Jan Feb 2019 Electric.ie Magazine

6 ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • Industry News What’s New in Ireland’s National Rules for Electrical Installations ? ¹ET101:2008 (Incorporating Amendment No. 1, Amendment No. 2 and subsequent amendments) It has been over ten years since the publication of ET101 in Ireland and there has been a significant change in the regulatory and standards development landscape. Under the Electricity Regulation Act (1999), the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) now regulate the safety of electrical installations in the country and Safe Electric are the Safety Supervisory body tasked with inspection and monitoring of the certification process. In terms of standards development, NSAI are now responsible for providing a comprehensive set of standards for the electrical industry. In respect of the new National Rules for Electrical Installations, NSAI ETC Technical Committee (TC) 2 is specifically Ireland’s national mirror committee responsible for maintenance and development of these rules. It is important also to highlight that the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) have continued to revise the 60364 series of Harmonisation Documents for which there is ongoing adoption by European member states. These documents form the basis for the development of national wiring rules, and Ireland, through the national mirror committee (i.e. ETC TC2) has had a vote and a say in developing these documents. A summary of the proposed key Ireland’s new Wiring Rules, also known as Irish Standard I.S. 10101:20xx, has now been issued for Public Consultation by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). The public consultation period is a three-month window in which the Electrotechnical Industry has the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft Standard which will replace the existing National Wiring Rules1 in 2019. This article aims to highlight some of the key proposed changes in the new standard and describe how you can get involved in the public consultation phase. changes in I.S. 10101:20xx are as follows; • I.S.10101 – General What were known as “Parts” (i.e. Parts 1-7) in ET101:2008 are being relabelled as “Chapters” in I.S.10101:20xx. This change will serve to enhance readability of the document into the future. • I.S.10101 - Chapter 1: Scope Chapter 1 has not changed, and the scope still refers to the fixed wiring installation right up to the plug or isolator. Equipment plugged into or wired into the isolator is handled under other standards, but not by the National Rules for Electrical Installations. • I.S.10101 – Chapter 2: Definitions Definitions are now all contained in Chapter 2 to enhance readability. The definitions list has been expanded and certain definitions have been modified to align with the definitions provided in the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary. • I.S.10101 - Chapter 4 – Protection for Safety Clause 411.3.4 Residual Current Devices (RCDs) will now be required to be installed on lighting circuits in domestic premises. Clause 421.7 Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) will now be recommended for circuits installed in locations with particular risk, such as; ർ ർ in premises with sleeping accommodation; ർ ർ in locations with risks of fire due to the nature of processed or stored materials, i.e. BE2 locations, (e.g. barns, wood- working shops, stores of combustible materials); ർ ർ in locations with combustible constructional materials, (example = wooden buildings); ർ ർ in fire propagating structures ർ ർ in locations with endangering of irreplaceable goods Clause 422.4 Locations with combustible constructional materials Wiring connections in hollow walls may refer to either modular pods or modular wiring assemblies with connections being accessible. • I.S.10101 - Chapter 5 – Selection and Erection of Equipment Clause 512.1.5 The above Clause will require sign off by the appropriate person that the installation complies with the