Recognizing electricity’s risks
Electricity has always posed dangers.
In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin brought the world a new understanding of electricity, but others died trying to duplicate his experiments.
In the 1880s, electricity began flowing into homes and businesses. Because system installation was inconsistent and often performed by people with minimal understanding, widespread electrical fires and shocks caused property loss, serious injuries and deaths.
In the 20th century, legislatures, manufacturers, contractors and associations worked together to create, enhance and sustain electrical safety. Solutions included:
• developing standards and providing education for electrical installers and end users
• updating electrical codes
• developing new safety technologies
• requiring inspections by people with extensive, up-to-date knowledge of both electrical technology and code requirements
Today, our electrical safety record is good —but threatened
In the environment of global competition, it’s natural to look at every expense and ask, “Is this really necessary?”
With electrically caused fires, injuries and deaths less common, some suggest that electrical inspections are no longer necessary or can be done by less-qualified people. Some note that manufacturers have continuously improved the safety of electrical products, making them less susceptible to installer or user error. These arguments ignore the fact that dangerous elec-trical safety violations are increasingly common despite improved product design.
Why electrical system
installation errors are growing
Electrical safety is driven largely by an increasingly sophisticated understanding of what causes risks. The National Electrical Code® reflects that evolving knowledge and accommodates new products and new technologies, but it is unavoidably lengthy and complex, and many of the hazards it is designed to eliminate are not obvious, even to experienced elec-tricians. Moreover, electrical installations are often performed by people who lack sufficient understanding of safe practices and legal requirements, and are done in jurisdictions with few limits on who is permitted to install these systems. It’s no wonder that electrical inspectors have been finding an increasing number of violations.
Expert installations reduce risk
A certified electrical inspector with a comprehensive understanding of electrical technology and legal requirements can spot the complete range of violations that must be corrected to eliminate risks that can kill, injure and cause potentially massive property loss.
In terms of cost, liability is one of the greatest risks, with vulnerable parties including manufacturers, contractors, building owners and managers — and even legislatures — should an “on purpose” judgment be reached. It’s hardly fair to ask those paying insurance premiums and taxpayers to absorb the enormous costs of violations left undiscovered — and uncorrected.
Managing costs is essential. However, expert electrical in-spection remains one of the most important factors in maintaining the currently low incidence of electrical accidents. Weakening inspection requirements would inevitably cost far more than it would save.
The assurance of the Certified Electrical
Inspector program
Responding to the need for expert inspectors, the International Association of Electrical In-spectors (IAEI) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) designed valid and reliable certification pro-grams for inspectors — the Residential and Master Certified Electrical Inspector (CEI) program. The CEI program counters unacceptable risk with a validated risk management process.
These programs offer computer-based testing across the United States. Those who become certified through CEI programs must demonstrate through regular retesting that they have kept current on electrical technology and Code requirements.
The CEI program represents the best, most widely available, most accepted proof of the ability to perform a fully qualified, expert electrical inspection.
Broad agreement on the
value of the CEI program
The CEI program has the full support of the Electrical Code Coalition — eight organizations that represent more than 140,000 manufacturers, contractors and other industry companies and nearly a million individual members actively involved in promoting industry safety.
Electrical safety needs
your support
Preserving and improving our hard-won electrical safety record will continue to be a challenge. And no doubt some will continue to challenge the need for expert electrical inspection. However, the costs of inspection will remain far lower than the unacceptable risk of uncorrected violations. The IAEI urges you to support the CEI program — and the proven electrical safety it delivers.
International Organization of Electrical Inspectors |
