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Electrical
Published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, London, United Kingdom
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered as a Charity in England & Wales
(no. 211014) and Scotland (no. SC038698).
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is the institution
formed by the joining together of the lEE (The Institution of
Electrical Engineers) and the liE (The Institution of Incorporated
Engineers).
© 1992, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004 The Institution of Electrical Engineers
© 2008, 2011, 2015, 2018 The Institution of Engineering and Technology
First published 1992 (0 85296 537 0)
Reprinted (with amendments) May 1993
Reprinted (with amendments to Appendix 9) July 1993
Reprinted (with amendments) 1994
Revised edition ( incorporating Amendment No. 1 to BS 7671:1992) 1995
Reprinted (with new cover) 1996
Revised edition ( incorporating Amendment No.2 to BS 7671:1992) 1998
Second edition ( incorporating Amendment No. 1 to BS 7671:2001) 2002 (0 85296 987 2)
Reprinted (with new cover) 2003
Third edition ( incorporating Amendment No.2 to BS 7671:2001) 2004 (0 86341 374 9)
Fourth edition ( incorporating BS 7671:2008) 2008 (978-0-86341 -854-9)
Reprinted (with amendments) October 2008
Fifth edition (incorporating Amendment No. 1 to BS 7671 :2008) 2011 (978-1-84919-287-3)
Reprinted 2012
Reprinted (with minor corrections) 2013
Reprinted 2014
Sixth edition (incorporating Amendment No.3 to BS 7671:2008) 2015 (978-1-84919-887-5)
Reprinted (with minor corrections) 2015
Seventh Edition (incorporating 18th Edit ion to BS 7671:201 8) 2018 (978-1-78561 -442-2)
This publication is copyright under the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention. All
rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism
or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be
reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, only with the prior permission in
writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of
licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those
terms should be sent to the publishers at The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Michael
Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, SG l 2AY, United Kingdom.
Copies of this publication may be obtained from:
PO Box 96, Stevenage, SGl 2SD, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1438 767328
Email:
Published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, London, United Kingdom
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered as a Charity in England & Wales
(no. 211014) and Scotland (no. SC038698).
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is the institution
formed by the joining together of the lEE (The Institution of
Electrical Engineers) and the liE (The Institution of Incorporated
Engineers).
© 1992, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004 The Institution of Electrical Engineers
© 2008, 2011, 2015, 2018 The Institution of Engineering and Technology
First published 1992 (0 85296 537 0)
Reprinted (with amendments) May 1993
Reprinted (with amendments to Appendix 9) July 1993
Reprinted (with amendments) 1994
Revised edition ( incorporating Amendment No. 1 to BS 7671:1992) 1995
Reprinted (with new cover) 1996
Revised edition ( incorporating Amendment No.2 to BS 7671:1992) 1998
Second edition ( incorporating Amendment No. 1 to BS 7671:2001) 2002 (0 85296 987 2)
Reprinted (with new cover) 2003
Third edition ( incorporating Amendment No.2 to BS 7671:2001) 2004 (0 86341 374 9)
Fourth edition ( incorporating BS 7671:2008) 2008 (978-0-86341 -854-9)
Reprinted (with amendments) October 2008
Fifth edition (incorporating Amendment No. 1 to BS 7671 :2008) 2011 (978-1-84919-287-3)
Reprinted 2012
Reprinted (with minor corrections) 2013
Reprinted 2014
Sixth edition (incorporating Amendment No.3 to BS 7671:2008) 2015 (978-1-84919-887-5)
Reprinted (with minor corrections) 2015
Seventh Edition (incorporating 18th Edit ion to BS 7671:201 8) 2018 (978-1-78561 -442-2)
This publication is copyright under the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention. All
rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism
or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be
reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, only with the prior permission in
writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of
licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those
terms should be sent to the publishers at The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Michael
Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, SG l 2AY, United Kingdom.
