Can internet optic fibre be installed in an electrical wireway?

[Dave A]

I have a cable tray running through the roof of my unit carrying the main supply electrical cables to all the other units in the block.

With the advent of fibre internet connectivity, ISPs have been running fibre in this wireway - some of it in conduit, and some of it just the the fibre cable.

SANS 10142-1 has the following:

6.4.1 Positioning

A cable shall not be run

b) in the same wireway as the cables or wires of telecommunication, radio
and signalling circuits that are not covered by this part of SANS 10142,

Given that fibre is not an electrical conductor and does not suffer from electro-magnetic interference, is it permissible that internet fibre be installed in this electrical wireway?

[Isetech]

The way we would normally do it, screw nuts onto the threaded rod and fit a new cable tray below the power tray.

One of the factories I work, we have all the CCTV, network and power cables in the same cable tray, The power cables are all strapped on the left of the tray, the CCTV and network cables are on the right of the tray, they are about 200 mm apart.

We did a lot of multi service wireway installation at Alusaf Hillside smelter, we used P8000 and P 9000 next to each other, to separate the services.

The reality is that Cable trays are used for multiple services, you will find a lot of factories, with power, network, control, air lines and even some have water services on the same cable tray. If you had to try enforce no other services on a wireway (cable tray) , you might find yourself spending the rest of your career just going around reporting non compliant wireways.

Look at the solar industry, you have everything in some of those wireways, from AC and DC, network cable and range of voltages, Imagine trying to fix that mess.


3.85wireway open or enclosed route or support such as a rack, tray, ladder, ducting, trunking, sleeving or conduit that is intended to contain conductors or cables

NOTE A wireway can consist of one or more separate wireway channels, each of which is intended for different services such as installation wiring and telecommunication wiring.

6.4.2 SeparationWhere cables and wiring have to be kept separate, as in 6.4.1(b), barriers shall be used at cross-overs, junctions and terminations. In service tunnels and large wireways, barriers need not be used if the circuits can be kept separate, even when the wiring is being worked on.

[GCE]

I have a cable tray running through the roof of my unit carrying the main supply electrical cables to all the other units in the block.

With the advent of fibre internet connectivity, ISPs have been running fibre in this wireway - some of it in conduit, and some of it just the the fibre cable.

SANS 10142-1 has the following:

6.4.1 Positioning

A cable shall not be run

b) in the same wireway as the cables or wires of telecommunication, radio
and signalling circuits that are not covered by this part of SANS 10142,

Given that fibre is not an electrical conductor and does not suffer from electro-magnetic interference, is it permissible that internet fibre be installed in this electrical wireway?

Technically - the statement " are not covered by this part of SANS10142 " and therefore I would say no

Practically - There will be no inference which is what 6.4.1 was all about and the reason we may not run a cable next to telecoms - unfortunately it does not say that the fibre guys cant run next to cable in his regulation

[Isetech]

This is why it is a good idea to for people to communicate prior to installation, however we have the same problem with the gas industry, the network and CCTV industry, alarm industry, plumbers, water treatment industry, refrigeration industry.

One of the properties where we have another COC issue ( I am at the point where its time to go pirate again for a couple years, stop wasting time registering with crap like the DOL and "doing the right thing"). The alarm guys have drilled holes in the conduit and pulled alarm wire in the switch conduits and out the switch to keypads and door contacts , nothing surprises me anymore.

The reality is nothing is going to change, how does that saying go, dont worry about things you cant change, just turn a blind eye and move on.

The old SABS regs were designed for a system were people were held accountable for their actions and qualified to perform the task at hand. Its time to wake up and just smile when you see silly things going on around you.

What is the worse that can happen, someone will call and ask you to go back and fix something you did wrong? Big deal, you go back do the absolute minimum and move onto the next project, like I said its a numbers game, chances of getting caught maybe 1 % , if you can get away with 99% , you ar eon a winning streak, look at the solar industry, you worried about a silly fibre cable on a cable tray

[AndyD]

I would take a step back and question if a fibre optic 'cable' actually falls into the definition(s) of a cable in the regs... it defines multiple subsections of cables and chords and even wires by characteristics and a fibre optic cable would not fall into any of them. Cable by name does not make it a cable...cable by nature maketh a cable therefore I would respectfully disagree that 6.4.1. even applies to fibre optic cable.

[Dave A]

Taking a close look, I rather suspect the greatest risk to anything is mechanical damage to an unprotected optic fibre cable if someone dragged a 25mm x 4 core cable through the wireway.

[Isetech]

It boils down to budget.

The budget doesnt allow for infrastructure installations, add the lack of expertise and you get what you see.

Just like on domestic installs, the cable is buried just below the grass, when we cut the cable (which happens a lot), the customer pays because they just want the internet to work, they dont care how it is installed or if it is done right.

[Jan_vd_Bosveld]

I'd recommend keeping the fiber optic cables separate from the electrical cables to avoid any potential issues and ensure compliance with regulations.