Muscat: After receiving a number of shocking reports of people being subjected to electric shocks while drinking water from roadside coolers, the Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC) has called on the owners of these refrigerators to comply with the safety requirements for electrical connections.
In an online statement, the MEDC said, “We have received many reports of cases where people were subjected to shocks and this even led to death in some cases, when they tried to use these public water refrigerators. The incidents occurred due to poor electrical connections, non-compliance with safety and quality standards, and lack of periodic maintenance."
The company explained: "Public water refrigerators for passers-by, schools and in public places are voluntary community initiatives that we encourage, however, we caution that all provisions must be taken into account in order to avoid incidents."
For those looking to install these machines, the company had some tips. Make sure the water refrigerator is installed by a licensed electrician, be sure to use high quality electrical materials and periodically maintain and inspect the water refrigerator.