Safety Provisions in Electricity Act,

2003
overview of I.E. Rules 1956 and
enforcing Mechanism

12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0

HUMAN FATAL

HUMAN NON FATAL

ANIMAL NON FATAL

TOTAL

ANIMAL FATAL

INDIAN ELECTRICITY
ACT, 2003

Section 53
Provisions with respect to electricity
trader.
53. The Authority may, in consultation with
the State Government, specify suitable
measures for---(a) Protecting the public (including the
persons
engaged
in
the
generation
transmission or distribution or trading) from
dangers arising form the generation,
transmission or distribution or trading of
electricity, or use of electricity supplied or
installation, maintenance or use of any
electric line or electrical plant;
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(b) Eliminating or reducing the risks of

personal injury to any person, or
damage to property of any person or
interference with use of such property;
(c) Prohibiting the supply or transmission of
electricity except by means of a system
which conforms to the specifications as
may be specified;
(d) Giving notice in the specified form to the
Appropriate Commission and Electrical
Inspector, of accidents and failures of
supplies or transmissions of electricity;
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(e) Keeping by a generating company or

licensee the maps, plans and sections
relating to supply or transmission of
electricity;
(f) Inspection of maps, plans and sections by
any person authorized by it or by
Electrical Inspector or by any person on
payment of specified fee;

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(g) Specifying action to be taken in relation

to any electric line or electrical plant, or
any electrical appliance under the control
of a consumer for the purpose of
eliminating or reducing the risk of personal
injury
or
damage
to
property
or
interference with its use.

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Section 73 (c)

Specify the safety requirements for

Construction, Operation and Maintenance of
Electric Plants and Electric Lines

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Section 161

Relating to reporting to Accident and inquiry of

Accident.

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Section 162
Appointment of Electrical Inspector
Qualification for Chief Electrical Inspector.- No person shall be appointed
to be a Chief Electrical Inspector unless(a) he possesses a degree in electrical engineering or its equivalent
from a recognized University or Institution; and
(b) he has been regularly engaged for a period of at least twenty
years in the practice of electrical engineering of which not less than
two years have been spent in an electrical or mechanical engineering
workshop or in generation or transmission or distribution of electricity,
or in the administration of the Act and rules there under, in a position
of responsibility
(c) The person appointed as Electrical Inspector shall undergo such
training as the Central Government may consider it necessary for the
purpose and such training shall be completed to the satisfaction of
the Government
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Powers of Entry and inspection.

For carrying out inspections as referred to in rule 6 above, (1) The Inspector may enter, inspect and examine any place, carriage or vessel
in which he has reason to believe that there is any appliance or apparatus
used in the generation, transmission, transformation, conversion, distribution
or use of energy and may carry out tests therein.
(2) Every supplier, consumer, owner and occupier shall afford all reasonable
facilities to
any such
Inspector
to make such examinations
and tests as may be necessary to satisfy himself as to the
due
observance of the safety regulations as specified by the Authority
under
section 53
of the Act. The Indian Electricity Rules, 1956 made under section
37 of the Indian Electricity
Act, 1910 (now repealed) shall continue to be in
force till the
regulations under section 53 of the Act are made.
(3) An Inspector may require a supplier of the electricity to submit to him a list
of all persons supplied with energy by him, the addresses at which such
energy is supplied, the month of connecting services, the voltage of supply,
the connected load and the purpose of supply and the supplier shall comply
with such requisitions.
(4) Every licensee and every owner of a generating station shall, if required so
to do by an Inspector, provide reasonable means for carrying out all tests,
specified under the Act or regulations thereunder, of the appliances or
apparatus used for the supply or use of energy by him, as the case may be.

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(5) Upon such inspection, an Inspector may serve an order, within 15 days from
the date of such inspection, in the Form A, to any licensee, consumer, owner
or occupier, calling upon him to comply with any specified regulation and the
person so served shall thereupon comply with the order within the period
specified therein, and shall report in writing to the Inspector serving the
order mentioning therein as to when the order has been complied with:

Section 185
Repeal and saving.
185 (2) (c) the Indian Electricity Rules, 1956
made under section 37 of the Indian
Electricity Act, 1910 as it stood before such
repeal shall continue to be in force till the
regulations under section 53 of this Act are
made.

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CHAPTER-I
PRELIMINARY
Rules 1. to 3.

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CHAPTER-II
INSPECTORS

Rules 4. to 10.

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CHAPTER-III
LICENCE
Rules 11. to 28.

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CHAPTER-IV
GENERAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

Rules 29. to 46.

