switched on issue 5
DESCRIPTION
Switched On the Electrical Safety Council's quarterly magazine: Child Safety: launch of our‘Switched On Kids’ websiteTRANSCRIPT
News for the industry from the Electrical Safety Council issue5 Summer 2007
Child Safety: launch of our‘Switched On Kids’ websiteAlso in this issue: Electrical safety abroad
2 switchedon
Welcome to the fifth issue of
Switched On.
In the last three months or so,
the team at the Electrical Safety
Council has been involved in an
incredible amount of activity,
pushing the electrical safety
agenda forward.
Much of this activity is reported
on in this issue of Switched On,
and I hope you enjoy reading it.
Our leader in this issue is about
the development of the new
educational website, called
Switched On Kids, that we are
producing for children.
This work is very important to us,
as it provides the Council with a
direct way of engaging with
children on matters concerning
electrical safety.
As ‘grown ups’, we probably
think we know best and that we
use electricity safely around our
homes and places of work -
but do we?
They say that familiarity breeds
contempt, and we have probably
all been guilty of taking
unnecessary risks with electricity.
Our strategy is simple - if we can
provide learning opportunities for
the children in our community,
they will hopefully then become
champions of electrical safety.
As a parent, I know that children
will come home from school and
tell their parents or carers what
they have been doing, taking
particular joy over telling you that
they know more than you do on
a subject.
So in the future when your child
or grandchild points out that you
need to use an RCD or that the
extension lead is damaged, please
take note - it may prevent an
accident.
Better still, why not look at the
new website
www.switchedonkids.org.uk
with them. It will be a great way
for everyone in your family to
learn more about electricity.
On a final note, can you help us?
We want to create a library of images of faulty electrical
installations and products for our main website, so that
people can actually see what can go wrong.
WELCOME
The Council held a reception at the House of Commons in March to
celebrate its first full year of operation. The event was attended by
representatives from the industry, consumer organisations and
government.
Phil Buckle, Director of Charitable Affairs, used the opportunity to
report on the Council’s efforts over the past year to improve levels of
electrical safety in the UK, and to call for Home Condition Reports to
include electrical safety reports and to be made a mandatory part of
Home Information Packs.
He also called on government to enforce the existing legislation
regulating the standard of electrical work in homes, particularly Part P
of the Building Regulations, and reiterated the need for a zero target
for electrically-related deaths in the home.
Phil highlighted the initiative with RoSPA to deliver accurate, national
accident statistics, which are a vital tool to ensure the effective use of
resources for accident prevention. Tom Mullarkey MBE, Chief Executive
of RoSPA, spoke in support of the Council’s work and the joint
initiative.
Andrew Selous MP concluded by saying that
the Council’s work was very welcome and that
he looked forward to supporting its efforts to
reduce electrical accidents and injuries in the
UK over the coming years.
We believe that lobbying Parliament
to raise awareness of our work and to
draw attention to particular electrical
safety issues will help us achieve our
long-term consumer safety goals.
COUNCIL MARKS ITS FIRST FULL YEAR OF OPERATION
If you have any photos or video clips, please send them to:
By post:
The Director
The Electrical Safety Council
18 Buckingham Gate
London SW1E 6LB
By email:
switchedon 3
The third and final article in the series looks at landlords’ responsibilities for electrical and fire safety. Page 16
industry news
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Published by: The Electrical Safety Council18 Buckingham Gate London, SW1E 6LBwww.esc.org.uk
Tel: 0870 040 0561 Fax: 0870 040 0560
email: [email protected]
issue 05 summer‘07
switchedon
your insight into the electricalsafety industry
Switched On Kids
‘Shocking’ report from theEuropean Commission
Landlords and fire alarm &emergency lighting systemsLast of the three instalments
Council marks its first full year ofoperationAlso, welcome
News in briefAlso, crystal-clear communication
Huge increase in website visitors
Also, Could you be an award-
winning landlord?
