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Electrical inspectorate to clamp down on inferior fittings
Given the incidence of fires, the Government Electrical Inspectorate (GEI) plans to work with several agencies to minimize the use of inferior fittings in the construction of homes and buildings.
Arnold Barclay, Chief Electrical Inspector, dismissed the notion that all electrical fires are caused by the electricity supplier, Guyana Power and Light Inc., noting that there are cases where inferior electrical fittings are used.
“There is a myth out there that once there is a fire in a building it is electrical in origin. This is the reason why we are embarking on this programme to eliminate the causes of fires through fake materials,” Barclay stated.
Explaining the process of certification of electrical materials, Barclay noted that before the items can be sold on the market, the electrical items are examined by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) to establish proper labelling.
He said that the labels help GNBS determine that the items are safe to be used.
“These materials are to be tested, listed and labeled for the intended purpose by a recognized body. In Guyana, materials are being sold at various stores and they are not listed, they are not labeled and they are not marked. This does not ensure that these materials are used for the intended purpose,” Barclay noted.
Barclay pointed out that electricity produces heat and if a cable is not tested, labeled and marked, it shouldn’t be used indoor, because there is no guarantee that the cables would withstand the amount of current it is intended to be used for, and that could cause a serious problem.
Arnold Barclay (right) and Joseph Peters
Joseph Peters, an electrical inspector at the inspectorate, has seen some of the inferior items being sold in stores.
“We are talking about electrical receptacles that you would find in a regular home…panels, cables among other things that we will use in our homes on a daily basis. Practically the entire Guyana is exposed to this regularly. By the labeling on these articles we will be able to recognize which laboratory tested them and approved them for the purpose for which they would be used,” Peters stated.
He noted that the electrical installation must be undertaken by someone who is a certified electrical contractor, and that is versed with the governing codes.
“Nobody wants to know that when they are finished building a home it is destroyed by electrical fire. It is advised that what you use is certified,” Peters emphasised.
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