Navigating new waters
Continuing our commitment to all corners of the sector, SELECT has collaborated with other organisations to produce a new guide to electrical safety in the aquaculture industry
Electrical safety in the aquaculture industry might seem like a niche topic, but it’s one that’s still important to a number of Members, so we have spent the past few months compiling an authoritative code of practice.
Conceived and written in conjunction with the Aquaculture Safety Group (ASG) and Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), the guide is the result of extensive consultation and work by many parties, including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The result is believed to represent the best advice currently available and a source of reference for both aquaculture organisations and electrical contractors.
Providing guidance on how to comply with the law regarding electrical safety, i.e. the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the guide is designed to supplement the requirements of the current edition of BS 7671: 2018.
Areas covered are:
Power supplies – connection to public and shore-based supplies, local generation and batteries
Voltages – reduced low voltage (RLV) and multi-voltage generators
Protection against electric shock – protective earthing, protective equipotential bonding, automatic disconnection of supply and RCDs
Protection against environmental conditions – ingress protection, equipment construction, installation methods and fixings
Cabling – SWA cables, PVC insulated and sheathed multi-core cables and submarine cable connections
Isolation – arrangements for maintenance, emergency switching and functional switching in line with BS 7671
Socket-outlets – suitable devices for RLV and height and location of installation
Portable tools and appliances – the importance of battery-powered handheld power tools
Lighting – suitable luminaires, floodlighting, hand lamps and power supply
Battery-powered equipment – radio communication equipment, solar panels and wind turbines
Navigational lighting – which appropriate authority to consult with
Maintenance – maintenance programmes, inspections, testing and risk assessments.
Available as a free download, the 20-page digital PDF is aimed at those responsible for the design, maintenance, selection of materials and methods of construction for electrical installations on and about aquaculture facilities, including sea and inland water fish farms. Although it does not directly apply to land-based fish farms, it contains useful guidance that could be considered by those working on such installations.
The new guide can be downloaded at bit.ly/aquaculture_guide