Copies of this publication may be obtained from:
PO Box 96, Stevenage, SGl 2SD, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1438 767328
Email:
Cooperating organisations 6
Preface 7
Foreword 9
Section 1 Introduction 11
1.1 Scope 11
1.2 Building Regulations 12
1.3 Basic information required 15
1.4 Intended departures from BS 7671 15
Section 2 The electrical supply 17
2.1 General layout of equipment 17
2.2 Function of components 19
2.3 Separation of gas installation pipework from the electrical installation 23
2.4 Portable generators 24
Section 3 Protection 31
3.1 Types of protective device 31
3.2 Protection against overload current 31
3.3 Protection against short-circuit current and earth fault current 31
3.4 Protection against electric shock 32
3.5 Automatic disconnection 33
3.6 Residual current devices (RCDs) 34
3.7 Surge protective devices (SPDs) 38
3.8 Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDD) 45
Section 4 Earthing and bonding 47
4.1 Protective earthing 47
4.2 Legal requirements 47
4.3 Main protective bonding 47
4.4 Earthing conductor and main protective bonding conductor
cross-sectional areas 48
4.5 Main protective bonding of plastic services 49
4.6 Supplementary bonding 50
4.7 Additional protection -supplementary equipotential bonding 51
4.8 Supplementary bonding of plastic pipe installations 51
4.9 Earth electrode 51
4.10 Types of earth electrode 51
4.11 Typical earthing arrangements for various types of earthing system 52
On-Site Guide 3
©The Institution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Engineering and Technology acknowledges the invaluable contribution
made by the fol lowing individuals in the preparation of the On-Site Guide:
Institution of Engineering and Technology
J. Bradley BSc CEng FIET FCIBSE Eur lng Leon Markwell MSc, BSc(Hons), CEng,
MIET, MCIBSE, LCGI
S. Devine MIET
G.D. Cranshaw CEng FIET G. Gundry MIET
P.E. Donnachie BSc CEng FIET
Special thanks to:
.,.. A Samad Khan MEng (Hons) CEng MIET, MIEEE PEL 37/1, GEL 81
.,.. John Peckham - Stroma Certification
.,.. Bob Cairney - SELECT
We would like to thank the following organisations for their continued support:
British Cables Association ERA Technology Ltd
British Electrotechnical & Allied Manufacturers Association Ltd Electrica I Safety First
British Gas Health and Safety Executive
British Standards Institution IHEEM
Certsure trading as NICEIC and Elecsa NAP IT
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government The Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed)
ECA UHMA
Electrical Contractors' Association of Scotland t/a SELECT Society for Public Architecture,
Construction, Engineering and Surveying
ENA
NEC Ltd
Revised, compiled and edited
M. Coles BEng(Hons) MIET, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2018
6 On-Site Guide
©The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Section 11 Operation of RCDs 117
11.1 General test procedure 118
11.2 General-purpose RCCBs to BS 4293 118
11.3 General-purpose RCCBs to BS EN 61008 or RCBOs to BS EN 61009 and
BS EN 62423 118
11.4 RCD protected socket-outlets to BS 7288 118
11.5 Additional protection 118
11.6 Integral test device 119
11.7 Multipole RCDs 119
Appendix A Maximum demand and diversity 121
Appendix B Maximum permissible measured earth fault loop
impedance 125
Appendix C Selection of types of cable for particular uses and
external influences 133
Appendix D Methods of support for cables, conductors and
wiring systems 139
Appendix E Cable capacities of conduit and trunking 145
Appendix F Current-carrying capacities and voltage drop for copper
conductors 151
Appendix G Cert.ification and reporting 163
Appendix H Standard circuit arrangements for household and similar
installations 187
Appendix I Resistance of copper and aluminium conductors 195
Appendix J Selection of devices for isolation and switching 199
Appendix K Identification of conductors 201
Appendix L Degrees of protection provided by enclosures
(IP code) 207
Index 209
On-Site Guide 5
© The Institution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Engineering and Technology acknowledges the invaluable contribution
made by the fol lowing individuals in the preparation of the On-Site Guide:
Institution of Engineering and Technology
J. Bradley BSc CEng FIET FCIBSE Eur lng Leon Markwell MSc, BSc(Hons), CEng,
MIET, MCIBSE, LCGI
S. Devine MIET
