Study on Electrical Utilization and Fire Prevention of Rural Area Residence

www.seipub.org/ce Construction Engineering Volume 4, 2016 doi: 10.14355/ce.2016.04.003

Study on Electrical Utilization and Fire Prevention of Rural Area Residence LiWei Chu, YanFeng Li, HanXiao Feng, HongYi Wang, YanQiang Cui College of Architectural and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124 18609592@qq.com

Abstract The investigations on a total of 177 rural residents in 12 villages have been made. These villages belong to 6 provinces and 1 autonomous district. The survey scopes include electrical lines, distribution systems, household appliance and electrical safety dialog with rural residents and other aspects. The key points are conditions of electrical lines and apparatus. A large amount of detail data of field status about electrical fire in rural areas has been collected. The analyses on the main cause of rural electrical fire have been made and fire prevention measures have been studied.

Keywords Rural Rear; Electrical Fire; Fire Prevention; Residence

Introduction Recently, electricity has become the key factor in fire disaster. It has been turned out more than half of the fire disaster occurred in rural residence in China whether fire number, mortality and property loss. The proportion has surpassed 60 percent in 2013 as shown in Table.1. It can be found that electrical fire has accounted for 30.7 percent of total number from 2011 to 2013, of which the property loss is around 38.38 percent. Especially, the data in 2012 reached up to 32.3% of total cases of fire and 45.4% of the total property damage respectively [1]. Therefore, non‐standard electricity utilization is the most important factor to cause fire.

TABLE.1 FIRE STATISTICS IN RURAL AREA

Years

2011

2012

2013

Range

Number of the case(10K)

Mortality

Property Loss(bn)

nationwide

12.5

1108

2.06

countryside

7.2

727

1.15

proportion

57.60%

65.60%

55.80%

nationwide

15.2

1028

2.18

countryside

8.8

555

1.28

proportion

57.90%

54.00%

58.70%

nationwide

38.9

2113

4.85

countryside

24

1439

2.98

proportion

61.70%

68.10%

61.40%

The aim of the research is to analyze the main reason caused fire in rural areas and the influence on fire prevention of rural residences by on site testing the construction structures, geographic areas, economic development level and fire awareness. Related strategies have been put forward for fire prevention in rural area.

Investigation Objects Selection Climate, building construction structures, economic level and costume have been taken into consideration before

14

Construction Engineering Volume 4, 2016 www.seipub.org/ce

the investigation. About 15 families were involved in every single typical village across 6 provinces and 1 regional municipality. Age and structure of buildings and economic level are the factors to consider when choosing the respondents

FIG.1 PROPORTION IN DIFFERENT STATES

FIG.2 STRUCTURE OF BUILDINGS

Content Questionnaire was used in this study, the main contents are as follow: (1)Basic information: number of households, geography, age structure of permanent residents, population movements, transportation and type of transformers, etc.

(2)Fire protection: whether fire brigade, volunteer, person in charge and daily rangers are equipped; whether fire disaster had had happened before; whether related train had been developed; and whether the planning area is in strict accordance with the related planning and fire fighting planning requirements, set fire fighting accesses, fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, etc.

(3)Electricity consumption: floors; age of building; structures; location, waterproof and type of the ammeter; household appliances and layout of electricity wires.

Methodology On‐site survey as planned was used in this paper during the winter and summer vocation in 2014 and 2015, including looking, asking and measuring, etc. 177 questionnaires were available.

Analysis According to statistics, numerous rural residences are facing severe electricity fire situation and having lots of fire risk. Following aspects should be noted.

Non‐design of Electricity Utilization Most of chosen respondents were underdeveloped rural area. The layout of the electricity wires were usually installed by household themselves or native wire‐man without any pre‐design because of the less developed economy and lacking related protecting equipment. The electricity specification is much less than the national design standard. None of the electricity wire is well designed among the 177 families investigated. There are severe electrical fire risks in these rural residences.

Overload Operation TABLE 2 .USING AGA OF ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

Age of circuits

0~5

6~10

11~15

16~20

21~25

26~30

Over 30

Households

39

55

29

25

6

5

17

Proportion

22%

31.1%

16.4%

14.1%

3.4%

2.8%

9.6%

15

www.seipub.org/ce Construction Engineering Volume 4, 2016

Recently, more and more high‐power electrical appliances like television, air conditioner, refrigerator and washing machine, etc. have been commonly used in rural families with the economic development. However, reconstruction of electrical wire does not schedule with the power increase. According to data, 22 percent of local residents have used current electricity wires under 5 years, 31.1 percent using 6‐10 years which accounts for the most parts, and 9.6 percent unbelievably using over 30 years. Overloading electrical circuits have led to worn, aging and insulation failure, thus causing fire due to short or arcing.

In addition, only 32 families checked against the load of the electrical wires before purchasing large‐power household appliances, roughly 18.1 percent of its total number. Most users have not done the related wires reconstruction and calibration.

