City Power has called for an end to the tampering of electricity infrastructure.
This comes after a preliminary investigation found that illegal and unsafe electrical connections caused the death of a Crosby couple who were electrocuted in their home.
City Power also suspected that the earth leakage of the couples electrical box was faulty or had been tampered with. According to the power utility, if there was an earth fault, the earth leakage should have tripped instead of electrocuting the couple.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said, “Communities should also stop the illegality of paying people to work on our network, as this is not only illegal in terms of the law, but also dangerous and interferes with the functioning of our circuit and customers may start experiencing surges and equipment shocking them, or lower than normal voltage.”
City Power has shared the following safety tips:
- Do not overload plug points, particularly where multiple socket extensions are used. The total load on any socket (plug) should not exceed 16 amps (or 3kW).
- Disconnect electrical appliances from the plug point before working on the appliance.
- Use electrical appliances only for the purpose for which they are intended. Do not hang damp clothing over heaters to dry, don’t use stoves to heat rooms etc
- Do not touch electrical appliances such as hairdryers while in the bath.
- Ensure that all appliances have a plug on the cord. Do not stick bare wires into the socket outlet.
- Do not interfere with the electrical wiring installation.
- Protect your installation with an earth leakage unit.
- Make sure all plugs are correctly wired.
- Ensure that your installation meets the required safety standards and if not have a certificate of compliance
- Engage a qualified electrical contractor to inspect and test your installation and give you a certificate.
