With effect from February 25, 2015, any electrician who undertakes electrical wiring services without a certificate from the Energy Commission (EC) will be prosecuted, an official of the Commission has indicated.
As the Commission seeks to fully enforce the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2012 (LI 2008) from that date, offenders of the law will be liable to a fine of 250 penalty units (equivalent of GH¢6000) or two years’ imprisonment or both.
The Public Affairs Manager of the Commission, Mr Victor Owusu, who made this known to the Daily Graphic, said the initiative was to ensure that electricians provided quality electrical wiring services and prevented fire outbreaks.
In line with the certification process, and to ensure compliance of the law, the EC has begun the conduct of professional examination for electricians in the country.
The second examination took place at the Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC) last Saturday.
Candidates
The examination, which was written by 362 candidates from various parts of the country, will lead to the award of Electrical Wiring Certificate, and grant holders the legal right to undertake electrical wiring services in the country.
The Greater Accra Region topped the list with 136 candidates, followed by the Ashanti Region – 106, Western Region – 36, Northern Region – 34, Upper East Region – 28, Eastern Region – 15, and Upper West Region – seven.
However, electricians who hold ECG licence for indoor wiring before 2007 are exempted from taking part in the written and practical examinations, except the interview.
There are 95 candidates in this category for first certification process this year.
The number of candidates who wrote the examination last Saturday was remarkably higher than the 169 candidates who wrote the maiden examination organised in November 2013, according to Mr Owusu.
He said the examination would be written twice a year, with the second for this year scheduled for October.
Mr Owusu said after the examinations, the candidates would be subsequently required to take practical examination and attend an interview before they would be issued with a certificate.
The law
The Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2012 (LI 2008) seeks to protect life and property by ensuring that electricians avoid shoddy electrical wiring to avoid fire outbreaks.
The objectives of the law, according to Mr Owusu, are to ensure that those who qualify to undertake electrical wiring in the country are issued with certificate by the EC and also to regulate electrical wiring services by ensuring that practitioners abide by a standard code of wiring.
The law is also to ensure that materials used for electrical wiring conform to Ghanaian standards and, thereby eliminate the use of inferior materials.
Mr Owusu said the EC would also certify inspectors who would enforce the law, adding that the Certified Electrical Wiring Inspectors had to approve of the electrical wiring of a facility before the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) could connect power to that facility.
He advised developers to seek the services of Energy Commission certified electricians for quality job.
He recommended that electricians should use ‘made-in-Ghana’ electrical materials because “they are superior to the others.”
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