A glance at what you need to
keep in mind while handling or installing systems
The need for electrical safety
has become a major concern as more and more electrical accidents are being
reported. Accidents from cases often caused by poor or improper installation of
wiring and electrical systems. Electrical accidents recorded in especially
rainy season are approximately 50% more compared to other seasons. Verify these
aspects:
Meter Board
Ensure the Meter board is
placed in a dry place as exposed unprotected meter board imposes high risk of
short-circuit and fire. Also, wet areas or water logging is very risky from the
point of view of electrical leakages and impose danger. If there is any
leakage, disconnect the power supply and inform the supplier company for
immediate measures.
Suitable Earthing
Earthing is the most essential
safety requirement. Keep earthing system efficient, get if checked from
qualified reliable person, electrical leakage protection devices (RCDs) are the
best solutions to avoid any danger arising from such situation.
Appliance Safety
Check your electrical appliance
and its cord at regular interval. Replace frayed or damaged electrical cord
before it causes any fatal accidents. Never keep flammable materials near your
electrical appliances, especially in kitchen area where there is high risk of
electrical fire accident due to gas stoves/cylinders. Do not overload power
points with too many adapters.
Avoid Wet Walls
Electric shock occurs whenever
bare electric wire touches the wet wall either due to ignorance or due to
oversight. Always switch off power in the portion where the water is likely to
come in contact with electrical wire. Wear rubber soled shoes when operating
power tools. Change bare wires with proper insulated wire or apply proper
insulation over bare wire. Keep electrical appliances away from windows or
balconies.
Outdoor Wiring
Rain water may enter street
light boxes, light fittings not having appropriate ingress protection (IP). It may
lead to hazardous situation like short-circuits, flashovers and heavy
electrical leakages giving electrical shocks. Regularly check the wiring outside
the building, lamp posts in your area. Be careful of any exposed cable hanging
from the poles or trees, inform the local service provider immediately and get
it fixed.
Residential Wiring
- One
must always have different electrical installation for ceiling and higher
levels in walls
- Devices
consuming higher power or supplied by cord and plug need separate wiring
- For
plug in equipment, provisions for ELCB at sub distribution board
- Separate
circuits for kitchen and bathroom
- Each
sub circuit shall not have more than 10 points (light, fan and 6A sockets)
- Power
sub circuit designed as per load but in no case more than two 16A socket;
practice is 16A socket for RAC, cooking range, storage water heater etc.
- Common
area lighting separate
- Large
halls 3 wire control with individual and master control for effective
conservation
- Any
fire alarm/emergency lighting circuits shall be segregated from all other
cables and from each other, extra low voltage circuit like ICE must be
having separate system.
Large Buildings
- Deploy
sub distribution board (final circuit distribution board) to avoid cable
length or prevent voltage drop at more distant points (lamp and fans etc)
- Number
of sub main circuits (distribution ckt), sub distribution boards (branch
distribution boards), final circuits to loads are decided as per number of
points to be wired and load to be connected per circuit
