Obodoagwu N.F.

Electrical fires are the easiest and most neglected means leading to fire outbreaks in homes; these are due largely to a lot of factors some of which includes: poor sizing of cables, poor electrical installations, overloading of electrical circuits, substandard use of electrical accessories and fittings etc. This study investigates residential electrical installation protection scheme in Lagos State. Primary and secondary data were employed to achieve the aim of this study. Closed ended questionnaires were administered to fifty-one (51) residents of Kosofe Local Government to address the research questions. The sources of secondary data were from Lagos State Fire Service Department and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) covering 2013 to 2017. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze data. Results obtained from the findings revealed that there are no deliberate design considerations put in place to provide protection against electrical fire and electrocution. Majority of fire outbreaks in Kosofe local government is due to lack of compliance. 82.32% of the respondents lack thunder arrestors on the building where they live. The level of exposure to impact of lightening is very high. RCDs are additional protection device provided to give supplementary protection against electric shocks, current leakages and electrical fire. 70% of the respondents don’t know what RCDs are and 82% do not have a RCD installed in their homes. In addition, the study revealed that 98% of the residents, who participated in the survey, don’t have a smoke detector or smoke alarm installed in their homes. This percentage is high and it further shows how exposed they are to fire outbreak. Based on results of this study, a few recommendations have been provided.