SEC O’Higgins instructs municipalities in the region to comply with electrical safety standards in inns and ramadas – 2024-09-05 04:04:51

The O’Higgins Electricity and Fuel Superintendency, SEC, has sent a letter to all municipalities in the region to ensure proper compliance with current regulations in electrical installations in ramadas, fondas, fairs, kitchens and food carts that are installed in the area for the celebration of these Fiestas Patrias, in order to avoid possible risk situations or accidents.

The regulatory body stressed that all temporary electrical installations, independent of their power source (connected to the electrical grid, with generator sets or others), must be declared to the SEC by an Authorized Electrical Installer. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the municipalities to formalize this requirement for those interested in operating this type of installations.

The SEC regional director, Felipe Lerzundi, stressed that “it is the responsibility of each owner – of all types of electrical installations – to comply with the technical standards and regulations established in the current legislation in order to avoid the occurrence of risk situations that may affect attendees, workers and property.”

REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

Along with the requirement that all temporary installations must be duly declared to the SEC, the regulations also establish that: generators must be protected to avoid danger and injuries to people; electrical panels must be located in a place restricted to the public and clear of any obstacles that impede their proper handling; it is necessary to have circuit breakers and differentials that protect both the installation and people, together with adequate grounding.

Furthermore, conductors in poor condition or with damaged insulation should not be used, nor should nails or similar means be used to secure electrical conductors, and the appropriate height should be considered so as not to hinder normal pedestrian traffic.

The regional director stressed that “our objective as SEC is that citizens can go to fondas and ramadas with the peace of mind of knowing that, from an electrical point of view, they are safe places. Therefore, we ask the municipalities to take these requirements into account, in order to guarantee that the entities or people interested in setting up these venues take all the corresponding measures with due anticipation.”

The SEC reminded that, in addition to electrical safety, it is important to take care when using liquefied gas cylinders. To do so, it is important to always use flexible hoses and regulators that are not expired and that have the SEC SEAL. Likewise, the use of garden hoses to connect them is prohibited, since flexible hoses designed especially for this purpose must be used.

Finally, the SEC called on people to follow the SEC’s official social media accounts: Instagram (@sec_chile), LinkedIn (Superintendencia de Electricidad y Combustibles – SEC), X (@SEC_cl) and Superintendencia SEC (Facebook), where citizens can access useful information and safety tips for the use of energy.