HISTORY OF WIRING REGS
The test of time The IET Wiring Regulations, or ‘Wiring Rules’ as it was first known, came into operation in 1882, and quickly became the standard for electrical installation in the UK. With the 18th Edition set for publication this month, we chart the evolution of ‘The Regs’, and the key moments in its history
1882
BY ROB SHEPHERD
1888 AND 1897 The second edition, in 1888, expanded on the success of the first with a number of new rules, while the third edition in 1897 was renamed General Rules Recommended for Wiring for the Supply of Electrical Energy. In 1889, the Society of Telegraph Engineers and Electricians became the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), and the IEE Wiring Regulations came into being.
1903 In the year of the first transatlantic radio broadcast between the US and Great Britain, the fourth edition introduced definitions of electrical equipment, as well as some rather interesting advice; Regulation 48 stated: “Fuses may be considered too large if they are not warm to the touch on full load and too small if they hiss when moistened.” It is also at this point that certification comes into play, the regulations stating that there should be a signed declaration confirming that an installation is compliant with current rules.
1907, 1911 AND 1916 As electricity became more prominent within homes and workplaces, the fifth, sixth and seventh editions were published in relatively quick succession in order to account for the plethora of new electrical products being marketed. The seventh edition made reference to electric tablecloths, which were the height of fashion at the time and lit up in the dark. With a current running through them, there is no record of what happened when drinks were spilt, although we can probably guess.
IMAGES: ALAMY, GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK
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t was the year that the Married Women’s Property Act was passed, Queen Victoria opened the Royal Courts of Justice, and Old Etonians beat Blackburn Rovers 1-0 in the FA Cup Final at The Oval – the last time an amateur team would win – but 1882 was also the year that the Society of Telegraph Engineers and Electricians published the first incarnation of the Wiring Regulations. Although it was just a simple four-page publication, its impact is still being felt today as we prepare for the impact of the 18th Edition. Let’s take a look back over 136 years of this important document.
1881 saw the first public electricity supply in the world switched on in Godalming, Surrey, where gas-based streetlights were replaced by electric versions. This event was followed the next year by the publication of Rules and Regulations for the Prevention of Fire Risks Arising from Electric Lighting. Circulated among government departments and known as the Wiring Rules, it featured just 21 items and contained the following advice: “Fuses are the very essence of safety. They should always be encased in incombustible cases. Even if the wires become warmed by the ordinary current, it’s a proof that they are too small for the work they have to do and ought to be replaced by larger wires.”
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