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CHAPTER V
GENERAL CONDITIONS RELATING TO SUPPLY
AND USE OF ENERGY
Rules 47. to 59.

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CHAPTER-VI
ELECTRIC SUPPLY LINES, SYSTEM AND
APPARTUS FOR LOW MEDIUM
VOLTAGES
Rules 60. to 62.

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CHAPTER-VII
ELECTRIC SUPPLY LINES, SYSTEM AND
APPARTUS FOR HIGH AND EXTRA-HIGH
VOLTAGES
Rules 63. to 73.

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CHAPTER-VIII
OVERHEAD LINES, UNDERGROUND
CABLES AND GENERATING STATIONS
Rules 74. to 93.

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CHAPTER-IX
ELECTRIC TRACTION
Rules 94. to 108.

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CHAPTER-X
ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS TO
BE ADOPTED IN MINES AND
OIL-FIELDS
Rules 109. to 132.

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CHAPTER-XI
MISCELLANEOUS
Rules 133. to 143.

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Rules 46
Periodical inspection and testing

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Rule 47 A
Installation and Testing of Generating Units.

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Rule 67
Connection with earth.The neutral point of every generator and
transformer shall be earthed by connecting
it to the earthing system as defined in rule
61 (4) and hereinabove by not less than
two separate and distinct connections.

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Basic requirement of Earthing

System.
As far as possible, the path to the earth

should be of the minimum impedance.

It should be mechanically strong to withstand corrosion and retain electrical
continuity during the life of installation.
It should limit earth resistance sufficiently
low to permit adequate fault current for the
operation of protecting devices in time and
to reduce neutral shifting.

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 It should consist of equi-potential bonding

conductors
capable
of
carrying
the
prospective earth fault current and a group
pipe/ rod/ plate electrodes for dissipating the
current to the general mass of earth without
exceeding the allowable temperature limits
as per the relevant BIS Specifications in order
to maintain all non-current carrying metal
works reasonably at earth potential and to
avoid dangerous contact potential being
developed on such metal works.
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 Entire earthing system shall be designed

with regard to the maximum fault current

based on the equipment rating. Further,
plant extensions may result in increased
fault current, and thus the size of earth
design
should
be
checked
for
its
correctness.

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Function of Earthing
Provides ground connection for grounded

neutral system.
Provides
discharge path for lightning
arrestor.
Provides
means
of
discharging/
deenergizing equipment before releasing the
same for maintenance.
Ensures that non-current carrying parts i.e.
equipment frame etc are always safety at
ground potential even through insulation
fails.
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Rule 63
Approval by Inspector
(1) Before making an application to the Inspector for

permission (to commence or recommence supply

after an installation has been disconnected for one
year and above) at high or extra-high voltage electric
supply lines or apparatus belonging to him are placed
in position, properly joined and duly completed and
examined. The supply of energy shall not be
commenced by the supplier unless and until the
Inspector is satisfied that the provisions of rules 65 to
69 both inclusive have been complied with and the
approval in writing of the Inspector has been
obtained by him.

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Provided that the supplier may energise the

aforesaid electric supply lines or apparatus
for the purpose of tests specified in rule 65.
(2) The owner of any high or extra-high
voltage installation shall, before making
application to the Inspector for approval of
his installation or additions thereto, test
every high or extra-high voltage circuit or
additions thereto, other than an overhead
line, and satisfy himself that they withstand
the application of the testing voltage set
out in sub rule (1) of rule 65 and shall duly
record the results of such tests and forward
them to the Inspector:
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Provided that an Inspector may direct such

owner to carry out such tests as he deems
necessary or , if he thinks fit, accept the
manufacturers certified test in respect of
any particular apparatus in place of the test
required by this sub-rule.
(3) The owner of any high or extra-high
voltage
installation
who
makes
any
additions or alterations to his installation
shall not connect to the supply his
apparatus
or
electric
supply
lines,
comprising the said alterations or additions
unless and until such alterations or
additions have been approved in writing by
the Inspector.
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Rules 65
Testing, Operation and Maintenance
Rules 65 (8) Failure of transformers and
reactors of 20 MVA and higher capacity shall
be reported by the consumers and the
suppliers of Electricity within 48 hours of the
occurrence of the failure, to the electrical
inspector and Central Electricity Board. The
reasons for failure and measures to be taken
to avoid recurrence of failure shall be sent to
the Electrical Inspector and Central Electricity
Board within one month of the occurrence in
the format given in Annexure XV.
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ENFORCING MECHANISM

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THANKS

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