Direct Research Journal of Engineering and Information Technology

Abstract

Electrical fire in Nigeria towns and villages has assumed an alarming state, due to circuit overloading, wrong connections, and substandard materials. This study investigated the compliance of residential and commercial wiring systems in Bayelsa state, Nigeria, if they are in compliance with international approved standards. Primary and secondary data were used to achieve the aim of this study. Well-tailored questionnaires were administered to electricians working within the state, to ascertain the level of their works (electrical wiring) to Nigeria Industrial standard. Results obtained from the questionnaire feedback revealed that most of the electrical wiring within the state falls below national and international standards. Analyzing the results, 70% of the electricians carrying out electrical wiring within the state, had no formal education neither they are registered with any professional body. In addition, the study revealed that integrity checks are not done on 90% of electrical installations within the state, to determine their compliance with approved Nigeria or international standards. It was also seen in the results that about 60% of the electrical wiring in the state are been done with substandard materials, due to the high cost of the standard materials. As revealed by the results, 65.45% of the respondents did not take into account the electrical load of the buildings, due to the lack of detailed wiring plans of the buildings.  It was seen that only 86.36% of the respondents endeavor appropriate connections during electrical wiring; while 13. 64% of the respondent did a “rough-and-ready” electrical wiring. Results obtained from this study will be helpful in appraising the state of residential and commercial buildings’ electrical wiring, to prevent frequent electrical fires outbreak.

Keywords: Bayelsa State, electrical wiring, electrical fire, electrical load, integrity checks