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Every year, innocent lives are lost and people are seriously injured as a consequence of the unsafe use of electricity. Some of the biggest contributors to these electricity-related incidents are:  contacts with low-hanging electrical cables and fallen power lines, illegal connections, vandalism, cable theft, substandard wiring, repurposing of appliances etc.

The repurposing of appliances is when an appliance that is meant for one use is changed to perform an alternative task. An example of this is when a gas or a primus stove is changed to be powered by electricity. These stoves don’t have the correct electrical parts and the wires are exposed, amongst other dangers.

This practice is very dangerous as the appliances have no safety features and one can be injured or killed if they touch the stove. Without the insulation (lining) which helps keep you protected from live electricity, these appliances pose a very serious danger to your safety. The risk of fire is also high when you use these repurposed appliances in your home.

Only use appliances as they were meant to be used or purchase the correct appliance for a new purpose if you need to.

Issued by Eskom