The Lemon Fool

I just bought a bunch of mains cable connectors, and they came with a stamped designation that they met BS 5733. Having nothing better to do, I looked up this mysterious standard and discovered that:

BS 5733 specifies requirements and tests to check the safety in normal use of electrical accessories which are not covered by other specific British Standards

Well, ring my chimes. A catch-all clause that covers anything that might have been forgotten by all the other standards.

I presume BS 5733 is used for basic, mega-simple stuff like cables and junction boxes that damn well shouldn't go wrong unless somebody's made a serious manufacturing cock-up? I suppose, though, that it could stop ultra-cheap gear from the dodgiest cheapskate locations from getting put into decent gear?

Would be interested to know what else BS 5733 applies to?

Cheers

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:Would be interested to know what else BS 5733 applies to?

My up-to-date copy of the wiring regulations is in the car and it is chucking it down, but I have the 17th edition in front of me. It refers to BS 5733:1995 in three places:

530.4.2 Socket-outlets, connection units, plate switches and similar accessories shall be fitted to a mounting box complying with BS 4662 or BS 5733 and with BS EN 60670-1.

559.6.1.1 At each lighting point one of the following shall be used:
...
(vi)A plug-in lighting distribution unit to BS 5733
...

TABLE 53.2 Guidance on the selection of protective, isolation and switching devices
Device: Plug and socket outlet
Standard: BS 5733
Isolation: Yes(3)
Emergency Switching: No
Functional Switching: Yes

(3) Device is suitable for on-load isolation, i.e. disconnection whilst carrying load current.