Decision-makers need to understand reality of new legislation, says AEI Cables
Posted by: electime 21st May 2026
The reality of new legislation is hitting decision-makers in the supply chain who need to be aware of the changing landscape on a number of levels and what it means for the protection of people and property, says AEI Cables.
A range of legislation has been introduced recently which makes demands on electrical and fire safety including the Building Safety Act 2022, making new stringent requirements for higher-risk buildings which are those deemed to be of at least 18 metres in height or at least seven storeys containing at least two residential units.
Stuart Dover, general manager of AEI Cables, said: “There are lots of changes happening at the moment and those in the supply chain who make decisions on choice of cabling need to be aware of the implications of them for the projects they are working on.
“They should seek advice and ask for further information where they may need it. We are here to help and our technical team can provide guidance and direction where it is needed. This is important to raise the level of safety for everyone as standards and legislation are now being enacted and becoming a part of the decision-making proecess after the Grenfell review.”
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, residents in high-rise buildings will have more say in how their building is kept safe and will be able to raise building safety concerns directly to the owners and managers of their buildings, known as accountable persons. The accountable person(s) will have a duty to listen to them.
Duty holders such as the Principal Designer and Principal Contractor will be required to manage building safety risks, with clear lines of responsibility during the design, construction and completion of all buildings.
Other recent legislation changes include the withdrawal of BS 476 for fire testing of building materials and structural elements, phased out in favour of European standards including BS EN 1634-1 by September 2029.
AEI Cables has also been highlighting the importance of Category 3 Control fire performance cables which are identified under the revised British Standard BS8519: 2020 Code of Practice. These cables reduce harmful smoke, toxic gases and flame spread in the event of a real fire.
The guidance for Category 3 Control fire performance cables applies to evacuation alarms for the disabled in care homes, emergency voice communications systems and voice alarm systems in relevant buildings including tall buildings, office spaces, hospitals, shopping malls and stadia.
AEI Cables’ Firetec Enhanced cabling has been approved and certified by LPCB to BS8519 (Annex B), Category 3 Control in addition to Category 2 Control. The BS Code of Practice under BS8519 contains six categories of cables, three for power cables and three for control cables each covering survival times of 30, 60 or 120 minutes.
All AEI Cables’ products are supplied with approvals from independent bodies including BASEC and LPCB. It also holds approvals from organisations including Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail and LUL and works to international standards around the world.
