The mains distribution system in office furniture within the Informatics Forum
was constructed to comply with the 'Electricity at Work Regulations'.This is a
statutory requirement where failure to comply may lead to prosecution.
Electrical systems installed in or on office furniture must meet these
regulations.

In order to achieve this our furniture complies with BS6396:2002 (now
BS6396:2008) and we would like to maintain this throughout the Forum.


Please do not use your own mains distribution systems in Forum furniture which
do not comply with this standard. Whilst these systems may be acceptable for
home use, or furniture constructed prior to the current standard, we would
respectfully request that you do not circumvent the Forum specification. Please
remove any such systems and should you require extra distribution points,
consider re-routing the 6-way block generally kept in the cable tray under each
desk, or contacting technical support for an extra distribution block via the
form at:

https://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/systems/support/form/


Background to the standard:

The updated Standard was published mid November 2008 with changes to the title
and scope to include educational furniture. The 2002 version was withdrawn.


BS6396 was established to provide a specification for the safe installation and
use of electrical systems in or on office furniture, where the electrical system
is connected to the mains supply using a 13Amp plug.


BS6396 requires that all sockets installed in accordance with the Standard must
be individually fused.

BS6396 restricts the maximum number of sockets fed from a single 13A plug supply
to 6 when they are individually fused at 3.15A.

A maximum of 4 sockets may be individually fused at 5A.

Sockets installed in or on office and educational furniture are intended to
supply power to equipment whose rating does not exceed 5Amp, the maximum fuse
rating allowed in the sockets by BS6396. Most office electrical equipment will
run within the 5Amp maximum. This does not include kettles, fan heaters or
vacuum cleaners.