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"One Call" A U Sparky Pty Ltd.
Master Electricians.
Admin: (07) 3200 7111,
Workshop: (07) 3382 7355
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Downlights! The new rule book highlights minimum requirements.

Downlights and Recessed Lights.

Statistics are showing a very alarming high rate of fires caused by incorrectly installed Down lights.

The latest wiring rules highlights correct installation and required distances to prevent fires.

Australian Wiring Rules AS/NZS 3000:2007. Section 4.5.2.3 Recessed Luminairs.

Fig 4.7 Default Minimum Clearances for Recessed Luminaires.

These clearances must be maintained unless the light fitting comes with documentation showing that insulation or building materials can be closer, this documentation must be kept.

There are several light fittings that are available suitable to be used with insulation such as fibrous bats or mats but loose, Blow in, Insulation can move and you cannot guarantee the depth of insulation so we believe you must use a suitable barrier to maintain minimum distances in these cases.

3. in Qld it is a requirement now for all new homes to have insulation so if your Electrician installs a down light or recessed light they MUST make sure it will meet these standards.

It is the responsibility of your electrical contractor to make sure your lights they install meet these standards.

Feel free to take the time to talk to our Team about your project before starting.
Best regards
Les, A U Sparky team leader.

Extract from DEIR Electrical Safety.

http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/electricalsafety/workaround/downlights/index.htm

Insulation installers, and downlight dangers

The Electrical Safety Office, fire safety and other electrical safety regulators across Australia have ongoing concerns about building fires caused by heat from recessed lighting setting fire to building material and other materials.

Recessed downlights which operate at very high temperature are of particular interest.

If thermal insulation is installed too closely around these lights, or they are installed too close to combustible material, it could cause a fire. Combustible material can include things like leaf litter which blows into roof spaces.

Transformers which supply the lighting can also suffer excessive temperature rise if covered by thermal insulation.

The new Wiring Rules AS/NZS 3000:2007 have responded to this problem with specific new provisions on the precautions that must be taken for recessed luminaires including downlights.

The revised Wiring Rules require that, unless a recessed luminaire is specially designed and certified by the manufacturer with specific installation instructions for use in close proximity to combustible materials, it must be installed with the default clearances and precautions detailed in the Wiring Rules.

Some things to consider

• Where loose fill insulation is used, fire-resistant barriers must be used to ensure safe clearances are maintained between the insulation and the light.
• Where there is a risk of combustible material such as leaf litter, debris or vermin gathering around a recessed light, extra protection must be used to prevent the risk of fire.
• Following any work in the roof space, ensure that safe clearances are maintained between the recessed lights, transformers and thermal insulation and combustible material.
• Unless the design of a recessed light provides otherwise, when these lights are installed there must be a safe clearance between the recessed light and thermal insulation and combustible material such as building structural members.
• Always engage a licensed electrical contractor for any electrical work.

Contact your licensed electrical contractor or the Electrical Safety Office on 1300 650 662 for further information.

Obligation of insulation installers under the electrical safety legislaiton

The Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (DEIR) is responsible for administering the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (the Act) and the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (the Regulation) which form part of the electrical safety regime in Queensland.

Insulation supplier/installers in Queensland have obligations under the Act to ensure that their business or undertaking is conducted in a way that is electrically safe (section 30 (2) of the Act).

Section 30 of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 ‘Obligation of employer or self-employed person’

(1) This section applies to an employer or self-employed person.

(2) A person to whom this section applies has an obligation to ensure that the person’s business or undertaking is conducted in a way that is electrically safe.

(3) Without limiting subsection (2), the obligation includes—

(a) ensuring that all electrical equipment used in the conduct of the person’s business or undertaking is electrically safe; and

(b) if the person’s business or undertaking includes the performance of electrical work, ensuring the electrical safety of all persons and property likely to be affected by the electrical work; and

(c) if the person’s business or undertaking includes the performance of work, whether or not electrical work, involving contact with, or being near to, exposed parts, ensuring persons performing the work are electrically safe.

Penalties for failure to discharge obligations under the Act range from 500 penalty units or six months imprisonment to 2000 penalty units or three years imprisonment when breaches cause multiple death.

A penalty unit has a dollar value determined by the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General. At the date of publication, the value of a penalty unit was $100. Under the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992, if a corporation is found guilty of an offence, the Court may impose a maximum fine of an amount equal to 5 times the maximum fine for an individual.

Thermal insulation standards for insulation installers

The requirements for insulation installers are specified in the standardfor thermal insulation of dwellings AS/NZS 3999:1992 -Thermal insulation of dwellings – Bulk insulation – Installation requirements.

This Standard draws attention to special features such as electrical cables and electrical equipment and places requirements on insulation installers regarding these features.

Limits are prescribed for electrical cables and bulk insulation in sections 2.6.2.1 and 2.6.2.2. Thermal insulation is not to be placed around electrical equipment and built-in appliances unless assurance has been first obtained from the manufacturer that their safe operation will not be jeopardised by the proposed placement of thermal insulation (sections 2.6.3 and 2.7).

Updated wiring rules covering downlights

The Wiring Rules AS/NZS 3000:2007 require that electrical contractors take special precautions where thermal insulation is of a type that is not fixed in position, e.g. loose fill. A barrier or guard constructed of fire resistant material is to be provided and secured in position to maintain the necessary clearance.

The fire resistant barrier or guard may be a commercially available device (including ones manufactured specifically for the light fitting used), or a barrier made of material that will prevent the down-light or transformer from transferring a dangerous level of heat to surrounding insulation, and which will itself withstand the heat of the down light or transformer.

Once a fire resistant barrier is selected, it should be installed around the light fitting (and transformer where relevant) in such a way that there is limited movement, allowing the required distance between the insulation and the light fitting to be maintained.

Default minimum clearances for recessed luminaires (Wiring Rules AS/NZS 3000:2007)

The 2007 edition of the Wiring Rules detailing the requirements for the installation of recessed luminaires can be accessed at the SAI Global web site (non-Queensland Government site):

For further information contact:
Electrical Safety Office
1300 650 662

Last updated 13 March 2009

Example of a safety cover. more information to come.

Loft Covers

The TENMAT Loft Cover is a fire resistant product that overcomes thermal and vapour transmission into loft voids when installing recessed lights. The Loft Cover maintains sufficient space around the fitting to allow continuous insulation to be laid directly over light fittings without overheating or damage. The durable and lightweight covers are simply placed over the light fittings to eliminate thermal loss and condensation on roof timbers. The Loft Covers help to meet Building and Insurance Regulations.