Electrical safety abroadAlso, Council appoints new deputy
chairman
Council meets the publicAlso, NHIC 2007 call for entries
Child Safety weekAlso, consumer research
Parliamentary surveyAlso, Consumer Direct
Home Information PackAlso, fire safety campaign
Fire gateway opens the doorto fire & rescue service
Best Practice GuidesAlso, home improvement
leaflets for Scotland
Research into the in-servicereliability of RCDsAlso, grants for electrical
installation safety improvements
Electrical safety informationfor consumersAlso, electrical contractor fined
£100,000 over fatal error
CRYSTAL-CLEAR COMMUNICATION
We announced in the spring
issue of Switched On that the
Council had become a corporate
member of the Plain English
Campaign.
After receiving our first Crystal Mark
for our ‘So you think your home is
safe?’ booklet, we have been working
hard to ensure that more of our
leaflets meet the standard required by
the Plain English Campaign.
We are pleased to report that we
have now also received the Crystal
Mark for the following leaflets:
• Part P and how it affects you
• Using electrical equipment outdoors
• The Home Information Pac
• Home safe home
In addition to using clearer language
in these leaflets, the contents have
been reviewed and updated as
necessary to ensure we are providing
consumers with the most current
advice and guidance.
Over 400,000 copies of our leaflets
were distributed to consumers last
year so, with a planned distribution of
over a million this year, clear and
concise communication has never
been more important to us.
To show the Council’s on-going
commitment to the Plain English
Campaign, all the Council’s staff will
be undertaking the ‘Plain English’
course this summer.
For further information on the Plain
English Campaign, visit their website
at www.plainenglish.co.uk
“IN ADDITIONTO USINGCLEARER
LANGUAGE INTHESE
LEAFLETS, THECONTENTSHAVE BEEN
REVIEWED ANDUPDATED AS
NECESSARY”4 switchedon
Revision of BS 7671
The consultation on the revision
of BS 7671, which closed in
February, resulted in over 2,500
comments being made on the
Draft for Public Comment.
As this issue went to press, the
joint IET/BSI Committee
responsible for the technical
content of the standard, together
with its five Panels, was expected
to have completed its
consideration of each the
comments received.
The new edition is still expected to
be published in January 2008,
with a six month transition period.
‘Wiring Regulations’
reach 125th birthday
It is interesting to note that, on
11 May, the ‘Wiring Regulations’
became 125 years old, the first
edition having been published by
The Society of Telegraph
Engineers and of Electricians in
1882.
The Regulations covered only
about four foolscap pages then, a
far cry from today’s complex
standard! But even in those early
days, they fully recognized the
importance of inspection and
testing to help ensure safety. Electricity at Work
Regulations guidance
updated
The Health and Safety Executive
has updated its Memorandum of
Guidance on the Electricity at
Work Regulations 1989.
The guidance remains virtually
unchanged, the revisions being
largely confined to updating
references to the relevant
regulations, standards and
publications, and to having a
newly-designed cover.
Electrical Safety
Council and NICEIC
host Fisuel AGM
At the end of May, the Council,
together with its subsidiary
NICEIC, hosted the Annual
General Meeting of Fisuel, the
International Federation for the
Safety of Electricity Users.
Fisuel’s objective is to help less
developed countries to improve
their electrical safety standards.
Further details of Fisuel’s aims
and objectives can be found on
their website www.fisuel.com
Correction: ECAtelephone number
We regret that the telephone
number for the Electrical
Contractors’ Association (ECA),
given in the ‘landlords and
portable appliances’ article on
page 13 of the spring issue of
Switched On, was incorrect.
The correct number is
0207 313 4800.
NEWS IN BRIEF
We are pleased to report that in the first
quarter of 2007, the number of visitors to
our website more than tripled. This seems a
clear indication of the growing popularity of the
site and the usefulness of the information and
guidance that can be found there.
The most viewed pages were Guidance for
Construction, the Best Practice Guides and the
regular consumer favourites Your Fusebox, Find
an Electrician and Helpful Tips.
