Best Practices for Routing and Protecting Industrial Cables

If the necessary standards of safety, uptime, and regulatory compliance are to be achieved across UK facilities, industrial cables must be appropriately routed and protected. 

Effective cable management is a cornerstone of strong operations at a wide range of premises. As part of this, all industrial wiring must adhere to BS 7671 (otherwise frequently referred to as “the IET Wiring Regulations”) to combat the risks of fire and electric shock. 

In this guide, we’ll set out practical, standards-aligned guidance for engineers, maintenance teams, and facilities managers that need to plan, install, and maintain durable cable systems.

1. Planning The Route Thoroughly Before Installation 

The process of routing industrial cables should always begin with careful and well-thought-out planning. This ought to encompass such elements as: 

• Mapping cable paths, taking into account load paths, maintenance access, future expansion, and avoidance of high-risk areas like heat sources or traffic zones. 
• Minimising sharp bends, respecting manufacturer-specified minimum bend radii. This is typically six to 12 times’ the cable diameter, depending on type; it is crucial to never kink or over-stress cables. 
• Choosing routes that reduce exposure to risks and issues like mechanical damage, vibration, abrasion, or chemicals common in factories. 

Good planning of the route of industrial cables helps shorten installation time, enhance safety, and ease future modifications. 

2. Adhering To Accepted Best Practices for Cable Routing 

When engineers get underway with the routing in earnest, the following approaches will further help them gain the best results from their cabling: 

• Segregating services. Keeping power, control, and data cables separated helps minimise interference and simplify fault-finding. To this end, engineers may use separate trays or segregated compartments in multi-tier trays. 
• Supporting cables at regular intervals using appropriate fixings to prevent sagging and mechanical fatigue. Saddles, clips, or tray dividers can help maintain neat runs and ensure chafing doesn’t occur. 
• Avoiding unnecessary joints. Any responsible engineer must be mindful that each joint is a potential failure point. Where joints can’t be avoided, professionals should use approved glands and enclosures rated for the environment. 

3. Protecting Cables from Mechanical and Electrical Threats 

Cables must be able to withstand tough and abrasive industrial environments. This necessitates engineers adopting the following approaches to cable protection: 

• Choosing the right cable construction. In areas with mechanical risk, armoured or steel-wire armoured cables should be used. Fire-sensitive areas, meanwhile, may call for the selection of low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) sheaths. 
• Using appropriate containment. Cable trays, ladders, and conduits can provide invaluable mechanical protection, in addition to making inspection easier. Where cables pass through walls or floors, fire-rated sleeves may be installed. 
• Incorporating other physical guards. Engineers and maintenance teams need to consider how cables can be protected from forklifts, cranes, and other traffic; potential solutions include bollards, raised trays, and dedicated cable tunnels. It is also crucial to keep cables away from hot surfaces, chemicals, and sharp edges. These tips help in identifying and preventing mistakes in engineering projects.

Well-Planned And Executed Cable Routing Will Be Time Well-Spent 

Whatever the nature of the given industrial operation where cables need to be routed and protected, it is well worth taking the time and care to get these arrangements right. Such effort will ultimately bring great benefits in reliability and peace of mind. 

By applying the aforementioned guidance alongside the latest British Standards and the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE)’s codes of practice, engineers and associated personnel can ensure compliant and resilient installations.