The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), on Monday disclosed that electrical accidents had resulted in 13 deaths and nine injuries  in the fourth quarter of 2019.

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NERC made the disclosure in its Fourth Quarter 2019 Report, obtained from its website by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The commission said that it received a total of 115 accident reports from licensed operators during the quarter, adding that unfortunately, it resulted in 13 deaths and nine injuries of various degrees.

It said that the accident involved both employees of the company and third parties.

”In comparison with the third quarter of 2019 when 17 deaths and eight injuries were recorded, there was slight improvement in the health and safety performance of the operators in the quarter under review.

”In line with its mandate to ensure safe and reliable electricity services, the commission has commenced enforcement on some of the incidences involving various safety breaches during the quarter,” it said.

According to the commission, it is also developing a comprehensive penalty and compensation structure for health and safety breaches in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

”This is to stop the utilities’ discretionary payment of compensations to electrical accident victims or their families.

”This is on account of the commission’s stand for zero tolerance of safety breaches in NESI, and in line with its strategic goals 2017-2020,” NERC said.

The commission said that it had intensified its monitoring and implementation of various safety programmes aimed at reducing accidents in the electricity industry.

It listed the safety programmes being implemented by the commission to include, but not limited to, the standardisation of system protection schemes and engagement of stakeholders on Right of Way (ROW) violation.

According to NERC, others are the public enlightenment on the safe use of electricity and a review of an operational procedure for Distribution System Operators (DSO) on fault clearing.

On capacity development, the commission said it had continued with its commitment to human capital development by sponsoring  some members of staff, based on their job/skills,  to attend various training during the quarter under review.

NERC said staff attended regulatory, leadership and management training programmes.

“During the same quarter, members of staff were sponsored to attend workshops, meetings and conferences on issues beneficial to the commission’s statutory responsibilities.

”They were also allowed to attend annual conferences of their respective professional bodies to keep them up to date with current developments in their respective professions,” it said.