| Full title | BS EN 50174-1:2018+A1:2020, Information technology. Cabling installation. Installation specification and quality assurance |
| Publisher | CENELEC (CLC/TC 215). Published in the UK by BSI |
| Current edition | BS EN 50174-1:2018+A1:2020, published 31 July 2020 |
| Status | Current, under review. A revision (prEN 50174-1) is in progress |
| Related standards | BS EN 50174-2, BS EN 50174-3, BS EN 50173 series, BS EN 50310, EN 61935-1, ISO/IEC TR 14763-2-1, BS 6701 |
What it covers
BS EN 50174-1 is Part 1 of the three-part EN 50174 cabling installation series. It specifies requirements for three aspects of information technology cabling:
- installation specification, quality assurance documentation and procedures;
- documentation and administration;
- operation and maintenance.
It applies to all types of IT cabling, including generic cabling designed to the EN 50173 series. Electrical safety, optical power, fire and EMC requirements are outside its scope. Part 2 covers installation planning and practice inside buildings, and Part 3 outside buildings.
EN 50174-1 is used during the specification phase and is intended to be referenced in contracts. It sets out the responsibilities of premises owners and installers separately.
Conformance
For a cabling installation to conform (clause 1.2):
- the specification of the installation must meet Clause 4;
- the installer must meet Clause 5;
- the bonding system in the premises must be in accordance with EN 50310;
- where a lightning protection system is required, it must be the integrated type to EN 62305-4 (other types are allowed only with agreed restrictions);
- local regulations must be met.
Structure and key requirements
| Clause | Content |
|---|---|
| 4 | Requirements for specifying installations, primarily for the premises owner: installation specification, technical specification, scope of work, change control, planning (segregation from power, building entrance facilities, pathways, cabinets, spaces), products and labels, operating procedures and administration, maintenance |
| 5 | Requirements for installers: quality plan, installation schedule, installation instructions, change control, documentation of the installed cabling, component acceptance, inspection and test equipment, labelling, surveys |
| 6 | Installation and operational complexity (Tables 5 and 6) |
| Annex A (normative) | Minimum requirements for technical specifications and quality plans |
| Annex B (normative) | Polarity maintenance: connecting hardware for multiple optical fibres (duplex interfaces) |
| Annex F (normative) | Sampling plans and marginal results (including non-compliant results) for balanced and optical fibre cabling |
| Annex G (informative) | Reaction-to-fire performance of cables: Euroclass designations |
Quality assurance
The owner, or a representative, writes an installation specification that includes a technical specification and quality assurance requirements. The installer provides a quality plan (5.1.2). Annex A lists the minimum content of both. Changes are managed under change control on both sides.
Documentation and administration
Clause 4.5.2 sets administration requirements, with minimum requirements for administration systems in Tables 3 and 4. Identifiers within administration systems are referenced to ISO/IEC TR 14763-2-1, and automated infrastructure management to EN 50667. Labels are covered for the owner in 4.3.4 and for the installer in 5.2.5. The installer must document the installed cabling (5.1.6).
Testing
EN 61935-1 is a normative reference for testing installed balanced cabling. Annex F sets sampling plans for balanced and optical fibre cabling to the EN 50173 series, lists the installed test parameters (Tables F.1 and F.2), and sets how marginal and non-compliant results are handled.
Remote powering
The 2018 edition revised the remote powering requirements to support power levels in IEEE 802.3bt. Table 2 defines remote powering installation categories and controls, and Figure 4 shows example labels indicating the category.
How it relates to other standards
| Document | Relationship |
|---|---|
| BS EN 50174-2 and -3 | Planning and installation practice inside and outside buildings |
| BS EN 50173 series | Generic cabling design; EN 50174-1 has specific requirements for cabling designed to it |
| BS EN 50310 | Bonding networks; required for conformance |
| ISO/IEC 14763-2 | International counterpart covering planning, installation and operation of customer premises cabling |
| BS 6701 | UK specification applied alongside the EN 50174 series |
What it means in practice
- Ask for, or provide, a written installation specification and a quality plan before work starts.
- Agree the test regime and sampling plan at specification stage, including how marginal results will be treated.
- Agree the identifier scheme and label format before installation, and hand over records that match the labels.
- Where cabling will carry remote power, specify the remote powering category and label it.
- Check cable reaction-to-fire class against the project requirement. Annex G explains Euroclass designations.
Related reading: How to read a cable test certificate · What is structured cabling?.