Bigger awareness = better safety of electrical wiring systems
Modern technology is inextricably linked to electricity. Therefore, using it safely is of critical importance. Sharing knowledge on this subject is the main objective of the public campaign titled “Bezpieczna elektryczność” (Safe Electricity), launched by TIM SA and the Łączy nas napięcie online portal. The campaign is supported by leading suppliers of electrical goods, as well as scientific and industry institutions.
Safe Electricity is addressed to professional electricians and those with no electrical expertise.
Electricity is an integral part of our daily life and a thing without which our modern world would be difficult to imagine. While it provides comfort and convenience, it has its potential hazards. That is why the managers behind Safe Electricity took on an ambitious challenge, running the first – considering its sheer scale – survey on the safety standards in electrical engineering.
It was designed to a full insight into the market and reached 1,600 respondents from three groups: electrical goods manufacturers, electrical installers and consumers. The results of the survey, together with comments and expert advice, are available in a report that can be downloaded free of charge from https://bezpiecznaelektrycznosc.pl.
A false sense of security
The survey revealed that 73% of home owners thought their wiring systems were safe. Unfortunately, 51% believed that not having experienced prior issues proved the safety, whereas 19% never gave a thought to this matter.
One half of the electricians surveyed believed that home electrical systems in Poland were not safe. Regular safety testing of home wiring systems are done in every other home, and only 16% of the installers surveyed believed the testing was reliable.
An issue uncovered in the survey was obsolete practice and poor consumer’s knowledge concerning the installation and operation of electrical power systems. These shortcomings have their poor results: in 2023, the Polish State Fire Department responded to about 7,000 fire incidents related to electrical power systems.
Electrical engineering education system under scrutiny
The system for training and professional certification of electricians was not without reservations from the surveyed: many of the electricians who responded believed that certification exams were too easy and if passed, they are not to be confused with sufficient education in the trade. These conclusions support the statements made by industry experts in the report. Professionals shared their insights on the health of electrical wiring systems in Poland, stressing out that electrical engineering training and education standards should be improved, and regular safety testing of home wiring systems needs to be enforced.
Raising awareness to reduce risks
The Safe Electricity public campaign was not only a review of the safety level of electrical wiring systems, but an educational tool to improve public awareness of threats posed by electricity.
“On the one hand, we want to show how the different groups of respondents in the electrical engineering market see the safety issues of electrical wiring systems. On the other hand, our goal is to educate and spur a broader discussion to promote good market practices,” says Piotr Nosal, CEO and Commercial Manager at TIM SA. “Our stepping stone is that there’s nothing that could not be improved. I hope that the report, which is only the beginning of the campaign, will prompt a bigger debate about the safety of electrical systems in Poland.”
The campaign is planned to run for months; a dedicated Knowledge Area was set up on laczynasnapiecie.pl, featuring editorials and educational content from experts. The campaign includes a cycle of webinars and content for students.
The report and other materials for the Safe Electricity campaign are available free of charge on https://bezpiecznaelektrycznosc.pl.
The campaign patronage is:
Gold Partners: Eaton, Finder, Kontakt-Simon, Schneider Electric;
Silver Partners: Elko-Bis, ETI Polam, F&F, NKT, Siemens, Sonel;
Bronze Partners: BITNER, Blebox, DEHN, Hager, LAPP, Televes;
Institutional patrons: Biuro Badawcze ds. Jakości SEP, CKC SOLUTION Kancelaria Prawna, Polska Izba Gospodarcza Elektrotechniki, Politechnika Białostocka, Polska Izba Inżynierów Budownictwa, Polskie Towarzystwo Elektrotechniki Teoretycznej i Stosowanej, Sekcja Producentów Aparatury Elektrycznej KIGEiT (SPAE), Stowarzyszenie Elektryków Polskich (SEP), Zespół Szkół Chłodniczych i Elektronicznych w Gdyni, Związek Ochotniczych Straży Pożarnych RP;
Media patrons: AutomatykaB2B, “Automatyka, Podzespoły, Aplikacje”, ControlByte, Elektroinstalator, Elektronika Praktyczna, Elportal, Energetyka.plus, Nowoczesny Przemysł, Inżynieria & Utrzymanie Ruchu, Służby Utrzymania Ruchu.