Hi All,
I cannot for the life of me see how there can be any confusion at all as to when an RCD is needed for the protection of sockets........
The regs are PERFECTLY clear......
Where are they needed?? [and i am talking PURELY about sockets here]
"socket outlets with a rated current not exceeding 20 A that are for use by ordinary persons and are intended for general use"
How much more clear could it be.........
However, there IS an exception, and that is:
1, "Socket outlets for use under the supervision of skilled or instructed persons, e.g. in some commercial or industrial locations"
2, "A specifically labeled or otherwise suitably identified socket outlet provided for connection of a particular item of equipment"
Taking the second one first [eh!] In a domestic situation this would be intended for, say, a freezer, where a "nuisance" trip and your freezer defrosting all night would not be good!!
As to using this exception, you would, in the case of someone getting hurt have to justify your use of it, so you cannot just use it where convenient, e.g.running a new circuit out to a conservatory or extension and labelling it "Telly"
Back to the first one; the "skilled or instructed persons" in industry etc one.
This, in my opinion, ONLY refers to sockets provided in a commercial location where an RCD would be a disadvantage for some technical reason, or perhaps sockets feeding rows of refrigerators in a shop.
[Remember, the first exception said "a particular item of equipment" It did not say "particular items of equipment"] OR where the users of the sockets THEMSELVES, remember, it says "Socket outlets for use" are "skilled or instructed persons" [The users of the refrigerators in a shop could not fairly be said to be "using" the sockets]
As to the meaning of "skilled or instructed persons" this obviously means people that are using sockets, that, for whatever technical reason, require NOT to have RCD protection, and that have been suitably trained as to the implications of this.
It is not a blanket exception as to having to provide RCD protection for sockets in industry...
I recently installed a 16A three phase socket in an industrial environment. It had to be RCD protected [i used an RCBO] as it was less than 20A. There are NO exceptions for sockets, three phase or otherwise, just because they are in a "works" Less than 20A = RCD
Could i, instead of installing the RCBO, attempted to rely on the workers being "skilled or instructed persons" instead ???
No, they were obviously skilled at what they do, but not in an electrical sense... For example; Say a particular worker had a black belt in Karate, would this reasonably be construed by a judge as a "skilled or instructed person" I think not....!!!!!!!!!!
john...
