Stay switched on to designing safe electrical installations

Are you up to date with the latest safety regulations for electrical installations?

Electricity can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property. However, following industry best practices when working with electricity can significantly reduce the risk of injury to you, your workers, and others around you.

The recently published new amendment to the IET Wiring Regulations, BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, includes key changes that cover both the general safety of electrical installations, as well as advanced fire safety requirements to reflect the latest thinking in industry safety best practices.

It is the result of years of work by the JPEL/64 committee, the committee responsible for BS 7671, taking on board requirements from international and European standards, as well as input from organisations such as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the findings of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety (2018).

Improving the general safety of electrical installations

All electrical systems have the potential to cause harm and so it is vital for those involved in their design and installation to be up to date with current industry knowledge on designing safe installations.

The newly published amendment to the IET Wiring Regulations reflects the latest industry safety best practices in several key areas:

Protection against transient overvoltages

BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 deals with the protection of electrical installations against transient overvoltages of atmospheric origin transmitted by the supply distribution system, and against switching overvoltages generated by the equipment within the installation. A risk assessment now must be performed to determine if protection against transient overvoltages is required.

Changes to identification, labels and notices

The ways of how safety information is provided to the user of the electrical installation has been updated in BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 to reflect current industry best practices.

Reducing the risk of electrical fires

Protection against fire resulting from the electrical installation and the use of the electrical installation has been necessary ever since electricity was first introduced into buildings.

These changes in the newly published amendment also represent a major step to increase safety by reducing fire risks:

A new requirement for Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs)

BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 includes requirements for the protection of persons, livestock and property against fire caused by electrical equipment, against burns and against overheating, together with precautions where particular risks of fire exist. It is now a necessity (rather than a recommendation as it was in previous editions) to protect final circuits supplying socket-outlets and fixed current-using equipment with a rated current not exceeding 32A by Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs).

Updated requirements for the fire safety design for buildings

BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 introduces requirements for the fire safety design of buildings to be documented where specific conditions of external influence exist, such as, protected escape routes and locations with risk of fire.

Ensure you are complying with the latest essential electrical safety regulations when carrying out electrical installation activities, by buying BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 from the British Standards Institute’s (BSI) online shop today.