The Energy Commission (EC) has released the results of the Electrical Wiring Certificate Examination which it conducted last June.

Out of 477 candidates who registered for the examination in domestic, commercial and industrial electrical wiring, 372 candidates, representing 77 per cent passed, while 94 candidates, representing 23 per cent failed.

The breakdown is as follows: domestic wiring – 218 passed, 33 failed; commercial wiring – 113 passed, 50 failed, and industrial wiring – 41 passed, 11 failed.

This brings the total number of candidates who have passed the examination since its inception in 2013 to 564 who have thus been certified by the EC.

Essence of examination

The examination is in line with preparations by the EC towards the enforcement of the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2012 (LI 2008), which seeks to protect life and property by ensuring that electricians avoid shoddy electrical wiring that may cause fire outbreaks.

The objective of the law is threefold:

First, it is to ensure that those who qualify to undertake electrical wiring in the country are issued with certificate by the EC.

Second, it is to regulate electrical wiring services by ensuring that practitioners abide by a standard code of wiring.

Third, the law is to ensure that materials used for electrical wiring conform to Ghana standards and, thereby, eliminate the use of inferior materials.

With effect from February 2015, any electrician who undertakes electrical wiring services without possessing a certificate from the EC will be prosecuted, as the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2012 (LI 2008) would have come into force.

Offenders of the law will be liable to a fine of 250 penalty units (equivalent of GH¢6000) or two years imprisonment or both.

Next examination

The Public Affairs Manager of the EC, Mr Victor Owusu, briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra on Wednesday, said the next examination for this year would be held in November.

He said every district needed a minimum of 10 certified electrical professionals, adding that the EC would publish the list of certified electricians at the offices of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), in newspapers and other media outlets.

Mr Owusu said the EC had plans to develop a directory of certified electricians to enable the public to patronise their services.