Tropical Cable and Conductor Limited (TCCL), an indigenous aluminium and copper electrical and telephone cable manufacturer, says it is continuously investing heavily in quality management systems to promote integrity and quality of the company’s products.

Speaking at a seminar for newly-certified electrical wiring professionals in Accra, the Marketing and Business Development Manager of TCCL, Nana Kwame Oteng-Gyasi, said the company - which has been International Standard Organisation (ISO) 9001 certified for almost 10 years - on average spent US$200,000 annually on quality systems.

He explained that the investments were channeled into laboratory testing equipment, production systems, and on personnel to ensure the company’s products meet international standards.

TCCL organised the seminar to sensitise electricians and users of electrical cables and accessories on electrical safety, best wiring practices and inspection, and testing electrical installations.

The seminar featured speakers from TCCL and other external resource persons who shed light on the evolution of Tropical Cable, TCCL’s quality standards and products, electrical safety, and the new Wiring Regulations of the Energy Commission.

“With the onset of the rainy season, TCCL as part of its corporate social responsibility is educating electricians to adopt good wiring standards so as to reduce the increasing rate of fire outbreaks in the country,” he said.

Assistant Division Officer at the Safety Department of the Ghana Fire Service, Charles Kingsley Amoh, lauded TCCL for the training.

He disclosed that electrical-related fires in the country reduced from 567 in 2014 to 504 in 2015.

He entreated all stakeholders to help the Ghana National Fire Service to carry out its mandate, saying “fire safety is a shared responsibility”.

The Principal Programme Officer (Technical Regulations)-Energy Commission, Mr. Robert Yeboah, advised electricians to avail themselves for the Energy Commission Certification.

“Per the Electrical Wiring Regulation, 2011. It is obligatory for electricians to be certified by the Energy Commission in order to practice their profession,” he said.

Mr. Yeboah entreated individuals who own buildings to use certified electricians for wiring their buildings.

An electrical engineer, Mr. Appiagyei Kwame Torto - who is also a resource person with TCCL, called on government to issue a directive for the rewiring of all public and private buildings which are 50 years or above.

Engineer Torto challenged government to absorb about 50 percent of the cost in order to reduce the risk associated with faulty wiring of buildings in the country, saying it is crucial for the state to ensure that all facilities are well wired by certified personnel with quality cables that can stand the test of time.

“I urge government to issue a directive for rewiring all public and domestic premises that have lasted for about 50 years; but government must bear at least 50 percent of the cost,” he said.

He cited countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA) which recently ordered the rewiring of every building, which cost they defrayed by half.

About 300 participants, including representatives from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Energy Commission, and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) attended the seminar.