In this issue of the Electricity News, we have invited the newly appointed chairman of the Electrical Safety Advisory Committee ("ESAC") Mr. LEUNG Chi-ming, Joseph to address our readers. We will continue to report in a feature article the latest progress on the adoption of the new cable colour code for fixed electrical wiring in Hong Kong. The issues covered include the implementation schedule, a study of the cable supply, technical support, training, publicity, etc.
We received valuable feedback from many readers on the last issue of the Electricity News. They requested that we should continue to publish review of electrical incidents in the Electricity News so as to enhance their knowledge of electrical safety. In view of this, in this issue, we report and analyse in detail an incident of earth leakage in an electrical product relating to the improper electrical installation for your reference. In response to the request of our readers, we also enrich the content of the "Electrical Safety Quiz". We hope you will find it useful and challenging. Last but not least, we would like to thank our readers for taking time to offer their views which enable us to improve the newsletter.
The cover girl of this issue of the Electricity News is GiGi Leung, a local pop singer. Embarking on her stage career in 1996, GiGi presented herself as a young idol. Soon she became a prominent singer and has gained much popularity among local music fans. This year is the 10th anniversary of GiGi joining the entertainment industry. GiGi, now as a mature lady, has changed her image and style of singing.
Acknowledgement:
ERA Entertainment Software Limited
Our reporter had an exclusive interview with GiGi. At the beginning of the interview, GiGi said,"Electricity has everything to do with our daily lives and is indispensable in a modern society. The saving of electricity is very important to environmental protection. On hearing your introduction, I now understand that the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department ("EMSD") has done a lot of work on the drafting and enforcement of the Electricity Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation as well as on the promotion of electrical safety. Recently, I have watched a TV announcement produced by your department about a power interruption in a building and the chaos which ensued. The incident was due to a lack of proper maintenance of the communal electrical installations in the building. I had similar experience when I performed abroad not long ago. Fortunately, there have been very few massive electricity blackouts in Hong Kong. Of the cities I toured, Hong Kong has attained a very high level of safety and reliability of electricity supply. Perhaps this can be attributed to the hard work of your department in the past years." Our reporter responded, "Don't mention it. It is also due to the concerted efforts of the electrical trade, the electricity consumers and the general public in Hong Kong."
GiGi continued, "Several years ago, a friend of mine, who was a member of the electrical trade, was injured in an electrical accident. That accident reminded me of the importance of electrical safety. In fact, in addition to the electrical trade, the general public, especially the elderly and children, should also have awareness of electrical safety." Our reporter added, "Apart from organising general publicity and educational activities, we have specially visited the centres for the elderly and kindergartens to promote the message of electrical safety. The response has been overwhelming."
At the end of the interview, GiGi wished all registered electrical workers could be safe in carrying out their work. Our reporter also wished GiGi every success in her singing career.
I, Leung Chi-ming, Joseph a Registered Professional Engineer, have been in the electrical trade for 25 years. I am currently a director of J. Roger Preston Limited. In April 2006, I had the honour of being appointed by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour as the chairman of the Electrical Safety Advisory Committee ("ESAC") for the new term.
The main duty of the ESAC is to advise the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services ("DEMS") on matters relating to electrical safety in Hong Kong. The committee comprises 18 members, including DEMS and me. Other members come from trade unions and associations, universities, power companies, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, the Consumer Council, the Occupational Safety and Health Council, the Home Affairs Department and community organisations.
Since its establishment in April 2000, the ESAC has made many suggestions to the EMSD covering various aspects of electrical safety, including the safety of electrical installations and electrical products, training of electrical workers, protection of electricity supply lines and public education. With the efforts of the EMSD, public awareness of electrical safety has been greatly enhanced within a few years. The number of buildings with periodic inspections for electrical installations completed in time has increased significantly while the number of unsafe electrical products available in the market and the number of incidents of damage to electricity supply lines have dropped drastically. These results are indeed encouraging.
Looking ahead, I will continue to work hard with my fellow committee members to further enhance safety in the supply and use of electricity in this Asia's world city. Last but not least, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my fellow committee members for their efforts and support over the past years.
Leung Chi-ming, Joseph
Chairman of the ESAC
Following the report in the last issue of the Electricity News, we will continue to update our readers on the adoption of the new cable colour code.
We believe you still remember the implementation schedule of the new cable colour code. Hong Kong will adopt the new cable colour code (i.e. brown/ black/ grey/ blue/ (yellow-green)) for new fixed electrical installations and additions or alterations to existing fixed electrical installations with effect from 1 July 2007. During a two-year grace period between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2009, cables of both new and old colours can be used. However, from 1 July 2009, the new cable colour code must be used for fixed electrical installations. The implementation schedule of the new cable colour code was agreed by a working group under the ESAC and endorsed by the ESAC on 28 September 2005. The schedule has taken into account many factors such as electrical safety, cable supply, etc.
