Industrial Robots and Manufacturing AutomationIndustrial Robots and Manufacturing AutomationSince early 2003 the Electrical Inspectorate has been working to raise public awareness of Residual Current Devices (RCDs), with the aim of eventually enforcing the use of these devices as recommended by the standard adopted by the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards for wiring of buildings SLNS/BS 7671: 2001- Requirements for Electrical Installations ЎV IEE Wiring Regulations ЎV Sixteenth Edition. These Regulations though only recently adopted by the Bureau of Standards is the Regulations referred to by the St. Lucia Electricity regulations of 1973 as the standard of wiring of buildings. For a very long time the cost of these devices had proven prohibitive for the enforcement of the requirement. However, it is now believed that safety concerns as it relates to electrical hazards such as fire and electrocution far outweigh the cost of these devices
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With the help of a number of specialists, the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards implemented the minimum standards of safety and compliance, and on 21 October 2006 the regulations were published and approved by the IFA. Under the St. Lucia Regulation of 1973, a person whose wiring does not conform to the applicable standards of safety is not allowed to install with a wire from an electrical source that fails safety requirements and could result in their failure to meet this regulation.
As part of a voluntary initiative to monitor the safety of electrical installations by the Bureau of Standards, they are implementing a series of initiatives in the form of a series of workshops which will be held every year during this period. The workshop participants will take up issues raised by the IFA and, together with their fellow inspectors, will take up a series of inspections. These inspections are designed to increase the understanding of how wiring is made and regulated in the electricity industry, a system that has been described by experts to be the subject of a number of papers, books, and newsletters including the Institute for Safety and the Environment (ISCEA). The workshops will be held all over the world where inspectors will collect and post-record data. The IFA will also provide technical assistance to all of the participants in facilitating compliance with the regulatory requirements of this report with a view to understanding current safety conditions in the industry.
[0019] The IFA is seeking to encourage the development of a national standards and guidelines relating to the safety regulation of residential and business uses and whether to create a regulatory framework for electronic devices.
[0019a] The following are issues that need to be addressed in order to create legislation and legislation concerning electrical lighting.
The use of power lines should not be in direct violation of this standard which has been adopted by the St. Lucia Board of Standards and in accordance with the recommendations of the National Grid. To address this, the Board will need the help of specialists from the National Grid in order to develop an operational and safety-specific approach to wiring in residential and business homes.
[0024] These regulations have required new wiring specifications for residential appliances. This was already being implemented by the St. Lucia Board of Standards, and is therefore not subject to change and the Board was working on a national standards and guidelines. To address this problem, the Board will need the help of consultants in order to understand and implement the current wiring regulations.
[0025] After extensive studies, the IFA wants to make certain that all electrical light fixtures, appliances and appliances are made safely and that no person should be allowed to have an unwanted light fixture. Additionally, the Board is examining current wire requirements for lighting for appliances and appliances that use different types of lamps, because light is not always transmitted as expected. Therefore, while the Lighting Standards will remain fixed and as new standards are put in place, the Board is aware that these current wiring standards could change. Therefore, we have asked for a range of expert advice and information to help the Board develop a final lighting regulation that addresses current wire requirements, which will ensure that existing wiring regulations are in place and therefor the Board remains compliant with the existing and future Standards.
(3) Finality of Lighting Standards. The IFA and Board are working on finalizing the Lighting Standards within the next 30 days. The Board, in collaboration with IFA and EFP, will continue with the IFA to define and develop the Lighting Standards in light of the new Standards introduced by the Board. The Board will do so by using the most recent standards. All required standards will be fully compliant by the end of the year. It will be up to the IFA and Board to go beyond these earlier stages to finalize the Lighting Standards.
NTC (United States Commission on Consumer & Consumer Protection)
- UAS (United States Air Consumer Safety Board)
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[0027] The IFA is planning several other projects within the current wiring regulations.
[0027a] Under the existing regulations, appliances that use only wires from electrical sources outside the home are considered to be hazardous. A second regulation would require that appliances from the home be installed in boxes that are a minimum of 7 feet square and are not above the ground but under the construction of a house. There are additional guidelines in place that must be followed when installing appliances. The Board is assessing proposals from stakeholders, including those in the electricity industry, on measures
What is an RCD?An RCD is an electrical safety device specially designed to save life from Electrocution by immediately switching the electricity off when electricity Ў§Leaking ЎЁ to earth is detected at a level that maybe harmful to a person using electrical equipment.
How Electricity KillsElectrocution occurs when a small, specific amount of electrical current flows through the heart for 1 to 3 seconds. 0.006-0.2 Amps (i.e. 6-200 milliamps) of current flowing through the heart disrupts the normal coordination of heart muscles. These muscles lose their vital rhythm and begin a process known as ventricular fibrillation. Death soon follows.
0.25 Amps/250mA is equal to the current flowing through a 60W Bulb.What is ventricular fibrillation?The heart beats when electrical signals move through it. Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which the hearts electrical activity becomes disordered. When this happens, the hearts lower (pumping) chambers contract in a rapid, unsynchronized way. (The ventricles “flutter” rather than beat.) The heart pumps little or no blood therefore the probability of death is high.
What is the advantage of RCDs over Breakers and Fuses?Fuses or over current circuit breakers protect wires from damage not human beings and lifestock. On the other hand RCD with a maximum tripping current of 30mA provide protection from electrical shock.
Circuit breakers and fuses provide equipment and installation protection and operate only in response to an electrical overload or short circuit. Hence these devices cannot detect earth fault currents below their operating current. If they are the only means of protection, it is possible for sufficient earth fault current to flow undetected to constitute an electrical hazard (fire and electrocution). This earth fault current also represents wastage of electricity which would inevitably result in higher electricity bills.
By using an RCD, the flow of an earth fault current, above the tripping current of the RCD, is prevented, and thus eliminating any electrically related risk.
How Does an RCD Work?RCDs work on the principle “What goes in must come out”. They operate by continuously comparing the current flow in both the Live (supply) and Neutral (return) conductors of an electrical circuit.
If the current flow becomes sufficiently unbalanced, some of the current in the Live conductor is not returning through the Neutral conductor and is leaking to earth.
RCDs are designed to operate within 10 to 50 milliseconds and to disconnect the electricity supply when they sense harmful leakage, typically 30 milliamps.
The sensitivity and speed of disconnection are such that any earth leakage will be detected and automatically switched off before it can cause injury or damage. Analyses of electrical accidents show the greatest risk of electric shock results from contact between live parts and earth.
Contact with live parts may occur by touching:bare conductors; orinternal parts of an appliance; orexternal parts of an appliance that have become “live” because of an internal fault.Contact with earth occurs through normal body contact with the ground or earthed metal parts.An RCD will significantly reduce the risk of electric shock, however, an RCD will not protect against all instances of electric shock. If a person comes