COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s electricity sector regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) recently analyzed the data on electrocutions for the five-year period from 2008 to 2012 and found that on average 180 non-fatal electrocutions take place in households in a year.
A pilot survey conducted by the PUCSL found that the highest number of electrocutions has been recorded in the Katugasthota Police Area and about 36 percent of the electrocutions were due to non-availability or non-operability of Residual Current Devices (RCDs) in domestic dwellings.
It has been found that only about half of the consumers are equipped with the Residual Current Devices (RCD), which trip a circuit under dangerous conditions, instantly disconnecting the electricity.
“Trip Switches are used to provide protection against the specific dangers that may arise in electrical installation including protection against indirect contact, supplementary protection against direct contact and protection against fire and thermal effects where the domestic safety entirely depends on the availability and the operability of the trip switch,” the study pointed out.
Hence, PUCSL conducted a comprehensive survey to check household safety in five areas namely Colombo North, Galle (both CEB & LECO), Jaffna, Nuwara Eliya and Anuradhapura. The survey was based on the statistical samples obtained from domestic electricity consumers of Consumer Service Centers (CSCs) of five licensee areas based on the electricity consumption.
Accordingly PUCSL found out that availability of Trip Switches in domestic dwellings is about 90 percent but only 86 percent is operated properly.
The survey also said Trip Switches with correct sensitivity is around 86 percent while only 52 percent of the Trip Switches are tested in every two months intervals.
Based on the findings, PUCSL made recommendation to electrical workers, licensees and households to be more cautious when fixing of standard Trip Switches in Electrical wiring Installations in dwelling and made it compulsory, where licensee was asked to make sure Trip Switches are in place at the time of new supply connection as well as when Revenue Meter Reader visits the house.
PUCSL also advised the users to press the trip switch test button regularly (at least once two months) to check that its mechanism is free and functioning.
