EICR Code for metal light switches with earth to backbox

[westward10]

If I am in a domestic situation and there are metal light switches I always check them, it will be 50/50 if they have a cpc to them.

 

[Ian1981]

All earth wires must be terminated to the back box.
An example that not all MF’s instructions are the be all and end all.
Pick shows the cpc from the cable not directly to the switch.
This does however highlight that a fly lead is required

 

[Ian1981]

the reasons i would give it a C3 is that it does not comply with MI ( as westie pointed out), and if the screws were removed for decorating or whatever, a fault on the switch would not trip MCB. therefore it "is improvement recommended. ", because i say so (smiley).

I’d be more concerned with the exposed conductive parts exposed by removing the switch personally.

 

[Pete999]

All earth wires must be terminated to the back box.
An example that not all MF’s instructions are the be all and end all.
Pick shows the cpc from the cable not directly to the switch.
This does however highlight that a fly lead is required

It;s a M/C switch, terminate the cpcs into the back box and run a fly lead to the plate switch, how much would that cost you? not much I imagine then no need to code

 

[Midwest]

My two pennyworth; I've always terminated cpc into back box, then a fly lead to faceplate. My thinking is if cpc become disconnected when plate is removed and/or replaced, is just that particular plate, not the rest of that circuit. I've even taken it further with multi gang switches, and put all cpc's in wago, then flylead to back box and plate, for the same reason, and also you can't successfully terminate multiple cpc's into one back box terminal.

 

[GBDamo]

the reasons i would give it a C3 is that it does not comply with MI ( as westie pointed out), and if the screws were removed for decorating or whatever, a fault on the switch would not trip MCB. therefore it "is improvement recommended. ", because i say so (smiley).

The MI instructions, in the case, are an illustration that the switch needs earthing not a prescription on how exactly to achieve this.

Jesus, the day I make my professional decisions based solely on what some monkey in the BG back office put together on his etch-a-sketch, I'll top myself.

 

[DefyG]

C3 on the basis that it is earthed whilst screwed to the metal back box and should be 'safely isolated' before removing accessory, which by then cant be considered potentially dangerous as it is not live!
An improvement would then make it 'safer' for those s........d enough to remove it whilst 'live.!

 

[Risteard]

All earth wires must be terminated to the back box.
An example that not all MF’s instructions are the be all and end all.
Pick shows the cpc from the cable not directly to the switch.
This does however highlight that a fly lead is required

Indeed. It also could be interpreted as suggesting that you need to sleeve the switchwire brown even if it's twin brown cable!

 

[pirate]

I guess it's just a case of doing what you think is safest...not "safe enough".
It costs a penny and 1 minute to run a fly lead from the plate to the back box, so if someone takes the front off and a fault occurs, there's a fine path to earth. Please don't drown me in tales of how you've got 500 a day to do and every second counts...lives matter (whatever hue) and if it's scorned as belt and braces and a piece of string too, so what? Let's not applaud a culture of doing what's just enough, but rather applaud a culture of doing everything we can to keep it safe. I'd much rather have 2 earths...
takes all the guesswork away, and who could criticise you for being extra careful?
We have all taken socket fronts off and found the conductors falling out of the back. Indeed, loose terminations are so common as to be de riguer in testing situations. Joe Bloggs trying to be neat with his decorating can easily fall foul of such problems as he tries to cut a neat paint-line in. Surely he shouldn't be expected to get an electrician in as he slaps some magnolia on his living-room walls?

 

[Dave OCD]

Where possible I like to double the cpc into the back box terminal and leave it continuous to the switch earth terminal.

 

[pirate]

Just need to remember to leave the CPC a lot longer than the L and N, but a nice solution.