G.D. Cranshaw CEng FIET G. Gundry MIET
P.E. Donnachie BSc CEng FIET
Special thanks to:
.,.. A Samad Khan MEng (Hons) CEng MIET, MIEEE PEL 37/1, GEL 81
.,.. John Peckham - Stroma Certification
.,.. Bob Cairney - SELECT
We would like to thank the following organisations for their continued support:
British Cables Association ERA Technology Ltd
British Electrotechnical & Allied Manufacturers Association Ltd Electrica I Safety First
British Gas Health and Safety Executive
British Standards Institution IHEEM
Certsure trading as NICEIC and Elecsa NAP IT
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government The Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed)
ECA UHMA
Electrical Contractors' Association of Scotland t/a SELECT Society for Public Architecture,
Construction, Engineering and Surveying
ENA
NEC Ltd
Revised, compiled and edited
M. Coles BEng(Hons) MIET, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2018
6 On-Site Guide
©The Institution of Engineering and Technology
The On-Site Guide is one of a number of publications prepared by the lET to provide
guidance on certain aspects of BS 7671 :2018 Requirements for Electrical Installations,
lET Wiring Regulations, 18th Edition. BS 7671 is a joint publication of the British Standards
Institut ion and the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
11 0.1 The scope generally follows that of BS 7671 . The Guide includes material not included in
BS 7671, it provides background to the intentions of BS 7671 and gives other sources of
information. However, it does not ensure compliance with BS 7671 . It is a simple guide
to the requirements of BS 7671; electrical installers should always consult BS 7671 to
satisfy themselves of compliance.
It is expected that persons carrying out work in accordance with this guide will be
competent to do so.
HSR25, EWR Electrical installations in the United Kingdom which comply with the lET Wiring
Regulation 16 Regulations, BS 7671, must comply with all relevant statutory regulations, such as the
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Building Regulations and, where relevant, the
Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002, as amended.
114.1 It cannot be guaranteed that BS 7671 complies with all relevant statutory regulations.
115.1 It is, therefore, essential to establish which statutory and other appropriate regulations
apply and to install accordingly. For example, an installation in licensed premises may
have requirements which differ from or are additional to those of BS 7671, and these
will take precedence.
On-Site Guide 7
©The Institution of Engineering and Technology
8 On-Site Guide
e The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Part 1 This Guide is concerned with limited application of BS 7671 in accordance with paragraph
1.1: Scope.
BS 7671 and the On-Site Guide are not design guides.
It is essential to prepare a design and/or schedule of the work to be done prior to
commencement or alteration of an electrical installation and to provide all necessary
information and operating instructions of any equipment supplied to the user on
completion.
Any specification should set out the detailed design and provide sufficient information to
enable competent persons to carry out the installation and commissioning.
The specification must provide for all the commissioning procedures that will be required
and for the production of any operation and maintenance manual and building logbook.
The persons or organisations who may be concerned in the preparation of the
specification include the:
Il> Designer(s)
Il> lnstaller(s)
Il> Electricity Distributor
Il> Installation Owner and/or User
Il> Architect
Il> Local Building Control Authority/Standards Division or Approved Inspector
Il> Fire Prevention Officer
Il> CDM Coordinator
Il> BIM Coordinator
Il> Regulatory Authorities
Il> Licensing Authority (where necessary)
Il> Health and Safety Executive.
In producing the specification, advice should be sought from the installation owner and/
or user as to the intended use. Often, such as in a speculative building, the detailed
intended use is unknown. In those circumstances the specification and/or the operation
and maintenance manual and building logbook must set out the basis of use for which
the installation is suitable.
On-Site Guide 9
©The Institution of Engineering and Technology
