Guyana is adopting the US National Electrical Code as part of efforts to modernise its standards for electrical practices, GINA said in a press release.
Instructor at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Paul Dobrowsky on Monday started a four-day training session for stakeholders at Hotel Tower.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA) about 50 persons drawn from various regulatory agencies and electrical consultants such as the Electrical Inspectorate Departments, the Guyana Energy Agency, the Public Utilities Commission and the Guyana Fire Service attended the sessions.
Dobrowsky said a code “establishes the will of society on technical safety issues.” He said protecting people’s lives and property against electrical catastrophes is foremost on the NFPA’s agenda which contains over 300 codes and standards.
The NFPA conducts investigations and awareness programmes for youth and is currently researching the ongoing effects of electricity on humans.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who has been at the centre of electrical standards modernisation in Guyana, said he is confident that the reform of electrical practices will benefit communities in coastal areas such as Lethem, Orealla, Linden, Kwakwani and along the Essequibo Coast. He said the programme would be especially beneficial at Mabaruma and Moruca which are newly emerging in electricity systems.
The Prime Minister noted that Guyana’s standards have historically been based on the British system. However he said, “We are taking that forward step in which we are setting up a Guyana code by adopting the American standards to suit our particular situation.”
According to GINA the Inter-American Development Bank is a partner in the programme and has been a donor to the local electrical sector since the 1980s, though mainly on generation capacity issues. Establishing codes to govern the local electrical practices has long been in the making since it was found that the current codes are outdated and fail to reflect modern requirements. Project Coordinator Maxine Nestor said in the past, countrywide consultations were held in order to formulate a proposal for a national electrical code.
The sessions were sponsored by the Office of the Prime Minister.
