Stay Safe in your Home - Electrical Safety Tips 

Government statistics show that electricity causes more than 20,000 fires a year - almost half of all accidental UK house fires. Each year, about 70 people are killed and 350,000 are seriously injured due to an electrical accident in the home.

Modern living has meant we use more and more electrical appliances in the home. Just 20 years ago the average UK home had a hi-fi system and one TV or video, whereas today it is more likely that there are multiple TV’s, computers and laptops, DVd players, satellite receivers, games consoles, microwaves. So the risk of electrical accidents in the home is much higher than before.

Electricity improves our daily lives - but only when used safely. Don’t create hazards by overloading sockets, and never ignore warning signs like burning smells, sounds of arcing (buzzing or crackling), fuses blowing or circuit-breakers tripping. Electrical accidents are most likely to happen when equipment is damaged or misused. Failure to correct the problem could have devastating effects. This sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised how many of us fail to follow basic safety guidelines.

Faulty and aging wiring is one of the major causes of electrical fires in the home. You can avoid these by having regular checks carried out on the condition of your cables, switches, sockets and other accessories.

For privately owned domestic properties it is not a statutory requirement to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) performed on the electrical installation of your whole property, it is however advisable that the electrical installation of all properties are tested and inspected at regular intervals and no longer than once every ten years. Buzz Electrical regularly carry out these tests for domestic and commercial properties and will give you total reassurance that your house is safe.

Some obvious Electrical Dangers and Electrical Safety Tips:

·Remove plugs from sockets carefully. Pulling out a plug by the cable puts a strain on it, and could damage the contact between the plug and the socket. This could result in the plug overheating, its wires becoming loose or an electric shock (if the earth wire is disconnected).

• Use plugs with the British Standard safety mark - they have live and neutral pins with insulating sleeves that allow you to put them in and pull them out of sockets safely.

·Don’t trail cables under the carpet or rug to keep it out of the way.

·Don’t dry clothes on an electric heater, with water dripping onto live parts - This is particularly dangerous, and could cause an electric shock or fire. Many electrical appliances, such as heaters, have ventilation slots to prevent overheating. If these slots are covered up, the appliance could overheat and catch fire, or if water drips in, there is a risk of electric shock.

·Never drill or fix nails in walls without knowing what’s behind them - Walls and partitions conceal electrical cables and gas and water pipes.

• Don’t use adaptors plugged into other adaptors
• Don’t overload adaptors, particularly with high-current appliances such as kettles, irons and heaters.

·Installing down lighters - Choosing the wrong down lighters, installing them incorrectly or fitting the wrong replacement lamp can pose a serious fire risk in your home.

It is important that any electrical installation work is carried out only by people who are competent. Buzz Electrical Ltd guarantee a professional, personal and reliable service from fully qualified electricians. Our team undergo continuous training and are fully updated on technical developments and safety regulations. If you would like to find out more please call us on 01386 423600 . For more hints and tips visit www.facebook.com/buzzelectrical