Carlton Forum Leisure Centre electrical compliance testing
In summer 2020, C M WARD LTD was charged with ensuring that RAB met all the IEE codes of practice and British Standards, so he put the project out to tender. C M WARD LTD, an existing English Heritage supplier, successfully tendered and was charged with making the building compliant.
The main challenge was to sensitively apply the various electrical regulations to a large historic, 17th century listed building and come up with appropriate solutions within budget and on schedule.
One of the key issues was to interpret the IEE codes of practice and British Standards to ensure that the unnecessarily rigid application of the regulations did not cause unnecessary upheaval to this historically important building.
The Solution
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Frequent testing is required within leisure facilities. Electrical installations in ‘dry’ areas such as gyms should be tested every three years and poolside or ‘wet’ areas – swimming pools, saunas and changing rooms for example – every 12 months. Poolside testing poses other challenges and specific regulations require the engineer to check that installed fixtures and fittings comply with BS EN 60529 and 60598-2-18 and cabling with BS EN 50525-2-21 and that they are situated in the correct zone as outlined in BS 7671 section 702.
Careful planning and communication are key to minimising disruption to services and to the successful delivery of the testing programme across Carlton forum leisure centre. Dynamic scheduling relies on accurate forecasting of the number of items to be tested which is achieved through site surveys.
Furthermore, flexibility of testing enables last-minute programme changes and the ability to test at times that suit the client’s business needs. Carlton forum leisure centre has taken the option to have poolside areas tested ‘out of hours’ to ensure that they remain operational with no risk of injury. Powering down of electrical systems can also disrupt operations and the likelihood of this can be reduced by testing outside of business hours.
Early diagnosis and rectification of electrical faults can ensure that Carlton forum leisure centre operations continue to run smoothly and safely. During testing any Code One faults that are identified are rectified or made safe by the engineer at the time of testing and any non-urgent faults automatically scheduled for a remedial repair. This streamlining of processes maximises efficiencies and improves performance whilst providing the confidence that electrical systems remain safe and compliant.
Key Benefits
Peace of mind knowing the building is now electrically safe
Stress-free project delivered on schedule and on budget by specialist
Reduced risk from a liability view-point, as the building is now compliant to British standards