It is now permitted to protect cables concealed in a wall or partition by a 30 mA RCD if the normal methods of protection including use of cables with an earthed metallic covering, mechanical protection or the use of the safe zones cannot be employed.
This is just so wrong on so many levels.
So basically, what the powers that be are saying is, it doesn't really matter how you go about installing your wiring, be as messy as you like, it's OK, it's got an RCD on it.
Now you guys know what my opinion of RCD's is and I think that a clause like this in any set of Regulations, is just pure laziness.
As you mentioned Paul, RCD protection is
supplementary protection, depending on an RCD to iron out all the kinks in your poor installation is avoiding the real issues.
Finally, ever seen an RCD unit that had the mechanism freeze closed on it?, I've got one on my bench at work, it nearly killed a guy who was using an electric lawnmower.
I've yet to open it up and see what's wrong with it, it's 5 years old.
But then again, who ever tests these things months after they're installed?