Another phase of the website development has
now been completed. We hope that visitors are
benefiting from the changes which are intended
to make the site more accessible and easier to
navigate.
The current home page theme is focusing on
child safety and how to prevent accidental
electrical injuries to children, as well as
highlighting the Council’s support of the Child
Safety week.
There is also news about the launch of our
children’s educational website
www.switchedonkids.org.uk
Coming up over the summer, we will be adding
advice on electrical safety precautions when
going abroad, updating our campaign reports,
and publishing more Best Practice Guides.
As always, feedback on the website is greatly
appreciated. So should you have any ideas or
comments, please send them using the
feedback facility on the website.
“The website can
now be accessed
simply by entering
www.esc.org.uk”
HUGE INCREASE IN WEBSITE VISITORS
The competition has now opened to find
the winner of this year’s National Home
Improvement Council (NHIC) Electrical Safety
Award, which will be presented by
Chris Huhne MP at a ceremony at the
Gladstone Library in London on 22 November.
The award, sponsored by the Electrical Safety
Council, was won last year by Cannock Chase
Council for setting exceptionally high standards
in improving and maintaining standards of
electrical safety in its housing stock.
This year the judges will be looking for a
winner, who can be a public or private landlord,
to match the standards set by Cannock Chase.
Cannock Chase has proved that they are
determined to improve standards of safety for
all of their tenants and residents. Among the
initiatives implemented by Cannock Chase that
led to them winning last year’s award are
regular seven-yearly inspections of all their
properties.
This includes a standard safety check,
electrical maintenance, and the provision of
new smoke detectors and a new carbon
monoxide detector. A further inspection is
also carried out whenever there is a change
in tenancy.
Those living in rented accommodation are
often difficult to reach, and so the Council is
relying on landlords across the UK to do all
they can to keep their tenants safe and
communicate our safety messages. Cannock
Chase showed us last year that they were
doing this very effectively.
We are sure there are many others taking
innovative and thorough measures to ensure
the continued safety of their tenants, and we’d
love to see them enter for the Award this year.
Judging criteria for the Electrical
Safety Award
• The electrical installation is checked
regularly – at least every 10 years (and on
a change of tenancy)
• Residual current device (RCD) protection is
provided for socket-outlets that may be
used to power portable equipment
outdoors
• Only qualified/registered electricians are
used
• Tenants’ and residents’ awareness of
electrical safety issues is raised
• Electrical appliances in sheltered schemes
are checked once a year
• Customer satisfaction is good
• Relevant standards are complied with
• Energy saving initiatives are implemented
COULD YOU BE AN AWARD-WINNING LANDLORD?
For details of how to enter, go to:
www.nhic.org.uk
or email [email protected].
switchedon 5
6 switchedon
The Council’s consumer protection role
includes research into specific areas where
we believe there is a potential for unsafe
electrical products and appliances to be put
onto the UK market.
In the run up to the summer holiday season,
and in support of our research into the
protection of UK residents from electrical
hazards whilst travelling abroad, the Council
has commissioned an independent laboratory
to buy several travel adaptors on the open
market, and to subject them to testing to
confirm whether or not they meet the relevant
safety standards.
Each adaptor has been assessed against
specific criteria to confirm whether or not the
UK plug/socket-outlet portions, and the
general construction elements of the non-UK
portions, comply with the general safety
requirements of the applicable Statutory
Regulations and Harmonized European
Standards.
All the adaptors were purchased in the UK. A
total of seven were obtained, six from high
street retailers and one from an established
market trader. All the sources have an
established track record for traceability
purposes.
At the time this issue of Switched On went to
press, the initial findings of the research,
although not conclusive, had identified the
existence of a potentially significant electrical
safety hazard in all but one of the adaptors
tested.
The main hazard found related to the
potential to gain access to a live part through
a socket-outlet aperture when a single pin
was inserted into one of the current-carrying
socket apertures (see below).
