International Copper Association India (ICA India) has conducted a national seminar on ‘Electrical Safety’ in Hyderabad March 1. Industry experts discussed issues related to Electrical Safety in the Country.
Press Release: Electricity being an essential commodity, if uncontrolled can also be a serious threat of injury to persons or live stocks, or damage to properties by fire. Even though there are good electrical standards present in India, the country still experiences high loss of lives and properties in the event of electrical hazard.
International Copper Association India (ICA India) as a part of its seminars on Electrical Safety across India,has conducted a National seminar on’ Electrical Safety’in Hyderabad on1st March 2016.The seminar helpsto outline the regulations to ensure that electrical installation safety standards are adhered and familiarize the audience with the need to follow them.
The objective of this seminar was to discuss electrical safety, to reduce the loss of lives and properties and to educate the industry professionals for using the electrical appliances safely, ICA India along with the panel of experts organised this seminar with the aim of increasing the industry professionals’ awareness of various safety measures and precautions while installing, handling, repairing or working on electrical installations and urging them to follow the revised standards.
As per National Crime Records Bureau report 2014, 11000 people died in the year 2014 due to electrocution and fire due to electrical short circuits i.e. 31 people die every day, electric defaults have been seen as the largest single reason for cause of building fires. The government of India has accorded high importance to this area. Unfortunately the poor practices, improper and weak installations, undersized and inferior quality of wires in the buildings have resulted in an increasing number of electrical accidents.
By creating awareness of Electrical Safety Practices and National Standards; strengthening periodic electrical inspection of existing buildings and licensing procedure by encouraging skill up gradation through enhanced standardized framework for certification plays a very vital role.
The seminarbrought to lightthe need for sharing information & knowledge on international experience and inclusion of certified electricians amongst industry stakeholders. The panel included industry watchdogs and expertslikeSri. J. Padma Janardan Reddy, Chief electrical inspector, govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Sri. Ramana Prasad, Chief Electrical Inspector, Govt. of Telangana, Sri. N Krishna Reddy, Chief Engineer, R N B, Sri. Chalapathi, SESenior Engineer, CPWD and Mr. Amol Kalsekar, Chief Manager – Building Wire, and Mr. Mans Kundu, Director Energy Solutions from International Copper Association India.
Over 80 delegates and other professionals including Electrical Consultant, A grade electrical contractors, State implementation bodies like Chief Electrical Inspectorates, State Public Works Department and industry experts across various industrial sectors attended the seminar and participated in the discussion.
Chief Guest Quote- Mr.J. Padma Janardan Reddy, Chief electrical inspector, govt. of AP said,“With the rising number of buildings, electrical safety awareness is becoming extremely important. Thus it becomes imperative for electrical consultants to follow certain safety rules and regulations while installing electrical equipments in residential buildings, malls, schools, hospitals etc. It is utmost priority to give attention to electrical safety during any electrical installation. It plays an important role in energy conversion process across industries.
There is an extreme need and urgency to resolve basic necessities for the right and efficient electrical infrastructure in India. This is going to be a big driver for power & electrical industry as proper skills training will ensure better wiring installations and fewer chances of accidents. With seminars like this we hope that more awareness is given to this issue and the right processes and standards are put in place’’.
Elaborating on the subjectMr. Amol Kalsekar, Chief Manager – Building Wire, International Copper Association Indiasaid,every individual involved in designing and assembling of electrical installation has to follow certain rules and regulations while installing electrical systems right at inception stage to maintain a degree of safety. The National Electrical Code issued by BIS has undergone revision considering changes in technology, practices and the pattern of usage of electricity in India.
To improve electrical safety in India, ICA India along with other industry experts wants to reach out to the electrical engineers and utilities and impart them with latest provisions in the revised National Electrical Code of India 2011, and the practice of inspecting wiring installations at regular intervals should also be implemented to curb fire accidents. There should be different inspection periodicity for each category of installation. A periodicity of 10 years may be prescribed for homes and 5 years for commercial buildings, electrical safety at the time of any electrical installation should be given utmost priority’’.
This seminar helped in providing the platform to discuss the key issues related to electrical safety in the country. It also helped in provisioning for standards and regulations of electrical infrastructures in India, share experiences international counterparts and need for regular and timely inspections.
India continues to be a consumption driven economy and to have rapid economic growth, it is important to remove the burden on India’s infrastructure which is affecting the economic growth. In doing so, the government has taken various positive initiatives to improve the energy requirements of the country. However, there is an utmost need and urgency to resolve basic necessities for the right and efficient electrical infrastructure in India.