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60 E L EC TR I C AL CONNEC T I ON
S PR I NG 20 1 6
A CHANGE THATWON’T SHOCK
B
y now the importance of residual
current devices, or RCDs, should
be gospel for the industry.
Along with my compatriots on the
EL001 committee I have been conducting
business forums on the changes to
AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules for the next
revision. The main change relates to
RCDs – and with good reason.
In the past couple of years there
have been several electrocutions and
accidents in the electrical trade, and it is
hard not to be touched by every one.
We all probably know someone who
has been affected by the experience,
from minor shocks to fatalities, and
in extreme cases those left behind
suffer terribly.
We should be able to work safely and
return safely to the family at night.
Very serious accidents have occurred
while electricians were working with
distribution and switchboards; however,
many of the fatalities in domestic and
commercial environments might have
been avoided if RCDs had been fitted.
Of course, we all know that
circumstances play a big part. If you
touch active and neutral together, an
RCD will not help at all.
But if an RCD has been fitted you
would have to be extremely unlucky to
touch both at once. Even the slightest
delay in touching both will provide a path
to earth from active or neutral, and the
RCD will trip.
It might be stating the obvious, yet
many cases of electrocution could have
resulted from installations not being
fitted with RCDs.
Think of working in a ceiling space,
where there is usually minimal room
to move and poor light. Perhaps a
sparky occasionally feels too old and
wise to climb into those spaces – and
the thought occurs to let the apprentice
do it.
Of course it is crucial to provide
appropriate training on the hazards of
the work environment, and most of you
do it on a regular basis.
Yet accidents keep happening,
exposing all of us to the risk of serious
injury or death.
So what can be done? One very
simple procedure is to fit RCDs in all
installations. This is a requirement for
new installations, but spare a thought
for the number of homes that still don’t
have this protection. The estimate is
35% of Australian residences, or about
3.5 million.
From a Wiring Rules perspective,
clauses dictate the installation of 30mA
RCDs for most circuits in the home. Bear
in mind that each state has legislated
that AS/NZS 3000 be mandatory for
electrical installations, and failing to
follow the Wiring Rules is a legal offence.
Commercial spaces also have
requirements for RCD protection.
However, the main driving force is
workplace safety legislation, which
has been adopted nationally with
ongoing test and tag requirements for
appliances and RCDs.
Some jurisdictions have a requirement
for RCD protection before a home is sold
or rented, with Western Australia and
Queensland leading the way. This should
be uniform across the country.
Most old installations without RCD
protection in most states just stay that
way. Considering the improved safety
when an RCD is installed, this is a sorry
state of affairs for the home owner and
people carrying out maintenance.
With this shortcoming in mind, the
EL001 Wiring Rules committee has
tried to provide some retrospectivity
in relation to fitting RCDs in older
refurbished residences.
Previous articles covered the inclusion
GREATER RCD PROTECTION IS NOT
THE ONLY CHANGE COMING TO THE
WIRING RULES, BUT IT HAS BEEN
CONTENTIOUS FOR MANY YEARS.
GARYBUSBRIDGE
EXPLAINS.
THE BUZZ