Fire Accidents Due to Electrical Code Violations Essay

Fire Accidents Due to Electrical Code Violations - Essay Example The foremost activities of National Electricity Energy Board encompass electrical installations. It requires immense care procedures to be followed to prevent accidents caused by electricity. Although the electricity codes are followed but some violation of this, results in the fire accidents accounting for 3-4% of annual accidents. On analysis it was theoretically postulated that the causes of these accidents could be eliminated in 90% situations (Comini, R., Pontorieri, L., Fanello, G, 1989). Electrical appliances are designed to carry elated load. The current carrying capacity of every instrument or machine is limited and defined depending upon the size and material of which it is made and also on the type of insulation and manner of installation. If they are compelled to carry loads greater than their capacities they will overheat. The excess current will heat the electrical conductors and a point is reached where they will break causing fire hazard. It first causes the insulation to bur, exposing live parts (Martin and Walters). The fatalities in which electricity according to CFOI and SOII data, shows that 2,287 U.S. workers died and 32,807 workers persistently stayed away from work due to electrical shock or electrical burn injuries between 1992 and 1998 (Cawley, Homace, 2003). Major groups were sorted out to categorize electric fatalities: 1. Industries: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) inspected at Progressive processing of Ohio Steel Firms and found OSHA violation. The fatality encompasses entangled employee's clothing in rotating part of the machine. There was not only willful violation of the machine guarding regulatory standards but also found that steel processing firm failed to protect the hearing loss (Smith, S, 2003). 2. Construction Industry: 44% of electrical fatalities occurred in the construction industry (Cawley, Homace, 2003). 3. Overhead power lines caused 41% of all electrical fatalities (Cawley, Homace, 2003). Case: A tree lopper received a fatal electric shock when carrying out vegetation control work from the bucket of an elevated work platform. His pole mounted chain saw contacted 22,000 volt power lines (Electricity related serious accidents and fatalities). 4. Electrical shock caused 99% of fatal and 62% of nonfatal electrical accidents (Cawley, Homace, 2003). Case: An electrical contractor was electrocuted when he mistakenly identified a power circuit cable and isolated the wrong circuit when checking live cable junctions in a roof space (Electricity related serious accidents and fatalities). Case: A person was electrocuted