AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ELECTRICAL SKILLS IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
HONORIO M. PALO JR.
Electricity energy is an essential part of our life because it is the main source of economic and social development as well as poverty reduction in our country and every other sector centered around it for growth. However, it has the potential to cause great harm. It is a fact that electricity is dangerous and can cause accidents in our homes. With the increased dependency on electricity in every facet of life, electrical safety becomes imperative. We use electricity to carry out a large range of everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, heating, and lighting our homes, as well as powering industrial plants for the manufacture of goods for local use and export.
Electricity is a clean, quiet, and invisible source of energy. The fact that it is invisible means we often take it for granted and its inherent dangers are not always immediately apparent. Every year in Nigeria, electricity kills or seriously injures a considerable number of people. Most of these injuries occur through lack of knowledge of electricity and its dangers. The to be concerned by young adolescents’ and the old ignorance of electrical safety and the consequent risk of personal injury and death from electrocution by interfering with power lines and electrical equipment It is evident that most of the young people have no idea of the danger they put themselves and others when they carry out these activities. A large part of any system installation is concerned with ensuring that accidents will not happen, or if they do, their effect will be minimal. The home and laboratory appliances most often involved in electrical fires are electric stoves, ovens and dryers, electric pressing irons, refrigerators, central heating units, fans, soldering irons, toasters, washing machines, food processors, electric kettles and frying pans. Some of these fires are caused by electrical system failures, defects, misuse, lack of maintenance, incorrectly installed wiring, overloaded circuits, and extension cords. The use of bad or wrong tools can also be a source of hazard.
An exposed live conductor has no insulation that will confine the flow of current to its body; thus, any contact will lead to electric shock, electrocution, and possible fire outbreaks. When an electrical apparatus is installed without sufficient ventilation, it is likely to overheat, and this can eventually result to electrical fire. In order that there would be no danger from fire caused by electricity, the Institution of Electrical Engineers formulated rules and regulations guiding installations.
Though electricity has contributed a lot toward our modern civilization and day-to- day living, a slight mishandling can cause fatal accidents. The lowest voltage at which death occurs from electric shock is 110volt [4]. This underscores the need for electrical safety in our homes to prevent hazards happening to our children.
Electricity can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property [5]. Even non-fatal shocks can cause severe and permanent injury. Most of these accidents can be avoided by careful planning and straightforward precautions not only in the home but also at school in the science laboratories and workshops. Workshops, by nature, are potentially hazardous places. Alertness and safe precautions, it is against this backdrop that this study was designed. Generally, proper laboratory behavior demands that students do not play pranks that may go wrong and cause injury while carrying out laboratory experiments involving electrical devices.
-oOoThe author is Teacher III at ANGELES CITY NATIONAL TRADE SCHOOL