3 persons electrocuted weekly between April and June-NERC

In it’s latest report for 2019, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says at least three persons were electrocuted every week between April and June.

NERC also stated that health and safety practices of operators in the industry recorded a downward trend in the year under review, while affirming that safety of electricity providers and users in remains one of its key priorities in the country.

“The Commission received a total of seventy-three (73) health and safety reports out of the eighty-seven (87) reports expected from the twenty-nine (29) operators in the second quarter of 2019,” NERC said.

“The health and safety performance of the operators declined during the second quarter of 2019 as the number of deaths and injuries increased significantly from the preceding quarter.

“This implies that approximately three persons died of electrocution weekly in the second quarter of 2019.

“In line with its mandate to ensure licensees’ commitment to safe energy delivery, the commission, during the same period, commenced hearings on some of the incidences involving various health and safety breaches.

“However, due to the complexity of many of the cases, enforcement actions and appropriate penalties in each case were yet to be finalised during the quarter under review.

“On the other hand, the commission continued to work on a framework for penalties and compensations guidelines in order to stop the utilities’ discretionary payment of compensations to victims or victims’ families,” NERC said.