999?

 

[Richard Burns]

The fire statistics in London (but not the rest of the UK) showed a significant increase in domestic fires from insufficiently tight cable terminations in consumer units, therefore the response was to ignore the loose connections and ensure that domestic consumer units contain the fire that will happen.
Of course there is no shoddy workmanship in non domestic work so they are safe.

Alternatively there is more risk to life in domestic properties as people are sleeping there.

Pete999, I think, is referring to The famous ‘You can’t get better than a Kwik Fit fitter’ commercials first shown on TV in 1984.

 

[Pete999]

Explain Pete999?

Spud, a while back maybe about the onset of Amendment 3 I had an up and downer with some bloke from on of the Schemes about the metal CU issue, my opinion was/is the the number of so called failures in Insulated CUs wasn't necessarily the fault of poor manufacturing, more likely poor workman ship from poorly trained/inexperienced fast track Sparkies. Hence my attempt at humor.

 

[spud1]

I've got you now Pete thanks, back in the room! Sorry I can't remember the Kwik Fit advert! I was only a baby back then.

 

[Octopus]

The fire statistics in London (but not the rest of the UK) showed a significant increase in domestic fires from POORLY MADE consumer units, therefore the response was to ignore the loose connections and ensure that domestic consumer units contain the fire that will happen.
Of course there is no shoddy workmanship in non domestic work so they are safe.

Alternatively there is more risk to life in domestic properties as people are sleeping there.

Corrected that for you.

We now have poorly made fuseboards wrapped in metal....

 

[UNG]

The fire statistics in London (but not the rest of the UK) showed a significant increase in domestic fires from POORLY MADE consumer units, therefore the response was to ignore the loose connections and ensure that domestic consumer units contain the fire that will happen.
Of course there is no shoddy workmanship

Corrected that for you.

We now have poorly made fuseboards wrapped in metal....

So why do these poorly made fuseboards seem to cause more fires in London than in the rest of the country or are all the sub standard fuseboards dumped within the M25

There are plenty of sparks installing these "poorly made" fuseboards around the country that are not spontaneously bursting into flames so I wonder where the blame really lies

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Why is it less important to have a fire containing consumer unit in a workplace than in a home? Why does this ONLY apply to domestic installations? Don't tell me this is a political thing.

Domestic installations are not covered by either the Health and Safety at Work Act, or the Electricity At Work Regulations, so there is no legislation in place forcing anyone to ensure they are safe.

 

[Pete999]

So why do these poorly made fuseboards seem to cause more fires in London than in the rest of the country or are all the sub standard fuseboards dumped within the M25

There are plenty of sparks installing these "poorly made" fuseboards around the country that are not spontaneously bursting into flames so I wonder where the blame really lies

Read my last post, that's my take, you can my your own mind up.