Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
15.18.2 Systems, work activities and protective
equipment - regulation 4
15.18.5 Insulation, protection and placing of
conductors - regulation 7
This general duty requires that:
All conductors in a system which may give rise to dan-
ger must be either:
➤
All systems are at all times of such construction as to
prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger
➤
All systems are maintained so as to prevent, so far
as is reasonably practicable, danger
➤
Suitably covered with insulating material and pro-
tected to prevent, so far as is reasonably practic-
able, danger or
➤
Have such precautions taken as will prevent, so far
as is reasonably practicable, danger.
➤
Every work activity including operation, use and
maintenance of and near a system is carried out so
as not to give rise, so far as is reasonably practicable,
to danger
Note:
The precautions that may be required for this
range from the safe placement of cables as overhead
cables to formal safe systems of work for high voltage
switching where the risk of danger cannot be avoided.
➤
Any equipment provided for the purposes of protect-
ing people at work on or near electrical equipment
is suitable for use, suitably maintained and properly
used.
15.18.6 Earthing or other suitable precautions -
regulation 8
The remainder of EAWR provides further detail on these
general duties.
Precautions should be taken, either by earthing or by
other suitable means, to prevent danger arising when a
conductor other than a circuit conductor which may rea-
sonably foreseeably become charged as a result of either
the use of or fault in the system, becomes so charged.
A conductor will be regarded as earthed when it is
connected to a general mass of earth by conductors of
suffi cient strength and capability to discharge electrical
energy to earth.
15.18.3 Strength and capability of equipment -
regulation 5
Electrical equipment must not be put to use where its
strength and capability may be exceeded in such a way
as may give rise to danger. In satisfying this requirement,
consideration should be given to the expected current
fl ow including load and transient currents, fault currents
and pulses of current.
15.18.7 Integrity of referenced conductors -
regulation 9
15.18.4 Adverse or hazardous environments -
regulation 6
If a circuit conductor is connected to earth or to any
other reference point, nothing which could give rise to
danger by breaking the electrical continuity or introduc-
ing high impedance is allowed in the conductor unless
suitable precautions are taken against that danger.
Where it is reasonably foreseeable that electrical equip-
ment may be exposed to adverse or hazardous environ-
ments, it must be of such construction or as necessary
protected to, so far as is reasonably practicable, prevent
danger.
This includes exposure to:
15.18.8
Connections - regulation 10
All joints and connections in a system must be both
mechanically and electrically suitable for use. This
includes all plugs, sockets, joints and terminals and
must also take account of both the environmental condi-
tions and the location of the connections.
➤
Mechanical damage
➤
The effects of the weather, natural hazards, temper-
ature or pressure
➤
The effects of wet, dirty, dusty or corrosive conditions
➤
Any fl ammable or explosive substance, including
dusts, vapours or gases.
15.18.9 Means for protecting from excess
current - regulation 11
Effi cient means shall be provided and suitable located to
protect every part of a system from excess current as
necessary to prevent danger. This covers short circuits
and overloads and the usual means of protection is by
fuses or circuit breakers.
In selecting suitable equipment for such hazardous envi-
ronments, reference should be made to the Index of
Protection Ratings (IP Ratings) which is an internation-
ally recognised system for classifying the degree of pro-
tection provided.
