A feature article in this Issue describes in detail some common mistakes in filling the Periodic Test Certificate (Form WR2). We hope it can help trade members fill in the Periodic Test Certificate more accurately. This could minimise the delay in the processing of endorsement applications caused by handling wrong information and omissions, clarification and making correction so as to enhance efficiency. Another feature article reports and analyses three accidents involving electric fans for your reference.
From 1 July this year, the new cable colour code is applicable to new fixed electrical installations as well as additions or alterations to existing ones in Hong Kong. Registered electrical workers should pay more attention to and be particularly careful in their works. If you have not received training on the new cable colour code, please complete it as soon as possible. Furthermore, the prohibition provisions of the Construction Workers Registration Ordinance came into effect on 1 September 2007. Unregistered construction workers are prohibited from carrying out construction work on construction sites and such workers shall not be employed. If a registered electrical worker wants to work on a construction site, he/she shall register with the Construction Workers Registration Authority beforehand. Please refer to the relevant article in News for details.
Our Electricity Legislation Division (ELD) has made another great achievement. We were awarded the second prize in the category of Innovation Team under the Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme 2007. Readers may share our joy in Snapshot .
The cover girl of this issue of the Electricity News is Jade Kwan, a famous singer in Hong Kong. Jade was born in Hong Kong and educated in Canada. Having a strong passion for music, she is good at playing the piano, guitar, electric organ, saxophone as well as writing music and the words of songs. In 1999, Jade represented Canada in the "New Talent Singing Awards International Finals" that was held in Shanghai. She won the "Best Potential Newcomer Award" and her performing career started. Since releasing her first album in 2002, Jade has been active in the local music circles and has become a popular singer. Our reporter had an exclusive interview with Jade.
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"Hello, Jade! What have you been busy about recently?" |
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"I have just released a new album and a collection of essays. I am busy with the performances and the publicity work." |
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"I have read your collection of essays. In one of the essays, you say when you were attending primary school in Canada, you met another Chinese girl in the class, and she was Karena Lam." |
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"Yes! Both of us have become singers. We met again in Hong Kong several years ago." |
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"What a coincidence! Karena was the cover girl of the last issue of the Electricity News . Both of you are very enthusiastic about promoting electrical safety for this Department." |
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"That's right. Electricity is vital to a modern society. It enables us to have a comfortable living environment. However, when used improperly, electricity can be very dangerous. Therefore, I am very careful when I use the household electrical appliances. I operate and clean the electrical appliances according to the instructions given in the user manual. Moreover, I employ experienced technicians to inspect and repair the household electrical appliances regularly." |
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"That's fine. Besides the household electrical appliances, do you know what you should pay attention to regarding the fixed electrical installations in a building?" |
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"I know very little about that. Can you tell me more?" |
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"The fixed electrical installations in a building shall be inspected at least once every five years. Moreover, the individual property owners and the incorporated owners must arrange regular maintenance and repair works for the electrical installations. They must also remember to employ registered electrical contractors to perform the electrical works." |
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"I see. I will pay attention to the safety of electrical installations in the building. I would like to urge the readers to be 'safe electricity consumers'." |
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"Thank you for granting the interview! I wish you every success in your performing career." |
: Reporter: Jade
Acknowledgement : BMA Entertainment Holdings Limited
Complete Periodic Testing On Time.
Fill In the Periodic Test Certificate Correctly
The Electricity (Wiring) Regulations stipulate that owners of specified types of fixed electrical installations shall have the electrical installations inspected, tested and certified at least once every year or every five years. Owners of fixed electrical installations (including property owners, incorporated owners and property management companies) shall deliver the Periodic Test Certificates (Form WR2) to the EMSD for endorsement within two weeks after the Certificates are issued.
