New research commissioned by the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) shows just how little the UK thinks about electrical safety:
- Over half of us haven't checked our electrics or had them professionally checked - in the last 12 months
- A third of us say we are not concerned about electrical safety and;
- Almost 13 million homes in the UK do not have adequate RCD (residual current device) protection which can save your life, protect against dangerous electrical shock and reduce the risk of electrical fires.
RCDs are particularly important when using mains powered tools or electrical equipment outdoors & ESC gas launched a campaign. The Plug into Safety campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of electricity in the home and garden by encouraging us to take a few minutes to check our electrics and use RCD protection.
Of 281 survey respondents who have experienced an electric shock, the most typical causes of accidents are:
- Using appliances that are faulty (23%)
- Cutting or drilling through cables (11%)
The ESC wants the Plug into Safety campaign to increase awareness of RCDs in much the same way that smoke alarms were promoted by the Government's Fire Kills campaign. When Fire Kills started only 9% of households had smoke alarms now they are in over 80% of homes.
With help from a range of partners including the fire service, housing providers, government and electricians - the ESC aims to take RCDs mainstream.
If you have a RCD installed in your consumer unit you should test it at least every 3 months.
Downlighter fire safety information
The Electrcial Safety Council (ESC) has recently issued 2 quick reference guides giving guidance to consumers & the trade for the selection & maintenance of downlighters.
Such lights have been popular over many years but are consumers aware that installing the incorrect replacement lamp (bulbs) can cause problems?
These guides were produced in response to the ESC report that incorrectly selected, installed and/or maintained downlighters may have been the cause of a significant number of fires in homes.
A copy of the consumer guide is available at www.esc.org.uk or can be downloaded by clicking here