Electrical Safety Help

Safety · Post by **Safety** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:48 am

Hi all,

this is not my area of knowledge so if anyone can help that would be great:

ECTs (Earth continuity tests) we do complete these - do these results have to be recorded from a legal perspective?
IRTs (Installation resistance tests) we don't do - is there a legal requirement to have these done and record the results?
Is there a legal requirement to have written details of the presence of any RCDs which include the state and condition of any external earth bond. The RCDs are not provided by us but are provided by the customer to which we plug our equipment into.

I am trying to get a clear black and white answer to the above and I'm struggling.....hopefully someone on here can help.

Essex · Post by **Essex** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 12:04 pm

In what context? Are you taking about building fixed installations or portable appliances?

Safety · Post by **Safety** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:12 pm

Maintaining and servicing equipment, i.e. industrial bakery equipment

Essex · Post by **Essex** » Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:44 am

Then this falls under PA Testing. The issue is PA Testing is a misleading term. All electrical equipment should be periodically tested and inspected and a record kept to prove compliance.

Insulation resistance should be completed and recorded.

The Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (COPIITEE) will tell you all you need to know.

Essex · Post by **Essex** » Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:47 am

In terms of RCD protection then if your equipment needs RCD protection and you are relying on other peoples RCDs and you could either insist on seeing the building owners records of inspections of their RCDs or, which I think is much better just fit RCDs on to your equipment and have your own testing regime.

Post by **bernicarey** » Fri Jul 13, 2018 10:07 am

A question for Essex in relation to RCDs, which has a bearing on his response above.

I've heard it said by some electricians that you shouldn't double protect an item with RCDs, i.e. have one at the Consumer Unit and then another on the garden exterior socket, as 'they can interfere with each other'.
What's the official line ?
Is there anything documented or is this just typical technical folklore that you encounter?

I most recently heard this earlier this year from the guy wiring my kitchen extension, when I asked him about a feed for an external socket.
He had the chance to charge me for an additional RCD for the outside and didn't take it.

Essex · Post by **Essex** » Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:43 pm

In your example it would be an inconvenience to reset two RCDs following a trip and nothing more. They would not interfere with oneanother. To have an RCD at the CU and at the socket would be pointless.