“Further, BIS has also defined multiple standards on the fire-safety requirements starting from the construction of the building to the selection of various components and design considerations… the public should also be sensitized frequently on the cable requirements in commercial/public spaces”
Cable Application Standards in India
LAPP India
India has made sufficient progress on standardizing the cables with BIS that have been defined for most of the critical applications such as – house wires and HT cables with respect to safety and performance.
Since the legislation continues with the changing environment as well as evolving technological needs, we are sure that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will take timely cognizance of the regulatory as well as the safety requirements in these new applications and it will release necessary standards from time to time as and when it is required.
Fire-Safe Cables by the Company and the Manufacturing Capabilities
We have a range of wires and cables being able to withstand temperatures range from +70°C to fire survival cables which can withstand 950°C for 90 minutes. Many of the cables intended for the infrastructure segment are flame-retardant, low smoke and halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) cables meeting the various standards of IEC, EN as well as IS standards from BIS.
Market-Potential of Fire-Safe Cables in India
The flame-retardant, low smoke as well as the halogen-free cables have huge market potential and it is just the adoption from the Infrastructure market to these types of wire and cable to ensure the safety of the occupants of the premise.
Today’s infrastructure market or any public places demand the use of FRLS (Fire retardant low smoke) cables and HFFR cables as a key prerequisite. To understand the importance of these cables, it is important to note that the cables are insulated with organic polymeric compounds which are halogenated products containing chlorine, bromine and fluorine. When the wires are exposed to heat, the insulation starts to decompose, releasing dense toxic smoke which causes asphyxia for the occupants in the building and to address this issue, the cable industry has introduced different types of fire-resistant cables. They are fire-retardant cables, FRLS cables, low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) cables and fire survival (FS) cables. It is always advisable to use these types of wires in the home.
Cost-Effectiveness of Fire-Safe Cables
When it comes to safety of life and valuable assets, we should see wires and cables as an investment. Through constant innovation, research, and development, we are committed to manufacture safe solutions; and as operations expand, the cost of production also optimizes.
When choosing a wire and cable partner, we should give precedence to features and safety rather than the associated cost.
Efforts Undertaken to Educate the Consumers
Being a German multinational, LAPP has always been concerned about the safety requirements and hence all of our cables are designed with flame-retardant properties. We always advise customers to look at the safety and performance first rather than on the cost. At LAPP, we constantly design our products to meet and exceed all the regulatory standard requirements to ensure better safety. Even during our customer interaction, we always emphasize on the safe design and safety of the occupants and the valuable assets within the premise. We have been emphasizing on the use of flame-retardant, low smoke, halogen-free cables for all the enclosed areas. We conduct specialized training for our customers on the requirements of fire-safety, design considerations, product selection and compliance to regulatory requirements relating to fire safety.
Government’s Focus and Efforts to Raise Awareness
The Central Government is taking necessary steps from time to time to make changes in the legislation and ensure that proper precautions are taken at both the – design and construction levels, including the wires and cables. This promises minimal damage in case of a potential fire hazard in an enclosed space.
The National Building Code also details the different fire zones and precautions that need to take while designing and constructing a building. Further, BIS has also defined multiple standards on the fire-safety requirements starting from the construction of the building to the selection of various components and design considerations keeping the fire-safety in mind.
Though various agencies and fire department also conduct frequent safety audits, the public should also be sensitized frequently on the cable requirements in commercial/public spaces and should be encouraged to follow the guidelines.
