BEAMA highlights dangers of non-compliant switchboards

A new BEAMA campaign has once again highlighted the dangers associated with use of non-compliant switchgear assemblies.

BEAMA - the UK’s leading electrotechnical industry association - has listed regulations relating to assemblies which fail to meet BS EN IEC 61439 standards.

BS EN IEC 61439 defines good practice, ensuring that LV switchgear and controlgear assemblies conform with basic safety requirements. If any assembly goes wrong, all parties involved (including users) are required to demonstrate conformance with all applicable regulations.

Demonstrating conformance after an incident is an extremely difficult and expensive task for assemblies not built and fitted to BS EN IEC 61439.

Sean Smith, Managing Director of Michael Smith Switchgear, has been pressing the case for BS EN IEC 61439 for several years. As well as through his roles with BEAMA, Sean has written articles for flagship industry publications including Electrical Contracting News, PBSI Magazine, and Electrotechnical News.

He said: “The BEAMA campaign is clear - failure to comply with BS EN IEC 61439-2 exposes every organisation and individual in the supply chain to severe consequences.

“The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 empowers the HSE to act upon any unsafe or non-compliant product - regardless of contractual obligations or expired warranties.

“Unlimited fines and imprisonment (including for senior directors) are real possibilities - especially if tragedy strikes due to faulty design or manufacture.”

The new campaign, which runs in October 2025, makes clear that there is no upper limit on fines for those who claim that a product meets industry standards when it does not.

Strong legislation is necessary because safety failures in LV assemblies can have fatal consequences. Risks include electric shock, fire, and explosion.

Sean added: “BS EN IEC 61439 was developed to raise the bar for safety and reliability across the industry and that’s why, 10 years ago, it became compulsory.

“The standard brings order, safety, and reliability to the design, manufacture, and assembly of LV switchgear and controlgear assemblies - and that’s why BEAMA is so keen to stress its importance."

BS EN IEC 61439-2 compliance is fundamental for new assemblies under UK laws including The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016). If a non-compliant switchboard fails, everyone from the designer to the installer may be forced to demonstrate compliance with every part of the legislation.

MSSL is at the forefront of industry best practices and quality standards, with Carbon Neutral status, four separate ISO certifications, nine consecutive RoSPA Gold Medal Awards, and having this year received the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.

As well as writing about critical standards in UK LV switchgear assembly manufacturing, Sean has several roles with BEAMA, including as a Board Member, representing the Building Electrical Systems sector; Chairing the LV Switchboards and Busbar Systems Group (previously known as Engineers System Product Group) and  Engineered Systems Product Group (ESPG) Management Committee; and Membership of the Executive Strategy and Low Voltage Switchboard Technical committees.

BEAMA was established as the British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers' Association in 1902 and is now the UK’s leading trade association for manufacturers and providers of electrotechnical and energy infrastructure technologies and systems.