UNIT: BUILDING SERVICES & TOPIC 3: SPECIAL

PROTECTION INSTALLATION
INTRODUCTION
All electrical installations and installed equipment must be safe to use and free from the dangers of electric
shock, but some installations require special consideration because of the inherent dangers of the installed
conditions. The danger may arise because of the corrosive or explosive nature of the atmosphere, because
the installation must be used in damp or low temperature conditions or because there is a need to provide
additional mechanical protection for the electrical system. In this section we will consider some of the
installations which require special consideration.

TYPES OF SPECIAL INSTALLATION

The followings are the types of Special installation:
1) Flame proof installation
2) Damp and electrostatic areas
3) Temporary installation
4) Caravan sites
5) Agricultural installation

1) Flame proof installations

Most flammable liquids only form an explosive mixture between certain concentration limits. Above and
below this level of concentration, the mix will not explode. The lowest temperature at which sufficient
vapour is given off from a flammable substance to form an explosive gas–air mixture is called the
flashpoint.
A liquid which is safe at normal temperatures will require special consideration if heated to flashpoint.
An area in which an explosive gas–air mixture is present is called a hazardous area, as defined by BS
5345, and any electrical apparatus or equipment within a hazardous area must be classified as flameproof.
Flameproof electrical equipment is constructed so that it can withstand an internal explosion of the gas
for which it is certified, and prevent any spark or flame resulting from that explosion leaking out and
igniting the surrounding atmosphere. This is achieved by manufacturing flameproof equipment to a robust
standard of construction. All access and connection points have wide machined flanges which damp the
flame in its passage across the flange. Flanged surfaces are firmly bolted together with many recessed
bolts, as shown in Fig. 4.43.

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Wiring systems within a hazardous area must be to flameproof fittings using an appropriate method, such
as:
 PVC cables encased in solid drawn heavy-gauge screwed steel conduit terminated at approved
enclosures having wide flanges and bolted covers.
 Mineral insulated cables terminated into accessories with approved flameproof glands. These have a
longer gland thread than normal MICC glands. Where the cable is laid underground it must be
protected by a PVC sheath and laid at a depth of not less than 500mm.
 PVC armoured cables terminated into accessories with approved flameproof glands or any other
wiring system which is approved by BS 5345. All certified flameproof enclosures will be marked
Ex, indicating that they are suitable for potentially explosive situations, or EEx, where equipment is
certified to the harmonized European Standard. All the equipment used in a flameproof installation
must carry the appropriate markings, as shown in Fig. 4.44, if the integrity of the wiring system is
to be maintained.

Flammable and explosive installations are to be found in the petroleum and chemical industries, which are
classified as group II industries. Mining is classified as group I and receives special consideration from the
Mining Regulations because of the extreme hazards of working underground. Petrol filling pumps must be
wired and controlled by flameproof equipment to BS 5345 and meet the requirements of the
Petroleum Regulation Act 1928 and 1936 and any local licensing laws concerning the keeping and
dispensing of petroleum spirit.

Hazardous area classification

British Standard 5345 divides the risk associated with inflammable gases and vapours into three classes or
zones.
 Zone 0 is the most hazardous, and is defined as a zone or area in which an explosive gas–air
mixture is continuously present or present for long periods. (‘Long periods’ is usually taken to
mean that the gas–air mixture will be present for longer than 1000 hours per year.)
 Zone 1 is an area in which an explosive gas–air mixture is likely to occur in normal operation. (This
is usually taken to mean that the gas–air mixture will be present for up to 1000 hours per year.)
 Zone 2 is an area in which an explosive gas–air mixture is not likely to occur in normal operation
and if it does occur it will exist for a very short time. (This is usually taken to mean that the gas–air
mixture will be present for less than 10 hours per year.)