The British Standard for 13A plugs, socket-
outlets, adaptors and connection units
(BS 1363) states that:
“The construction of the adaptor shall be such
that when a plug is withdrawn from it, the
current-carrying socket contacts are
automatically screened by shutters. The
shutters shall be operated either by the
insertion of the earthing pin or by the
simultaneous insertion of any two or more
pins of the plug, provided that any one
corresponding single pin inserted into any
current-carrying socket aperture shall not
open the shutter.”
Clearly, the sample shown above does not
meet this requirement.
As with all product testing carried out by the
Council, the relevant persons responsible in
the supply chain for the safety of the product,
including local authorities where appropriate,
are notified of our findings.
As well as product testing, the Council is
carrying out investigations into other aspects
of electrical safety for UK residents abroad,
such as the implications of different safety
standards, voltages, supply frequencies, etc.
The investigations will culminate in the
development of a quick reference guide to
help consumers understand the possible
dangers of using electricity abroad, and how
to keep themselves safe.
The conclusions of this research, including a
report on the travel adaptor testing and the
consumer quick reference guide, will be
published on the Council’s website as soon as
they become available.
Anyone who is concerned that they may have
purchased an unsafe electrical product should
contact their local authority trading standards
department in the first instance.
However, we would also like to hear from
anyone regarding any general concerns about
the safety of an electrical product they have
recently purchased.
Please send details to:
or write to us at:
Product Safety
The Electrical Safety Council
18 Buckingham Gate
London, SW1E 6LB
ELECTRICAL SAFETY ABROAD - TRAVEL ADAPTOR TESTING
Mr Bill Wright MA CEng FIET has been
appointed Deputy Chairman of the
Electrical Safety Board for a two year term
with effect from 1 April 2007.
He is a nominee of the Institution of
Engineering and Technology (formerly the
Institution of Electrical Engineers), and has
been a Board member since 2001.
Bill is currently Corporate Energy and
Environment Manager of John Lewis plc.
He is a member of JPEL/64, the Joint IET/BSI
committee responsible for the technical
content of the national standard for the safety
of electrical installations (BS 7671). Bill is also
Chairman of Panel A of that committee, which
has particular responsibility for the inspection
and testing requirements of the standard.
Bill is also a member of the Technical
Committee of Electrical Safety Council, and of
various other committees of the Council and
the IET.
COUNCIL APPOINTS NEW DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
switchedon 7
Ideal Home Show
The Council was proud to sponsor the
Home Ideas Theatre at this year’s Ideal
Home Show, which was held at Earls Court
throughout March.
The Theatre was a showcase for many lively
and informative demonstrations by TV
personalities and companies alike, giving us a
good opportunity to inform a large number of
people about our consumer safety role
through the distribution of leaflets and other
information.
Homebuilding and
Renovating Show
In support of its consumer awareness
objectives, the Council had a stand at this
year’s Homebuilding and Renovating Show,
which was held at the NEC, Birmingham on
22 to 25 March.
In addition to giving thousands of sets of
electrical safety leaflets and other information
to all the visitors to our stand, we gave away
over a thousand plug-in RCDs to those who
told us they didn’t have an RCD incorporated
in their consumer unit at home, or who
otherwise had no RCD protection when using
power tools outdoors.
Our thanks again go to Greenbrook for
supplying their ‘Safetysure’ RCD adaptor for
this charitable purpose (several thousand more
of their ‘Powerbreaker’ devices having been
given away on our stands at the BBC Good
Homes and Gardening shows at the NEC
last year).
In confirmation of what we had found in our
over-the-telephone consumer surveys, a large
proportion of the householders we talked to
had absolutely no idea what an RCD was, or
how they could protect themselves and their
families against electric shock.
Indeed, many would have assumed that the
circuit-breakers in their consumer unit
provided the same function as an RCD. We
found it most useful to have on our stand for
explanation purposes an RCD of the type
typically found in consumer units – our thanks
go to ABB for providing the device used on
that occasion.
