An Overview of Home Electrical Safety Standards in India
Every country has its own set of rules and regulations for electrical safety. These standards help in safeguarding individuals and professionals who come in contact with electrical devices directly or indirectly during the process of generation, transportation, installation or usage. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is responsible for formulating rules and regulation regarding the usage of electrical equipment in India. The Bureau follows five principals for that purpose,
- Safety
- Ease of usage and adaptability
- Simplicity
- Value-for-Money
- Energy efficiency
BIS has published the following code of practice for public safety standards in order to promote the right to information, transparency and accountability in a proper manner to the public.
Code of Practice for Electrical Wiring Installation
The IS − 732 (1989) standard pertains to electrical installation. It regulates the design of installation, selection and erection of equipment and inspection and testing of the wiring system.
Code of practice for Earthing
The IS − 3043 (1987) standard pertains to earthing in electrical installations. It regulates the design, installation and calculation of the earthing system in place for safety of the circuit.
Lightning arrester for Alternating Current System
The IS − 3070 (1993) standard pertains to the electro technical section that deals with Surge Arresters. The section regulates identification, rating, classification and testing procedure of Arresters.
Now, let’s have a look at some of the important codes mandated by BIS for electric installations.
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IS: 1913 |
General and safety requirements of electric lighting fittings |
|
IS: 2032 |
Graphical symbols related to electrical technology |
|
IS: 3072 P1 |
Installation and maintenance of switch gear where system voltage is less than 1000 volts |
|
IS: 3106 |
Selection, installation and maintenance of fuse where system voltage is less than 650 volts |
|
IS: 3646 |
Practice for interior illumination |
|
IS: 375 |
Making and arrangement of switch gear bus bars, main connections and auxiliary winding |
|
IS: 694 P1 |
PVC insulating cables with copper conductors (for voltage up to 100 volts) |
|
IS: 4237 |
Requirements for switch gears and control gears for voltage up to 1000 volts |
|
IS: 2516 P1 S1 |
AC circuit breakers tested for voltage within 1000 volts |
|
IS: 1951 |
PVC sleeving of electrical works |
In one way or another, these safety standards come into play when laying down a home electrical setup. The rules pertaining to switch gear are among the most relevant for a general user as that’s normally the contact point for most of us. So, make sure to look for proper safety standardization when buying switches and sockets. Only buy electrical products from brands you trust.
At Schneider Electric we prioritize user safety above everything else and all our products are rated for safe operation according to the regulations laid by BIS.
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