Indian Standards

On
Fire and Electrical Safety

A K Purohit, Scientist E
Bureau of Indian Standrds
Bhubaneswar
Electrical and Fire Safety
Why ?
■ LIFE SAFETY
■ PROPERTY PROTECTION
 Electrical Accidents-Statistics

••25% of all fires occur due to electricity

•About 25 deaths per day due to electrocution (India)
(2011)
•42 % of total fires occur due to electrical sources
•8% deaths that occur in Indian factories are due to
electricity
How Standards can help
■ Incorporating safety features in product
while defining product characteristics
■ System safety
◻ Defines best practices on Dos and Do Not
◻ Best practices in Industry
◻ Experience
 ELECTRICAL SAFETY
■ Energy usage in the modern world is predominantly in
the electrical form due to the advantages offered by it
in ease of generation, transmission and ultimate
application as compared to other forms of energy.

■ Use of electricity has changed our life. Although it is

of paramount importance in our day to day life , it
brings with it associated hazards arising out of various
factors.

■ Safety is of paramount importance during generation,

transportation and final usage of electrical energy and
the associated installations.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY (Contd)
■ Working with electricity can be dangerous.
Engineers, electrician, and other professionals
work with electricity directly, and including
working on overhead lines, cable harnesses,
and circuit assemblies. Others such as office
workers and sales people work with electricity
indirectly and may also be exposed to electrical
hazards.

■ The hazards can be in the form of electrical

shock, burns or fire.
Hazards
Application of a safety standard is intended to
reduce the risk of injury or damage due to :

■ electric shock;
■ energy related hazards;
■ fire;
■ heat related hazards;
■ mechanical hazards;
■ radiation;
■ chemical hazards.
Electric shock
■ approximately half a mili-ampere can
cause a reaction in persons in good health
and may cause injury indirectly due to
involuntary reaction.
Energy related hazards
■ may result from a short circuit
◻ burns;
◻ arcing;
◻ ejection of molten metal.
Fire
Measures to reduce risks include:
■ providing overcurrent protection;
■ using constructional materials having appropriate
flammability properties for their purpose;
■ selection of parts, components and consumable
materials to avoid high temperature which
■ might cause ignition;
■ limiting the quantity of combustible materials used;
■ shielding or separating combustible materials from likely
ignition sources;
■ using ENCLOSURES or barriers to limit the spread of
fire within the equipment;
■ using suitable materials for ENCLOSURES so as to
reduce the likelihood of fire spreading
■ from-the equipment.
Heat related hazards
◻ burns due to contact with hot accessible parts;
◻ degradation of insulation and of safety-critical
components;
◻ ignition of flammable liquids.
■ measures to reduce risks include
◻ taking steps to avoid high temperature of accessible
parts;
◻ avoiding temperatures above the ignition point of
liquids;
◻ provision of markings to warn USERSwhere access
to hot parts is unavoidable.
Mechanical hazards
◻ sharp edges and corners;
◻ – moving parts which have the potential to cause
injury;
◻ – equipment instability;
◻ – flying particles from imploding cathode ray tubes
and exploding high pressure lamps.
■ measures to reduce risks include:
◻ rounding of sharp edges and corners;
◻ guarding;
◻ provision of SAFETYINTERLOCKS
Radiation
◻ sonic (acoustic)
◻ radio frequency
◻ infra-red
◻ ultraviolet and ionizing radiation,

