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Is your Electrical Consumer Unit Fire Rated?

Do you manage a number of HMO (House in multiple occupation) properties?

Have you come across the following on your FRA reports?

“The Electrical Consumer Unit must be enclosed within a 30 minute fire resisting enclosure”

This is because your current enclosure is inadequate to provide any means of fire resistance. Most of the time these electrical units are located in the escape corridor of your property right next to the exit. Therefore its absolutely vital that anyone inside can get out in the event of an electrical fire.

Timber is not suitable to provide this resistance without additional precautions and procedures. Especially MDF which Evolutions have seen an abundance of, the particulate sawdust is incapable of providing any structural fire integrity resistance.

If your enclose looks like the top picture on the left then it must be replaced with a truly fire rated alternative!

It is required to contain your electrical consumer unit to comply with IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671:2008, in particular regulation 421.1.201 which dictates;

“Within domestic (household) premises, consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies shall have their enclosure manufactured from non-combustible material, or be enclosed in a cabinet or enclosure constructed of non-combustible material and complying with Regulation 132.12.”

Evolutions Fire Protection have worked alongside our suppliers to be able to provide a service to restore compliance to HMO properties across London. Simply by installing & certifying a heavily tested fire resisting enclosure which can be seen to the right.