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Improper Fuse Wire Replacement, and Possible
Association with Commercial Fires
Shahriar Khan,
Independent University, Bangladesh
Nahid A. Jahan,
Hokkaido University
Abstract- The rewireable fuse or cutout is widely used in
Bangladesh and elsewhere, in spite of the very real danger of
improper replacement of fuse wires. To assess the problem, a
preliminary survey of buildings, electrical shops, and electricians
were conducted. The majority of buildings and retail
establishments were found to use fuse wires. Electricians were
found to use copper of arbitrary thicknesses as fuses, and were
unaware of the existence of specialized fuse wires. Every year,
there are numerous fires in the garments and other industries,
causing hundreds of deaths. As the vast majority of these fires
are of electrical origin, the evidence is strong that improper fuse
wiring may have been the cause of the fires. The number of
smaller fires which do not make it to the news is likely to be
orders of magnitude greater than the publicized fires. Even when
the origin is not electrical, insulation failures may cause
secondary electrical fires, that may cause the fire to spread
rapidly to the rest of the building, making it hard to extinguish.
Index Term-- Fuse, wire, cutout, industry, fires.
1. 1. Past Research
Since fuses are being rapidly replaced by circuit breakers for
domestic and commercial applications, less research is being
conducted on them [7, 8, 9, 10]. Although human causes have
been identified behind many electrical accidents [11], very
little is available in the literature on inappropriate fuse wire
replacement. Research on fuses has continued for high
voltages [12, 13, 14], and more specialized applications [15,
16, 17, 18].
II.
FUSE WIRES IN INDUSTRY AND RESIDENCE
For household and industrial protection in Bangladesh, the
most common device is the semi-enclosed or rewireable
cutout fuse (figure 1) [2]. Made of white ceramic, the carrier
holds the fuse wire, and can be plugged into the ceramic base.
When needed, the melted fuse wire is to be replaced by
specialized fuse wire of the appropriate rating.
I.
INTRODUCTION
With the improvement in circuit breaker technology over the
last few decades [1, 2, 3, 4], there has been a worldwide
decline in the use of fuse wires and cutouts. The decline in
fuse wires has been slow to catch on in Bangladesh and
developing countries, where it still has wide applications for
domestic, commercial, and industrial applications.
Although the rewireable fuse is not permitted in new
constructions, it’s popularity continues because of it’s low
cost, and lack of people’s awareness of its dangers. The
danger lies in the popular practice of copper strands being
used as fuse wires. In addition, the thickness of copper used is
chosen arbitrarily depending on the load. The existence of
specialized fuse wires is almost unknown by almost everyone,
responsible for changing fuse wires.
Recently there have been hundreds of deaths in garments
factories and other industrial fires [5, 6]. Most of these fires
have been identified to be of electrical origin. As improper
fuse wire replacement is widely practiced, it is quite
reasonable to assume that inappropriate electrical protection,
or fuses, may have been the cause behind many of these
industrial fires.
Fig. 1. Rewireable Cutout with 0.74 mm copper wire as used by Dhaka
"Electrician" for "Room with AC"
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III.
FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
In much of the world, the rewireable cutout fuse is not
permitted in new constructions. However, they are still widely
found in older installations in the much of the world, including
UK [3,4]. Fuse wires commercially available at present, are
shown (figure 3). The fact that rewireable cutouts are still
widely manufactured in China, indicates that there is a large
worldwide market for them. In North America, rewireable
cutout fuses (for 110 V) were replaced decades ago by circuit
breakers.
Fig. 2. Mini fuse attached to switch panel on wall, showing dangerously thick
copper wire used as fuse.
A less common fuse is the type that is included on the wall
panel with switches for lights and fans (figure 2). It is seen
that the copper wire used as fuse wiring is abnormally thick
(with the finger as reference). Not only will it be slow to melt
in case of a fault, it creates a false sense of security, which
will make it unlikely to have further protection at the
apartment and building mains.
The main issue with rewireable fuses is the inappropriate
replacement of wires. Specialized fuse wires normally have
low melting points, quite unlike the copper wires widely used
in Bangladesh. The melting point of copper is 1083° C,
compared to the much lower melting points of fuse wire. Also
the current carrying capacity of the wires cannot be well
standardized, as they are dependent on positioning inside the
fuse carrier and base.
The survey of electrical shops done here revealed that fuse
wires were not found in local electrical shops.
Bangladesh and Developed Countries
Rewireable fuses are normally not permitted for new
constructions in Bangladesh [19], having been replaced by
circuit breakers. However, this study found that they continue
to be sold and used widely. The following preliminary surveys
on buildings, electrical shops, and electricians were
conducted.
