Category: MK Electric Compliance with Part M Building Regulations
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Compliance with Part M - Building Regulations
Part M
The introduction of Part M has brought to the forefront of electrical
contractors and designers minds the Building Regulations and their
requirements. All building work must comply with the regulations under
the Building Regulations of 2000, as amended for Part M by Statutory
Instrument 2692 under the Building (Amendment) Regulations 2003, the
legislation covering England and Wales, but not Scotland and Northern
Ireland.
It was introduced under powers given by Parliament under the Building
Act of 1984. Section (1) (1a) of this act states that Building
Regulations may be made for various purposes including health, safety,
welfare and convenience of building users, the conservation of fuel and
power, and the prevention of contamination of water supplies.
As the Building Regulations are made under an Act of Parliament, failure
to comply, be it the company or individual carrying out the work, or the
person ordering the work, is a criminal offence and could lead to
prosecution.
The Building Regulations are a set of minimum requirements, to aid the
understanding of the requirements Approved Documents are published.
The Approved Documents are not the Regulations, they are produced to
provide guidance on common situations and address the provisions for
satisfying the requirements. How the requirements of Part M should be
applied may be subjective due to the large scope of Approved Document M.
The previous edition of the Approved Document was titled “Access and
Facilities for Disable People”, disabled has now been removed and
Approved Document M is titled “Access to and Use of Buildings”. This
applies to access and use for all building users, but primarily deals
with those that are disadvantaged through disability.
An understanding of the requirements will depend upon an individuals
appreciation, definition and understanding of the term disabled, in
previous editions of the Regulations the term “Disabled People” was
defined as people who have an impairment that limits their ability to
walk or which requires them to use a wheelchair for mobility or people
who have impaired hearing and sight.
This definition has now been removed and many of the requirements also
take into account people with limited dexterity and reach. Part M is
separated into 4 sections, M1 includes parts concerning the electrical
installation.
Part M - Access to & Use of Buildings
Access & Use:
M1 Reasonable provision shall be made for people to
(a) gain access to, and
(b) use the building and its facilities
This requirement does not apply to:
(a) an extension of or material alteration of a dwelling
(b) any part of a building which is used solely to enable the building
or any service or fitting in the building to be inspected, repaired or
maintained
Installations
As above the guidance for meeting the requirements of Part M can be
found in the associated Approved Document M. This sets out a number of
design considerations and the provisions for meeting them.
The following are extracted from the Design Considerations, and are
relevant to switches, outlets and controls:
4.25 The key factors that affect the use of switches, outlets and
controls are ease of operation, visibility, height and freedom from
obstruction. However, there will be exceptions to height requirements
for some outlets, e.g. those set into floor in open plan offices.
4.26 A consistent relationship with doorways and corners will further
reinforce the ease with which people manipulate switches and controls.
4.27 All users should be able to locate a control, know which setting it
is on, and use it without inadvertently changing the setting.
4.28 Controls that contrast visually with their surroundings are more
convenient for visually impaired people, as are light switches that are
activated by a large push pad. The colours red and green should not be
used in combination as indicators of ‘on’ and ‘off’ for switches and
controls. It may be useful to use text or a pictogram to clarify the
purpose and status of multiple switches and controls.
4.29 It is also an advantage if individual switches on panels and on
multiple socket outlets are well separated, or in the form of large
tough plates, to avoid the inadvertent selection of an adjacent control
by visually impaired people and people with limited dexterity.
The Provisions for meeting the Design Considerations are provided in
Section 4.30 (a-m). A number of these items concern the mounting heights
of accessories and are shown on the diagram below.
Provisions for the format of accessories include:
Pull cords for emergency assistance alarms are coloured red and fitted
with two red 50mm diameter bangles to aid use, at 100mm and between
800-1000mm from the floor.
Light switches for use by the general public have large push pads.
Lighting pull cords should be fitted with a 50mm diameter bangle set
900-1100mm from the floor that visually contrasts with its background
Switched socket outlets indicate whether they are ‘on’.
Front plates contrast visually with their backgrounds.
Visually Contrast is given as the difference in Light Reflectance Value
between two surfaces. Approved Document M calls for a 30 point
difference in LRV’s, in this instance creating a contrast between an
electrical accessory and the surface upon which it is mounted.
As per Design Consideration 4.29, switches on panels and multiple socket
outlets should also be well separated or in the form of large push pads
to prevent the inadvertent selection of an adjacent control.Full details
can be found in Part M and Approved Document M.
For further information visit www.opdm.gov.uk
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The Arnold Centre
Paycocke Road
Basildon
Essex
SS14 3EA UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1268 563000
Fax: +44 (0) 1268 563405
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