Office Furniture Electrical Safety
BS 6396:2008... Why it's so important to us
Electrical equipment and installations must be designed and tested to ensure their safety and to comply with statutory regulations, in particular the “Electricity At Work Regulations”. Relevant British Standards may be used as a means of demonstrating safety and compliance with the regulations. In the case of electrical systems in office furniture and educational furniture, the relevant standard for systems connected to the mains supply by means of a 13A plug is BS 6396:2008.
Electrical accessories including power modules must meet electrical standards as set out in BS 6396 as part of the requirements for overall compliance of the desk or workstation electrical system. DPG power modules are manufactured to BS 5733 with production and quality traceability to assist with ensuring compliance of completed office furniture installations.
The diagrams below indicate the maximum number of socket outlets that may be connected from a single power supply cable fed from a 13A BS 1363 plug and their relevant fuse ratings.
Sockets installed in office furniture are intended to supply office equipment with a rating not exceeding 5A. With the publication of the 2002 edition of BS 6396 all sockets installed in office furniture must now be individually fused.
Most desk based office electrical equipment will run within these constraints. Therefore the power modules should be used to feed office equipment only – not kettles, coffee makers, vacuum cleaners, fan heaters, etc.
The actual current drawn from the supply will vary depending on the precise nature of the equipment and the manufacturer. Equipment with ratings in excess of 5A must be provided with its own dedicated power feed and it is acceptable to run this through the workstation cable management system.
For compliance with the “Electricity at Work Regulations” and BS 6396 all office furniture electrical installations when completed must be tested. Section 7 of BS 6396 sets out the procedures. These tests should also be carried out on reconfigured desks and screens as well as new installations. Periodic inspections and tests must be carried out to fulfil the requirements of BS 6396 and the “Electricity at Work Regulations” in maintaining a safe working environment.