Not long ago, some trade members enquired if the new cable colour code could be adopted prior to 1 July 2007 on the grounds that the prices of the old coloured cables are higher than those of the new coloured ones. We then referred the proposal to the working group for discussion. At its meeting on 12 July 2006, the working group discussed the pros and cons of adopting the new cable colour code ahead of schedule. The working group members reckon that there is generally no price difference between new and old coloured cables provided sufficient time is given in advance when orders are placed with manufacturers for cable supply. Cable prices have gone up in recent years. This is mainly due to a surge in copper prices. If the implementation schedule is to be changed or the new cable colour code adopted ahead of schedule, it is likely to cause confusion among the trade and pose more risks to the workers. After discussion, the working group has decided that for safety reasons, no cables in the new colour code can be used before 1 July 2007. At its meeting on 12 July 2006, the working group also endorsed the revisions to the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations concerning the new cable colour code. As the existing version of the Code of Practice was published in 2003, it is not appropriate to have a new one at present. The revisions will be made public in early 2007 in the form of supplementary documents.
Moreover, the working group is now considering requiring that registered electrical workers applying for new, renewal or change of grade of registration of electrical workers should be trained on the new CCC and with the training recorded by this Department. For details and the timetable, please refer to the latest announcement by the EMSD.
As far as training is concerned, we will continue to liaise with the electrical trade and other government departments to conduct various kinds of training. In addition to the three mass-scale training sessions as reported in the last issue of the Electricity News, another mass-scale training session was held for about 1,000 electrical workers at the Kwai Tsing Theatre on 7 August 2006 in collaboration with the Hong Kong & Kowloon Electrical Engineering and Appliances Trade Workers Union and the Hong Kong Electrical Contractors' Association. Moreover, we organised two seminars in June and August 2006 with the Occupational Safety and Health Council. They were attended by about 400 citizens. On 27 June 2006, we conducted a train-the-trainers workshop for about 150 workers from the Housing Department. As regards web-based self-learning training, the self-learning materials have been uploaded to the newly created New Cable Colour Code Webcorner in the EMSD web site
For publicity activities, we have devised a publicity plan, which includes producing promotion materials such as leaflets, posters and pocket cards, publishing articles in the newsletters of the trade, and issuing government notices. The promotion materials will be distributed to the trade and the general public through various channels. We will announce the change through the annual technical seminars held for the trade, the Electricity News, the E & M Safety Newsletter, the mass media, the trade associations, educational institutions, management companies, government departments, etc. The update on the adoption of the new cable colour code and the relevant guidelines are also uploaded to the newly created New Cable Colour Code Webcorner.
To facilitate the implementation of the new cable colour code, a webcorner has been created in the EMSD web site where the trade can find detailed information on the new cable colour code. The webcorner covers various aspects of the cable colour code which include introduction to the cable colour code, technical guidelines, training for the trade, publicity materials, frequently asked questions, useful links, etc. What's worth mentioning is an online exercise on the new cable colour code specifically provided for registered electrical workers. We hope that by doing the exercise repeatedly, you will get to know the details of the implementation of the new cable colour code. Now, please visit the EMSD homepage at www.emsd.gov.hk for information on the new cable colour code and do the online exercise for self-learning.
In dealing with a recent complaint related to a washing machine, we found that the problem did not arise from the electrical product. Owing to the improper installation of the earth conductor of a socket outlet, the circuit of the socket outlet did not receive adequate earth leakage protection.
At the roof above Ms Wong's home on the top floor, there were electrical installations and a washing machine. No problems arose in the past decade. Recently, the roof was re-decorated and altered. The old electrical installations there were dismantled. Fluorescent tubes for illumination and 3 waterproof sockets were installed, but the supply cable running from her home to the roof was not replaced.
On completion of the above electrical works, Ms Wong used the washing machine as before. A month later, the Japanese twin-tub washing machine was out of order and she replaced it with a top-loading drum-type washing machine. Later, when she touched the metal drum of the washing machine, she experienced a slight shock. A technician from the agent of the washing machine made an inspection and confirmed the normal operation of the washing machine. The technician suspected that the shock was caused by poor earthing of electrical installations, so he suggested that she employed a registered electrical contractor to inspect the installations. The electrical contractor sent a worker to check the socket outlet. The worker found that the socket outlet had been earthed and said that the electric shock was not related to the electrical installations. Subsequently, Ms Wong sought help from the EMSD.
