Three-step compliance check

25-07-2022

THE WINNING FORMULA FOR FIRE SAFETY UNDER 18TH EDITION AMENDMENTS.

At the end of March 2022, Amendment 2 (BS 7671:2018+A2:2022) of the wiring regulations came into effect. The changes introduced in this new amendment were designed to help electrical professionals keep up to date with new and innovative technologies, as well as ensuring they have current knowledge about designing safe installations.

The original 18th edition of the IET wiring regulations stipulated that wiring systems in escape routes must be supported in a way that prevents premature collapse in the event of a fire, with more recent amendments expanding this to include the entire electrical installation. To meet this requirement, the dry lining industry must ensure that cabling meets the requirements throughout the breadth of every installation.

WHAT ARE THE 18TH EDITION REGULATIONS?

The 18th Edition Wiring Regulations apply to the design, erection, and verification of electrical installations, as well as any additions and/or alterations to existing installations. Also known as BS7671, the regulations are a British standard for the installation of electrical wiring and are considered to be one of the most important documents for electricians in the UK. As such, most electrical installers, contractors, and health and safety managers are well aware of the regulations and their responsibilities to be fully compliant. However, with changes to the regulations live from March 2022, now is a good time to ensure familiarity with this important guidance.

To support contractors, project managers, and tool users to work within the latest guidance, SPIT has devised a simple three-step compliance check that works not only as an initial compliance evaluation, but can also be used during the working day, as a fast safety reminder when cabling is underway. Those three easy-to-remember steps are APPLICATION, FIXING, and TOOL.

THREE STEPS TO 18TH EDITION COMPLIANCE:

1 - APPLICATION: WHAT SUBSTRATES ARE PRESENT AND WHAT TYPE OF CABLING IS BEING INSTALLED?

The first step to 18th Edition compliance is to identify the sort of cables being installed and the substrates that they will be affixed to. With this information to hand, tool users and team leaders can identify the correct and most compliant way to carry out the work without costly delays once the installation has started.

Remember, note 4 of regulation 521.10.202 in the 18th Edition amendments states that cable supports should be “suitably spaced”, and this should be assessed in the context of each application taking into account the sag effect of cables during fires. The fixings must be secured to the structure of the building, such as the ceiling or wall, to ensure that even if the surrounding cable management system fails due to the heat, the cables are held firmly.

2 - FIXING: ARE YOU USING FIXINGS THAT ARE 18TH EDITION COMPLIANT?

The next important stage is to ensure the cable fixings you are using meet the stringent criteria of the 18th Edition law. Plastics have not been banned, but plastic cable supports, ties and clips are now only permitted with the use of secondary metal supports. This poses difficulties around where and how frequently to use the supplementary metal supports, which is why industry best practice is to rid your toolbox of plastic fixings altogether, in favor of fully compliant, metal alternatives like supports made from steel or copper.

Remember, it isn’t just the supports that need to offer adequate fire resistance, the screws and wall fixings must be steel, like masonry screws, steel expansion plugs, and cordless nail fixings. One example of an 18th Edition-compliant fire resistance tested fixing is the SPIT Metal Clip Elec; a pre-galvanised, metal cable tie mounting clip for securing cables, cable bundles and conduits. Designed for use with the SPIT Pulsa direct fastening nail gun, the Metal Clip Elec can be quickly attached to concrete, steel, brick, and timber and holds a versatile amount of cabling with a reinforced steel cable tie.

To comply with the regulations, the Metal Clip Elec was subjected to heating conditions compliant with EN1363-1:2020 for two hours. Tests were performed in both soft concrete (C20/25) and hard concrete (C60/70) using the Pulsa 40E system and HC6 17mm and HC6 22 mm pins. Fire testing was also conducted on the MCC-O Cable Tie Base accessories, which performed up to 30 minutes, with 2.5KG loads, without losing integrity. The independent and comprehensive testing was carried out by BRE Global, a UKAS accredited fire testing laboratory.

3 - TOOL: DOES YOUR TOOL OF CHOICE DELIVER SPEED AND SAFETY IN AN 18TH EDITION-COMPLIANT INSTALLATION?

Under the new regulations, you may find that you are installing more fixings than normal, be that due to a change in spacing between fixings, or because you are now installing supplementary metal fixings to bolster plastic ones.

Choosing a tool that offers more fixes per charge, in addition to safety features that promote reduced Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) and less Silica dust, can make meeting these expanded regulations quicker, with improved health and safety margins.

One tool designed to deliver improved productivity and safety is the SPIT Pulsa 40E – an enhanced cordless gas nail gun for the direct fixing of electrical cable management into concrete, steel, masonry and timber substrates. With a battery capacity of 3500 shots per charge, the Pulsa 40E is eight times faster than traditional methods of fixing. By using direct fixing rather than traditional drilling, the tool offers reduced HAV and drastically reduces the risk of dangerous dust.

NEED MORE SUPPORT?

Ultimately, the Wiring Regulations are intended to improve safety in the event of a fire by eliminating the hazard of falling cables. To comply, installers should fit suitable metal fixings throughout the wiring system, ensuring that the installation can withstand the heat for the maximum time possible. To find out how SPIT’s safe, quick fixing solutions and fire compliant consumables ensure compliance with 18th Edition regulations, contact us here.