Monday Musing
[ M Doley ]
Every now and then, we hear news of deaths due to electrocution, while doing maintenance works.
In October this year, two workers of the Tawang electrical division died by electrocution, while they were repairing a transmission line. There was another report of death of a staff of the power department due to electrocution in Longding district in 2020.
As per the Central Electricity Authority’s electrical accident data, electrocution caused deaths to four people in Arunachal Pradesh during 2021-22. Also, five non-fatal electrical incidents had occurred during that period. During the previous year (2020-21), six fatal electrical incidents had occurred, the data showed.
According to NCRB data, more than 12000 people die every year due to electrocution in India.
Workers may be exposed to safety hazards, when they come in contact with live electric wires at sites. It can cause burns, shocks and even death. Hence, taking precaution is a must when working with electricity.
Electrical incidents can be prevented by strictly following the general operating procedures as most of the electrical fatalities occur due to lack of knowledge, inadequate or faulty safety gear, faulty equipment, negligence etc. Installation, maintenance or repairing works should only be allowed to do by trained or qualified workers with strict adherence to safety measures.
The state’s power department lacks a proper standard operating procedure (SOP) for electrical maintenance works as stated by the Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the power department. The DCM asked the department to work out a proper SOP to prevent such accidents and casualties during maintenance works. Though late, this will save many lives, if implemented sincerely.
Expressing concern over the reported deaths due to electrocution, he said that such incidents shouldn’t occur in the age of advanced technology.
Besides, electric short-circuits are found to be one of the major causes of house fires in Arunachal. This man-made tragedy can be prevented, if we follow certain basic safety precautions.
Electric short-circuit can occur due to damaged wire, loose connections, use of sub-standard appliances, overloading etc. Loose connection produces sparks which can result in fire when a ready source of fuel is present.
As most of the houses in rural areas in the state are made of bamboo and toko leaves, which are highly prone to fire, the people must take utmost precautions while handling electrical appliances, fire and fireplaces to prevent mishaps.
If fire burns a house, it not only devastates an infrastructure but also destroys all treasured belongings. It causes irreversible damages.
Since most of the fire incidents are caused by human error, negligence and carelessness, it is everyone’s responsibility to exercise care in preventing fire incidents.
