Electricity plays such an important role in people's lives that it’s easy to forget how powerful and dangerous it can be. Each year, more than half of accidental domestic fires in the UK are caused by electricity. Usually, this is the result of misused products or faults.
Even the electrical items people use on a daily basis, such as toasters and hair dryers, can cause risks if used incorrectly or if a manufacturing fault arises.
Electrical safety
For this reason, it’s wise to take a few steps to improve electrical safety in the home and reduce the risk of fire:
- Make visual checks of the electrical items.
- Have the electrical installation in the home checked by a registered electrician.
- Don’t overload electrical adaptors by plugging in too many devices.
- If using a portable heater, keep it away from flammable materials.
- Ensure that one has a working smoke alarm on each floor of the property.
- Take care when carrying out DIY around the home. Almost half of all electric shocks in the home are the result of DIY work.
- Use kitchen equipment safely.
- Remember that water and electricity can cause death when combined, and take extra caution in the bathroom.
- If the home has been flooded, there is a strong likelihood that the electrics have been damaged. Seek the help of an electrician.
- Consider fitting the fusebox with an RCD (Residual Current Device), so electricity will automatically be switched off in the event of a fault.
