Amendment 3 (17th Edition) of the IET wiring regs
It has now been two years since the publication of Amendment 3 to the 17th Edition of the IET wiring regulations. The revision (otherwise known as BS 7671:2008) was championed by The London Fire Brigade, together with other industry organisations, with the aim to directly improve personal safety and reduce the risk of fires.
Click here to Download our infographic for when you should comply with Amendment 3.
Amendment 3 included several changes, however, the most prominent change was to how professional electricians and contractors should install wiring in escape routes. This is deemed as any point that provides access for people to quickly exit a building to be safe from both fire and smoke.
Under the new guidelines, fire-resistant fastenings and fixings should support all cabling installations. In the event of fire this should prevent escape routes from becoming blocked by the premature collapse of cabling installations, where extreme heat has melted their plastic fixings. As a result, the sole use of plastic fixings and cable ties no longer complies with the regulations. Ensuring all cable installations in escape routes are fixed with fire-resistant components will improve fire safety for the occupants of the building, as well as fire fighters, ultimately saving lives.
