Electrical cable not conforming to standards - NZ - here?

[David]

A couple of articles:

and

.

Apparently electrical cable is being imported into NZ and not tested because it has certification from overseas (medium risk).

There is now a call for local testing as some overseas certificates may not be accurate (high risk).

I did also note that there is no information in the articles about where the cables originated and how to identify them; then again NZ seems to be stitched up tight by the trade organisations so consumers presumably shouldn't worry their pretty little heads and just call in a sparky to check.

No indication that the drum of 1.5mm T&E in the photo is dodgy stock.

This did make me wonder where the UK gets most of its electrical cables and what the testing regime is.

Chinese Export (CE)?

Cheers

Dave R

[Andy Burns]

We still seem to manufacture a decent amount locally e.g. screwfix T&E seems to be Prysmian (ex-Pirelli), other manufacturers Doncaster Cables, AEI ...

BASEC, various BS

[John Rumm]

There have been cases in the UK though of some cables coming in that were found to be light on copper. ISTR products from a Turkish manufacturer having to be recalled, and re assessed in installations where they had been used.

[Brian Gaff]

Well I'm fully expecting to see a program about counterfeit cables just like the one on mains adaptors and fuses. People do assume that the marking is correct otherwise why bother, so certain manufacturers simply forge the mark.

Some time ago I had to shorten a mains cable on an appliance. Seeing as I could not see I took steps to be sure the right core of the cable went to the right place in a new plug and moved the fuse over. Interestingly, a Sighted person had cause to change the fuse and told me the cables were old red black and green. Now by chance I had the old moulded on plug and sure enough the disassembly, well destruction, of this showed the same but of course nobody could know as it has the plug on it in the first place. Makes you wonder, as red black green has been out of use for goodness knows how long and this appliance was relatively new. Tumble Drier in fact. I'm sure this sort of thing goes on and one can understand it probably does not seem to matter, but I'd have no idea what the spec would say.

One interesting point was as I lost my sight, there'd and black showed up different greys on a mono magnifier on the telly, but the blue and brown had hardly any difference at all, so don't get anyone who has no colour perception to wire up your house. grin. Brian

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The problem was with red and green. Under poor lighting, quite a large percentage of males in the UK couldn't tell the difference. In the days when you fitted plugs yourself.

I'd hope any pro electrician, wiring a house, would have adequate colour vision.

[Robin]

That's reasonable. But the practical problem is that there's no specific test for electricians. So *employers* - who have responsibilities under H&S legislation - tend to look for a certificate that a person has no colour deficiencies on the standards test which rules out around 8 per cent of British males - many of whom would have no practical difficulty (bearing in mind that if the light is bad there are plenty of risks other than confusing colours). I think it is a pity that there is not a more specific test closer to the realities of the job - much as there is for the armed services. But as in so many areas these day, risk aversion rules.

OTOH I'm not aware that people have to pass a test before they can qualify and register with an approved body. Adam or others will probably know.

I declare an interest: I have anomalous trichromatism.

[John Rumm]

ISTM there ought to be an "app" for that in this day and age (or better still a certified wire colour probe of some description)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd thought that the three new colours could be told apart even with very poor colour vision. The earth obviously by the stripes - but doesn't the brown look darker than the blue even in monochrome or any of the common colour vision problems?

[Andy Burns]

A while back, I pushed the old and new wiring colours through a website that claims to simulate colour vision deficiencies and uploaded it to the wiki

I don't know how accurate it is (my sight is bang-on regarding colours I got 100% twice on that annoying test where you drag the coloured blocks into order) no doubt it varies with monitor gamut and gamma settings.

[tabbypurr]

Nice. Green earth is missing though.

NT