Unsatisfactory Circuits Layout Newly buildings often have adopted the type of open electrical lines or canceled lines through the wall, in contrast.

Most existed aged buildings used open line type. In Yunnan province, 100% residences use the open line type.

For 25 families were involved in this investigation in Guizhou province, most of them were using the type of canceled lines through the wall because of local wires reconstruction engineering. Only 3 of them use the type of open line.

According to the results of practical investigation, in villagers’ home, there are only two incoming wire in village home. They did not divide the PEN line into PE line and N line. This utilization would not be able to use residual current protective device [2].

TABLE 3. STATISTICS OF LINE LAYING FORM

Electrical wiring forms

Canceled line apply or through the pipeline

Pipeline on the surface or bare line

Household numbers

69

100

The proportion

39%

56.5%

Optional, Non‐standard Wire Connections In some aged buildings, we have found that there were many joint lines. Most of them were not installed in the junction box and only by the splicing connection. Considerable parts of the electrical fire were caused by poor connection among conductors. Due to the constraint of the rural economy and lack of electricity utilization knowledge of, farmers tend to choose the most convenient connection mode. And with the increase of electric equipment, a lot of joints are used, but many of them are not standard and insulation measures does not reach the designated position, it’s easy to form the point of failure, even cause electrical fire hazards [3], it can be seen in Fig3.

FIG.3 EXPOSED ELECTRIC JIONTS IN FARMER’HOME

Insufficient Education of the Electric Fireproof In the survey of 12 villages, only five villagers have got effective education relative to electrical fire. Promotion and Education of the electric fireproof education in most area has been formally done only. For example the education form was to put up posters on the wall. Government officials did not really made communication with villagers

16

Construction Engineering Volume 4, 2016 www.seipub.org/ce

face to face. Because of lacking of knowledge about regularity and characteristics of electrical fire, feeble fire consciousness, relatively poor self‐aid ability, farmer could not take effective measures for fire fighting in time. It would result in fire development out of control and, loss of life due to missing best opportunity to escape [4].

Discussion on Electrical Fire Protection Measures Regional Factor The present terrains nearby the north China are plain with convenient transportation. Economic level is moderate in rural area and coal is the main fuel in winter. Fire potential is thus relatively small. However, most of southwest of China is mountainous and hilly area with hot and humid climate. They have underdeveloped economy and inconvenient transportation. For the existed aged buildings, electricity is the vital factor of heating in winter. This would cause overloading and aging of the electricity circuits and leading to higher safety risk of building electrical fire.

Economic Development Level In most rural areas with underdeveloped economy, product quality supervision is usually deficient. Poor quality of electrical products and a large number of obsolete appliances are the hidden trouble of electric fire in the countryside. In addition, rural areas are generally far away from the fire brigade. Because of lacking fire infrastructure, when fire happen, people cannot take effective measure but nail biting. Fire wanton burning were common results.

The Government Attention to Fire Protection According to the current situation in rural electric fire, we proposed the following measures: (1) Economic development can not only improve rural infrastructure, but also raise fire awareness of the farmer. So it is necessary to develop rural economy at first in order to get more investment.

(2)All of village households should be equipped with electrical safety testing equipment and take regular testing to find problems.

(3) A broad media information campaign should be waged to improve the safe use of electricity. By conducting various forms of publicity activities, they can strengthen the rural fire safety consciousness of the masses, knowledge popularization of electrical fire. Therefore, the ability to prevent electrical fires can be improved.

Conclusion According to the research status of electrical fire in the rural areas, we have found many non‐standard places in rural areas about the electrical system. Framers in rural area do not have sufficient awareness of electrical fire prevention knowledge. The status would lead a large electrical fire hazard. Through analysis and study on these risks, we put forward the corresponding measures from the technical and management and they would provide a reference to regulate the rural electric systems. It can reduce the risk of electrical fires in rural areas to some extent.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by Key Projects in the National Science & Technology Pillar Program during the Twelfth Five‐year Plan Period (2014BAL05B04‐3) REFERENCE

[1] The ministry of public security fire department. Yearbook of China Fire Protection.2006[M].Beijing: China Personnel publishing house, 2013.

[2] Liu Feng, Li Hong‐Wen, Zhang Xiao‐Qing, Shen Hong‐Bo, Jin Bo. Present Stiuation investigation and Analyze of Electricity Fire Proofing in Rural Areas[J].Building Electricity,2011,30(4):10‐13.

17

www.seipub.org/ce Construction Engineering Volume 4, 2016

[3] LIU Feng. Study on electrical fire of existing rural residence[D]. Beijing Jiaotong University.,2011.

[4] Yang Ji‐En. Prevention of electrical fire in rural areas[J]. New West, 2008, 12:166+164.

Liwei Chu, a graduate student, majors in fire prevention and smoke extraction.

18