NECA

Electrical Dangers In Older Homes Add Urgency To Community Service Project

For the sixth year in a row, the Electrical Connection — a partnership between our St. Louis (Missouri) Chapter and IBEW Local 1 —  is upgrading electrical installations in low-income homes for the Rebuilding Together campaign – but this time with greater urgency. That’s because a first-ever study recently issued by the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) sheds light on the heightened susceptibility of aging homes to electrical fires spawned by outdated and/or improperly installed electrical infrastructure. 

During the month of May — National Electrical Safety Month — approximately 130 union electricians and electrical contractors with the Electrical Connection are making 51 homes safer for disadvantaged St. Louisans. Work began Saturday, May 2, 2009.  In donating more than $70,000 in services and materials, volunteers are performing electrical upgrades and inspecting the overall safety of electrical systems. The effort is being coordinated by the non-profit Rebuilding Together St. Louis, which annually marshals volunteers torehabilitate the homes of low-income people.

First Ever Study Of Electrical Systems in Aging Homes

The Rebuild Together campaign comes in the wake of a first-ever national study that examined the wiring behind the walls of aging homes in America. Previous studies have shown the frequency of electrical fires has been high in homes more than 40 years old. The 2008 FPRF study examined 30 U.S. homes ranging in age from 25 to 90 years old to document potentially hazardous conditions.

While the study revealed that real dangers can often remain hidden, it found that the majority of those hazards were caused by improper installation and maintenance and a failure to meet proven safety provisions found in the National Electrical Code (NEC).

“We see this time and time again – homeowners doing electrical upgrades themselves or hiring ‘fly by night’ operators to do the work with no regard to safe and clean installations,” explains Stephen P.  Schoemehl, IBEW Local One business manager. “The result is a hidden danger that can cause a fire. It’s astounding that homeowners will live with safety problems, knowing full well that when they sell the home, it will have to be inspected for NEC compliance and fail every time."

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) reports that electrical problems lead to nearly 55,000 home fires every year that cause 500 deaths, injure more than 1,400 people and create $1.4 billion in property damage.”

“While we are helping low-income St. Louisans live in safer environments, anyone living in a home 25 years or older needs to really think about safe and proper electrical installations if an upgrade is needed,” said Douglas R. Martin, executive vice president of the St. Louis Chapter, NECA.

According to ESFI, the potential risk of home electrical fires has escalated as both the life expectancy and the energy consumption of the average home have increased in recent years.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, half of all homes in the United States were built before 1973, before the introduction of many of today’s common household appliances and electronic devices.

“As each year goes by, Americans are using more energy in their homes,” said Brett Brenner, ESFI president. “Many homes and electrical systems in the U.S. are simply being overburdened, leading to fires, deaths, and injuries.”

Participating in the Rebuilding Together St. Louis effort were IBEW Local One electricians employed by the following union electrical contractors:

• Aschinger Electric
• Beach Electric
• Bell Electrical Contractors
• Benson Electric
• Branson Electric
• Butler Electrical Contracting
• Byrne Electric
• DeSoto Ozark Electric
• Diversified Electrical
• Guarantee Electrical
• J. Bathe Electric
• Kaemmerlen Electric
• Kaiser Electric
• Kay-Bee Electric
• Lynn’s Electric
• M.R. Bathe Electric
• National Electric Contracting
• Northwest Electric
• PayneCrest Electric
• Sachs Electric
• Schaeffer Electric
• Schneider Electric
• Sentinel Electric
• Systemaire,
• Total Electric
• Trinity Quality Electric

The Electrical Connection donates time and materials for a number of community initiatives. In 2008, it donated more than $190,000 in material and services to safely wire a record 27 homes for Habitat for Humanity St. Louis. Also, for 12 consecutive years, members of the group have volunteered services to St. Louis city’s “National Night Out” anti-crime program.