HYDERABAD: According to the Central Electricity Authority, around 13 deaths due to electrical accidents are recorded every day, out of which 13 per cent of all fire-related mishaps start from faulty wiring. After the International Copper Association (ICA) members presented the same data at the launch of ‘Safe Wiring, Safer Buildings’ campaign here on Thursday, the chief electrical officer urged people to demand electrical inspection officers for certified licence as there are only 750 to 800 government certified electrical contractors available in the State.
The duty of electrical inspection officers include checking whether the electrical cables and wires are in good condition during construction of buildings, and thereafter approving the flow of electricity.
“Any building over 10 years of age has to be checked once every year. We also advice owners of individual buildings with five-six floors consuming below 650 volts to have metre panel rooms not in the basement but rather in the upper basement for safety measures,” said Ramana Prasad, chief electrical inspector with the State government at a round table conference as part of the campaign.
The common reasons ICA found to cause electrical fire accidents were use of spurious cables,wires, switch boards and others, poor industry practices and improper installations in buildings. Linga Reddy, chief engineer, Roads and Buildings (R and B) department and C Shekar Reddy, chairman, Hyderabad Division CII — Indian Green Building Council also spoke at the electrical safety conference.