Hazard and Risk Assessment in Electricity Sector: A Case of Swaziland Electricity Company

Abstract

The provision of safe, reliable and affordable power supply is one of the most important cornerstones for economic development. The risks range from minor to major risks such serious body injuries to fatalities; some of which have a cascading effect to dependents of the affected. Hence, electricity operations as well as its utilization are considered to be high risk. The focus of this paper is to identify the hazards and risks associated with the various processes involved in each step and suggest possible measures to control the identified risks. The Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC) was used as a case study wherein the company’s generation, transmission and distribution capabilities were audited. The top three significant hazards identified included; exposure to live wires, road hazards and the use of uncertified/serviced/ defective/wrong equipment and/or machinery. The distribution department was observed to have the most hazards and fatalities when compared to the other departments. This work determined hazards associated with the electricity sector and developed a simplified tool for hazard identification which can be used by other sectors. The data obtained in the hazard registers will act as baseline information for other electricity utilities wishing to implement health and safety systems. The study provides information on currently used control measures and proposes additional measures that could help improve the safety performance of Swaziland Electricity Company and facilities of similar kind.