WARNING OF DANGER

Southland Times, Issue 22075, 24 July 1933, Page 4

WARNING OF DANGER

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS.

AMATEUR WORKMANSHIP.

The Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Department (Mr F. T. M. Kissell) has addressed the following letter to all municipal electricity departments and power boards throughout New Zealand:— “The Press Association has given a good deal of publicity throughout the Dominion to a recent electrical fatality in Auckland in which the use of inferior and unsuitable materials, coupled with amateur workmanship was the outstanding feature. As you are well aware, electricity properly installed is absolutely safe to use, but if installed by unskilled hands, it may, like other things improperly installed and used, lead to unfoi-tunate. accidents. It is apparent that the general public is not as conversant as it might be with the requirements of the electrical wiring regulations or of the Electrical Wriemen’s Registration Act. This is evidenced by the growing tendency for electricity consumers to purchase wiring material, such as flexible cords, switches, plugs, etc., with the idea of installing such material themselves, though in many cases they have not the requisite technical knowledge of how to go about the job. They are thus ignorant of the legal and physical risks they incur by their actions, and I am of the opinion that some means should be adopted to acquaint them with the actual position into which their actions may unwittingly lead them. Legally, they render themselves liable to prosecution for carrying out ‘wiring work’ whilst not being the holder of a license to do so, but still more important, from a physical point of view, they render themselves and innocent members of their household, liable to serious personal injury due to such wiring work having been done in an incorrect and unskilled manner.”