Accident figures 'tip of iceberg’

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 31

Accident figures 'tip of iceberg’

PA Wellington One man died and 49 other people were involved in reported electrical accidents between April and September last year, latest statistics from the Ministry of Energy show.

The chief inspector of electrical workers for the Ministry of Energy, Mr George Gardiner, said he suspected the latest figures were only the tip of the iceberg, as not all accidents were reported.

The accidents involved tradespeople and members of the public. Injuries included burns, electric shocks, eye injuries and cuts.

Mr Gardiner said members of the public rather than electrical workers were usually involved in fatal accidents. This was because the public often failed to properly maintain equipment, overlooked live overhead wires and used the wrong sort of equipment out-

doors. Illegal electrical work was often performed as well, he said. People should only replace fuselinks or fit plugs which were not connected to any fixed wiring.

There were more than 32,000 registered electrical workers, electricians and linemen, though not all of them were in practice, he said. An electrical accidents inspector, Mr John Laird, said accidents involving people within the industry were normally a result of lack of familiarity with equipment. The latest figures were about average. There were usually about 12 fatal electrical accidents a year, he said.

More occurred in summer because of increased use of electrical equipment, such as concrete mixers, outdoors.

Isolating transformers should always be used with outdoor equipment.