An Electrical Contractor at Wenchi in the Bono region, Thomas Gali, has called on the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to recommend to government the rewiring of all public buildings which are more than 18 years old to prevent them from catching fire.
Electrical Contractor - Thomas Gali
According to him, the call has become necessary following the recent report by the GNFS on the number of fire outbreaks recorded across the country.
Over 50 fire outbreaks have been reported in the last few days, with the Job 600 building fire and Zongo Lane fire in Accra being the most recent ones.
He said any renovation done on any public building in the country must also go hand-in-hand with its rewiring, particularly when the building has existed for over 18 years.
He stated that his company is preparing to organise a workshop to update the knowledge of users of cables, especially on the need to choose the right and quality cable for wiring to ensure their safety and that of property owners in the Bono region.
Speaking to JoyNews at Sunyani, Mr Gali said stakeholders in the electrical industry must step up public education for property owners and electrical contractors to ensure the use of the right cables for wiring to prevent fire outbreaks.
He appealed to all property owners to change their wiring systems at least every 20 years.
This will ensure the efficiency of the systems and the safety of all electrical cable users.
Mr Gali, therefore, urged electrical contractors to insist on using the right cables to work for their clients.
He added that “property owners should also patronise quality cables instead of the inferior ones, which often leads to fire outbreaks.
He further observed that electrical faults cause most fire outbreaks due to the use of inferior cables.
Mr Gali also encouraged Ghanaians to rely on local manufacturers for quality electrical cables instead of patronising imported substandard ones, which could lead to fire outbreaks.
"Electrical cables are high-risk goods, that is why, we keep advising people to desist from patronising substandard ones.
The price may seem cheaper to them, but the risk involved in using inferior cables to wire premises is life-threatening, so let us all say no to inferior cables," he advised.
He said the fight against substandard electrical cables and accessories should be a collective responsibility.
Credit: Nestor Kafui Adjomah