Electrical safety
Electrical safety is the generic term associated with taking steps to ensure that hazards arising from electricity and its usage are minimised, usually to avoid electric shock or fire.
Electric shock relates to the physiological reaction caused by an electric current passing through the body. Injuries relating to electric shock will depend on the magnitude of the current and its duration, which in turn will be governed by other factors such as voltage, resistance, and contact to earth or other voltages. Electric shocks can vary from mild tingling sensations to tissue damage, fibrillation of the heart or cardiac arrest, which may be fatal.
Fire hazards are posed where electricity passes through some form of resistance path, and heat is generated. This may be within an item of equipment or within wiring itself. In many cases, this excess current flow will have been caused by either an electrical overload or a fault condition. In a correctly designed system, protective measures such as fuses, or circuit breakers, detect this excess current flow and interrupt the circuit automatically thus stopping the current flow and preventing danger.
Fire hazards are also posed by electrical equipment itself, which although working in its normal non-fault state and perhaps running at its normal temperature, may have been incorrectly specified or installed – so as to be too close to combustible material.
Mandatory requirements are set out in the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, which cover aspects such as design, installation and use of electricity in places of work. This will impose legal duties on many parties to ensure that all aspects are covered.
Slightly different mandatory requirements associated with dwellings are set out in Approved Document P of the Building Regulations, which pose legal duties on dwelling owners to ensure electrical safety to persons installing, maintaining or using installations from fire and injury.
Beneath these mandatory requirements, sit a whole host of other codes of practice and guides. Compliance with these, whilst not in itself a mandatory requirement, will however contribute significantly to help prove that relevant parts of the mandatory requirements of the Electricity at Work Regulations or Approved Document P of the Building Regulations have been met.
The most widely known code of practice relating to electrical safety in electrical installations in buildings is BS 7671, also known as the IET Wiring Regulations.
As well as national codes of practices and guides, another tier of information pertaining to electrical safety, is specific policies adopted by practitioners such as installers or maintainers, as well as house keeping policies adopted by users of electrical installations.
It is only the combined and successful implementation of all these different aspects, which will ensure that electrical safety overall is being met.
--ECA
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- 2021 PRS electrical safety standards.
- Approved document P.
- Articles about electricity.
- BS 7671.
- Consumer electronics.
- Consumer units.
- Converting commercial offices to residential accommodation.
- Data cables and the CPR.
- ECA articles.
- ECA.
- Electrical appliance.
- Electrical component.
- Electrical consumption.
- Electrical energy.
- Electrical equipment.
- Electrical installation.
- Electrical power.
- Electrical safety in the private rented sector.
- Electrical system.
- Electrical test equipment for use on low voltage electrical systems GS38.
- Electrician.
- Electricity supply.
- Fuse.
- Glossary of electrical terms.
- Grommet.
- Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
- IET announces release of 18th Edition Amendment 2.
- Lightning conductor.
- Lock out tag out LOTO.
- Right to Repair law.
- Safe isolation for low voltage.
- Safety.
- Trailing socket.
Featured articles and news
How can digital twins boost profitability within construction?
A brief description of a smart construction dashboard, collecting as-built data, as a s site changes forming an accurate digital twin.
Unlocking surplus public defence land and more to speed up the delivery of housing.
The Planning and Infrastructure bill oulined
With reactions from IHBC and others on its potential impacts.
Farnborough College Unveils its Half-house for Sustainable Construction Training.
Spring Statement 2025 with reactions from industry
Confirming previously announced funding, and welfare changes amid adjusted growth forecast.
Scottish Government responds to Grenfell report
As fund for unsafe cladding assessments is launched.
CLC and BSR process map for HRB approvals
One of the initial outputs of their weekly BSR meetings.
Architects Academy at an insulation manufacturing facility
Programme of technical engagement for aspiring designers.
Building Safety Levy technical consultation response
Details of the planned levy now due in 2026.
Great British Energy install solar on school and NHS sites
200 schools and 200 NHS sites to get solar systems, as first project of the newly formed government initiative.
600 million for 60,000 more skilled construction workers
Announced by Treasury ahead of the Spring Statement.
The restoration of the novelist’s birthplace in Eastwood.
Life Critical Fire Safety External Wall System LCFS EWS
Breaking down what is meant by this now often used term.
PAC report on the Remediation of Dangerous Cladding
Recommendations on workforce, transparency, support, insurance, funding, fraud and mismanagement.
New towns, expanded settlements and housing delivery
Modular inquiry asks if new towns and expanded settlements are an effective means of delivering housing.
Building Engineering Business Survey Q1 2025
Survey shows growth remains flat as skill shortages and volatile pricing persist.