1.3.1 - The rationale for this guide

In the first section of this chapter the reason for writing this guide has been explained in general terms. Two statements in (120-01-02) point out a need for detailed guidance. They are:

1. - The Regulations are intended to be cited in their entirety if referred to in any contract.

2. - They are not intended to instruct untrained persons.

The first statement indicates the need for the Regulations to be written clearly and unambiguously, using language which will be understood by lawyers. If they were not, differences of opinion and interpretation would arise, which might not only lead to complicated law suits, but could possibly result in some unsafe installation work. This need for clarity does not always run parallel with technical clarity. The electrician, as well as his designer, if he has one, sometimes has difficulty in deciding exactly what a regulation requires, as well as the reasons for the regulation to be a requirement in the first place.

The second statement makes it clear that the legal wording of the Regulations is paramount, and that it will not be simplified to make its meaning more obvious to the electrician who is not an expert in legal matters.

The object of this Electrician's Guide is to clarify the meaning of the Regulations and to explain the technical thinking behind them as far as is possible in a publication of this size. It is not possible to deal in detail with every Regulation. A choice has been made of those regulations which are considered to be most often met by the electrician in his everyday work. It must be appreciated that this Electrician's Guide cannot (and does not seek to) take the place of the Regulation's, but merely to complement them. In some cases the 16th Edition provides detailed guidance, and where Tables  contain such information its source is given. In other cases, where no guidance is otherwise provided, the Author makes suggestions in Tables which carry no details of the source.