Are these wires outside Safe Zone - with Pic

[NickB_99]

Hi all,

I've had some wiring done at home with a new double socket added. Please see the pic - any views if the wiring is outside the safe zone underneath the plug socket?

Untitled

• NickB_99
• 29 Dec 2008
• 1

I was expecting the cables to be within the edges of the socket underneath, from helpful info I've been pointed at previously regarding safe zones.

As to the plaster, it is weak, so I wasn't surprised at the amount that came away!

Any confirmation or clarification appreciated.

 

[2face]

quick answer yes.

the only time you can run diagonal is if its deeper than 50 mm in the wall or in conduit/protected. and we dont mean the plastic.steel capping.

diagonal is bad practice.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I've had some wiring done

By whom?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I'll bet there's no rubber grommits in that box either....

 

[Lectrician]

diagonal is bad practice.

It's more than bad practice - It's non compliant, and has been for a good while.

 

[NickB_99]

I'll bet there's no rubber grommits in that box either....

Checked the grommits - they were there. For info - are they an essential for latest regulations nowadays?

By whom?

By a local firm. They were NICEIC and ECA registered, so thought should be ok.
Will give them a call after the festive break to see when they can resolve. As their invoice arrived recently and no payment has yet been made, it should motivate correction!

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Spark123]

Grommets are used to remove the risk associated with the sharp edge of a back box cutting into a cable, they are not the only way of removing the risk.
iirc the reg just says something like enclosures shall not have sharp edges liable to damage the wiring system.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I always fit grommets. There's a school of thought that a twin & earth cable firmly fixed in render/plaster won't move and should not need a grommet.
My arguement is that the time that the cable may be most at risk is when other trades are yanking about, plastering, painting etc so grommet's R US!

Send a copy of your photo to the Qualifying Supervisor at the firm concerned. He puts his sig on the certs that go to the NICEIC.

If they have given you an Electrical installation Certificate ask him why he has signed to say his (company's) work meets BS7671 when it clearly doesnt.
Tell him to come and make it good pronto.

 

[stargazer]

Get them to move the socket a few inches to the left then it will be compliant.
I'm sure you'd rather they did that then pull up your floor to re-route the cable

 

[NickB_99]

Get them to move the socket a few inches to the left then it will be compliant.
I'm sure you'd rather they did that then pull up your floor to re-route the cable

A good suggestion, but they may struggle as they have used this socket as a junction for feeding the new socket in the adjacent room. The extra cable goes straight out the back of the box and through into the adjacent room. Would this give a problem with adjacent room safe zones, if one socket moves?
I guess it will be their problem to solve! Though the floorboards are easy to access as house in a bit of a state (as demonstrated from the plaster in the pic )

 

[conny]

If those cables run down under floorboards and if the boards run towards that wall, they may be able to jiggle them along to run vertical under the socket thereby putting them into the safe zone.
Always assuming there is enough slack under the boards.

 

[skenk]

If the other socket is directly behind that one at the moment then moving it left shouldn't affect the socket in the adjacent room as all cables will still be in safe zones. They might need to extend the cabling though. If that diagonal is typical of their work then i'd want to check the rest out as well!

 

[GaryMo]

Send a copy of your photo to the Qualifying Supervisor at the firm concerned. He puts his sig on the certs that go to the NICEIC.

If they have given you an Electrical installation Certificate ask him why he has signed to say his (company's) work meets BS7671 when it clearly doesnt.
Tell him to come and make it good pronto.

Boy, would I love to be a fly on the wall for that one

 

[NickB_99]

Thanks for the help (and a Happy New Year!)

Will post a reply when it gets resolved.

 

[sparkiedave]

As allready pointed out, if this is the standard of their work I'd have a VERY close look at everything else they have done, I wouldn't expect this sort of rubbish from anyone with any electrical training.