29 May 2017

RIYADH — The Saudi Electricity Company has confirmed that 89 percent of fires in public places in 2017 were caused by malfunctioning of electrical equipment and devices. The figure is much high compared to statistics provided by the General Authority for Statistics in its report for 1436 AH. That report had indicated that electric sparks caused 38 percent of fires, according to Al-Watan newspaper.

Director for Licenses at the General Directorate of Civil Defense Maj. Gen. Abdulrahman Al-Husseini said the competent authorities were able to control the accident risks to a large extent, except road accidents, which continue to pose a threat to human life.

During an awareness campaign presented to the public in a exhibition on the sidelines of the 18th Industrial Security Conference, a company official pointed out that most of the electricity-related accidents happen in hospitals as a result of tampering with wall sockets, or repairing damaged devices and installation of bulbs.

He said electrical faults cause fire but human error is the reason for a high number of fires. “Usually electrical faults are not the ones that start fires, but human errors are, which means that we have to take more preventive measures,” said the company.

He explained that no home is free from electrical devices that have become a part of every individual’s life and all this is to secure a more luxurious and easy life. “However, we deal with electricity in a negligent manner, which could turn these blessings into serious disasters. How can we live safely amidst the huge amount of electrical appliances around us? The answer is simply awareness, care and no to negligence,” he said.

The report by the General Authority for Statistics put the total number of fire incidents in 1436 AH was 51,781 and 19,681 or 38 percent of them were caused by electric sparks.

© The Saudi Gazette 2017