Powerpoint next to shower

[Nathan]

I have always thought that you cannot put a powerpoint next to a shower but after seeing it a fair bit im beginning to wonder if im wrong.
From reading 6.2.2.1 (D) I thought you would have to be more than 600mm away from the side of a enclosed shower with a 1.8mtr screen however the way the pictures are drawn it makes it look like the zone is only on the door side and it now has me second guessing myself.

[DougP]

Read the 4th paragraph of 6.2.1

"Barriers, such as screens, doors, curtains and fixed partitions, that provide effective protection against spraying water may be used to limit the extent of a classified zone."

[AlecK]

The best way to work out the extent of zones when fixed barriers are involved is to apply "string measurement".
Use an imaginary\u piece of string, with one end fixed at the water inlet; and the Z1, Z2 & Z3 maximum dimensions marked on it;
and swing it around the obstruction(s) whole keeping the string taut.
each mark on the string will trace the outer limit of each Zone

Note that several of the Figs do not apply this method correctly.
But it's not the Fig that sets the requirement; it's the clause that sets the requirement - and "string measurement" fully complies with the clause.
In fact string measurement is used - by name - in the IEC Standard in which our damp situation rules are based
Ie the clause is right & some of the figs are wrong

For movable barriers, assume the closed position; ie curtain / door is pulled closed.

[Nathan]

The way I read 6.2.2.1 is as follows:
The radius from the fixed plumbing connection is 1.2 mtrs or a 1.8mtr barrier, either option marks the end of zone 1.
Both zone 1 and zone 2 extend from the floor to 2.25 mtrs high.

Therefore in my mind everything on the other side of the 1.8mtr barrier has to be within Zone 2 for the next 600mm, what im trying to work out is how the requirement for zone 2 gets switched off due to a less than a full height barrier.

[DougP]

As I said above, and Alec explained with string theory, the door or barriers limit the zone.
There's a new diagram in 3000:2018 to illustrate this.

[Nathan]

I think the main reason that im confused is figure 6.8 has a minimum height of 1.8mtrs and clearly shows the other side of the barrier being in zone 2 and appears to be correct with how I read 6.2.2.1, the same picture is also in 2018 as figure 6.11
The way that 6.2.2.1 (C) is written sounds like the barrier would have to be a minimum of 2.25mtrs to remove zone 2 completely

All the other information and pictures so far mention barriers but do not mention what height that those barriers are (other than a 1.8mtr barrier being the change between zones 1 and 2)

Sorry im not trying to be difficult with this Im just trying to wrap my head around it, sometimes it takes me a few tries

[AlecK]

The rule is in the clause, and the fig supposed to illustrate the rule. So unless the clause says "shall be as shown in Fig x"; the Fig can't be relied on in the same way as the words of the clause. Often a Fig doesn't even try to illustrate the whole rule, and (currently cited) "3010: 2005" for generating sets is a good example. The Figs for changeover switching of alternative supplies are ONLY intended to illustrate the changeover switching; they don't show all the other requirements. Three of these are copied into "3000" (as Figs 7.2, 7.3 & 7.4). Unfortunately a lot of people just "follow-the-Fig" instead of reading the clauses; so they get things wrong.

You're correct that the height mentioned in the Notes to 6.2.2.1(b) & (c)only applies to those particular clauses, ie to the Z1 / Z2 boundary.
Incidentally, a Note to a clause can't impose a condition, it can only provide explanation / guidance.
So really these should be Exceptions, not Notes.

You're right that a barrier , unlike a full-height wall / partition, can only limit one Zone; and the other Zones continue on the other side.
Para 4 of 6.2.1 provides the basis for a barrier to limit any Zone (though it doesn't set any height criteria). As you've noticed, it only limits "a" zone.
It doesn't say that there is no Zone beyond the barrier. It takes a full-height wall to do that; there's no Zone outside the room the bath / shower is in. There's a flow-on effect, but a barrier doesn't mean "no zones beyond the barrier", it just means "move to the next zone".

Similarly the Notes to (b) & (c) of 6.2.2.1 apply ONLY to theZ1 / Z2 boundary. But we can be fairly safe in assuming that we can apply the specific barrier-height measurement they provide to any other barrier used to limit any Zone near a bath / shower; especially when a similar 1.8 m is used to limit pool Zones in 6.3 . I certainly wouldn't use anything less than 1.8 m / height of fixed plumbing connection.

For the wrap-around effect; if you apply the "string measurements" to the plan view, you can't go wrong.

Looking at Fig 6.8; it's a cross-section view of a shower with water inlet on one side and a barrier on the side opposite the water inlet.
The shower's width is stated to not exceed 1.2 m.
So if the full 1.2 m; then Z1 would end as shown regardless of whether or not the barrier was in place.
But if less than 1.2 m, or if the water inlet was elsewhere - eg on ceiling or on the back wall, then the barrier, being compliant with the Note to the relevant clause, would limit Z1
And either way; Z2 continues on the other side; because there's nothing in the clauses to say otherwise.
Meaning that Fig 6.8 is correct on this point, while many of the other figs are wrong.

Many of them are also wrong on showing the wrap-around effect for full-height barriers.
EG Fig 6.9 IS correct for Z1, but not for Z2; while in Fig 6.5 there shouldn't be a step in outer edge of Z2, instead there should be an intermediate curve at 0.6 m radius).

Interestingly, the IEC Standard on which these Zones are based doesn't allow anything other than a full-height fixed partition to limit the Zones .