1. Protection against Electric Shock (Note: All the mentioned tables in this course refer to, unless otherwise specified, Low Voltage Electrical Installation Handbook, by Johnny C.F. Wong, Edition 2004)
(Textbook Chapter 7)

2. Introduction 3 Approaches
Combined protection against both Direct & Indirect Contact
Protection against Direct Contact
Protection against Indirect Contact

3. Combined Protection against Both Direct & Indirect Contact
By Separated Extra-Low Voltage (SELV) System
It is extra-low voltage system without connection to earth
By Limitation of Discharge of Energy
The equipment incorporates means of limiting the current which can pass through the body of a person to a value lower than that likely to cause danger
However, the open circuit voltage is not limited
E.g. equipment with power source and very high internal impedance

4. Protection against Direct Contact
By Insulation of Live Parts
By Barriers or Enclosures
By Obstacles
By Placing out of Reach
Refer to Fig. 7.5 for illustration

5. Protection again Indirect Contact
BS7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations) stipulates 5 methods of protection against indirect contact:
Protection by earthed equipotential bonding and automatic disconnection of supply (EEBADS)
Protection by Class II equipment or by insulation equivalent
Protection by non-conducting location
Protection by earth-free local equipotential bonding
Protection by electrical separation
Method 1 above is commonly adopted in HK.

6. Protection again Indirect Contact
IEC61140 classifies methods of protection into 4 types:
Class 0: by basic insulation only and no provision is made for the earthing of accessible conductive parts
Class I: by basic insulation and earthing of all accessible conductive parts
Class II: by double or reinforced insulation, and no provision is made for the connection of a protective conductor to the accessible conductive parts
Class III: by SELV supplies

7. SELV

8. Reduced Low Voltage System

9. Reduced Low Voltage System

10. EEBADS
Earthed Equipotential Bonding & Automatic Disconnection of Supply (EEBADS)
An established practice in Hong Kong
Earthed Equipotential Bonding
TT - when l.v. supply is given directly by the supply company
TN-S - allowed only when the supply transformer is owned by the consumer
Equipotential Bonding - to create an equipotential zone within reach, and all equipotential zones should be bonded to each other
Automatic Disconnection of Supply
Purpose - to limit duration and magnitude of the touch voltage (voltage that arises between simultaneously accessible exposed and extraneous conductive parts)

11. EEBADS (Cont’d) Protective device can be
overcurrent protective device (e.g. MCBs, MCCBs, fuses, etc)
residual current device (in socket outlets and where prospective earth fault current is insufficient for prompt operation)
CoP requirements differ from IEE Requirements(BS7671). We mainly focus our discussion on CoP requirements.

12. Terms for Earthing and Protective Conductors
exposed conductive parts
extraneous conductive parts A1 A2
gas pipes, water
pipes, lightning down
conductor, A/C ducts, etc B1 B2
circuit protective conductor(cpc)
supplementary equipotential bonding
main equipotential bonding
main earthing terminal
earthing conductor
earth electrode

13. EEBADS (Cont’d)
Exposed conductive parts & Extraneous conductive parts (refer to Fig. No. 11(1) of CoP)
Refer to Fig. 7.7 for installation component illustration
Earth fault loop impedance, Zs = Z1 + Z2 + ZE
where Zs = earth fault loop impedance
Z1 = phase conductor impedance
Z2 = CPC impedance
ZE = earth fault loop impedance external to the installation
For max. permissible Zs, please refer to CoP’s Tables 11(8) to 11(14) for different types of protective device.

14. Touch Voltage, Vt Earth fault current, Ia = Uo/(Z1+Z2+ZE)
Refer to Fig. 7.8 for symbols and illustration
Earth fault current, Ia = Uo/(Z1+Z2+ZE)
Vt = Ia Z2 = Z2 Uo/(Z1+Z2+ZE)
Generally, the max. disconnection time should not exceed those indicated in fig. 7.4 for the particular Vt involved,
E.g. Z1 = 0.3Ω, Z2 = 0.6Ω, ZE = 0.5Ω
Ia = Uo/(Z1+Z2+ZE) = 220 / ( ) = 157 A
Vt = Ia Z2 = Z2 Uo/(Z1+Z2+ZE) = 157 x 0.6 = 94.2 A
From Fig. 7.4, in order to avoid danger, the max. disconnection time is 0.34 s

15. Touch voltage
Fig. 7.8
Extraneous
Conductive
parts

16. General requirement for touch voltage
However, if the circuit complies with the specific requirements as laid down by the IEE Regulations or the CoP (see the following discussion), the general requirements for touch voltage are deemed to be complied.

17. EEBADS according to COP (see Table 7.14)
Socket Outlet Circuits
must be protected by a residual current device
must satisfy
Refer to Table 7.5 or CoP’s Table 11(14)
Fixed Equipment used inside Equipotential Zone
Disconnection time in case of earth fault within 5 sec.
Fixed Equipment Circuits outside Equipotential Zone or inside Bathroom
Disconnection time in case of earth fault within 0.4 sec.

18. EEBADS according to COP
Installation supplied from Overhead Line System
- must be protected by RCD and,
Distribution circuit supplying circuits for both Socket Outlets and Fixed Equipment
Equipotential bonding shall be provided at the distribution board connecting it to the same types of extraneous-conductive-parts as the man equipotential bonding.

19. Calculation of circuit impedance
Refer to Tables 7.15 to 7.17
For cable sizes > 35 mm2, reactance is taken into account
An average earth fault temperature of (70+160)/2 = 115oC is assumed for PVC copper cables used as CPC

20. Size of Protective Conductor
Method 1: Refer CoP’s Table 11(2), or
Method 2: Refer CoP’s Tables 11(3) to 11(7)
Method 2: By using formula,
where S = CSA of protective conductor
I = earth fault current
t = disconnection time
k= a factor taking account of the resistivity, temperature coefficient and heat capacity of the conductor material, and the appropriate initial and final temperatures. Values of k are given in Table 7.20

21. Types of Earthing Systems TN-S System

22. Types of Earthing Systems TT System

23. Types of Earthing Systems Combined TT & TN-S System

24. Electric Shock Protection in Locations Containing a Bath or Shower
Is of hazardous areas
In case of earth fault, equipment need disconnecting within 0.4 s, except that supplied from SELV
Local supplementary equipotential bonding is required for those parts simultaneously accessible with extraneous-conductive-parts and/or other exposed-conductive-parts.
Every switch or other means of electrical control should be inaccessible to a person using the facilities.

25. Electric Shock Protection in Locations Containing a Bath or Shower
Lampholder within a distance of 2.5m from the bath or shower cubicle should be constructed of or shrouded in an insulating material.
No stationary equipment having heating elements which can be touched should be installed within reach of a person using the bath or shower.
No electrical installation or equipment should be installed in the interior of a bath tub or shower.

26. Electric Shock Protection in Locations Containing a Bath or Shower
Divided into 4 zones, see Fig. 7.17A & B
The provision of socket outlets can be in zone 3 location (i.e. 0.6m away from shower basin or bath tub) and they should be protected by a RCD with a residual operating current not exceeding 30mA

27. To Bond or Not to Bond
To bond, one has to determine if the following 2 conditions are fulfilled together:
1. the part is an extraneously-conductive-part,
i.e. insulation to earth ≥ Ω ?
2. the part is simultaneously accessible with exposed- conductive-parts and/or other extraneously-conductive-parts,
i.e. separation distance ≥ 2 m ?

28. Extraneous Conductive Parts ?