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QR Codes have been around for 20 years and have pretty much been successfully used in special cases - scan the code to view the information or website. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the need for touchless access to information (think menus) and NHS tracking apps, the humble QR code has seen a resurgence. QR code Reader by Scan iGoogle Playstore has had more than 50 million downloads!
Can the humble QR code be paired-up with the classic distribution board and make the associated information easily available to the tech-savvy electrician?
A report by report by the Electrotechnical and Skills Partnership (TESP) estimates there are around 340,000 skilled UK electricians working in electrical companies and for other kinds of employers, such as facilities managers. Image for a moment that each one of these electricians prints 1 distribution board schedule per year. I'll leave it to you to figure out how many trees that equates to.
Imagine the paper savings, data searches and data re-capture saving for electricians if the Distribution Board information could be accessed via a QR code and a smartphone.
But what about the regs? What do BS7671, the accompaying onsite guides and CDM regulations specify?
Based on a review of the BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations and the accompanying Guidance Note 3 - there is a distinction between simple (domestic) installations and non-domestic. For simple installations, the requirement is for a durable copy of the schedule to be provided within or adjacent to the board (para 514.9). For more complex installations, Guidance Note 3 states the 'health and safety file needs to be updated' (Reg 12 of the Construction (Design and Management) 2015). Health and safety files should contain all relevant information for work - more reasons to add a QR code to the board as the relevant information can be easily made available using the QR code.
Can the humble QR code be paired-up with the classic distribution board and make the associated information easily available to the tech-savvy electrician?
A report by report by the Electrotechnical and Skills Partnership (TESP) estimates there are around 340,000 skilled UK electricians working in electrical companies and for other kinds of employers, such as facilities managers. Image for a moment that each one of these electricians prints 1 distribution board schedule per year. I'll leave it to you to figure out how many trees that equates to.
Imagine the paper savings, data searches and data re-capture saving for electricians if the Distribution Board information could be accessed via a QR code and a smartphone.
But what about the regs? What do BS7671, the accompaying onsite guides and CDM regulations specify?
Based on a review of the BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations and the accompanying Guidance Note 3 - there is a distinction between simple (domestic) installations and non-domestic. For simple installations, the requirement is for a durable copy of the schedule to be provided within or adjacent to the board (para 514.9). For more complex installations, Guidance Note 3 states the 'health and safety file needs to be updated' (Reg 12 of the Construction (Design and Management) 2015). Health and safety files should contain all relevant information for work - more reasons to add a QR code to the board as the relevant information can be easily made available using the QR code.
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