In April 2002, for the first time, the South African Department of Labour started carrying a series of informative safety advertisements in newspapers. Electricity is a common cause of burns, particularly with people getting electricity for the first time in their homes and not being fully aware of the dangers. Illegal tapping of electricty is lethal yet common.
Many conventional houses have false electrical compliance certificates and many also do not have an electrical earth. Scientific education in the general population is poor and people have little understanding of the dangers of overloading sockets, cutting grass with an electrical mower in the rain... or even taking an extension cable with a light on, into an outside shower!
New Electrical Inspection Authorities have been approved to investigate alleged non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, and also in terms of Electrical Machinery Regulation Number 12. Section 38 (e) of the Act prohibits interference with an inspector in his/her duties.
The Approved Electrical Inspection Authorities can be contacted on:
Johannesburg: 011 435 2030 Cape Town: 021 987 3010 Durban: 031 205 3641 Pretoria: 012 379 3666 Port Elizabeth: 041 364 2868 Klerksdorp: 018 468 8462 Welkom: 057 353 2289
The Department of Labour in Pretoria is on: 012 309 4384 / 4392 / 4394.