More than 3 deaths per year due to electrocution
In the last five years, an average of three to four people in Switzerland have lost their lives due to electricity in the private environment. Half of the causes are defective electrical installations and half are defective appliances, according to the Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (ESTI).
The owner is responsible for the safety of low-voltage electrical installations in the building. Tenants must report the detected defects to the landlord. The latter must immediately Deficiencies have it fixed by an electrician, as the ESTI emphasizes. Provisional or amateur installations are often the causes of dangerous conditions. The periodic inspection of existing installations helps to detect faults and uncover deficiencies.
Old electrical installations should be checked for current needs. Effective protection against electric shock is provided by the residual current device (RCD). A fuse or circuit breaker protects the electrical installation from overload and short circuit in the event of a fault, but not people who touch the live conductor, ESTI explains. Retrofitting is therefore strongly recommended.
Modern residual current devices, combined with plug-in devices with protective collars and touch-safe panels, would provide the best protection against electric shock.
Electrical equipment placed on the market must be safe in accordance with the Ordinance on Low-Voltage Electrical Products NEV. The ESTI carries out market surveillance for this purpose. The use after the sale is left to the owner. Defective insulation and improper repairs would repeatedly lead to dangerous conditions. ESTI therefore advises that electrical equipment should only be repaired by a specialist. The expert will also carry out a test after the repair has been completed. This guarantees that repaired devices are safe.
Electric current can be lethal from as little as 50 mA. Therefore, according to ESTI:
- No work on electrical installations and equipment by non-professionals.
- When changing lamps, always disconnect the power supply and check that no voltage is present.
- Keep your hands away from bare wires or live parts.
After electrification, always consult a doctor or the hospital for a check-up. Personal injury caused by electricity must be reported to ESTI. The Inspectorate will clarify the causes and, if necessary, arrange for accident prevention measures to be taken.