When considering applications for endorsement of Periodic Test Certificates, EMSD staff frequently found wrong information or omissions in the Certificates. Therefore, they had to clarify with the applicants and request them to make corrections. Giving wrong information or omitting necessary information in the Certificates often delayed the endorsement of the Certificates. The following are some of the mistakes commonly found in the Certificates (please refer to the attached example of a Periodic Test Certificate):
The EMSD hopes that by quoting the above examples, it can help trade members fill in the Periodic Test Certificate more accurately. This could minimise the delay in the processing of endorsement applications caused by handling wrong information and omissions, clarification and making correction so as to enhance efficiency.
Webpage on Periodic Test for Fixed Electrical Installations
A new webpage on periodic inspection, testing and certification for fixed electrical installations has been launched to facilitate installation owners in arranging the statutory required testing works. This webpage provides relevant information for the public and electrical trade members. Please click the above hyperlink to view the webpage.
Accidents relating to electric fans may happen only occasionally. However, if such accidents happen, the consequences can be very serious. According to our investigations, in the past three years, the incidents involving electric fans were mainly caused by improper use and maintenance. The following are three real cases involving electric fans.
On a hot night, there was a fire relating to an electric fan in which a family of four was injured. To enable his two children to sleep more comfortably in the same bedroom, the father placed an electric fan on a wooden chair next to the bed and let it operate all night. When the family was sleeping deeply, the father was woken suddenly by some strange noises from his children's bedroom. Entering the bedroom, he found that the fan had fallen from the wooden chair to the floor. It was still operating and sending out sparks. In desperation, he covered the fan with a quilt, trying to put out the fire. However, the quilt was burnt and the fire spread quickly to other areas of the bedroom. Fortunately, the couple and their two children were able to flee from the scene, but the flat was seriously burnt.
It is believed that while the fan was operating, it was knocked down and the flexible power cord connecting the moving parts of the fan was damaged and sent out sparks. As the fan was not cleaned regularly, the sparks ignited the accumulated dust, thereby causing the fire.
Another accident which happened on a hot morning involved a wall-mounted electric fan. The flat occupant used to place the same wall-mounted fan in different rooms at home for use. For easy installation and dismantling, the occupant did not secure the fan to the wall according to the instructions given in the user manual but simply put it on a stand. Moreover, the fan had been used for many years and had difficulties in movement. Although the occupant had detected abnormalities in the fan, he did not arrange for maintenance. Before the fire broke out, the fan had been mounted on the window grilles in the living room. It was raining heavily at that time. All of a sudden, the fan caught fire. Fortunately, there were no other objects near the fan, so the fire did not spread. The occupant put out the fire promptly. Apart from the wall being darkened by the flames, the accident did not cause casualties or serious property loss.
The fan concerned had been in abnormal operation for a long time and its inner core insulation might have been damaged. In addition, the fan had been mounted on the window improperly by the occupant. When rainwater splashed into the fan, short-circuiting and a fire occurred.
The third case concerned an electric shock arising from electrical leakage from an electric fan. The occupant of a flat suffered an electric shock when he was cleaning an electric fan at home. Out of his negligence, he forgot to unplug the fan before cleaning it with a wet cloth. He touched the live part of the fan accidentally and the accident occurred.
The fan was collected by the occupant from a refuse chamber. It had been worn out and its plastic guards had not been fixed properly, resulting in exposure of the live parts. It is indeed very dangerous to continue to use the fan.
From 1 July this year, the new cable colour code is applicable to new fixed electrical installations as well as additions or alterations to existing ones in Hong Kong. There will be a 2-year grace period. From 1 July 2009 onwards, only the new cable colour code should be used for new fixed electrical installations as well as additions or alterations to existing ones.
The amendments to the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations related to the new cable colour code were published in March 2007 in the form of a supplementary document. They include the New Cable Colour Code for Fixed Electrical Installations - Installation Guidelines published last year. The soft copies of the amendments and the whole Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations can be downloaded at our web site (www.emsd.gov.hk -> Protecting Public Safety -> Electricity -> Publications -> Codes of Practice). Hard copies of the amendments are available free of charge from our Customer Services Office and are attached to copies of the Code of Practice on sale at the sales counter of the Publications Sales Unit.
