channel/chase depth?

[--tom]

What is the regs. depth for chasing in wiring?
Does it always have to be capped with metal?
Ref. the electrocution of the MP's daughter.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/C5-43.pdf

 

[--tom]

thank you for the information. Does the insulation detail refer to "normally" insulated flex or cable?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Sorry - not with you....

 

[Adam_151]

I think he may be refering to the fact that the daily mail reported that the cable was not insulated, as opposed to not protected by capping / conduct.

It also gave the impression, that cables must be 50mm deep, and in capping / conduct and even then only horzontal or vertical runs (nothing about designated zones either, just horzontal or vertical)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think he may be refering to the fact that the daily mail reported that the cable was not insulated

Given what the kitchen fitters did, is there any guarantee that it wasn't uninsulated....?

 

[securespark]

Now I'm intrigued. Can anyone post the details of this case?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do you remember the incident? A couple of months ago, woman electrocuted in her kitchen. Made the press as she was the daughter of an MP.

Turned out the kitchen fitters ran a fan cable in a meandering diagonal route, and some time later her husband put up some shelves, and screwed into the live. The woman was emptying the dishwasher, had one hand on the case and with the other touched the shelf bracket, and that was that.

The inquest was the other day, so if you do a search on the likely keywords you'll find a story somewhere....

 

[securespark]

Turned out the kitchen fitters ran a fan cable in a meandering diagonal route, and some time later her husband put up some shelves, and screwed into the live. The woman was emptying the dishwasher, had one hand on the case and with the other touched the shelf bracket, and that was that..

Cheers, Ban.

That's what I wanted to know. Yes, I heard the story, but my version had her getting the fatal from a toaster.

But surely this is a classic situation where earthing should strut its funky stuff?

D/W faulty? In which case (very naughty though the fitters were) it was not entirely their fault?

Surely a case for an RCD?

That is why Kitchens come under Special Loc's under the new rules, along with Conservatories, Bathrooms, Saunas etc....

They don't want people not knowing what they're doing wiring in these locations.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But surely this is a classic situation where earthing should strut its funky stuff?

That's precisely why she died - if the DW had not been earthed, she'd still be with us.

D/W faulty? In which case (very naughty though the fitters were) it was not entirely their fault?

No - the shelf was live - the screw only penetrated the live core, so created no fault condition. What are the odds against that? You couldn't do it if you tried. The earth fault was completed when she touched the shelf and the DW.

Surely a case for an RCD?

That would have helped a great deal, as would the idea I often ridicule of applying equipotential bonding to shelves...

That is why Kitchens come under Special Loc's under the new rules, along with Conservatories, Bathrooms, Saunas etc....

Same thing could have happened in any room which also had an earthed object to touch, but I agree it's more likely in those areas.

They don't want people not knowing what they're doing wiring in these locations.

Part P will no more stop this than the ban on handguns has stopped people getting shot.

 

[masona]

Turned out the kitchen fitters ran a fan cable in a meandering diagonal route, and some time later her husband put up some shelves, and screwed into the live. The woman was emptying the dishwasher, had one hand on the case and with the other touched the shelf bracket, and that was that.

Just wondered how you not get a electric shock off the screwdriver shaft(?), maybe the last turn of a screw pinch the live slightly or using a cordless drill (?) a rawlplug must have been used so a screw was too long (?).
I don't expect anybody to know but we are always learning.............

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Just wondered how you not get a electric shock off the screwdriver shaft(?),

By not touching it? i.e. a screwdriver with a plastic or wooden handle, which is fairly common But even touching it wouldn't necessarily do anything - if you weren't also touching something earthed, or neutral, and were otherwise insulated from the mass of The Earth, no current would flow.

maybe the last turn of a screw pinch the live slightly or using a cordless drill (?)

Cordless or DI - the bit used to drill the hole would not have been earthed, so no flashbangfizzpop at that stage.

a rawlplug must have been used so a screw was too long (?).

My guess too - if he'd drilled into the cable it would surely have stopped the fan from working.

 

[securespark]

Part P will no more stop this than the ban on handguns has stopped people getting shot.

Yeah, mate. YOU know that, and I know that, but the pieman doesn't....

But that is their logic behind it - to try and stop untrained interference.