The extension of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) to power and communication cables (both metallic and optical) is expected to be applied by mid-2015. This means that suppliers of communication cables intended for installation in buildings must obtain a specific type (EuroClass) fire performance certification to allow cross-border distribution within the EU. This will be partly monitored through the use of CE marking. This certification will be mandatory for all cross-border shipments of cabling products within the EU, including the initial shipment. Through process management, the cabling system supplier will be responsible for maintaining a "technical library" of all certifications and test data within the EU. If cabling products introduced into the EU (via distribution) do not have the relevant certification, the responsibility for ensuring that the products comply with CPR requirements, and therefore for creating and maintaining the "technical library," will lie with the distributor making the initial import into the EU.
CE Marking and Testing
For a product to obtain CE marking according to the CPR, the following prerequisites must be met:
- A standard must exist for the corresponding product (in the case of cables, this would be EN 50575).
- The standard must be formally recognized in the EU as a HARMONIZED standard according to the CPR. - Notified bodies must be accredited by the Member States.
- Notified bodies are required for the "assessment and verification of continuity of performance."
The initial hurdle is that notified bodies must carry out the necessary testing, factory production control, and certification. Currently, no notified bodies have been established, but this may change soon.
The next hurdle is that the notified body must be an independent organization authorized by the national authorities of one of the EU Member States to perform the specific task.
Notified bodies can be "product certification bodies," "factory production control certification bodies," or "notified testing laboratories." Organizations such as Delta Laboratories also claim to be a "notified testing laboratory."
Depending on the type of fire performance declared (as defined in EN 50575), notified bodies are required for either initial testing/approval or production control review (initial review and approval, inspections, and ongoing monitoring).
Accreditation of notified bodies cannot take place until CENELEC makes the relevant standards available and harmonizes them according to the CPR.
The complete certification and labelling process is defined in the harmonised standard EN 50575, currently ratified by CENELEC and published as BS EN 50575, but it now needs to be approved by the Member States and accepted by the European Commission at one of its biennial meetings (expected, though not guaranteed, to take place in June 2015). At this point, once it is published in the Official Journal and an "applicability date" is defined, EN 50575 can be considered the starting point for the entire process for power and communication cables under the CPR.
Once the EN50575 standard is harmonised, there will be a transition period (= time for implementation) of approximately 1 year, after which CE marking will be mandatory (however, it could be extended to 36 months if the country or the possible notified bodies cannot complete the tests within the agreed timeframes).
NOTE: It will be illegal to apply the CE marking to cables that have not passed the necessary tests
Cable Classification
: The classification of fire behavior when the CPR comes into force will be based on "reaction to fire". BS EN 13501-6:2014 defines seven basic European types: Aca, B1ca, B2ca, Cca, Dca, Eca, and Fca, based on the quantified results obtained when cables undergo various reaction to fire tests. These basic normative tests are, specifically, BS EN 60332-1-2, BS EN 50399, and BS EN ISO 1716.
Therefore, this is the initial type (and the testing of sampled products during inspections) required for Classes A to E. Class A products do not burn, and Class F is the only class that does not require the involvement of a notified body, as the products are considered flammable and therefore have no associated testing criteria.
In addition, the generation of smoke (s), flaming droplets (d) and acid gases (a) are addressed in the results of other tests according to BS EN 61034-2, BS EN 50399 and BS EN 50267-2-3 respectively.
Reference standards
- BS EN 50575
Power, control and communication cables: Cables for general applications in construction sites subject to reaction to fire requirements
- BS EN 13501-6
Reaction to fire classification of construction products and building elements in Part 6: Classification according to data extracted from reaction to fire tests on electric cables
- BS EN 50399
Common test methods for cables subjected to fire. Measurement of heat release and smoke production of cables during flame propagation test. Test equipment, procedures, results.
- BS EN 60332-1-2
Tests for electric and optical fiber cables subjected to fire conditions. Vertical flame propagation resistance test for an insulated single conductor or cable. Procedure for a 1 kW premixed flame
- BS EN ISO 1716
Reaction to fire testing of products. Determination of gross heat of combustion (calorific value)
- BS EN 61034-2
Measurement of smoke density from burning cables under defined conditions. Test procedure and requirements
- BS EN 50267-2-3
Common test methods for cables subjected to fire. Tests of gases released during combustion of materials from cables. Procedures. Determination of the acidity level of cable gases from the measurement of the weighted average of pH and conductivity.
- BS 8492
Telecommunications equipment and telecommunications cabling: Code of practice for reaction to fire and fire protection
- BS 6701
Telecommunications equipment and telecommunications cabling: Specification for installation, operation and maintenance
- BS 7671
Requirements for electrical installations, cabling regulations
- BS EN 50174-1
Information technology. Cabling installation. Installation specification and quality control
Summary:
This is one of the most important, if not the most important, developments affecting the structured cabling market in Europe in the last 20 years. One consequence will be the reissue of other standards such as BS EN50174-1, along with the UK national standards BS 6701 and BS 8492, over the next few years. It will also mean that work will continue on the recently published third revision of BS 7671, the electrical cabling standard. One of the main consequences of this improved certification process should be the overall quality of products used in buildings, which we expect will, in part, mean the removal of cheap and counterfeit products from the EU market. Companies that intend to supply a range of combined products from various suppliers at low cost will now be subject to exactly the same standards and will have to follow the same procedures as leading brands. What we need to ask ourselves is whether they understand the requirements and have the necessary technical and administrative resources to comply with the regulations, which would be another reason to use a trusted leading brand like Excel Networking.
This technical report was prepared by Paul Cave, technical manager, on behalf of Excel.
