UK electricians could be working to outdated Wiring Regulations 27 April 2012

UK electricians could be failing to comply with the latest IET Wiring Regulations, according to the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology).

The IET believes that as many as 76% of electricians in the UK could be operating without a copy of the IET Wiring Regulations, 17th Edition, BS 7671:2008 incorporating Amendment No.1, 2011, which came into effect on 1 January 2012.

Although not statutory, installing to the requirements of the IET Wiring Regulations is likely to achieve compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and also meet the requirements of the Building Regulations of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Northern Ireland, advises Geoff Cronshaw, chief electrical engineer at the IET.

In addition, the latest IET Wiring Regulations contain several changes, including new forms for inspection reporting and entirely new sections relating to electromagnetic disturbances, devices for protection against overvoltage, medical locations and operating and maintenance gangways.

It is important that electricians are aware of these changes in order to carry out their work in a competent and capable manner, he warns.

"The news that 66,000 copies of the new IET Wiring Regulations have been sold since publication in July 2011, means that there could still be around 211,000 electricians who don't own a copy," states Cronshaw.

"Although many organisations are likely to have a shared copy of the new IET Wiring Regulations, it is likely that there are still a huge number of electricians out there working to obsolete regulations," he adds.

Cronshaw's view: "As joint publisher of BS 7671:2008 (2011), the IET is the authority on the requirements for electrical installations – and the amended IET Wiring Regulations is the standard to which the electrical industry must comply."

The Regulations adopt the technical requirements of both European and international standards which the UK has to implement.

"It is important that all designers and electrical installers familiarise themselves with the amended IET Wiring Regulations to ensure that the work they do complies with the current standard," warns Cronshaw.

Brian Tinham

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