The Commission would also publish names of the defaulting commercial facilities in the newspapers in addition to the display of compliance stickers so that the public would know facilities that are safe to patronise. 

To this end, the Commission would commence with public sensitisation after which certified Inspectors would go round and carry out audit of all electrical wiring in such commercial facilities.

Mr Solomon Sarpong, Lead Officer of the Wiring Programme said this at the seventh Electrical Wiring Certificate Award Presentation to 528 candidates from the Southern sector after passing the November/ December 2016 Electrical Wiring Certification Examination.

The graduates underwent training in commercial, domestic and Industrial wiring. Among them were also Certified Electrical Wiring Inspectors. This was in fulfilment of objectives of the Electrical Wiring Regulation 2012, LI 2008 which seeks to guide professionals who engage in electrical wiring and installation works in their bid to ensure safety of lives and property.

Mr Sarpong said the commission was going to ensure full enforcement of non-Certified Electrical Wiring Professionals from working under the supervision of Certified Electrical Wiring Professionals. As part of the activities of the year, Mr. Sarpong said the Commission would also be registering all electrical contractors as well as promoting quality electrical wiring accessories.

He said since the commencement of the CEWP’s programme in the country in November 2013, the Commission could now boast of 4,621 certified electrical professions and inspectors. “Out of this number, 2,792 are certified to undertake domestic wiring, 1,527 are certified to undertake commercial electrical wiring and 237 are certified for Industrial electrical and 65 certified electrical Inspectors.

The Leader of Wiring Programme was elated that despite challenges, the commission had been able to introduce the Mobile App on Google Play for locating, accessing and reporting electricians by name, locality and pin numbers.

According to him the commission has also carried monitoring activities nationwide and taken disciplinary actions against violating CEWP’s.  Mr Sarpong assured the public that the commission would not rest until their goal of ensuring safety of electrical wiring was achieved. Dr Alfred Ahenkorah, Executive Secretary of the Commission noted that electrical wiring played a key role in the lives of people adding as at December last year, the country had achieve 83 per cent access to electricity.

Dr Ahenkorah recalled that over the years all that an electrician needed was to procure a screw driver, a pair of pliers and a piece of wire to commence work. However, the Executive Director noted that over the years there had been changes in the operations of electricians adding “people are now taking electrical wiring seriously.”

Dr Ahenkorah encouraged the CEWP’s not to compromise on quality during their operations in the country.  Mr Adam Issah, a Service Engineer of Electricity Company of Ghana, reminded the CEWP’s that competence certification was a key tool to entrepreneurial skills development. Mr Issah therefore charged the CEWPs to make safety their hallmark and justify the confidence reposed in them.

The 528 CEWPs including Ms Mary Asiamah, the only female among them, were presented with certificates and tools.