extending SWA

[johnboy6083]

As that T+E will be concealed in a wall and certainly parts of it will be less that 50mm buried then you will have to fit an RCD/RCBO to protect it.

with regards to the situation that benny boy finds himself, ie drilling directly behind board to a JB, i wouldnt consider anybody stupid enough to try and drill thorugh that! i wouldnt protect that with RCD, if it meant i would have problems with dicrimination with the shed

 

[malcolmsanford]

Unfortunately the Regs don't take into consideration that, even in safe zones where the same logic applies you would not think anyone would drill right above/below a switch or socket, people do, so cable concealed in a wall buried less that 50mm have to be RCD protected Etc Etc.

Agree the chances of anyone drilling into it is small, but it's your name on the cert, and if anything happened to the cable and was not protected to the regs. your the one going to have to explain why you omitted the safety procedures.

Personally I would either try and bring the SWA through the wall. or use a small run of MICC.

 

[johnboy6083]

fair point. I suppose you could use a bit of steel tube. and banjo it at one end,so its earthed. its a lot of messing about though. I cant see why anybody would take the cover off a board, and drill through it, unless they were a spark?

 

[malcolmsanford]

fair point. I suppose you could use a bit of steel tube. and banjo it at one end,so its earthed. its a lot of messing about though. I cant see why anybody would take the cover off a board, and drill through it, unless they were a spark?

If it was easy John everyone would be doing it mate

Between you and me the chances of anything happening to that cable is almost nil, but if your going to work to the regs then you have to sometimes do things that are not the easiest way to get the job done.

There will be some that say do it and mark it on the EIC as a departure from the regs, fine and write out a risk assement to why you omitted the protection as to the regs and attach to the EIC.

Chances are you will get away with it, but to me I'd rather look for a way round it witihn the Regulations, it sometimes is not easy, or quick and can be a pain, but if you do it to the Regs your covered in every way. That's just my opinion though.