Combating shoddy electrical accessories: Energy Commission to deploy test vans

The Energy Commission of Ghana will from June next year deploy field test vans to clamp down on substandard electrical cables and accessories that end up on the Ghanaian market.

These specialised vehicles would be furnished with equipment to conduct field testing of accessories such as sockets, electrical cord extension, switches, lump holders and residual devices, among others, in the presence of the suppliers and dealers. 

This will be done by employing a joint-task force to inspect markets and shops selling these accessories to check if they meet the Ghanaian standards.

The Project Coordinator of the Energy Commission, Stephen Yomoh, who disclosed this, said the commission was also developing a mobile application to verify if those cables and accessories were compliant with the law of the country.

Legal framework

Mr Yomoh was speaking at a stakeholder meeting to solicit inputs on broad guidelines to help in the implementation of the Electrical Wiring Cables and Electrical Wiring Accessories Regulations Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2478.

The stakeholders included representatives from the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association, Association of Certified Electrical Wiring Association, Ghana Association of Inspectors, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), among others. 

Context 

Last year, parliament passed the Energy Commission Electrical Wiring Cables and Electrical Wiring Accessories Regulation, 2023, L.I. 2478, to ensure that only safe electrical cables and electrical wiring accessories, which meet the standards set by the Ghana Standards Authority, are available for sale in the country.

This is because regulation 4 of the existing L.I. (Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2011, L.I. 2008) which requires a person to use materials approved by the GSA for electrical wiring in Ghana did not make provision for the regulation of the importation, manufacture or sale of electrical wiring cables and electrical wiring accessories. 

The guidelines, which are currently being developed by the commission, are to guide persons in the business of importing, selling and manufacturing of electrical wiring cables and electrical wiring accessories.

Guidelines 

Aspects of the guidelines cover the registration of importers and manufacturers, issuance of conformity certificates and the enforcement of the new L.I. through the test vans, among others. 

Mr Yomoh, who is also an Assistant Manager of the Energy Commission, underscored the importance of the new guidelines in ensuring the safety of Ghanaians who relied on electrical systems. 

“With over 80 per cent of Ghanaians having access to electricity, the need for stringent regulations has never been more pressing,” he said. 
On importers and manufacturers, he said, the Energy Commission would establish a registration portal for them to register in order to operate, adding that they would be issued with certificates upon registration.

Aside from that, he said both importers and suppliers would be required to issue certificates indicating compliance with the Ghana Standards Authority requirements. “This will help buyers know that the materials they are purchasing meet the safety standards,” he explained.

On goods that enter the country through unapproved routes, Mr Yomoh said the commission might not always detect them before they reached the shelves but with the deployment of the surveillance vans, the commission would actively test the items on the shelves to get rid of them. 

“Ultimately, our goal is to protect lives and properties in a country where electricity plays a crucial role in daily life,” he added.