Categories: Energia

Making safety the priority in homebuilding

When building a new home, it’s great to see people taking interest in factors making their home more comfortable and pretty like design, material quality other than cost alone. In quite some situations, electrical safety is like a hidden factor homeowners are less conscious of, though sometimes it plays a critical role in ensuring safety of the whole family in a long run. We are glad to see the homebuilding industry take steps towards creating safer homes for everyone in their recommendations.

A report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission indicated that home electrical systems cause about 31,000 fires and 200 deaths each year in America alone. While addressing the evolving safety expectations of homeowners, homebuilders can become home safety advocates by addressing diverse demands with proper regulations, product information, and innovative products. At Schneider Electric, we are committed to providing homebuilders with quality products that homeowners can trust to ensure the best electrical safety for their homes. With our reliable and innovative products, we help build a strong relationship of trust between homebuilders and the households they serve, as well as overall protection for the home-building process.

Electrical safety does matter a lot, and on top of the three golden rules about “Protection”, namely Protection of People, Protection of Equipment, and Protection against Fire, we are happy to share some tips with our homebuilder community:

Keeping up with regulations and safety measures

Governments all around the world have implemented comprehensive electrical safety guides and regulations for home builders and electricians. With the increasing prevalence of smart appliances, systems and EV charging stations, new and improved safety measures are necessary basics for homebuilders.

India, for example, has implemented comprehensive regulations to ensure electrical safety for its citizens. The Electricity Act of 2003 provides a legal framework for generating, transmitting, distributing, and using electricity. Various rules and guidelines enforce safety practices at every level of the electrical supply chain. In recent years, there have been supplementary amendments to renewable energy as it becomes the nation’s key agenda.

Homebuilding, electrical work, and construction of buildings are also regulated in countries like Australia by state safety guidelines. Each state has its own set of rules and regulations ensuring that construction work is carried out safely and to a high standard. In Victoria, for instance, there are rules in place that focus on apprentice supervision on worksites, wiring methods for electrical installations, and testing of electrical installation work, among many others. These guidelines are regularly updated to reflect changes in technology and new best practices in the construction industry. By adhering to these guidelines of respective countries, homebuilders, electricians, and other construction professionals can ensure that the buildings they work on are safe, durable, and built to last.

Regular training

Consider regular professional training and updates on equipment knowledge and safety measures, especially for those who use electrical devices during construction. The risk of electrocution caused by the equipment can be reduced by adequately training all personal involved in the build to recognize unknown incorrect shortcuts.

Personal protection & equipment

Personal safety always comes first over all other forms of safety gear since it immediately guards your team against electrical accidents. The probable exposure to electricity determines the level of personal protection necessary. As a homebuilder who has the overall plan in mind, it is always recommended to provide qualified personal protective gear and equipment, including voltage regulators and circuit breakers, for the electricians and different teams on site.

Use of reliable products

It is natural for homeowners to seek advice from homebuilders when they want their home to be more energy-efficient, more comfortable or empowered by new technology such as EV chargers. In today’s world, these new technologies emerge almost every day, making the building process more challenging. Homebuilders need to be aware of the right products to use that provide homes with the best safety measures that meet the rules and regulations of their area. We are proud that this is where we help. Backed by a century of comprehensive electrical protection, Schneider Electric provides products like Residual Current Circuit Breakers (RCCB), Surge Protection Devices (SPD) and Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDD), proven to be reliable products designed with safety in mind.

As the market evolves, product knowledge, sensitivity to consumer needs and even technology trends become essential values of homebuilders. Builders are no longer seen only as the builders and become more like the professional consultants who are ready to offer the best possible recommendations for a home where you can relax and feel safe, and where you want to invest, to feel comfortable and enjoy efficiency in the long term. Our teams at Schneider Electric are ready to support homebuilders with the right solutions and products that integrate innovation and safety from planning on day one to seeing the birth of a new home.

Tags: building safety, electrical safety, Electricians, Homebuilders, InnovationAtEveryLevel, Sustainability