■ measures to reduce risks include

◻ limiting the energy level of potential radiation sources;
◻ screening radiation sources;
◻ Provision of SAFETYINTERLOCKS
◻ markings to warn USERS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
EQUIPMENT—
SAFETY—GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
■ IS 13252 (Part-1) :2010 / lSO/lEC 60950-1 :2001
■ Applicable to
◻ standard is applicable to mains-powered or battery-
powered information technology equipment,
◻ electrical business equipment and associated
equipment, with a RATED VOLTAGE not exceeding
600 V.
IS 616 2010 - Audio, Video and Similar
Electronic Apparatus - Safety
Requirements
■ Equivalent to IEC 60065 : 2005
UPS
■ IS 16242 : Part 1 2014 -Uninterruptible
Power Systems (UPS) Part 1 General and
Safety Requirements for UPS
■ Equivalent to IEC 60240-1 : 2008
Compulsory Registration
Scheme
■ Department of Electronics & Information
Technology (DeitY) has notified
"Electronics and Information Technology
Goods (Requirement for Compulsory
Registration) Order, 2012 – 15 products
■ Subsequent Order on 13 Nov 2014. – 15
products
Features of Registration Scheme
■ no person shall manufacture or store for sale,
import, sell or distribute goods which do not
conform to the Indian standard specified in the
order
■ Manufacturers of these products are required to
apply for registration from Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) after getting their product tested
from BIS recognized labs.
■ Self Declaration of conformity – no inspection
Product Covered under Compulsory
registration Scheme
Safety of
Household
Electrical
Appliances
■ General
Requirement
■ Particular
requirement
Safety of Household and similar electrical
appliances
■ IS 302 / IEC 60335 - Safety requirements
for household and similar electrical
appliances.
◻ Part 1 : 2008 General Requirement
◻ Part 2 Particular requirements (parts 2 contain
clauses to supplement or modify the
corresponding clauses in part 1)
■ Section 1 – appliances 1
■ Section 2 – appliances 2
■ ……..
Safety of Household and similar electrical
appliances IS 302 / IEC 60335
■ Safety of electrical appliances for
household and similar purposes, their
rated voltage being not more than 250 V
for single-phase appliances and 480 V for
other appliances
■ does not take into account
◻ use of appliances by young children or infirm
persons without supervision,
◻ playing with the appliance by young children
Safety of Household and similar
electrical appliances
■ Protection against electric shock (class 0 to class 3)
■ Marking
■ Temperature Rise
■ Operation under Overload conditions
■ Electrical Insulation and Leakage Current at
Operating Temperature
■ Moisture Resistance
■ Abnormal Operation
■ Construction
■ Internal Wiring
■ Radiation Hazards
Different Class of Appliances based on
Protection against electric shock
Class 0
■ These appliances have no protective-earth
connection and feature only a single level
of insulation between live parts and
exposed metalwork
■ If permitted at all, Class 0 items are
intended for use in dry areas only
Class 1
■ appliances must have their chassis
connected to electrical earth
■ A fault in the appliance which causes a
live conductor to contact the casing will
cause a current to flow in the earth
conductor
Class 2
■ Class II or double insulated electrical
appliance is one which has been designed
in such a way that it does not require a
safety connection to electrical earth
(ground)
Class 3
■ Class III appliance is designed to be
supplied from a separated/safety extra-low
voltage power source.
 Safety in Electrical Installations
Scope of ET 20:
■ To prepare standards for safety and related
matters in designing, erection and maintenance
of electrical installations from the point of view of
safety and good engineering practice that would,
amongst other things, promote compatibility
between such standards and those concerning
the equipment installed
■ Need to lay down rules and inform good
practices
■ The Indian Electricity Rules, 1956, contain
specific regulations to be adhered to in the
supply and use of electrical energy.
■ Central Electricity Authority (Measures
relating to Safety and Electric Supply)
Regulations, 2010
■ Nevertheless, there are several areas
which need elaboration and
complementing.
 Safety in Electrical Installations
(Contd)
■ The work includes electrical installations in
buildings for different occupancies and
outdoor sites of temporary or permanent
nature
■ National Electrical Code (NEC) dealing
with electrical installations falls under the
scope of this committee .
 NEC 2011

◻ elaborates the IE Rules/ safety reg. which are

statutory in nature
◻ serves as a comprehensive document on
electrical practices in India
◻ provides information in a consolidated form to
electrical engineers and contractors in the
country who are concerned with the design
and operation of electrical installations.
National Electrical Code (NEC) 2011

■ Indian Electricity Act, 1910

■ Indian Electricity Rules, 1956
■ Need was felt to elaborate upon these
regulations since the agencies involved have
varied practices
■ In order to rationalize these practices, India’s
first National Electrical Code, formulated in 1985
NEC 2011
■ compendium of several well established
codes of practice
■ The code complemented and elaborated
on the Indian Electricity Rules, 1956
■ Electricity Act 2003
■ Energy Conservation Act, 2001
NEC 2011
■ Electrical Installations Sectional Committee,
ETD 20
■ All material, accessories, appliances etc., used
in an electrical installation should conform to
Indian Standards wherever they exist
■ Electrical installation should be carried out in
accordance with the Indian Electricity Rules,
1956
■ Intended to be advisory
Scope of NEC 2011
■ Standard good practices for selection of
various items of electrical equipment
■ Recommendations concerning safety and
related matter
■ General safety procedures and practices
in electrical work;
■ Additional precautions for special
environmental conditions like explosive
and active atmosphere.
 NEC APPLIES TO:
■ Standby generating plants
■ Building substations
■ Domestic dwellings
■ Office buildings
■ Shopping and commercial centres
■ Institutions
■ Recreation and other public premises
■ Medical establishments
 NEC APPLIES TO:

■ Hotels
■ Sports buildings
■ Industrial premises
■ Temporary and permanent outdoor installations
■ Agricultural premises
■ Installations in hazardous areas
■ Solar Photovoltaic installations
 NEC DOES NOT APPLY TO:

