D.—l

The following supply authorities have notified extensions to electric lines in their respective districts during the year:— Power Boards— Power Boards—continued. Cities—continued. Ashburton. South Canterbury. Wellington. Auckland. South Tarana-ki. Boroughs—Banks Peninsula. Springs-Ellesmere. Bluff. Bay of Islands. Taranaki. Hamilton. Bay of Plenty. Tararua. Napier. Cambridge. Tauranga. New Plymouth. Central Hawke's Bay. Te Awamutu. Riccarton. Central Waikato. Teviot. Taumarunui. Dannevirke. Thames Valley. Thames. Franklin. Wairoa. Wairoa. Grey. Waitomo. Waitara. Hawke's Bay. Waimea. Town Boards— Horowhenua. Wairarapa. Kaponga. Hutt Valley. Wairere. County Councils — Malvern. Waitaki. Nil. Manawatu-Oroua. Waitemata. Companies — Marlborough. Wanganui-Rangitikei. Bruce Bay Timber Co. North Auckland. Cities— Martha Gold-mining Co. North Canterbury. Christchurch. Graham Bros., Waiho. Opunake. Dunedin. Public Works Department— Otago. Invercargill. Southland Electric Supply Otago Central. Nelson. System. Poverty Bay. Palmerston North. It is not generally known that under the Electrical Wiremen's Registration Amendment Act, 1928, it is mandatory to give notice of the installation of private electric plants, and provision is made for the inspection of these plants before same are placed in service. During the year inspections of such plants have been made as opportunity offered. ELECTRICAL ACCIDENTS. During the year there were reported to the Department forty-nine electrical accidents, involving the loss of human life in seventeen instances. Corresponding figures for 1938 were thirty-eight and eight respectively. This year's electrical accidents resulted in injuries (fatal and otherwise) to the following:— Electrical employees .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 Other tradesmen .. .. .. .. .. 6 General public .. .. .. .. .. 13 Stock .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 The following is a summary of electrical accidents for the past seven years —viz., 1933 to 1939 : —

The following graph has been prepared to show the incidence of electrical accidents, and although such occurrences are regrettable, the curves indicate that as the risk of exposure to accident increases with the electrical development of the Dominion as represented by the erection of additional miles of reticulation and additional users are connected up, the ratio of accidents to additional risks is fortunately not increasing.

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1933. 1934. i 1935. 1936. 1937. 1938. I 1939. 42 $ I 1 i 38 5s Classification. -■ , S® Total. Fatal. Total. Fatal. Total. Fatal. Totals Fatal. | Total. Fatal. J Total. Fatal, j Total. | Fatal. Jj « Electrical employees 15 2 12 2 17 2 13 2 15 ..12 3 21 8 105 19 Otlierltradesmen .. 9 4 1.. 3.. 10 1 6 2 9 1 6 4 44 12 General public .. 7 6 19 8 17 5 20 6 23 9 16 4 13 5 115 43 Stock . .. 8 1 - 8 •• 3 „ 9 „ 41_ „ Totals .. 39 12 33 10 45 7 52 9 47 11 40 8 49 17 305 74 ; '