We would like to remind you that if you are a registered electrical worker and have not received training on the new cable colour code, please complete it as soon as possible. You may be trained through the web-based self assessment (www.emsd.gov.hk -> Protecting Public Safety -> Electricity -> New Cable Colour Code -> Training for the Trade) or you may visit the Cable Colour Code Training Centre in our headquarters for the training.
The Electricity (Registration) Regulations stipulate that electrical work must be performed by registered electrical workers. Since unregistered electrical workers cannot perform electrical work alone, many new recruits want to become registered electrical workers the soonnest possible.
Recently, we discovered that some people produced suspected forged documents when visiting our office to apply for registration as electrical workers. These documents included academic certificates and employer's testimonials exaggerating their academic qualifications and experience in electrical work. We have referred these cases to the police or the ICAC for investigation. If sufficient evidence is found, these people may be charged. The police and the ICAC have successfully prosecuted several people who issued or used forged documents. We remind registered electrical workers/contractors and applicants that issuing and using forged documents are serious criminal offences. Don't defy the law or you will certainly feel regret.
The prohibition provisions of the Construction Workers Registration Ordinance came into effect on 1 September 2007. Unregistered construction workers are prohibited from carrying out construction work on construction sites and such workers shall not be employed. If you hold a certificate of registration as an electrical worker of Grade A, B, C or H issued in accordance with Section 30 of the Electricity Ordinance (Cap. 406), please go to any registration office immediately to apply for registration as a Skilled Worker for Electrical Fitter (Trade Code: E305) or a Skilled Worker for Refrigeration/Air-conditioning/Ventilation Mechanic (Electrical control) (Trade Code: E314b).
If you have obtained a certificate of registration as an electrical worker of Grade R and the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services specifies on your certificate of registration that you can do electrical work on air-conditioning installations, you can also register as a Skilled Worker for Refrigeration/Air-conditioning/Ventilation Mechanic (Electrical control). Should you have any enquiries, please contact the Registration Head Office of Construction Workers Registration Authority on 2873 1911 or browse www.cwra.org.hk.
(Information provided by the Construction Workers Registration Authority)
Common solar photovoltaic, small wind turbine and mini-water turbine power generation systems all belong to small-scale renewable energy power systems (SREPSs). These systems enable users of electricity to generate green power to meet a portion of their electricity demand and contribute towards environmental protection.
SREPSs can be used to charge batteries or operate in connection with the grid, i.e. connected to the distribution system of a location where the SREPSs are installed and operate in parallel with the grid to provide power to the location. The EMSD published the Technical Guidelines on Grid Connection of Small-scale Renewable Energy Power Systems (English version) to give an outline of major technical considerations in grid connection, which cover basic requirements for safety, facility protection, reliability and power quality and provide relevant information on the procedures for making application to power companies for grid connection. As for non-technical requirements, information will be provided by individual power companies on request from applicants.
Furthermore, the HK RE Net of the EMSD at http://re.emsd.gov.hk/ also introduces the public to basic knowledge of grid connection of SREPSs.
Our Electricity Legislation Division (ELD) was awarded the second prize in the category of Innovation Team under the Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme 2007.
The Innovation Team Award recognises our efforts and achievements in application of innovative ideas to enhance service quality. In line with the motto, "People Oriented, Reaching out to the Community", we adopt innovative approaches and reaches out to the community proactively to publicize and promote electrical safety. As for innovative publicity approaches, we have appointed popular cartoon characters and famous artists to help promote electrical safety. To proactively reach out to the community, we have organised a series of outreach programmes to meet the special needs of different groups in the community. These include visits to children, primary and secondary school students, teenagers and the elderly. We also took the initiative in assisting building owners in solving technical problems relating to inspection and testing of electrical installations of their buildings. A Volunteers' Service Team was formed to inspect household electrical appliances for the elderly. We have published the Household Electrical Safety Handbook in various languages. Through electricity and water bills and newspapers, the message of electrical safety is conveyed to the general public. These innovative approaches have attracted attention from the public and the trade to electrical safety, which help reduce the number of electrical incidents, enhance electrical safety in the territory and improve the quality of life of the public.