If an area is not classified as zone 0, 1 or 2, then it is deemed to be non-hazardous, so that normal industrial electrical
equipment may be used. The electrical equipment used in zone 2 will contain a minimum amount of protection. For
example, normal sockets and switches cannot be installed in a zone 2 area, but oil-filled radiators may be installed if
they are directly connected and controlled from outside the area. Electrical equipment in this area should be marked
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Ex‘o’ for oil-immersed or Ex‘p’ for powder-filled. In Zone 1 all electrical equipment must be flameproof, as shown
in Fig. 4.43, and marked Ex‘d’ to indicate a flameproof enclosure.
Ordinary electrical equipment cannot be installed in Zone 0, even when it is flameproof protected. However, many
chemical and oil-processing plants are entirely dependent upon instrumentation and data transmission for their safe
operation. Therefore, very low-power instrumentation and data-transmission circuits can be used in special
circumstances, but the equipment must be intrinsically safe, and used in conjunction with a ‘safety barrier’ installed
outside the hazardous area. Intrinsically safe equipment must be marked Ex‘ia’ or Ex’s’, specially certified for use in
zone 0.

Intrinsic safety
An intrinsically safe circuit is one in which no spark or thermal effect is capable of causing ignition of a given
explosive atmosphere. The intrinsic safety of the equipment in a hazardous area is assured by incorporating a Zener
diode safety barrier into the control circuit such as that shown in Fig. 4.45.

In normal operation the voltage across a Zener diode is too low for it to conduct, but if a fault occurs the voltage
across Z1 and Z2 will rise, switching them on and blowing the protective fuse. Z2 is included in the circuit as a ‘back-
up’ in case the first Zener diode fails.
An intrinsically safe system, suitable for use in Zone 0, is one in which all the equipment, apparatus and
interconnecting wires and circuits are intrinsically safe.

2) Temporary installations
Temporary electrical supplies provided on construction sites can save many man-hours of labour by providing the
energy required for fixed and portable tools and lighting which speeds up the completion of a project. However,
construction sites are dangerous places and the temporary electrical supply which is installed to assist the
construction process must comply with all of the relevant wiring regulations for permanent installations (Regulation
110–01–01).
All equipment must be of a robust construction in order to fulfil the on-site electrical requirements while being
exposed to rough handling, vehicular nudging, the wind, rain and sun. All socket outlets, plugs and couplers must be
of the industrial type to BS 4343 and specified by Regulation 604–12–02 as shown in Fig. 4.40.
Where an electrician is not permanently on site, MCBs are preferred so that overcurrent protection devices can be
safely reset by an unskilled person. The British Standards Code of Practice 1017, The Distribution of Electricity on
Construction and Building Sites, advises that protection against earth faults may be obtained by first providing a low
impedance path, so that overcurrent devices can operate quickly, and secondly by fitting a residual current device
(RCD) in addition to the overcurrent protection device.
A construction site installation should be tested and inspected in accordance with Part 7 of the Wiring Regulations
every three months throughout the construction period.

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The source of supply for the temporary installation may be from a petrol or diesel generating set or from the local
supply company. When the local electricity company provides the supply, the incoming cable must be terminated in
a waterproof and locked enclosure to prevent unauthorized access and provide metering arrangements.
IEE Regulation 604–02–02 recommends the following voltages for the distribution of electrical supplies to plant and
equipment on construction sites:
 400 V three-phase for supplies to major items of plant having a rating above 3.75 kW such as cranes and
lifts. These supplies must be wired in armoured cables.
 230 V single-phase for supplies to items of equipment which are robustly installed such as floodlighting
towers, small hoists and site offices. These supplies must be wired in armoured cable unless run inside the
site offices.
 110 V single-phase for supplies to all portable hand tools and all portable lighting equipment. The supply is
usually provided by a reduced voltage distribution unit which incorporates splash proof sockets fed from a
centre-tapped 110V transformer. This arrangement limits the voltage to earth to 55V, which is recognized as
safe in most locations. A 110 V distribution unit is shown in Fig. 4.40. Edison screw lamps are used for 110
V lighting supplies so that they are not interchangeable with 230 V site office lamps.
There are occasions when even a 110 V supply from a centre-tapped transformer is too high, for example, supplies to
inspection lamps for use inside damp or confined places. In these circumstances a safety extra low voltage (SELV)
supply would be required.
Industrial plugs have a keyway which prevents a tool from one voltage being connected to the socket outlet of a
different voltage. They are also colour coded for easy identification as follows:
 440 V – red  50 V – white
 230 V – blue  25 V – violet
 110 V – yellow

3) Agricultural and horticultural installations

Especially adverse installation conditions are to be encountered on agricultural and horticultural installations because
of the presence of livestock, vermin, dampness, corrosive substances and mechanical damage.
The 17th edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations considers these installations very special locations. In situations
accessible to livestock the electrical equipment should be of a type which is appropriate for the external influences
likely to occur, and should have at least protection, that is, protection against solid objects and water splashing from
any direction.