■ Traction, motor vehicles, installations in rolling-

stock, on board-ships, aircraft or installations in
underground mines
■ Systems of distribution of energy to public
■ Power generation and transmission for such
systems
■ Guidelines on the payment for electrical work
done in installations
National Electrical Code
(Contents)
NEC contains
8 Parts and
30 Sections
 NEC CONTENTS
■ Part 1 General and Common Aspects
■ Part 2 Electrical installations in stand by generating
stations and captive substations
■ Part 3 Electrical installations in non-industrial
buildings
■ Part 4 Electrical installations in industrial buildings
■ Part 5 Outdoor installations
■ Part 6 Electrical installations in agricultural premises
■ Part 7 Electrical installations in Hazardous area
■ Part 8 Solar Photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems
Part 1 General and Common Aspects
Section 1 Scope of the National Electrical Code
Section 2 Definitions
Section 3 Graphical Symbols for Diagrams, Letter
Symbols and Signs
Section 4 Guide for preparation of diagrams, charts &
tables, and marking
Section 5 Units and systems of measurement
Section 6 Standard Values
Section 7 Fundamental principles
Section 8 Assessment of General Characteristics of
buildings
Section 9 Wiring Installations
Section 10 Short Circuit Calculations
 Part 1 General and Common Aspects
Section 11 Electrical aspects of building services
Section 12 Selection of equipment
Section 13 Erection and precommissioning testing of
installations
Section 14 Earthing
Section 15 Lightning protection
Section 16 Protection against voltage surges
Section 17 Guidelines for power factor improvement
Section 18 Energy Efficiency aspects
Section 19 Safety in electrical work
Section 20 Tables
 Alphanumeric Notation, Graphical
Symbols and Colours

Phase 1 L1 Red

Supply ac Phase 2 L2 Yellow

systems Phase 3 L3 Blue
Neutral N Black
Part 1 Section 7 Fundamental principles

■ Distance from Electric lines

■ Lighting and ventilation(Section 14)
■ Heat Insulation
■ Lifts and Escalators
■ Locations and space for Electrical
Equipment
■ Design of electrical installation-protection
for safety, other factors
 Layout of the Sections/Parts
■ Switchgear for Control and Protection
■ Building Services
◻ Lighting
◻ Air-conditioning
◻ Lifts
■ Fire Protection
■ Testing of Installation
■ Miscellaneous Provisions
 NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE
◻ Contains guidelines which can be adopted
immediately
◻ Harmonized with corresponding IEC standards
◻ Gives reference to related Indian standards
◻ Code is intended to be advisory
◻ Code is not mandatory
◻ Should be adopted in interest of safety and
economy
◻ Keep our electrical installation practices at par with
the best national and international practices
How a wire are drawn and how they are connected in a T joint
Recommended Fire Protection by NEC 2011
 NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE
SP 30 : 2011 NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE

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Fire safety
Fire Safety

■ On an average 300 deaths per year

■ Huge property losses
■ About 69% fires are caused by
electricity
■ More prevalent in high rise building
NBC 2005
■ The main purpose
of building codes
is to protect public
health, safety and
general welfare as
they relate to the
construction and
occupancy of
buildings and
structures
NBC

■ Birth of NBC1970
■ First Revision of NBC1983 (after 13 years)
■ Second Revision of NBC-IV 1997 ( after
14 years)
■ 3rd Revision of NBC 2005 (after 22 years)
National Building Code 2005
■ Construction –In all Sectors of
Development.
■ Planning Commission –A need felt for in-
depth Study, Reason & its Justification.
■ Linkage-Latest Technology V/S Outdated
Byelaws
■ Resulted in the Evolution of NBC.
Applicability of the code
To Service as model for adoption by
■ Public works department, other government
construction departments and other construction
agencies.
■ To be adopted by State Government / local
bodies
■ The building code becomes law of a particular
jurisdiction when formally enacted by the
appropriate governmental or private authority.
Classification of Building in NBC
2005
■ Group A Residential
■ Group B Educational
■ Group C Institutional
■ Group D Assembly
■ Group E Business
■ Group F Mercantile
■ Group G Industrial
■ Group H Storage
■ Group J Hazardous
PART 4 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY
■ Deals with Safety from Fire.
■ Exits in Building V/S Importance of Life Safety.
■ Involvement of Qualified & Trained Fire Protection
Engineers from the very beginning.
■ Standards Laid Down to provide safety from fire.
■ Potential Panic Hazard –measures to minimize Panic
hence control on accidents.
■ Flexibility V/S Rigidity.
■ Limitation of Height and areas of Building for Occupants
Safety.
■ Phasing out of Ozone Depleting Substance-Under
Country Program.
■ New standards have been already developed and put in
place for Halonalternative clean agents.
Fire Safety
■ IS 13694:1993 – Fire Safety in Iron and Steel
Industries
◻ Blast Furnace
◻ Steel Melting Shop
◻ Coke Oven
◻ Re-heating furnace
◻ Hot Mill (rolling mill)
◻ Fire detection and alarm system
◻ Fire extinguishing system
IS 3594 : 1991
■ CODE OF PRACTICE FOR FIRE
SAFETY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS:
GENERAL STORAGE AND
WAREHOUSING INCLUDING COLD
STORAGES
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Thank You