After many years of developing and teaching courses to comply with the IEE Wiring Regulations, it has become apparent that many workers and personnel in the electrical construction industry have forgotten the basic principles and concepts underlying the power supply and its use. This has resulted in misconceptions and much confusion over the interpretation of the regulations.
I don’t know who it is, but it was once said, “Rules and regulations are the guidance of the wise and the blind obedience of fools”. This is certainly the case with the IEE Wiring (BS 7671) Regulations. These are not legal regulations, but recommendations for the safe selection and installation of wiring equipment. While earlier editions were treated as the “electrician’s Bible, “the current Regulations are primarily in the form of design documents.
The IEE Wiring Regulations are divided into seven parts. They follow a logical pattern, from basic requirements to final testing and inspection:
- Part1 presents the scope and type of equipment covered by this regulation, its purpose, and basic safety requirements.
- Part2 provides definitions of terms used in this Regulation.
- Part3 details the general information required before design work can proceed.
- Part4 describes to the designer the various methods available for protection against electric shock, overcurrent, etc., and how to apply these methods.
- Part5 enables the designer to select the correct type of equipment, cables, accessories, etc., in accordance with the requirements of Parts1 through4.
- Part6 addresses special requirements for special equipment such as bathrooms, swimming pools, and construction sites.
- Part7 specifies the details of relevant tests to be performed before energizing the completed equipment.
About the Book
This book is intended to clear up such mis conceptions, educate the reader, and, if necessary, jog the memory. In this regard, emphasis is placed on the areas most likely to cause confusion: grounding and bonding, protection, and circuit design. That is, grounding and bonding, protection, and circuit design. Much of Part V of the Regulations has been omitted because little explanation is needed, such as the selection of accessories.
It now includes Part 6, which deals with special equipment and locations. The current 16th edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations is also known as BS 7671. The current 16th edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations, also known as BS 7671, to which this document conforms, was published in June 2001.
It was published in June 2001. The principles and concepts that this document at tempts to explain remain unchanged regardless of edition. This book is neither a guide to the regulations nor a replacement for them. To assist the reader, the chapters cite the numbers of the relevant regulations for cross-reference.
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