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In buildings intended for livestock, all fixed wiring systems must be inaccessible to the livestock and cables liable to
be attacked by vermin must be suitably protected (IEE Regulation 705.513.2).
PVC cables enclosed in heavy-duty PVC conduit are suitable for installations in most agricultural buildings. All
exposed and extraneous metalwork must be provided with supplementary equipotential bonding in areas where
livestock is kept (Regulation 705.415.2.1). In many situations, waterproof socket outlets to BS 196 must be installed.
All socket outlet circuits must be protected by an RCD complying with the appropriate British Standard and the
operating current must not exceed 30mA.
Cables buried on agricultural or horticultural land should be buried at a depth not less than 600mm, or 1000mm
where the ground may be cultivated, and the cable must have an armour sheath and be further protected by cable
tiles.
Overhead cables must be insulated and installed so that they are clear of farm machinery or placed at a minimum
height of 6 m to comply with Regulation 705.522.
Horses and cattle have a very low body resistance, which makes them susceptible to an electric shock at voltages
lower than 25Vrms. The sensitivity of farm animals to electric shock means that they can be contained by an
electric fence. An animal touching the fence receives a short pulse of electricity which passes through the animal to
the general mass of earth and back to an earth electrode sunk near the controller, as shown in Fig. 14.41.

The pulses are generated by a capacitor–resistor circuit inside the controller which may be mains or battery operated
(capacitor–resistor circuits. There must be no risk to any human coming into contact with the controller, which
should be manufactured to BS 2632. The output voltage of the controller must not exceed 10 kV and the energy must
not be greater than 5 J. The duration of the pulse must not be greater than 1.5ms and the pulse must never have a
frequency greater than one pulse per second. This shock level is very similar to that which can be experienced by
touching a spark plug lead on a motor car. The energy levels are very low at 5 J. There are 3.6 million joules
of energy in 1 kWh.
Earth electrodes connected to the earth terminal of an electric fence controller must be separate from the earthing
system of any other circuit and should be situated outside the resistance area of any electrode used for protective
earthing. The electric fence controller and the fence wire must be installed so that they do not come into contact with
any power, telephone or radio systems, including poles. Agricultural and horticultural installations should be tested
and inspected in accordance with Part 6 of the Wiring Regulations every 3 years.

4) Caravans and caravan sites

The electrical installations on caravan sites, and within caravans, must comply in all respects with the wiring
regulations for buildings. All the dangers which exist in buildings are present in and around caravans, including the
added dangers associated with repeated connection and disconnection of the supply and the flexing of the caravan
installation in a moving vehicle. The 16th edition of the Regulations has devoted Section 608 to the electrical
installation in caravans, motor caravans and caravan parks.

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Touring caravans must be supplied from a 16A industrial type socket outlet adjacent to the caravan park pitch,
similar to that shown in Fig. 4.40. Each socket outlet must be supplied, either singly or in groups, with not more than
three socket outlets, through a residual current circuit breaker with a rated tripping current of 30mA, and which will
operate within 40ms with a 150mA fault current flowing.
Additionally, every socket outlet must be protected by an overcurrent device (Regulations 608–13–04 and 05). The
distance between the caravan connector and the site socket outlet must be not more than 27m.

These requirements are shown in Fig. 4.42. Information notices regarding type and voltage of the supply and
maximum permitted load must be displayed at the source of supply. The supply cables must be installed outside the
pitch area or be suitably armoured so that they cannot be damaged by caravan awning pegs (Regulation 608–12–02).
The caravan or motor caravan must be provided with a main isolating switch and a residual current device to break
all live conductors (Regulations 608– 03–02 and 608–07–04). An adjacent notice detailing how to connect and
disconnect the supply safely must also be provided, as shown in Regulation 608–07–05.
Electrical equipment must not be installed in fuel storage compartments. Caravans flex when being towed, and
therefore the installation must be wired in flexible or stranded conductors of at least 1.5mm cross-section. The
conductors must be supported on horizontal runs at least every 25 cm and the metalwork of the caravan and chassis
must be bonded with 4.0mm2 cable.
The wiring of the extra low-voltage battery supply must be run in such a way that it does not come into contact with
the 230V wiring system (Regulation 608–06–04).
The caravan should be connected to the pitch socket outlet by means of a flexible cable, not longer than 27m, and
having a minimum cross-sectional area of 2.5mm2.
Because of the mobile nature of caravans, it is recommended that the electrical installation be tested and inspected at
intervals considered appropriate, between 1 and 3 years but not exceeding three years (Regulation 608–07–05).

