Expressnews
Chennai, October 2022: India needs to advocate the importance of fire-retardant materials and good quality cables said, Ms. N Priya Ravichandran, Joint Director, Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Service (TNFRS) at a session on ‘Electrical Safety at Residential, Commercial and Public Buildings’ hosted by International Copper Association (ICA) India.
“We, as a community, need to advocate the importance of fire-retardant materials and good quality cables. This technical session is an eye opener for all the stakeholders and to reiterate the importance of safety & quality vis-à-vis cost,” she said.
“With India joining the league of fastest developing nations globally, the real estate sector has witnessed a rising demand. Last year around 40 million square feet were delivered in the country, and it is expected to deliver 46 million square feet this year. It is estimated that the country will have a 40% market share in the next 2-3 years. While these figures indicate that India is headed towards a commendable growth, the lack of adherence to electrical safety codes have marred this expansion. These limitations not only result in energy loss but have alsocaused 56% of all fateful electrical accidents,” said Mr. AmolKalsekar, Chief Manager, International Copper Association.
The session, third in the series, was held in association with Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) and supported by Builders Association of India – Southern Centre (BAI). It aimed to address issues such as the importance of electrical safety, reliability, and sustainability aspects to be followed during electrical installations in buildings and the maintenance in accordance with latest standards, codes & regulations.
The series is a part of ICA’s campaign that focuses on highlighting and addressing key issues in implementation of electrical safety such as poor industry practices, improper or weak installations design, usage of undersized, inferior quality of wires and electrical equipment.
Addressing the participants, Mr. R R Shridhar, Chairman, Builders Association of India (BAI) said, “This is just the beginning towards the larger goal of ‘Zero Tolerance’ for theotherwise neglected safety standards in the country. We have gathered here not only to understand basics such as electrical installation in buildings but also to brush up on the latest developments that are crucial to be implemented in buildings.”
The keynote address in the session was presented by Mr. Shridhar followed by the guest of honor’s address by Ms.Ravichandran. It concluded with technical sessions on ‘Role of Wires & Cables in mitigating the issues – Safety, Energy Efficiency, Reliability and Sustainability’ by Mr. Harold Dsouza, Regional Commercial Manager – BASEC, ‘Role of Standardization & Periodic Inspections for Achieving Electrical Safety in High-Risk Buildings’ by Mr. Hemant Sali, Ex. S.E. & Electrical Inspector – PWD, Maharashtra and ‘Lightning Protection & Earthing in buildings as per IEC 62305 & NBC 2016’ by Dr. K Janakiraman, Head – Technical, OBO Bettermann.
The event was also attended by electrical engineers of all key government departments including State Chief Electrical Inspectorate, Public Work Department, State Electricity Board, Metro Rail department, Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD), Municipal Authorities, Distribution Companies, Fire Department, Electrical Consultants, A-Grade Electrical Contractors, Developers & Builders, Architects and other industry stakeholders among others.
ICA will be hosting the 4th edition of the session in Kochi on 19thOctober, 2022. The first two sessions were held in Hyderabadand Mumbai respectively.
