THE ABEL
INTERFACE
Note - This
website is currently being updated to take into account
recent changes in the Church of England rules relating to the installation of
ringing simulators in church towers.
If you are
teaching ringing in your tower and wish to permanently install a simulator,
then note that as from 1st April 2020 it is necessary to obtain
permission to install a simulator in a Church of England church.
Installing a
simulator does NOT require a full faculty, but it does require the approval
of the Archdeacon.
The wording in
List B of the Church Of England Faculty Rules relating
to the installation of a ringing simulator is somewhat unclear. Different
interpretations of the rules across different Dioceses have resulted, the main
difficulty being with the formal classification of simulator wiring and who
should undertake the installation.
I have since
studied relevant published technical standards and have consulted qualified
professional sources (many of whom are also ringers), and the Central Council's
Stewardship and Management Workgroup.
The consensus
is that for fixed simulator installations, then a qualified electrician does not
have to get involved with installation, however wiring does have to be done in
such a way as to not compromise the integrity of the building or put the PCC at
risk.
Safety aspects
of BS7671 (the electrical installation regulations) must be followed. The
regulations include choice of cable type to minimise the risks of shock, burns,
explosion and fire, but these are clearly more relevant to mains installations
and not for low voltage 'data' cables such as used in a simulator. BS7671 does
stipulate that ALL cables must be fixed in such a way as to avoid a premature
collapse in the event of fire. The way this can be achieved will vary from
tower to tower, but would probably mean the use of metal or fire retardant
clips to hold any cables in place.
Many Diocese
are now using the Church of England on-line Faculty System, and are encouraging
the use of this to record all work in towers, whether List A (items which do
not need any permission ) or List B (items which need
permission from the Archdeacon).
Here are some
things to consider when applying for 'List B' permission to install a simulator :-
--Specify a suitable place to put the
mains powered system components close to an existing mains socket in the
ringing room (These are the computer, speakers and
simulator power supply)
--Keep the power and data wiring neat, tidy and unobtrusive, and bundle with any existing cables.
--Cables must not cause additional safety
issues, eg trip hazards, so
routing them around walls where possible is advisable.
--Ground floor ringing chambers which are
in public areas of the church should remove the cables and computer when not in
use.
--Wireless systems are an alternative to
the use of visible data cables. Note that WiFi
routers are 'List A'.
--'AV' equipment such as the computer and
speakers are also 'List A' items.
--It is very unlikely that simulator
wiring will have any adverse impact on the effectiveness of lightning
protection systems, however cables should be unplugged when not in use.
If you have
any queries, then your Guild/Association may have somebody who can offer assistance, or there could even be an existing
simulator system in your area which you can visit.
Once approval
from the Archdeacon is obtained and the simulator has been installed, then the
mains powered components of the system (including the computer and speakers)
need to be adopted into the Church's electrical equipment testing procedures,
often known as PAT testing. This covers all appliances whether they are portable
or not, for example the organ blower.
The above is
not just my opinion on the matter. It has been seen by David Knight, Senior
Church Buildings Officer at The Church of England and he agrees with my
interpretation of the rules.
You can find
out more on this new requirement *** HERE ***
While the new
pages are under construction, then the previous page can be found *** HERE ***