3.1 Survey of Shops
10 shops in various parts of Dhaka were surveyed (Table I).
90 % of them were found to carry the rewireable cutout,
indicating the continuing popularity of this device. No shop
was aware of the existence of specialized fuse wires.
According to one source [18], fuse wire is found only in
scientific shops in Bangladesh.
TABLE I
SURVEY OF SHOPS IN DHAKA
A
B
C
D
E
Kcp
Kcp
Gls
Mdr
Kct
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Shop
F
Location
Kct
Had
Yes
cutouts?
Had CBs? Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Had fuse No
No
No
No
No
No
wires?
CB = Circuit Breakers, Kcp = Kalachandpur, Kct = Kachukhet. Gls =
Gulshan, Mdr = Mohammadpur,
3.2 Survey of Buildings
A preliminary survey was conducted on about 10 buildings
(Table II), most of which were residential (with some offices,
but no factories). About 80 % were found to carry cutouts at
least at the building mains or at individual apartments. The
newer buildings used circuit breakers. Many buildings had
transitioned to circuit breakers at the mains board. Rewireable
fuses at a building mains have been shown in figure 4.
TABLE II
FUSE AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS IN DHAKA
Building
A
B
C
D
Age (yrs)
5
30
26
2
Location
Dhm
Lal
Mrp
Bdh
Bldg mains
Fuse
F+CB
Fuse
CB
Aptmts
Fuse
Fuse
Fuse
CB
F= Fuse, CB = Circuit Breakers, Dhm = Dhanmondi
Lal = Lalmatia, Mrp = Mirpur
E
30
Fmg
CB
Fuse
Fig. 3. Fuse wires of rating 5, 15, and 30 A, wrapped around cardboard; Cost:
£1.19 [2]
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is unlikely to be adequate, and can be the subject of further
investigation.
When a fuse blows frequently, the response of the attending
electrician may be to use more copper as fuse wire, rather than
investigate the cause of the malfunction (with dangerous
consequences).
4.1 Certification of Electricians
Although improper electrical work carries far-reaching or
even fatal consequences, there is very little effective
regulation of electricians in Bangladesh. In comparison, most
electricians in the developed world, strictly enforces
certification and licensing of electricians.
Fig. 4. Rewireable Fuses at Mains of Residential Building (Kalachandpur,
Dhaka)
Large commercial units such as garments and other factories
were not included in this survey, as their electrical boards
were not readily accessible for inspection. However,
according to all the trends, it is expected that fuses are being
widely used in commercial installations also. Numerous retail
shops were visited, and most were found to carry fuse/fuses at
their mains. A fuse at an iron inside a shop has been shown
(figure 5).
In the absence of enforcement of regulations by the
Bangladeshi government, most practicing electricians have
very little formal education or training in the field. In practice,
employees of electrical retail shops move on to become
practicing electricians. The dangers of 220V (compared to 110
V in other countries) is readily apparent. Needless to say,
faulty electrical work by electricians cause numerous fires and
fatalities every year.
V. GARMENTS AND INDUSTRIAL FIRES IN BANGLADESH
In recent years, there have hundreds of deaths in garments and
industrial fires in Bangladesh [5,6]. An internet search resulted
in about 6 industrial fires, of which apparently all were of
electrical origin. Two were in textile factories, and the
remaining four were in garments industries. In many cases,
flammable material placed close to the electrical fire helped
fuel the flames. Further details about fires are seldom
available, considering bureaucratic hurdles.
Garments Factory Fire, Dec. 14, 2010
A recent incident here is cited as an example. About 25 people
were killed and 45 injured in a clothes factory fire in the
Ashulia region [19]. According to the police, “an electrical
fault was the likely cause of the fire.” According to this
newspaper report, “fires caused by short circuits and substandard electrical wiring are common in Bangladeshi garment
factories.”
Fig. 5. Rewireable Fuse used in Laundry Shop (Kalachandpur, Dhaka)
IV. SURVEY OF ELECTRICIANS
Fuse wire replacement is commonly done by electricians, or
anyone who claims knowledge on the subject. Electricians are
entrusted to replace fuse wires for factories and commercial
establishments.
Of the 6 or so "electricians" surveyed, all used copper wire as
fuse, and were unaware of the existence of specialized fuse
wires. Two thirds recommended using a single 0.8 mm copper
strand for a room with an AC. The remaining suggested using
2-3 hair-thin strands of copper for the same purpose. There is
obviously lack of consistency in this practice. Such protection
Four other fires between the years 2000 – 2006 have been
described below (Table III).
