XN000022-1984-05-04 — Page 12

FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1984

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AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD DRAW UP A CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE CONTRACTING INDUSTRY TO USE AS BASIC STANDARDS FOR ALL ELECTRICAL WIRING INSTALLATION WORK, AND IT WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE SUITABLE TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR APPRENTICES OR UNSKILLED WORKERS WHO MAY WISH TO BE REGISTERED.

ON THE PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR BOTH LOCALLY MANUFACTURED AND IMPORTED ELECTRICAL FITTINGS, APPLIANCES AND DEVICES IN THE INTERESTS OF SAFETY, MR OSBORNE SAID ABOUT HALF THE 54 ELECTROCUTIONS RECORDED BY HIS DEPARTMENT OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAD BEEN DUE TO UNSAFE ELECTRICAL WIRING, APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES.

STATISTICS FROM THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT ALSO SHOWED THAT ROUGHLY 2 000 FIRES A YEAR WERE OF ELECTRICAL ORIGIN.

+A HIGH PROPORTION OF THESE FIRES ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY DUE TO SUBSTANDARD ELECTRICAL FITTINGS, APPLIANCES AND DEVICES,+ MR OSBORNE SAID.

+THOUGH HUMAN ERROR WILL ALWAYS PLAY A PART IN ELECTRICAL MISHAPS, A GREAT DEAL CAN BE DONE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM THE HAZARDS INHERENT IN SUBSTANDARD ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.+

HE SAID THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PROPOSALS WOULD TAKE SOME TIME AND, INITIALLY, WOULD INVOLVE A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE VARIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR LOCAL INDUSTRY, THE AVAILABILITY OF TESTING FACILITIES, THE ASSESSMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND THE SELECTION OF STANDARDS.

+I AM CERTAIN THAT YOUR ASSOCIATION WILL, IN DUE COURSE, PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE INTRODUCTION OF THESE STANDARDS,+ MR OSBORNE SAID.

+HOWEVER, IN THE INTERIM PERIOD, BEFORE THE ENACTMENT OF NEW REGULATIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF YOUR MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVED IN IMPORTING ELECTRICAL GOODS WHERE PRACTICABLE, EQUIPMENT AND APPLIANCES OF AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED STANDARD ONLY SHOULD BE IMPORTED.+

IT WAS EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS TO USE IN ALL BUILDINGS WIRING INSTALLATIONS, CABLES, WIRING ACCESSORIES OR OTHER APPARATUS WHICH WAS CAPABLE OF MEETING ACCEPTABLE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS.

+YOUR CONTRACTING MEMBERS SHOULD FAMILIARISE THEMSELVES WITH RELEVANT STANDARDS AND TEST CERTIFICATE PROCEDURES AND SHOULD DEMAND PROOF FROM THE SUPPLIERS WHEN NECESSARY,+ HE SAID.

SELF-REGULATION IN AVOIDING THE IMPORTING, SELLING AND INSTALLING OF SUBSTANDARD ELECTRICAL FITTINGS, APPLIANCES AND DEVICES WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS RESOLVING THE PROBLEM.

IT HAD ALREADY PROVED MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE TOWN GAS AND LPG INDUSTRY, SO HE SAW NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD NOT BE EQUALLY SUCCESSFUL IN THE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY, MR OSBORNE SAID.

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