Safety, fire & security - Assurance and approval
In this special feature Jeremy Hodge, Chief Executive of Basec, explains all there is to
know about the organisation, and why he believes BASEC approved cabling is a must for the electrical sector
The British Approvals Service for Cables (Basec) is a recognised sign of assurance of independent cable testing and approval.
A non-profit making Government-nominated body, Basec has for more than 30 years been a mark of reassurance to those specifying cable.
A leader in product certification services for electrical cables, data and signal cables and ancillary products, Basec has a reputation for quality, clarity and ensuring safety in cables.
All products are rigorously tested to meet necessary and appropriate British, European and international standards through detailed examination of manufacturers' production processes and controls, and regular product testing.
As outlined below, Basec offers a range of services in product approvals and certification, systems assessment and certification, auditing for process capability in cable making and independent testing and reporting in the event of disputes:
- Product approvals - manufacturers submit each cable type put forward for Basec approval for a full range of tests to check the products comply with national and international standards. Only after Basec has also verified that a cable manufacturer has the facilities, processes and the capability to make good cable is a license awarded, permitting the manufacturer to display the Basec mark on their products. Each approved cable is then regularly retested by Basec to ensure ongoing conformity.
- Systems assessment and certification - here Basec operates individual or integrated management system assessment schemes, leading to the company issuing management systems certification. The Basec schemes are designed to assess an organisation's general ability to produce goods and services consistently to specification and customer requirements, in a safe manner and with due regard to environmental needs.
They include:-
- Quality management systems to ISO 9001
- Environmental management systems to ISO 14001
- Health & Safety management systems to OHSAS 18001
Audits where more than one of these is employed may be conducted individually or on an integrated basis.
- Certificate of Assessed Design - Basec offers a Certificate of Assessed Design for new concepts where no national or international standard yet exists. In this instance a manufacturer's or user's/other specification may be used as the baseline specification, which Basec may review to ensure that current industry requirements, e.g. particular test methods, are incorporated as appropriate.
- Independent testing and reporting in the event of disputes - this enables an interested party to have a cable independently tested. This service allows reports to be issued regarding a cable and its conformity to a specification, but no right to use a Basec mark is awarded. Forensic investigation can often assist in cases of cable failure or for product selection.
Basec approves to many national and international cable standards
Basec offers product approval to a wide variety of cable standards, and also offers bespoke approvals for products where standards do not yet exist.
The main group of standards are British cable standards. These include BS 6004, BS 6231, BS 6500, BS 7211, BS 5467, BS 6724, BS 6622, BS 7629-1, BS 5839-1 and many others.
Basec also offers approval to European (Cenelec, harmonized) standards, to international (IEC) standards, and to sector standards (e.g. TIA). It can also approve to other national standards, such as Irish, Malaysian, etc. Basec is a member of the HAR scheme for harmonized cables made in Europe.
All approvals follow the same approach. Each approved product is subject to a high level of product testing, manufacturing assessment and ongoing surveillance, in accordance with Basec's scheme rules and regulations.
Who tests the cables?
Basec employs a number of laboratories to conduct testing of cables, to ensure the products sent to us undergo fully independent test procedures using the latest equipment and technology.
In support of this, the assessors make visits to clients and prospective clients' manufacturing plants to monitor the whole process. Only by checking processes at first hand can we ensure that systems are inherently reaching relevant standards.
It is also possible for assessors to witness testing at manufacturers' premises where suitable facilities are available.
The assessors are highly skilled, experienced engineers and auditors who possess extensive in-depth commercial and industrial knowledge.
They have a reputation for being highly professional and rigorous and are responsible for approving Basec's highly respected certification. They need to be fully aware of the latest standards and test criteria and what they mean in the UK, across Europe and worldwide.
Only cable marked with the Basec name is Basec approved
It is a common misunderstanding that a cable is compliant with standards or even Basec approved just because the supplier claims it has been produced to a particular standard.
Cable marked with only a standard number should be treated with caution. It is probable that nobody independent of the manufacturer has examined that cable, and the claims made may be unreliable. Only cable marked with the Basec name is Basec approved, by demonstrating its compliance to the required standards.
Cable standards not only specify the dimensions and materials of a cable, they also require that a range of specific tests are undertaken to prove the construction and performance. Many non-approved cables have not been subject to the required tests.
What's the difference between Basec and BSI?
The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the body which co-ordinates the writing of standards for cables and other electrical and electronic systems in the UK. Basec works closely with BSI's cable committees in the development of standards. For example, it is responsible for drawing up a standard for a specific reason, say to ensure a cable meets certain fire performance criteria and how it needs to perform in the event of a real fire. Assessors from Basec will then ensure the cables which manufacturers would like to be approved as meeting that standard do, in fact, achieve the standards' criteria through testing the product and the manufacturing process.
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