Our Voltimum Experts answer your questions on a daily basis in our Technical Expertise area. This Question of the Day, concerning emergency and normal cable tray feeders and partitions, is answered by the ECA:
Is it really necessary or required by the Code to provide a barrier between the emergency and normal feeders in one cable tray run? Please refer me to the Code reference if there is one?
Answer: It depends on what the emergency feeder is supplying. If it supplying a lift intended to be used for evacuation purposes in a fire, then it is required to be fire separated from the normal supply by BS 5588. It is not a requirement of BS 7671.
The British Standard that covers this type of requirement is BS EN 9999. The requirements are different for different types of emergency/safety systems.
To see many more Q & A in Voltimum UK's Experts Area, please click on the link:
www.voltimum.co.uk/consult.php?universe=consult.index.questions