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MANAGING THE BS SAFETY STANDARD IN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS ?

10 September 2024

BS 7671 standard

BS 7671 is a British Standard that sets out the requirements for electrical installations in the United Kingdom. It is also known as the Requirements for Electrical Installations, IET Wiring Regulations.

This standard defines the rules and requirements for the designinstallationinspection and maintenance of electrical installations, with the aim of guaranteeing the safety of people and equipment.

 
  • ELECTRICAL DESIGN

    The standard sets out guidelines for the design of electrical installations, including electrical distribution, overvoltage protection, cable selection, etc.

     
  • ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION

    This defines the standards for the installation of cables, protection devices, sockets, lighting, switchboards and more.

     
  • SAFETY

    The safety of people and equipment is at the heart of the standard. It includes requirements for protection against electric shock, electrical fires, overloads, short circuits, etc.

     
  • INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE

    BS 7671 sets out guidelines for the regular inspection and maintenance of electrical installations to ensure their safe and reliable operation.

     
  • EARTHING

    This specifies the requirements for earthing electrical installations, which is essential for electrical safety.

     
  • PROTECTION AGAINST OVERVOLTAGE

    The standard deals with overvoltage protection devices to protect sensitive electrical equipment.

     
  • SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

    This covers the specific requirements for electrical installations in special environments such as bathing areas, agricultural facilities, medical environments, etc.

     
  • RENEWABLE ENERGY

    The standard includes provisions for the integration of renewable energies such as solar panels and wind turbines.

BS 7671 is regularly updated to reflect developments in electrical safety technology, best practice and legal requirements. Electricians, designers and installers of electrical installations in the UK must comply with this standard to ensure the safety and compliance of their installations.

 

The assurance of a BS compliant installation with elec calc™ software.

 

The calculation methods used in elec calc™ are based on the requirements for safety of life and property as defined in BS 7671. The software takes into account overcurrent and short-circuit protection, and cable sizing based on the power balance established in real time from the installation’s single-line diagram. The software also takes into account installation methods and all associated checks.

 

An additional DC (direct current) module for low-voltage installations (up to 1.500V) is available. It meets the needs of sizing auxiliary networks (control command) and distributing sockets and/or lighting.

 

elec calc™ enables Arc Flash analyses to be processed using an add-on module. Based on the operating scenarios described in a project and the data calculated by elec calc™, this module determines the incident energies and protection distances in accordance with the IEEE 1584-2018 guide. It can be used to produce labels to be affixed to the equipment concerned.

 

Video – Design and calculation software for high and low voltage installations