What Part 7 is for
The main parts of IEC 60364 describe how electrical installations should be built and protected. Part 7 deals with special locations: places where the same installation would be more dangerous because of water, damp, metallic surroundings, dust, or because the people using it are not in control of the equipment.
In a special location the standard does not replace the general rules, it adds to them. Protection against shock, the choice of equipment and the routing of cables all become stricter, and some everyday solutions are no longer acceptable. A socket outlet that would be perfectly ordinary in a bedroom can be ruled out in a wet room.
Recognising the location at the start of a design matters, because the extra measures are far cheaper to build in than to add to a finished installation. The list of locations is long and grows as new risks are understood, so a designer needs to ask early whether a space belongs on it.
Pools and fountains
Water and electricity are the classic combination the standard guards against. Around a pool, the space is divided into zones numbered 0, 1 and 2, each with its own rules for equipment and wiring.
| Zone | Where it is |
|---|---|
| 0 | Inside the basin itself |
| 1 | Around the basin, within defined limits |
| 2 | The surrounding area up to the zone limit |
Additional protection by residual current devices is a normal requirement, and the protective measures are chosen so that a fault cannot leave a dangerous voltage within reach of someone in the water. Equipment has to be suitable for its zone, which usually means a high degree of protection against water and a careful check that the fitting is permitted there at all.
Supplementary bonding of metallic parts around the pool keeps touch voltages low if a fault occurs, and the zones themselves set how far those measures extend. Fountains and water features follow similar logic, applied to moving water rather than a static basin.
Construction and demolition sites
Building sites are temporary, harsh and full of movement. IEC 60364 treats them as special locations because cables are exposed to damage, equipment is handled by many different people, and the installation changes as the work progresses.
Common measures include a higher level of protection against mechanical damage, reduced low voltage for portable tools where it is required, and residual current protection suited to the conditions. Distribution boards are expected to be robust, clearly identified and placed so that they are not exposed to the work going on around them.
Because the layout of a site keeps changing, the design has to allow for the installation to be rearranged without losing its protection. Temporary and permanent supplies should be kept distinct, so that a later change to one does not quietly undermine the other.
Agricultural and horticultural premises
Farm buildings combine water, dust and ammonia in a way that damages equipment and raises the risk of shock. The standard responds with stricter requirements for equipment enclosures, protective measures against fire, and bonding where conductive parts are within reach of people or livestock.
Because animals can be affected by currents that a person would hardly notice, the protective measures in these locations are more sensitive than those in a dwelling. The setting is a reminder that the standard is written for the weakest body in the room, not the strongest.
Fire is a particular concern where straw, feed or bedding is stored, so equipment selection and the protection of circuits near combustible material receive special attention in these premises.
Because conditions vary so much between one farm building and another, the standard leaves room for the designer to judge the measures that fit the actual use. A milking parlour, a grain store and a poultry shed do not present the same risk, and treating them alike either wastes effort or leaves a gap.
Wet places and the common thread
Between the most specialised locations sits a broad family of wet places: bathrooms, showers and similar rooms, with their own zone rules. They share the same purpose as a pool area, which is to keep water and electricity apart and to limit the voltage a person can touch. The zones in a bathroom are smaller than those around a pool, but the principle is the same, and the measures scale with the amount of water and the likelihood of contact.
The locations differ, but the logic repeats. Wherever the body's resistance falls, wherever contact with earth is likely, or wherever equipment is open to abuse, the installation has to limit touch voltage and the duration of any fault.
In practical terms that means three things: more bonding and lower impedance paths, faster or more sensitive disconnection, and equipment chosen for the environment rather than for its price. A designer who keeps those three in mind will usually reach the right measures, then confirm the detail in the relevant part of the standard. The order matters: understand the risk in the space first, then choose the protective measures, then check the paperwork. Starting from a product catalogue instead tends to produce measures that do not match the location.
Working with standards in GorkyCAD
GorkyCAD keeps the plan, the single-line diagram and the calculations in one electrical model, and includes checks against IEC 60364. Because cables, devices and boards draw on the same data, a change made for a special location, such as a larger protective conductor or a different device, is reflected right across the project.
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FAQ
What counts as a special location?
A place where conditions make an ordinary installation more dangerous, such as pools and fountains, construction sites, agricultural buildings and the other areas listed in the special-location parts of the standard.
Do special locations replace the general rules?
No. They add to them. The general protection rules still apply, and the special-location measures make them stricter for the conditions found in that place.
Why are residual current devices so common here?
In wet or damp conditions the body's resistance is lower, so a small fault current can be dangerous. A residual current device disconnects quickly at currents an overcurrent device would never notice.
Does the location change the equipment I can use?
Yes. Equipment has to suit the zone and the environment, including its degree of protection against water and dust, and some ordinary fittings are simply not permitted.