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#148075 06/20/03 10:50 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,116
Likes: 4
Member
I was recently sent the following Links to share:

How do electrical wiring faults lead to structure ignitions?

Electricity and Fire

Comments?


Bill
Arc Flash PPE Clothing, LOTO & Insulated Tools
#148076 06/21/03 01:42 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
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Bill,
Thanks heaps for them links!.
I personally think that this subject is wholly under-stated.
Take for instance, out of 10 residential fires, say 6, will be put down to Electrical Faults, in whatever form they may be.
In my experience, fires that are caused by Electricity, are caused by Over-rated fusing,Old wiring(with that same fusing), poor installation by un-licenced folks or by overloaded circuits(with the larger fuse inserted to "keep it going").
But one thing has to be said about the way that fires are investigated as to the cause,
it is all too easy to say "It was Electrical" and I have taken a few Fire Safety Staff over here to task about this fact, as most of them never even look at the switch-board!.
But getting back to the sites that you mentioned, Tracking, would be a sure sign that something was not right with a particular fitting or circuit, this can normally be heard as a sizzling or crackling sound at the fitting.


[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 07-12-2003).]

#148077 06/30/03 02:49 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
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Bill,
I would say that, in my opinion, the greater cause of Electrical fires in residential places, would be through poor insulation(or where this insulation has broken down, over a period of years), with PVC type cabling being introduced in the 60's, this problem should become a thing of the past, but we won't know the answer to that one for a few years, in that, rubber cable was supposed to be the means with which real safety could be achieved, back in the 40's and 50's here and now, it's nothing but a death-trap.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 07-12-2003).]

#148078 07/12/03 12:31 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
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Would anyone else care to comment on the Links that Bill has presented?, there are some pretty good ideas in them. [Linked Image]

#148079 07/12/03 06:21 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
I must have missed this post first time around.

I'll have a read of those pages later when I get the time, but at a quick glance I'd say that it's at least encouraging to see somebody taking the time to analyze just how and where electrical fires have started, instead of the casual "Oh it was an electrical fault" type of verdict.

#148080 07/19/03 04:05 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
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Inherently and unfortunately Electricity and Fire are so invariably linked,
closely together that it is not funny.
Electricity accounts for more fires, be it Domestic, Commercial or Rural areas are all affected the same, be it a poorly selected fuse in a house or a dropped line starting a Herbage fire, the result is normally the same, loss of property and sometimes life. [Linked Image]


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