Metal frame of the light post..
Earthing of outdoor lighting
- Thread starter macadonald
- Start date
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Why?
I'm still not totally clear. Are you saying that the metal lamposts are connected ('metallically') to a metal post which goes 1 metre into the ground?
Kind Regards, John
Regulations and common sense.
Ask yourself what would happen if a person was changing a damp lamp bulb thinking the power was off. They could get a shock, as they are on the damp ground they will be low impedance to ground so will get a severe, possibly fatal shock without taking enough current to trip the MCB ( probably rated at 6 amps ).
The current through the body would be greater than 30 mA so the RCD would ( should ) trip and remove the Live thus ending the electric shock.
It should operate fast enough to prevent non reversible damage to the body. ( meaning the person is likely to survive ).
I can't believe you asked the question
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Regulation number?
Thanks all for your advice.
On a slightly different subject, I connected the last of the lights tonight and out of excitement, just before it got too dark, I wanted to do a quick test. The electrician had left the armoured cable with connector blocks taped up until I was ready for this. To check, I quickly held the live and neutral of my new wiring to the terminals in the connector block. Voila, the two lights I had placed bulbs in lit up.
I then decided to switch off the switch inside that supposedly does this circuit, but the lights still stayed on. It was then to dark to do any more safely, so all is taped up again.
I'm now sitting here very concerned that the electrician cocked up with his wiring and it might need major work. Similarly I'm running through different thoughts as to why this might have happened. The current is clearly going to the light, but the switch appears to not be working. Is there any chance that if I held the wires to the live and earth or neutral and earth that the switch would not work and e lights would stay on.
Probably a very stupid question, but worth asking to give me a better nights sleep.
Regards
Maca
On a slightly different subject, I connected the last of the lights tonight and out of excitement, just before it got too dark, I wanted to do a quick test. The electrician had left the armoured cable with connector blocks taped up until I was ready for this. To check, I quickly held the live and neutral of my new wiring to the terminals in the connector block. Voila, the two lights I had placed bulbs in lit up.
I then decided to switch off the switch inside that supposedly does this circuit, but the lights still stayed on. It was then to dark to do any more safely, so all is taped up again.
I'm now sitting here very concerned that the electrician cocked up with his wiring and it might need major work. Similarly I'm running through different thoughts as to why this might have happened. The current is clearly going to the light, but the switch appears to not be working. Is there any chance that if I held the wires to the live and earth or neutral and earth that the switch would not work and e lights would stay on.
Probably a very stupid question, but worth asking to give me a better nights sleep.
Regards
Maca
A little stupid handling live conductors!
Without knowing what you connected together, the configuration of the circuit and how the switch breaks/makes the circuit, would be difficult to say.
So can I safely say, that no dead tests were performed prior to this alarming live testing?
Without knowing what you connected together, the configuration of the circuit and how the switch breaks/makes the circuit, would be difficult to say.
So can I safely say, that no dead tests were performed prior to this alarming live testing?
/me waits for BAS 
I'm sitting here wondering if the electrician is cooked up! Leaving a circuit live with taped up conductors, not suitably enclosed, does not really sound like the act of a competent electrician and without trying to sound harsh, leaving a potentially hazardous situation with a naive impatient person such as yourself, is bewildering!
All very valid points!
I will get my tester out tomorrow and do things properly.
I will get my tester out tomorrow and do things properly.
Before you energise the circuit, you must confirm continuity of the CPC, then perform r1+r2 tests, at this time I general confirm that the switch is making and breaking the line conductor, this will also confirm polarity, then you perform insulation resistance test on the circuit conductors, this is done with no load on the circuit (so lamps removed).
Once you can confirm the above are satisfactory, then we can do the live tests!
I can assure you I am not the said poster.
However you clearly haven't answered my question.
Glad you're not; so here's the answer:
The problem is that you and many here are looking simply at "electrical" legislation. Over this are a number of umbrella pieces of law which do not specifically state that they apply to electricity (or gas, oil, etc).
The most obvious one is the Health and Safety at Work, Etc, Act, 1974. Note the Etc - this means that it not only applies to people carrying out work. Quite deliberate; everyone has a duty to safeguard others from the effects of their actions and this includes domestic situations. I for one would have no difficulty in using this legislation to prosecute if someone was injured because an electrician or DIY person failed to take due care and exercise due diligence. Failure to use a well known and generally used piece of protective equipment (RCD) would certainly show a failure to comply with the law.
Interestingly, the only (electrical) case with which I personally have been involved concerned an electrician electrocuted by wiring which had been incorrectly fitted by a DIY property owner. There were two prosecutions - HASAW and manslaughter.
The problem is that you and many here are looking simply at "electrical" legislation. Over this are a number of umbrella pieces of law which do not specifically state that they apply to electricity (or gas, oil, etc).
The most obvious one is the Health and Safety at Work, Etc, Act, 1974. Note the Etc - this means that it not only applies to people carrying out work. Quite deliberate; everyone has a duty to safeguard others from the effects of their actions and this includes domestic situations. I for one would have no difficulty in using this legislation to prosecute if someone was injured because an electrician or DIY person failed to take due care and exercise due diligence. Failure to use a well known and generally used piece of protective equipment (RCD) would certainly show a failure to comply with the law.
Interestingly, the only (electrical) case with which I personally have been involved concerned an electrician electrocuted by wiring which had been incorrectly fitted by a DIY property owner. There were two prosecutions - HASAW and manslaughter.
A bit harsh though with this comments! All that was asked which regulation was being suggested to comply to, hardly qualifies Risteard as troll or AKA Ixboy and not worthy of suggesting ignoring.
I don't even personally recall anything Risteard has posted previously, that would make these comments valid.
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