The ELD has come into prominence and won an award under this scheme. This shows that our efforts have been recognised by members of the public and the award has given fresh impetus to our work, encouraging us to continue to make progress.
The EMSD has organised large-scale annual technical seminars for the trade since 2001 in collaboration with the Hong Kong & Kowloon Electrical Engineering and Appliances Trade Workers Union and the Hong Kong Electrical Contractors' Association. The purpose of the seminar is to maintain close contact and strengthen communication with the trade. This year, the EMSD, the Union and the Association will jointly organise a large-scale technical seminar at the Jockey Club Auditorium of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 7:30 p.m. on 17 December 2007.
In planning this year's seminar, representatives of the Union and the Association gave us many valuable suggestions which enabled us to understand the expectations of the trade with regard to the seminar. The seminar will cover several topics, including matters to note in electrical tests, review of electrical accidents, and safety items in connecting small-scale renewable energy power systems to the grid. It aims to increase the trade's knowledge of the matters concerned and enhance the technical knowledge and safety awareness of the participants.
Those interested in obtaining admission tickets for the seminar may contact the Union (Tel.: 2626 1927 or 2393 9955) or the Association (Tel.: 2572 0843). You are warmly welcome to participate in this seminar.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the EMSD held the fourth Annual General Meeting on the Cooperation Arrangement on Electrical and Mechanical Products Safety in Hangzhou, Zhejiang from 10 to 12 April this year. Both sides were satisfied with the results of the last 4 years' cooperation and agreed to extend the Cooperation Arrangement by 4 years.
Mr. HO Kwong-wai, Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, led members of the 4 working groups on electrical products, gas appliances, lifts & escalators and energy efficiency to meet the officials of the AQSIQ, the China National Institute of Standardization and the related inspection and quarantine bureaux under the AQSIQ.
In retrospect, the working groups of both sides cooperated successfully in matters such as electrical & mechanical product safety and energy efficiency, and maintained close contact in the last 4 years. Both sides strengthened market supervision and inspection, improved emergency handling of unexpected incidents, reported cases of non-compliant electrical & mechanical products, enhanced cooperation in incident investigation and product certification, expanded the scope of reciprocal attachment training, and held numerous technical seminars. Through communication and cooperation, we tackled product safety problems in an efficient manner and enhanced safety of the electrical and mechanical products supplied in Hong Kong and the mainland.
Electrical and Mechanical
Engineer delivered a speech at the conference
Furthermore, on 21 and 22 May this year, the EMSD attended the International Consumer Product Safety Conference held in Beijing, at which we briefed the attendees on our Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation and the enforcement situation. This is the first time the International Consumer Product Safety Conference was held in China. Consumer product safety experts from all over the world were invited to attend the conference to exchange ideas, enhance communication, and discuss issues of common concern.
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Besides complying with the requirements of Code 11J(2)(a) of the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations , a residual current device for socket outlet circuit should have a rated residual operating current not exceeding ____ mA. |
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Among common cable insulations, what is the maximum permissible conductor operating temperature of general purpose PVC in degree Celsius? |
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For a three-phase low voltage induction motor powered by the overhead line system of an electricity supplier, its maximum starting current cannot exceed ____ times the full-load current if its power is less than 3.8 kW. |
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During the grace period of the implementation of the new cable colour code, which kind of colour code can you use for the cables when installing a new electrical installation? |
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Which of the following is not a requirement of the New Cable Colour Code for Fixed Electrical Installations - Installation Guidelines ? |
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(Answers : 1B, 2C, 3D, 4D & 5C)
We look forward to receiving your valuable feedback about this newsletter so that we may continue to improve it. Please complete the feedback form below and return it to our Electricity Legislation Division by post, fax or e-mail on or before 30 November 2007 (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.
Electricity Legislation Division, EMSD, 3 Kai Shing Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong
1823
2895 4929