Our investigation found that the cable supplying power to the roof had phase and neutral wires but had no earth wire (see the photograph below). An earth wire was installed in the circuit of the socket outlet used by the washing machine, but it was not connected to an earth wire of the supply circuit, so the potential of the casing of the washing machine did not equal to that of the ground. The protective device of the socket circuit was not able to perform its function when there was an earth leakage. Ms Wong did not feel shocked when using the old washing machine since the casing and tubs of the Japanese twin-tub washing machine were made of plastic. The metal parts were not touched under normal circumstances. On the other hand, the casing and drum of the new washing machine were made of metal, so there might be potential difference between the metal casing and the earth. When one touches the metal parts, a weak current may flow through the human body. The current will be very small(1) if the electrical appliance is not faulty and no danger will be caused to a human. In fact, the reaction of the human body to earth leakage current, depending on various factors such as sex, weight and age, varies with each individual. The feeling of shock differs from person to person and depends on the strength of the current and the position touched. In this case, the husband of Ms Wong did not feel shocked when touching the washing machine.
Though no serious incident occurred, this case showed that the registered electrical contractor and worker concerned did not perform tests and inspections according to the requirements of the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations. The metal parts of the washing machine were not earthed properly. When an electrical product without earth leakage protection breaks down, a minor consequence is an electric burn, while a serious one may be an electric shock causing death. Regarding the above incident, we have taken appropriate action against the registered electrical contractor and worker concerned according to the law.
(1) According to IEC 60335-1:2004, normal household electric products have various earth leakage current allowances. The exact value depends on the structure of an appliance. Normally, the leakage current may not exceed 0.25 mA to 5 mA.
According to the Electricity (Registration) Regulations, the certificates of registration of registered electrical workers/ contractors are valid for 3 years. They must submit renewal applications at least 1 month before, and no earlier than 4 months before, the expiry date of the current registration. If they don't, they will have to submit fresh applications.
We expect that there will be many renewal applications towards the end of 2006-07. To avoid the prolonged processing of a huge number of renewal applications within a particular period and to ensure the possession of valid certificates by the electrical workers and contractors, current registered electrical workers and contractors should submit their renewal applications well before their current certificates expire.
Current registered electrical contractors and workers may choose one of the following methods to submit their renewal applications:
Should you have any queries, please call 1823 Citizen's Easy Link.
The Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation stipulates the safety requirements of household electrical products supplied in Hong Kong. All electrical products shall comply with the applicable safety requirements of the Regulation, i.e. they shall comply with applicable international safety standards, such as IEC safety standards.
IEC 60335-1 and the related IEC 60335-2 series safety standards are applicable to general household electrical products (e.g. electric fans, refrigerators, washing machines and rice cookers). The safety requirements for the fire resistance test set out in the new edition of IEC 60335-1 (fourth edition) is more stringent than the old ones. For example, according to the new standard, when the current flowing through live parts exceeds 0.2A, the insulation shall withstand a hot metal filament at 850 news C. In addition, hot particles must not fall from the insulation when the hot metal filament contacts it. If the insulation catches fire, the flames must extinguish within 30s after the removal of the hot metal filament. On the other hand, the old standard only requires that this test be conducted for live parts carrying currents exceeding 0.5A. Also, the temperature set for the hot metal filament is 750 news C, which is lower than the temperature of 850 news C under the new standard.
In Europe, EU members will gradually adopt these new international safety standards as the basic safety standards for electrical products in accordance with relevant mechanisms. They have drawn up a timetable for the adoption of the new standards for the electrical products. In Asia, Singapore has implemented the new international safety standards.
Regarding electrical product safety, both new and old international safety standards are acceptable. However, to enhance the safety of household electrical products and to conform to the latest international safety requirements, the EMSD has started discussing with the electrical trade and suppliers about the adoption of the new standards for household electrical products. At present, the EMSD and the trade (including wholesalers and importers) have reached a consensus on when electric fans will adopt the new standards. The trade will import electric fans conforming to new IEC safety standards from October 2006. All electric fans supplied in Hong Kong must comply with the new standards from 1 January 2008.
We will continue our discussion with the trade over the timetables for the adoption of the new international safety standards for other household electrical products.
Since 2001, the EMSD has teamed up with more than 10 leading organisations from the utilities, public transport, housing and property management sectors and trade associations every year to organize the "E&M Safety Campaign", a large scale public education activity. The campaign aims at promoting the community's awareness of electrical, gas, lift and escalator safety and educating the public about energy saving through a series of promotional activities (including media publicity and large scale outdoor carnival etc.).
The "E&M Safety Campaign 2006" will be held in the second half of this year. The "E&M Safety Carnival 2006", one of the highlights of the campaign, is scheduled for the 4th and 5th of November (Saturday and Sunday) in the Victoria Park. There will be about 20 game booths that offer prizes, performances by popular singers and other activities at the carnival. Tickets for the carnival will be distributed at the Customer Services Office, EMSD and the Public Enquiry Service Centres of various District Offices from mid October. All tickets will be distributed free and are available on a first come first served basis.