TABLE III
SOME INDUSTRIAL FIRES IN BANGLADESH
Case
A
B
C
D
Date
Feb 2006
Aug 2001
Dec 2000
May 2004
Industry
Textile
Grmts
Garments
Garments
Location
Chttgng
Dhaka
Narsingdi
Dhaka
Deaths
91
24
45
9
Cause
"Short
"Electrical
"Short
"TransforCircuit"
Board
Circuit"
mer burst"
flames"
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International Journal of Engineering & Technology IJET-IJENS Vol: 11 No: 02
Clearly, cases A, B, and C are suspect, and it is quite possible
that rewireable cutouts may have been the culprit. As circuit
breakers are quite reliable, it is quite reasonable to assume that
rewireable cut-outs (and not circuit breakers) were used as
protection. Case D of transformer explosion may have from
harmonics into fluorescent lamps and power electronics, and
may not have been preventable by circuit breakers or fuses.
VI. NON-INDUSTRIAL FIRES
Ahough commercial fires with large casualties make the
headlines, smaller domestic fires mostly do not make the
news. A good example is the mains board fire in the residence
of the author in Lalmatia in 2008. Very likely, the
unpublicised cases of improper fuse-related fires are orders of
magnitude greater than the fires that make it to the media.
The Nimtoli Blaze
On June 3, 2010, Bangladesh had its worse fire in recent
memory, when 6-8 buildings in old Dhaka caught fire, and
121 people lost their lives. Whatever the origins of the fire, it
is agreed that two transformers just above the point of origin
greatly fuelled the flames. As described below, in case of fire,
the fuses may have been unable to detect and stop electrical
insulation failures, spreading the fire among the electrical
wiring.
During a visit by the author to the site of the tragedy, it was
found fuse cutouts had been installed (figure 6) right after the
tragedy.
Fig. 6. The fuse cutouts installed in the central building of the blaze, about
two weeks after the Nimtoli blaze
This re-installation of fuse wires in the building illustrates
that, even such a high-fatality fire with media exposure was
not followed up with appropriate replacement with circuit
breakers.
part of the building. In case of a fire, amidst all the heat, the
electrical insulation are likely to fail first. This could be the
insulation of cables running through a building, or the thin
insulation in motors, such as in a fan, refrigerator, or in an airconditioner. It is clear that faulty fuses will allow fires of nonelectrical origin to spread through electrical cables to other
parts of the building. It is possible that many of fires of nonelectrical caused secondary fires of electrical origin. These
secondary fires must have caused the rapid spread of the fire,
and greatly impeded the successful extinguishing of the
flames.
VII. RECOMMENDATIONS
Some recommendations are made, based on the findings of
this paper. As wires of low-melting point, are easy to
manufacture, there should be encouragement to manufacture
and widely distribute fuse wires. To create mass awareness, a
media campaign, with TV, radio, and newspapers, should be
conducted to create awareness on the dangers of fuses and
replacement with circuit breakers.
There may be an official requirement that fuses be replaced by
circuit breakers in all commercial buildings, with immediate
effect. Rewireable cutouts in residential units should be
replaced within a specified time, say one year. The
certification system for electricians should be enforced, so that
inappropriate fuse replacement is less likely.
8.1 Further Research:
Further research should be conducted on the interrupting
currents when copper is used as a fuse wire. Fires from nonelectrical origin can cause electrical insulation failure and
secondary electrical fires. As very little data is available, some
research conducted should be conducted on this field.
IX. CONCLUSION
This study confirmed that there is widespread and arbitrary
use of copper as fuse wires in an underdeveloped country such
as Bangladesh. Specialized fuse wires were found to be almost
unknown to laymen and electricians. Fuse wiring is a prime
suspect as the cause behind many recent devastating garments
and industrial fires. Inappropriate fuse wires are likely to have
caused hundreds of fires over the years, which did not make it
to the news. In case of fires of non-electrical origin, electrical
insulation is likely to fail first, causing secondary fires to
spread through electrical wiring. Corrective action through
media campaigns, and manufacture of fuse wires is
recommended. Further research should be conducted on
electrical insulation failure causing secondary electrical fires,
for fires of non-electrical origin.
[1]
VII. FIRES OF NON-ELECTRICAL ORIGIN
Like in the Nimtoli blaze, the question can be raised about the
role of fuses, when there is a non-electrical fire in some other
109
[2]
[3[
[4]
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