(20/01/2020) Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the electricity sector regulator winded up the year 2019, covering 10 districts in Sri Lanka with awareness programme on licensing framework for electricians with the participation of more than 8500 electricians in the country.

The occupation of electrician plays a key role in society as it deals with the electrical safety of people, properties and etc. Sri Lanka has reported 89 electrocutions in 2018. Drawing power lines illegally to protect cultivation or to kill wild animals has been identified as the main reasons for the highest number of electrocutions in the country while mistakes and carelessness during the activities near the power lines and improper or unsafe wiring (installation) and bad maintenance practices also have contributed largely to the electrocutions in 2018.

To address and mitigate this issues Sri Lanka’s electricity sector regulator, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), with the support of Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA), National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) and Vocational Training Authority (VTA) implemented a mechanism to establish an accepted professional status for electricians in the country by issuing licenses based on their qualifications and experiences.

The PUCSL also launched a nation-wide awareness campaign in 2019 to aware all the electricians in Sri Lanka on the new framework. The PUCSL completed the awareness programmes in the districts of Kandy, Batticaloa, Anuradhapura, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Galle, Nuwaraeliya, Badulla and Matale.

In 2020, PUCSL plan to host the same programme in the districts of Matara, Hambantota, Gampaha, Colombo, Kegalle, Kalutara, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Mulathive, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Kurunagala and Rathnapura.

It is estimated that there are more than 21000 electricians working in the country and only a few of them are qualified in National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). Most of the wiring and maintenance of the households and other premises are carried out by electricians who have no recognized qualifications but have experience through practice.

With the introduction of the new mechanism, all the electricians will be issued a temporary license, valid only for three (03) years to continue their work. For those who are qualified with National Vocational Qualification 3 (NVQ 3) and above is eligible to obtain a permanent license from CIDA, after proving their knowledge at an evaluation facilitated by the Evaluation Panel. For those who are not professionally qualified, but have hands-on experience, are given the opportunity to prove the competency and to qualify for NVQ levels through a process facilitated by CIDA, so that they can apply for the permanent license. With the permanent license, electricians can design, wire, test, the installation of domestic wiring (30 amps Signal phase) and issue a certificate to get the electrical connection which is accepted by CEB and LECO.

According to the mechanism, it is a must to produce the certification of an electrician with the permanent license, which states that the installation was designed, wired and tested, to receive the electrical connection to a domestic (up to 30A, single-phase). Electricians with permanent licenses can also carry-out the wiring, testing and installation of the three-phase 30 amps & 60 amps installation, subject to the design by a chartered engineer.

The mechanism will also provide a career ladder for the electricians, according to their professional level and expertise, starting from apprentice, junior electrician, senior electrician, master electrician and utility electrician which will recognized globally.

Refer the Report Information

For more details: Anushika Kamburugamuwa, Assistant Director – Corporate Communication
(0718 622 800)