An Electrical Safety Sector formed by the Electricity Legislation Division of the EMSD, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, The Hongkong Electric Company Limited, China Inspection Company Limited, Hong Kong Safety Institute and Hong Kong L.P. Gas (Holdings) Limited will be responsible for the promotion of electrical safety in the campaign. Apart from the main programmes, the sector published a prize-offering quiz in the newspapers in September to convey household electrical safety messages to the community.
A group photo of the representatives of the EMSD, the H.K. & Kowloon Electrical Engineering and Appliances Trade Workers Union, and the Hong Kong Electrical Contractors' Association after the seminar last year
The EMSD has been organizing large-scale annual technical seminars since 2001 in collaboration with the Hong Kong & Kowloon Electrical Engineering and Appliances Trade Workers Union and the Hong Kong Electrical Contractors' Association. The seminars aim to maintain close liaison and strengthen communication with the trade. This year's seminar will be held at the Jockey Club Auditorium of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 7:30 p.m. on 13 November.
In planning for the seminar this year, representatives of the aforesaid union and association gave the EMSD many valuable suggestions which enabled us to understand the expectations of the trade on the content of the seminar. After consultation, we have decided that this year's seminar will include some special features. The features will cover topics of concern to the trade, including the latest development of the change of the cable colour code in Hong Kong, the earthing arrangement of electrical installations and review of incidents, and the types and applications of renewable energy, etc. The purpose of the seminar is to enhance the technical knowledge and safety awareness of the participants.
Those interested in obtaining admission tickets for the seminar may contact the Hong Kong & Kowloon Electrical Engineering and Appliances Trade Workers Union (Tel. No.: 2626 1927) and the Hong Kong Electrical Contractors' Association (Tel. No.: 2572 0843). You are warmly welcome to participate in this seminar.
The ELD colleague granted the Secretary for the Civil Service's Commendation (second from left) took a photo with the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Roger S H Lai (first from right) and the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao (second from right) before receiving the award.
The ELD colleague received the award from the then Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joseph W P Wong
The ELD colleague granted the Ombudsman's Award (third from right) took a photo with the Ombudsman, Ms Alice TAI (fourth from right), the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Roger S H Lai (fourth from left), Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, Dr. LEUNG Kin-man (third from left), and other colleagues and family members
The Ombudsman, Ms Alice TAI, granted the award to the ELD colleague
Awards for the Electricity Legislation Division
To enhance performance management and give recognition to the outstanding performance and good conduct of civil servants, the Civil Service Bureau organises the Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS)'s Commendation Award Scheme annually. Last year, a colleague from our Electricity Legislation Division (ELD) received a commendation from the SCS for his great efforts in liaising with owners of buildings without owners' corporations and offering technical advice to them so that they could complete the periodic test of their electrical installations in time.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund (EMSTF) under the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department won the Gold Award of the HKMA Quality Award on 6 July this year. It was the first government department to be granted this award.
The EMSD has been committed to providing quality services in areas within its ambit, and has continuously strived for improvement. The Department provides one-stop customer-focused engineering services to more than 100 government departments and public bodies. After years of hard work, the Department has increased its productivity by 25%. It also gained ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification. In 2003, it embarked on the implementation of Total Quality Management.
In competing for the "2006 Hong Kong Management Association Quality Award", the Department was evaluated by the same standards as those for other major participating organisations. This provided an opportunity for the Department to assess the maturity of its TQM system. Winning the Gold Award of the HKMA Quality Award signified that the efforts of the Department to implement quality management and its achievements were well recognized by the community.
1. |
For an electrical installation, the voltage drop between the power source and any point on the installation should generally not exceed _____% of the rated voltage. |
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2. |
Each fixed household electrical cooking appliance of over 15 amperes should be controlled by a switch which is separated from the cooking appliance. The switch should be installed within _____ metres of the cooking appliance. |
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3. |
According to the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations, where electrical equipment in the switchroom is required to be operated in case of mains power failure, emergency lighting equipment independent of the mains supply and capable of operation for a minimum period of _____ minutes should be installed. |
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4. |
The socket outlet inside the bathroom which is protected by a residual current device must be installed at least _____ metres away from the bathtub or shower. |
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5. |
What should a registered electrical contractor do after changing the business address? |
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(Answers : 1C, 2A, 3B, 4B and 5D)
We look forward to receiving your valuable feedback about this newsletter so that we may continue to improve it. Please complete the feedback form and return it to our Electricity Legislation Division by post, fax or e-mail on or before 10 November 2006 (please refer to the contact information at the bottom of this page). To show our appreciation, the first 500 
respondents will receive a small gift by post.
Note 1 : Please excuse us for not notifying those not among the first 500 respondents.
Electricity Legislation Division, EMSD, 3 Kai Shing Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong
1823
2895 4929