Ground-testing at buildings will now be done more efficiently by the Electrical Inspector at the Department of Physical Planning, thanks to a donation, by the Anguilla Electricity Company (ANGLEC), of the US$3,500 state-of-the-art equipment.

Presentation of device by Steve Hodge of ANGLEC

At the handing over ceremony on Thursday, February 11, ANGLEC’s General Manager, Thomas Hodge, said grounding was commonly overlooked as an essential part of electrical design and installation and that the main functions of grounding were safety and power quality. He explained that when surfaces of an electrical appliance were grounded, users were protected from exposure to dangerous voltages in the event of equipment failure or malfunction. He further said that grounding would also protect a consumer’s equipment by mitigating the effects of lightning and voltage surges.

Mr. Hodge stated that while ANGLEC supplied an earthed neutral to the homes of its customers, it was not intended to serve as a replacement for their grounding installation. He cautioned that an improperly grounded installation was likely to cause equipment damage if ANGLEC’s neutral supply was interrupted, for example, by a backhoe pulling down a service line or a vehicle collision with a pole.

“This comes back to the importance of good grounding,” the General Manager went on. “The office of the Electrical Inspector recognises that fact as it is a requirement in the building code. We realise that good measurement techniques and equipment will help to ensure adherence to these critical stanadards.” He added that ANGLEC would work with the Department of Physical Planning to ensure that its technicians were fully conversant with the operation, calibration and maintenance of the device.

In thanking ANGLEC for the equipment, Director of Physical Planning, Vincent Proctor, spoke about the benefits of safety which it would provide to householders. “Good grounding not only ensures safety," he pointed out. “It also improves the reliability of equipment and reduces the likelihood of damage due to lightning or fault currents. In some countries billions are lost each year in the workplace due to electrical fires. Moreover, Anguillians can attest to experiencing burnt out outlets, switches or even meter bases and service conductors,” he added.

Network Operations Engineer with ANGLEC, Steve Hodge said that, unlike previously, the equipment had a digital test clamp to be affixed around the electrode at a building, rather than using stakes.

“With the donation of this ground tester, the Physical Department will be able to perform a direct test of grounding without stakes within an ideal time frame,” a release stated. “It will assist in conducting a survey of grounding in Anguilla; increase citizen safety by decreasing the number of badly-grounded connections on the island, and implement the grounding requirements more rigorously.”

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