Protecting Human Life

We all know that handling electrical items when a person or their surrounding environment is wet, significantly increases the risk of electric shock. A Residual Current Device (RCD) can protect human life. They can also protect your premises against the risk of electrical fires. An RCD is designed to provide additional protection to people who may accidentally come in to contact with live electric parts. It switches off the electric automatically, if it detects electricity flowing down an unintended path, such as through a person who has touched a live part. This reduces the risk of death or serious injury. The RCD can also come into play for a number of other reasons, such as:

• When the casing of an appliance breaks.

• Liquid penetrates the appliance casing.

• The appliance drops in to water.

• An appliance becomes defective.

The Regulations

The current regulations state RCDs should be fitted in new circuit installations, in almost all circumstances. This includes circuits in toilets, showers and commercial kitchens etc. Outdoor circuits, where the cable is not buried deep and doesn’t have adequate sheathing.

Fixed RCDs have been around for many years, are very reliable and will continue to work as intended provided they are tested regularly. This should be at least every 6 months. This could be part of the Electrical Statutory Compliance regime covered by your planned maintenance provider. If you have an older system and you are not sure whether an RCD is in place, or have an RCD type that no longer works properly, the best thing to do is contact a competent electrical contractor. A certified electrical contractor will have the correct testing equipment to confirm everything is up to date and working safely.

Who to Contact

If you are not sure if your electrical installation is still suitable for your building, it is imperative that you contact your electrical contractor to investigate. Older buildings especially, may no longer meet the standard as set out in BS7671 and it could be time for a re-wiring project. For further guidance on Electrical Compliance and Testing, download our e-Book here.

Contact us or complete our contact form if you have questions about your electrical compliance and testing.