C’ssion seeks legal backing to stop sale of inferior electric gadgets
The Energy Commission is seeking legal backing to stop the proliferation of substandard and fake electrical materials and accessories on the local market.
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The acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Mr Michael Opam, who made this known, said the bill which is currently being drafted would empower the commission to stop the sale of substandard electrical materials such as wires, sockets and switches.
Mr Opam was speaking at the electrical wiring certificate award graduation ceremony in Accra for professionals and inspectors who have passed the certification examination under the electrical wiring programme.
He said even though the Electrical Wiring Regulations 2012 (L.I2008) existed, it only prohibited the use of substandard materials and accessories by electrical practitioners but did not give the commission the authority to stop the sale and confiscation of substandard materials on the market.
The L.I 2008 is designed to guide electrical professionals who engage in electrical wiring and installation works in the performance of their duties and to ensure safety of lives and property.
The certification programme was instituted by the Electrical Wiring Regulations 2012 (L.I2008).
Graduation
Eight hundred and seventy-one candidates who passed the examination were presented with certificates at the ceremony, qualifying them as certified electrical wire professionals (CEWPs). Seven others who qualified as certified electrical wiring inspectors (CEWI) were also awarded certificates.
The examinations are in three categories: industrial wiring, commercial wiring and domestic wiring. The CEWPs are, therefore, certified to do domestic, industrial and commercial wiring.
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This brings to 2,000 the number of CEWPs and 26 certified electrical wire inspectors since the passage of the Electrical Wiring Regulations L.I2008.
Advice
Mr Opam advised the graduates to work professionally by refraining from shoddy works and avoiding illegal connections.
The Board Chairman of the Energy Commission, Dr Kwame Ampofo, urged the graduates to differentiate themselves from quack practinioners by ensuring the safety of the public.
The Lead Officer for the Electrical Wiring Programme at the commission, Mr Solomon Sarpong, observed that a monitoring team noticed some anomalies during an inspection on some installations by certified electricians and inspectors.