Australian Regs.

[ROADESPARKY]

Hello everyone. I am currently working in Ghana. The site i am on is a gold mine and because the plant was installed by an Australian firm they want the rest of the accommodation area and workshops the same. My problem is we have wired a kitchen and dining room in singles in galv trunking and conduit with the db's mounted just under the trunking but still perfectly accessible. We have now been told that the DBs should be at 1300mm to the bottom of the board and that if singles are used they should be double insulated. The client is perfecly happy with the installation but the Electrical supervisor has told them that it must be rewired in their version of T&E and this also includes the three phase. Anybody worked in Australia and are aware of these regs????

 

[gavindrummond]

T&e is not double insulated the inner insulation is 1 the grey is mechanical protection.

 

[steptoe]

You need to wait for MKS to come on, he is just back from OZ,

 

[MKS]

Trunk and steel conduit, black art in Oz! As long as singles are enclosed for protection it does not contravene Aussie rules! You'll find that singles unsheathed (not double insulated) are at best rare!!! We have done whole projects in T&E. Leave the height with me as will check, but think they're splitting hairs!

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 18:08 ---------- Previous post was made at 17:51 ----------

A good gauge is to mount switchboards at 1.2 m above floor level, use to be under a metre but rules have changed.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 18:20 ---------- Previous post was made at 18:08 ----------

I will leave you with this! If they have stipulated TPS, then unfortunately this is what it is!

 

[ROADESPARKY]

Cheers MKS looks like they got us by the short and curlies as regards DBs. Mr Drummond I know that T&E is not double insulated but the Aussie sparks seem to class it as such. Not seen grey sheathing for a long time always use white LSF. Not the best for stripping. Anyway the site Electrical Supervisor has come back to us and said, I quote '......yes it does comply with Aussie Regs. but not this site!!' They now have their sparks following behind and ripping all our cables out and replacing with T&E including the 3 phase where they are just doubling up. Seems to me like an expensive way of doing things especially on the 10mm and 16mm circuits. Think its an Aussie flexing his powers!!

 

[MKS]

Just sorry could not help you more :-( I don't mind TPS, never have to use earth sleeve but can be pain to strip

 

[ROADESPARKY]

Sorry to bang on about it but this will be my last post on subject. The official reason for rewiring is...wait for it.... its harder to find a fault when using singles than if you use multicore cables!! To me that is just being a lazy *********! If cables are in trunking and conduit and not touched then they will not develop a fault in my eyes. If there is a fault during installation it would have been found during testing, after all that is one of the reasons we test!!!

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MKS thanks for the advice it was most appreciated. The only thing in the Electrical Spec was ....'it had to comply with Australian Regs'. The installation did apart from board heights but that was taken as being ok and they would over look it. Forgot to say they did not like an electric shower being IN the shower and wanted it moving outside the shower cubical!! Go figure!!!!!!!

 

[MKS]

I have worked with some right gits, that had to dot every I and cross every T! FWIW, the regs are quite similar to the UK. As for testing, I think yes, it is just being very lazy! As for TPS (Thermo Plastic Sheathed) it is considered double insulated.

 

[ROADESPARKY]

TPS was never stipulated. They only asked for the installation to comply with Aussie regs. Out of intrest does TPS have an orange outer sheath? I only asked because they have just supplied some cable for their sparks to pull in that are 10mm 5 core but size wise looks more like a 16mm 5 core. Thanks MKS for the helpful advice. Been more helpful than the office back in UK!!!! out of sight out of mind!

 

[MKS]

By the sounds of it sounds like three phase underground power cable, 4 plus earth! TPS is usually white, very robust but pain in backside to strip!

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Tried to add picture but phone won't upload, grrr!

 

[ElectekAir]

The question is we're you told before starting the job that it must be done to Aussie regs? And if this is the case then maybe a capy of their regs before the work began would have been prudent.

This is however not a dig but I personally would not have a clue so would have got their latest regs

 

[steptoe]

dunno about the Aussie regs, but the Kiwi ones are free to download.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 17:23 ---------- Previous post was made at 16:25 ----------

The question is we're you told before starting the job that it must be done to Aussie regs? And if this is the case then maybe a capy of their regs before the work began would have been prudent.This is however not a dig but I personally would not have a clue so would have got their latest regs

it doesnt appear that it didnt comply with aussie regs, just not the SR's of that particular site.

.yes it does comply with Aussie Regs. but not this site!

 

[revjames]

Just sorry could not help you more :-( I don't mind TPS, never have to use earth sleeve but can be pain to strip

I used this in NZ and liked it, no bare earth conductor or sleeving to faff about with and IIRC it was like no 8 ie, easy to strip. In fact you could just pull the live out in switches and not even break the N and E if you didnt need em....

 

[MKS]

Compared to Twin here, a pain mate to me mate lol! But great not having to sleeve which is bonus in my book!

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 17:57 ---------- Previous post was made at 17:52 ----------

Compared to Twin here, a pain to me mate lol! But great not having to sleeve which is bonus in my book!

As Step said it complied, but they were being pedantic! Step,as for Aussie rules, I am yet to see it as a free download. However my last copy was just over 100 dollars, around 70 pound

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 17:59 ---------- Previous post was made at 17:57 ----------

The outer was a doddle, the core is where I was heavy handed, especially when it was horribly hot and humid

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 18:05 ---------- Previous post was made at 17:59 ----------

The outer was a doddle, the core is where I was heavy handed, especially when it was horribly hot and humid

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 18:10 ---------- Previous post was made at 18:05 ----------

Sorry about multiple post, won't let me edit when I forget something!

 

[revjames]

Compared to Twin here, a pain mate to me mate lol! But great not having to sleeve which is bonus in my book!---------- Post Auto-Merged at 17:57 ---------- Previous post was made at 17:52 ----------

Compared to Twin here, a pain to me mate lol! But great not having to sleeve which is bonus in my book!

As Step said it complied, but they were being pedantic! Step,as for Aussie rules, I am yet to see it as a free download. However my last copy was just over 100 dollars, around 70 pound

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 17:59 ---------- Previous post was made at 17:57 ----------

The outer was a doddle, the core is where I was heavy handed, especially when it was horribly hot and humid

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 18:05 ---------- Previous post was made at 17:59 ----------

The outer was a doddle, the core is where I was heavy handed, especially when it was horribly hot and humid

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 18:10 ---------- Previous post was made at 18:05 ----------

Sorry about multiple post, won't let me edit when I forget something!

Didnt think we were talking about footy (rugby) ....

 

[MKS]

Good one mate lol