Shower in a shop! Do zone regs apply?

[sparkenter]

We've just been asked to install a shower to a back room in a shop to wash dogs...
It's a pooche parlour!
The room has 3 double sockets one located about a foot from the doggy bath/ shower area.
All circuits are RCD protected and we're gonna blank off the closest socket.

Not sure on the regulations regarding the other 2 as they are only 6 feet max away from the bath.

Do we class it as a bathroom??

 

[Guitarist]

I'm all for common sense but when the CPS has got to lynch someone for a disaster the common sense approach won't wash (no pun intended) lol

This is also true for most of what we do in life... We make decisions based on common sense and experience and hope nothing bad happens. We all walk a very fine line by just getting up every morning....

 

[telectrix]

if i can walk a fine line in the morning, i didn't have enough beer the night before.

 

[Guitarist]

if i can walk a fine line in the morning, i didn't have enough beer the night before.

We can always rely on you to put a situation into perspective tel

 

[telectrix]

thinking about it. if i can get up in the morning..............

 

[nickblake]

Yep Tel must be the only spark i know that needs RCD protecting !!!

 

[Darkwood]

As ive mentioned already, if you are to depart from the reg's you have to take full responsibility for it and be able to argue your corner in court if it all went 'Pete Tong', with re' to dog bath you have to realise not all dogs behave and it would be considered common for a shower / dog struggle meaning water going everywhere, if you made the suggestion to have a open end partition fitted and have a adjacent drying area with socket fitted i would see this as acceptable as although it may not fully comply with 701 you have taken steps to eliminate obvious risks and this coupled with the owner been an instructed person who will be made aware of the issues then a departure from regs may fine, no i haven't heard of a hairdresser or customer been killed but its not an excuse nor a defence to this debate.... but i have heard of hairdressers getting shocks of their worktops because items are wet, ok before RCD's but remember where her/his other hand might be-- on a wet head -- I still dont agree with sockets and appliances been next to a sink thats used with a shower, saying the sockets got RCD cover anyway is a weak argument as it makes it sound like you can ignore the regs just because you have earth leakage protection, ive designed a hair salon electrics with the architect plus clark of works over my shoulder, we ommited all sockets from the unit tops and fitted power poles with a mid circular table top... just offset and a few feet behind the chair, clark of works was happy as it was still a departure from the regs regarding distance but was acceptable as it wasn't considered to be a hazard by its design and use. Saying use common sense is leaving the goals open for mis-interpretation, bad judgements, and lazy practices, the regs are there for guidence but agree they cant cover all situations but you have to tread carefully when departing from them.

 

[telectrix]

Yep Tel must be the only spark i know that needs RCD protecting !!!

i was born with a government health warning.

 

[Guitarist]

That is if you consider this a departure to begin with.

 

[Darkwood]

That is if you consider this a departure to begin with.

The electrical clark of works did and as you know whether hes right or wrong - what he says goes!

 

[Guitarist]

The electrical clark of works did and as you know whether hes right or wrong - what he says goes!

The boss is always right

 

[Engineer54]

Darkwood, .... haven't seen a combined wash station/work station for years now. These stations have been separated for years, where generally the apprentice washes the hair at the wash station and semi dries the hair with towels prior to moving the client to the work station where the hairdresser works on the damp hair. Obviously different treatments have different procedures, but rarely these day's, all is conducted at one station....

 

[Darkwood]

our town still has red phone boxes.... and we just got our first delivery of bs3036 boards at the local hardware shop.. woo hoo coming at yer technology, were back in the race

 

[Adam W]

So what are you suggesting that all hairdressing saloons be classed as special locations??
I think it was Des who suggested:

However,a room containing a shower is a special location and all the rules of the special location apply,without exception

As for a pooch parlour the OP has stated that the closest outlet is going to be blanked off.
6 feet distance is more than adequate in this situation, hell on the continent, it's common practice to have an RCD protected socket outlet in bathrooms. It's only the UK that has these draconian bathroom Reg's, that are a throw back from the past, before the advent of the cure all RCD... lol!!

I was considering citing the American way of doing things where they allow one of those weird little 'standard' American sockets in a bathroom or utility room provided it is a 'GFCI receptacle', otherwise known as a socket supplied via a higher rated RCD (0.2ms disconnection, possibly 10ma, from memory after a couple of beers).
I didn't say that before because I've mentioned American regs previously and been bluntly reminded that we don't live in America.

 

[richy3333]

I was considering citing the American way of doing things where they allow one of those weird little 'standard' American sockets in a bathroom or utility room provided it is a 'GFCI receptacle', otherwise known as a socket supplied via a higher rated RCD (0.2ms disconnection, possibly 10ma, from memory after a couple of beers).
I didn't say that before because I've mentioned American regs previously and been bluntly reminded that we don't live in America.

LOL, It might feel like the wild west but has anyone told you this ain't America

 

[Adam W]

LOL, It might feel like the wild west but has anyone told you this ain't America

LOl yes I'm well aware of that thanks. :59: