Safe use of electricity after the meter:

Guests attending the discussion. Photo: Thang Truong

The number of fires caused by electrical failures is high.

According to Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong, Deputy Director of the Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue Police Department (Ministry of Public Security), in the past 5 years (2020 - 2024), there have been over 14,000 fires nationwide. Of the fires whose causes were clarified, 62.98% originated from electrical equipment failures. In some years, this rate was as high as 74%.

Notably, in the first 3 months of 2025, out of a total of over 900 fires, 74.4% were caused by electrical problems.

Hanoi is a densely populated area with offices, schools, factories, etc., so fires that occur in the area always attract special attention from the public. Colonel Pham Trung Hieu, Head of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department (Hanoi City Police) stated that in 2024, Hanoi had about 1,600 fires, of which 70% were caused by electricity. Some months, this rate reached 90%.

Further clarification, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong said that the two main causes of fires and explosions are overloaded electrical systems and the use of multiple devices on the same line. Old electrical equipment, loose wire connections, and poor insulation lead to electrical short circuits and fires.

"When designing, households, production and business establishments do not calculate the power lines to ensure the use of electrical equipment, or if they do calculate enough, over time the number of electrical equipment increases but the lines are not replaced, leading to overload, causing short circuits and fires," said Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong.

In addition, there are many other reasons, such as poor quality electrical equipment, animals biting the wire causing it to come loose, using heat-generating electrical equipment (such as irons, induction cookers, etc.) and forgetting to turn it off can also cause fires.

Thus, the causes of fires and explosions related to electrical equipment are very diverse but mainly stem from the subjective awareness and lack of understanding of users.

Synchronizing many fundamental solutions

Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong discusses the cause of the electrical equipment incident. Photo: Thang Truong.

To prevent and stop fires caused by unsafe use of electrical equipment, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong proposed a number of solutions, the first of which is to raise awareness and understanding of electricity users. These include using genuine electrical equipment, regularly checking the electrical system, promptly repairing damage, not using too many devices at the same time, not leaving flammable objects near power lines and electrical equipment, etc.

The second group of solutions involves strict management of electrical vehicles and equipment circulating on the market. The Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and product quality management agencies coordinate to inspect, monitor, and prevent counterfeit, fake, and poor-quality goods from circulating on the market.

The third group of solutions is that relevant agencies fulfill their responsibilities and strictly manage fire prevention and fighting safety in general and electrical safety in particular.

Regarding the management of electricity safety, Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung, Deputy General Director of Hanoi Electricity Corporation (EVNHANOI) said that the electricity industry has the responsibility to manage operations and ensure electricity safety before the meter.

For many years, the Hanoi electricity sector has been renovating the power grid system. In 12 inner-city districts of Hanoi, 100% of the power line system has been buried underground; 70% of the low-voltage grid has been buried underground. 100% of the meters are electronic and remotely measured.

The electricity industry clearly stipulates that the power grid is not allowed to exceed 80% of its capacity. If it exceeds, urgent measures must be taken to ensure safety and avoid overload.

Hanoi is a special locality with 2.9 million electricity customers. In 2024, summer electricity consumption will reach nearly 5,300 MW, equivalent to 12% of the total national electricity generation capacity.

To ensure the safety of the power grid system, EVNHANOI regularly improves equipment and applies automation technology. All 65 110KV transformer stations are automatically switched on and off remotely, without the need for human operators. Thousands of distribution transformer stations are also equipped with automatic control equipment.

In 2025, the electricity industry plans to deploy a common device for remote on/off switching for clusters of 3-5 transformer stations. All equipment is inspected and regularly maintained. From the meter to the household, a 65 Ampere circuit breaker is installed synchronously with wires that meet standards and regulations.

"In the coming time, EVNHANOI will develop rules for inspection by electricity industry employees. The content of the electricity purchase contract clearly stipulates the responsibilities of the parties in business and safe use of electricity," said Mr. Dung.

On the afternoon of April 23, the People's Police Newspaper and the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) jointly organized a seminar on "Electrical safety after the meter". Major General Pham Khai, Editor-in-Chief of the People's Police Newspaper, emphasized that in reality, many unfortunate incidents of fire and explosion, even causing serious damage to people and property, have occurred due to subjectivity, lack of understanding or non-compliance with regulations on safe use of electricity.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/an-toan-su-dung-dien-sau-cong-to-nhan-thuc-dung-hanh-dong-kip-thoi-700110.html