outdoor cable woes

[Goldberg]

Hi there goldberg
Document P is part P i Know iv'e read it ithink its 49 pages or something like that.

Hi again Salopiansparky1

If you look at the text in "Approved Document P", it says this:

This document is one of a series that has been approved and issued by the Secretary of State for the purpose of providing practical guidance with respect to the requirements of Schedule 1 to and Regulation 7 of the Building Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/2531) for England and Wales.

..and then it says:

Approved documents are intended to provide guidance for some of the more common building situations. However, there may well be alternative ways of achieving compliance with the requirements. Thus there is no obligation to adopt any particular solution contained in the Approved Document if you prefer to meet the relevant required requirement in some other way.

Document P is a part of the building regs as are parts M&L etc

I know this will sound picky, but whereas Part P is part of the Building Regs, the approved document isn't.

The distinction is quite important because it's illegal to contravene the Building Regulations, whereas the information in the Approved Document is mainly advisory - in fact, some of it is actually wrong.

 

[JonoPashley]

The distinction is quite important because it's illegal to contravene the Building Regulations, whereas the information in the Approved Document is mainly advisory - in fact, some of it is actually wrong.

Yet if you were to follow any guidance that was wrong it is still highly unlikely that anything would done about it, as long as it didnt lead to a blatantly unsafe situation.

 

[Goldberg]

Yet if you were to follow any guidance that was wrong it is still highly unlikely that anything would done about it, as long as it didnt lead to a blatantly unsafe situation.

Yet The Building Regulations are The Building Regulations, and the Approved Documents are the Approved Documents, and they don't match.

Have a guess at which one is relevant, which one is law, and which one should be followed.

 

[JonoPashley]

Good at pointing out the obvious arent we?

ADs have a limited degree of legal status granted by the Buildings Act 1984, no advise given by an AD is deemed to cause you to breech any law.

The main grey area is what when it comes to notification, which they set general rules for but then have a list of exceptions which dont match up.

 

[Goldberg]

Good at pointing out the obvious arent we?

I don't see any grounds for sarcasm. Moreover, what's obvious to one person is often confusing to another.

ADs have a limited degree of legal status granted by the Buildings Act 1984

I don't agree with you. I'm prepared to admit that I'm wrong, but I would nee to see a specific written reference in order to accept this thing that you call "legal status".

no advise given by an AD is deemed to cause you to breech any law.

Deemed by whom, or what?

The main grey area is what when it comes to notification, which they set general rules for but then have a list of exceptions which dont match up.

Do you have an example of an aspect of electrical work where exemption from notification is unclear?

 

[JonoPashley]

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1115314116322.html

An example would be Outdoor lighting fixed to a house wall by the first definition it is outdoor power and is notifiable, however when they updated their guidance they added further notes which gave certain outdoor installations exemption from notification(see page 8 & 9 of the AD).

As a method of complying would you in fact be wrong for fitting a outside light to the criteria they set out and not notifying?

 

[Goldberg]

If you find that the BRs and an AD are in conflict, then it's my belief that the BRs take precedence and that you should ignore the conflicting information in the AD.

If you're asking me to interpret the BRs for you and advise on the meaning, then I recommend that you consult either your Building Control department or a professional legal advisor.