New electrical safety regulations come into force from the start of 2019. For those involved in electrical installations, this is a change that they simply must address. In the first of a series of blogs on the subject, we outline the main changes due to be introduced.
The new 18th Edition of the BS 7671:2018 Requirements for Electrical Installations will be issued in the first week of July this year, giving those involved in electrical installation work six months to prepare in advance of the regulations coming into force. From 1st January 2019, all electrical installations designed, erected, verified, altered or added to must comply with the new regulations.
In March, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), in conjunction with the BSI, published a summary of the significant changes. The changes fit into four main categories:
1. Protection against overvoltages
2. Fire Protection
3. Changes to Section 753
4. Energy Efficiency – a new section
In the coming weeks, we will be taking a closer look at the implications of these changes and how they might impact upon the industry. For electricians, it will become an issue that they cannot ignore, and it will be important to become familiar with all aspects of the changes. The same is true of those who supply the components used in the electrical installation industry, and here at CCC Direct, we take that responsibility very seriously.
A significant motivating factor in the design of these new electrical safety regulations is the impact it will have in terms of maintaining the integrity of cabling in escape routes, as part of an overall strategy to improve fire safety. CCC Direct supplies a number of quality products to the market that will assist any electrical installer achieve compliance with the new regulations. These include consumer unit glands, fire safe clips, MICC clips, stainless steel ties and stainless steel tie bases.
For more information, feel free to contact CCC Direct using our contact form. And remember to drop back to learn more about the new electrical safety regulations in the coming weeks.