ELECTRICITY DANGERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21546, 18 July 1933, Page 8

ELECTRICITY DANGERS

WORK BY' AMATEURS LEGAL AND PERSONAL RISKS "The general public is not as con* versa nt as it might be with the ro* quirements of the electrical wirinz regulations," stated a letter received at yesterday's meeting of the Waits* mata Electric-Power Board from tba Public "Works Department in regard to electrical extensions and repairs carried out by unskilled and unlicensed persons. There was a crowing tendency for electricity consumers to purchase wiring materials with) the idea of installing such materials themselves.-al-though, in many cases, they had riot the requisite technical knowledge. Consumers were to an extent ignorant of the legal and physical risks incurred by their actions. Electricity, properly installed, was "absolutely safe to ui-e, but. if installed by unskilled hands it might lead to unfortunate accidents. "Legally, consumers . render themselves liable to prosecution for carrying out 'wiring work' while not being holders of licences to do so," continued the letter. A mor ( e important fact from a physical point of view was that people rendered themselves and innocent members of the household to serious personal injury. "Some rfieans should bo adopted to acquaint consumers with tho actual position into which their actions may unwittingly lead them," the letter concluded. "I do not think we can emphasis# the danger of this too much." said Air. J. Mackie. He added that the dancer lay in unsuspected places. The manager, Mr. A. Main, said tfl9 attention of consumers to the whole position would bo drawn by a printed notice on the back of demand forms,