British Standard BS 7671 is the IET Wiring Regulations, which is the UK’s national standard for
electrical installation and wiring safety in buildings. The 17th edition was released in 2008, and it has been amended three times since then. The latest is Amendment 3, which was introduced in January 2015.
Why the latest changes? It was found that substandard connections by electricians have led to overheating resulting in a number of fires, and this led to proposals for changes to the regulations.
January 1 2015
This is the day that Amendment 3 became effective.
A six month transition period followed for contractors to prepare.
July 1 2015
All installations designed after this date have to comply with the new regulations.
January 1 2016
Regulation 421.1.201 comes into effect in full.
A number of changes have been made in Amendment 3,
and here is a summary of some of the most important to keep in mind.
Firstly, changes have been made to the Definitions in Part 2. These have been modified, and they have been expanded upon in places with new abbreviations added. A key difference is that the ‘competent person’ definition has been changed to ‘skilled person’ and ‘instructed person’.
Chapter 41 relates to protection from electric shocks, and RCD protection is now required for socket-outlets that are up to 20A. This is for all installations, with only a few exceptions.
Chapter 42 has seen a few changes in the area of protection from thermal effects. Regulation 421.1.201 has now been added, and consumer units must now have enclosures made from non-combustible material.
Chapter 52 covers selecting and erecting wiring systems, and regulation 521.11.201 has now been included. This details new requirements for the support methods for wiring systems. Also, the regulations for selecting and erecting wiring systems have been redrafted.
Chapter 55 has added a new section on 557 Auxiliary Circuits.
Section 559 now has changes for lighting installations outdoors, with new sections 714 and 715 specifically covering this.
Part 7 covers special installations or locations, and Section 701 covers locations with a bath or shower. RCD protection must now be provided for low voltage circuits.
In Appendix 6, the schedule of inspections has been replaced and there are a small number of changes to the Electrical Installation Condition Report.
Finally, one of the most important changes is the new numbering system, where regulations with
a .200 number are now specific to the United Kingdom.
This summary does not cover everything in Amendment 3, but simply provides an overview of the main changes. Use this as a basic guide, but make sure you have a full
understanding of Amendment 3 because you will be required to do so at your assessment visit.
You can find out more at the NICEIC website here.
