Electricity is a very useful tool in our daily lives, however the safety aspects of it is often ignored. When all appliances and wiring are in good order, electricity is our best friend. When all is not kept in good order, it can be our worst enemy.
Do you know the condition of the wiring in your home and workplace? Are all your appliances in good order?
Simple things such as an exhaust fan that no longer works, have been known to cause a fire, when left switched on.
When electricity was first introduced to the area, many homes were wired in rubber insulated cables. These cables are now urgently in need of replacement as the rubber perishes with age, leaving bare wires exposed.
This leads to high risk of fire and risk of electrocution if a person comes in contact with the perished rubber cable.
The pictures above show the rubber insulating the cable at various stages of decay.
Notice how the rubber has fallen off exposing the conductors. This has occurred without disturbing the cable.
In areas where the cable is likely to be disturbed, the effect can be much more dramatic. We have observed bare conductors in a roof, completely covered in dry leaves ( thanks to birds nesting) which would have started a fire, had the bare conductors touched together.
Modern cables are now insulated in (TPS) Thermo Plastic Sheathing. This is not known to deteriorate with age, however rodents such as rats, possums and mice, also cause damage and may expose the conductors in the cables.
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