2008-02-06
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With concerns that faulty and non-compliant cables are infiltrating the electrical industry, the safety of electrical systems should not be left to chance
The British Approval Service for Cables (BASEC) has witnessed a greater number of sub-standard cables in the last year which, it believes, is a direct result of rising copper prices. It blames the nature of the electrical industry where price often becomes the principle reason for choosing a cable.
Fire performance cables provide power distribution to essential life safety systems such as emergency lighting and fire alarm systems, so it is paramount that these products are manufactured to the highest specification.
If inferior cables that do not conform to the correct British Standards are used, the safety of an electrical installation is severely compromised. In those circumstances the wholesalers, distributors, specifiers and electrical contractors could be held to account. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order stresses the need to use only superior proven products and places greater responsibility on everyone through the supply chain, right down to the building owner.
Fighting fire through product development
Responsible manufacturers would warn against installing fire performance cable that is not compliant with British Standards or Approved by a third party such as BASEC or LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board). The new generation of fire performance cables are designed to meet much more arduous fire survival requirements now demanded by regulators, for applications such as life safety systems, property protection and fire fighting systems in buildings that must remain functional in the event of a fire.
It"e;s during the development of these high performance products that fire testing facilities take centre stage.
Prysmian benefits from its own on-site fire testing facility in Bishopstoke, which carries out in excess of 1500 tests per year and helps set Prysmian"e;s leading FP brand of cables apart from the rest.
The in-house fire testing laboratory allows Prysmian"e;s engineers to run quality assessments on existing cables, new cables and materials; type approval for products or contracts; customer service demonstrations; and development of new fire specifications for the industry. This ensures that cables comply with stringent British and European Standards, which set the benchmark to provide specifiers and installers with the correct knowledge and understanding about a cable"e;s fire survival time, flame propagation and smoke emissions.
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Related contacts
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Prysmian Cables & Systems Limited, Marketing Department
Chickenhall Lane, Eastleigh, Hants, SO50 9YU
Tel: 023 8029 5029 Fax: 023 8029 5437 |
Julie Mould
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Source: Prysmian Cables |
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