5) Bathroom Installations
In rooms containing a fixed bath tub or shower basin, additional regulations are specified. This is to reduce the risk
of electric shock to people in circumstances where body resistance is lowered because of contact with water. The
regulations may be found in Section 601 and can be summarized as follows:
 Socket outlets must not be installed and no provision is made for connection of portable appliances.
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 Only shaver sockets which comply with BS EN 61184 or BS EN 60238, that is, those which contain an
isolating transformer, may be installed.
 Every switch must be inaccessible to anyone using the bath or shower unless it is of the cord-operated type.
 There are restrictions as to where appliances, switchgear and wiring accessories may be installed. See Zones
for bath and shower rooms below.
 A supplementary bonding conductor must be provided, in addition to the main equipotential bonding

Fig 4.66 Cross section through bathroom showing zones.

Zones for bath and shower rooms

Locations that contain a bath or shower are divided in zones or separate areas as shown in Fig. 4.66.
Zone 0 – the bath tub or shower basin itself, which can contain water and is, therefore, the most dangerous zone
Zone 1 – the next most dangerous zone in which people stand in water
Zone 2 – the next most dangerous zone in which people might be in contact with water
Zone 3 – people are least likely to be in contact with water but are still in a potentially dangerous environment.

Electrical equipment and accessories are restricted within the zones.

Zone 0 – being the most potentially dangerous zone for all practical purposes, no electrical equipment can be
installed in this zone.

However, the Regulations permit that where SELV fixed equipment cannot be located elsewhere, it may be installed
in this zone.

Zone 1 – water heaters, showers and shower pumps and SELV fixed equipment
Zone 2 – luminaries, fans and heating appliances and equipment from zone 1 plus shaver units to BSEN 60742
Zone 3 – fixed appliances are allowed plus the equipment from zones 1 and 2
Outside Zones – appliances are allowed plus accessories except socket outlets.

If under-floor heating is installed in these areas it must have an overall earthed metallic grid or the heating cable must
have an earthed metallic sheath, which must be supplementary bonded.

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Supplementary Bonding
Modern plumbing methods make considerable use of non-metals (PTFE tape on joints, for example). Therefore, the
metalwork of water and gas installations cannot be relied upon to be continuous throughout. The IEE Regulations
describe the need to consider additional or supplementary bonding in situations where there is a high risk of electric
shock (for example, in kitchens and bathrooms).
In kitchens, supplementary bonding of hot and cold taps, sink tops and exposed water and gas pipes is only required
if an earth continuity test proves that they are not already effectively and reliably connected to the main equipotential
bonding, having negligible impedance, by the soldered pipe fittings of the installation.
If the test proves unsatisfactory, the metalwork must be bonded using a single core copper conductor with PVC
green/yellow insulation, which will normally be 4mm2 for domestic installations but must comply with Regulations
547–03–01 to 03.
In rooms containing a fixed bath or shower, supplementary bonding conductors must be installed to reduce to a
minimum the risk of an electric shock (Regulation 601–04–02). Bonding conductors in domestic premises will
normally be of 4mm2 copper with PVC insulation to comply with Regulations 547–03–01 to 03 and must be
connected between all exposed metalwork (for example, between metal baths, bath and sink taps, shower fittings,
metal waste pipes and radiators, as shown in Fig. 4.67.

Fig. 4.67 Supplementary bonding in bathrooms to metal pipework.

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The bonding connection must be made to a cleaned pipe, using a suitable bonding clip. Fixed at or near the
connection must be a permanent label saying ‘Safety electrical connection – do not remove’ (Regulation 514–13–01)
as shown in Fig. 4.68.

Fig. 4.68 Typical earth bonding clamp.

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