Eskom is using August to step up communication about electricity safety in an effort to curb the rising number of injuries and fatalities.
Senior manager for occupational health and safety Miranda Maohladi said the power utility has noticed an increase in illegal power connections that result in electrocutions.
“This demonstrates that electrical safety is not top priority for South Africans. We hope that they will recognise that individual actions can have a significant impact on other communities,” said Maohladi, adding that many families have lost loved ones as a result of illegal connections.
“By committing 31 days once a year, we aim to place electrical safety in the limelight and forefront of people’s minds to assist in meeting our objective of ensuring zero harm to members of the public.”
The state-owned enterprise said it has record an increase in vandalism of infrastructure, theft of electricity cables and attacks on Eskom security guards at substations.
“The main risks associated with illegal connections are that illegal wires are usually not connected to an earth leakage unit or other electrical protection that will trip or break the current if someone touches a live wire.
“The insulation around these live wires is usually insufficient to protect those who get into contact with wires. When this is combined with the lack of earth leakage, it creates a very dangerous and an often fatal situation, and many people are shocked or killed as a result.”
Moahlodi also appealed to the public to help curb the aggression and violence directed at Eskom employees.
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