Electrical Safety First

Certsure, ECA and Electrical Safety First (ESF) have worked together to develop plans to raise standards across the industry. The trio are the driving force behind proposals to change the ways competence within the industry is measured. While the electrotechnical industry prides itself on a robust approach to competence and safety, and indeed
has an excellent safety record, there is always more that can be done. Driving up standards of electrotechnical work is a fundamental objective if the sector is to thrive in the years ahead.

Commenting on the Government’s announcement regarding mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector (PRS), Phil Buckle, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First, comments: “We warmly welcome this initiative and are delighted the Government has recognised the importance of regular checks in the PRS, as this will protect both tenants and landlords.

To address environmental concerns around product obsolescence and recycling, the EU is planning legislation giving EU consumers a ‘right to repair’ – forcing manufacturers to make longer lasting goods that are easier to repair.  Commenting on this, Phil Buckle, Chief Executive of leading safety Charity, Electrical Safety First, explains why it is not quite as simple as it might seem.

“We understand that many consumers get frustrated with products that break down just after a warranty ends and they find it uneconomical to get it repaired and cannot fix the item themselves.

New research has found that if you are isolated and over 65 in Wales, you are at much greater risk from electrical fires. In fact, older people living alone experienced three times more electrical fires than the same age group who cohabit[i].  Last year, a shocking 311[ii] accidental electrical fires occurred in the homes of older people in Wales.

The Department for Social Development’s (DSD) Review of the Role and Regulation of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) will close on 5th February. So the charity, Electrical Safety First, is urging interested stakeholders to respond, if they haven’t already done so.
From 2014 to 2015, over two-thirds (67%) of accidental fires in Northern Ireland were linked to electricity, with some of the worst cases of landlord neglect relating to poor electrical safety.