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Johannesburg - During the annual Eskom National Electricity Safety Week until August 17, Eskom is promoting, and educating the public on, the safe use of electricity.
During Eskom National Electricity Safety Week, the country's power utility aims to educate and inform the public on the risks associated with the practice of illegal connections and how to stay safe in the home and out.
"Every year, innocent lives are lost as a consequence of the unsafe use of electricity. One injury or fatality as a result of the unsafe use of electricity is one too many," said Alex Stramrood, corporate occupational health and safety (OHS) operational manager at Eskom.
"We have identified that the biggest contributors to electrical accidents, injuries, and fatalities in South Africa are contact with low-hanging, unsafe connections, vandalism, illegal power connections and cable theft.
An electricity connection is considered illegal when any connection is made to the Eskom network without Eskom's permission. This can range from connecting to a mini-substation to connecting a neighbour through your personal meter or electricity board.
"For many Philippi residents living without electricity, connecting illegally to the Eskom or municipal power network seems like a viable solution. But, too often, innocent people lose their lives due to electricity theft," Eskom said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
"The saddest and most concerning part for Eskom is that it is often children who are electrocuted and fatally injured when they unwittingly touch carelessly laid cables left by those who steal electricity."
Philippi residents and businesses regularly connect to the Eskom network illegally, according to Stamrood.
Not only is this dangerous for the individual making the connection, but it also puts the rest of the community at risk because these connections lie across pathways and walkways where anyone passing by can easily be electrocuted.
This year, Eskom will be conducting educational shows in communities and at schools in Winterveld, KwaMdakane, Philippi, Lusikisiki, and Piet Retief to educate communities on the basics of safe electricity usage and the risks of electricity theft, including meter tampering or bypassing and illegal connections.
Illegal connections are dangerous for several reasons, the most common of which is the lack of safety features associated with the connections.
When electrical connections are made by untrained professionals, the cables often lack protective insulation.
In addition, these illegal connections are not suspended at a safe height above ground. This means that children, animals, and even adults often touch these unprotected wires accidentally, causing electrocution, which can cause injury or even fatalities.
An additional risk associated with illegal connections is that illegally connected wires can also make contact with other items such as roofs, gutters, and washing lines, making these items live and able to conduct electricity.
"Not only are the people making the illegal connections at risk of electrocution, but people who encounter the cabling running down the streets or from house to house could also be electrocuted. That is why Eskom encourages all South Africans to join the safety side and report perpetrators of electricity theft immediately," says Stramrood.
Eskom believes that the only way to truly eradicate electricity theft is through a coordinated effort between the electricity supplier and communities.
Communities can join the safety side by reporting unsafe electricity connections to 08600 37566 or 0800 112 722 and by reporting electricity theft to Operation Khanyisa by sending an SMS to Crime Line on 32211. The service is completely anonymous and costs only R1/SMS.