BBC Good Homes Live
By the time you receive this issue of Switched
On, we will also have had a stand at the BBC
Good Homes Live event (a combination this
year of last year’s Good Homes Show and
Gardeners World), which took place at the
NEC on 13 to 17 June.
We again expect to give away thousands of
sets of electrical safety leaflets to all those we
meet on the stand, together with plug-in
RCDs to those who do not already have the
benefit of such protection. Look out for a
report in the next issue.
More events planned for 2007 and
beyond
The Council will be participating in a number
of other events this year, including:
• Exhibiting at the Consumer Affairs and
Trading Standards Conference, Manchester
26-28 June
• Exhibiting at The Labour Party Conference
in Bournemouth 23-27 September
We are also pleased to be sponsoring the First
Injury Prevention Conference for the UK and
Ireland at the Watershed in Bristol (13-14
September), and the Electrical Safety category of
the NHIC Annual Awards 2007 (22 November).
We will continue to keep you informed of our
participation in events in future issues of
Switched On.
In the meantime, if you have visited our stand
at an event and would like to give us
feedback, please email the Editor at
THE COUNCIL MEETS THE PUBLIC
8 switchedon
The Council has launched its exciting new
educational website for children, which
can be viewed at
www.switchedonkids.org.uk.
After much research and collaborative work with
parents, teachers and children, the first phase of
the website, targeted at 5-7 year olds, has been
launched as part of a wider schools awareness
campaign.
This first phase of the site has been developed in
line with key stage 1 of the science education
curriculum for England, Wales and Northern
Ireland, and with Level A: Primary Levels P1 – P3
for the science education curriculum for Scotland.
Extract from National Curriculum for
England: Science: Key Stage 1:
Teaching should ensure that 'scientific enquiry' is taught
through contexts taken from the sections on 'life processes
and living things', 'materials and their properties' and
'physical processes'.
a. about everyday appliances that use electricity
b. about simple series circuits involving batteries, wires,
bulbs and other components [eg. buzzers, motors]
c. how a switch can be used to break a circuit
d. recognize that there are hazards in living things,
materials and physical processes, and assess risks and
take action to reduce risks to themselves and others
Extract from National Guidelines for
Scotland: Science: Level A: Primary
Levels P1-P3:
Developing an understanding of energy through the study of
the properties and uses of heat, light sound and electricity:
a. Give examples of sources of heat, light and sound
b. Give examples of everyday uses of heat, light and sound
c. Give examples of everyday appliances that use electricity
d. Identify some of the common dangers associated with
use of electricity
Switched On Kids
switchedon 9
The website is based on an interactive house approach to
alert children to the dangers of electricity that could be
lurking in their homes. It has been designed to capture
the imagination and attention of its 21st century web-
surfing audience, whilst highlighting the serious
nature of electricity.
We hope that the site will be fun as well as educational,
and that children, as well as their parents and teachers,
will want to come back to the site time and time again.
One ICT teacher in Kent, who provided a focus group with
her class groups of seven year olds, said ”We loved the
animations, particularly those showing how electricity
travels from the power station to our homes. The children
really liked that and said it taught them something they
didn’t know before.”
And a parent in West London told us that she “…liked the
uncluttered, fresh look of the site.”
The main objective of the schools awareness campaign is
to reduce the risks to children of the hazards associated
with electricity. One of its key initiatives is to develop the
educational website.
Development work on the second phase of the website,
targeted at 8 - 11 year olds, is now under way. This will be
followed by a third phase, targeted at 12-14 year olds.
If you are a parent, teacher or educationalist who would
like to get involved in the development of the website, we
would love to hear your views as to what you would like to
see included. Please email us at [email protected].
“We loved
the
animations,
particularly
those showing
how electricity
travels from
the power
station to our
homes”
X
Extract from National Curriculum in
Wales: Science: Key Stage 1:
In studying electricity, forces and motion, and light and
sound, pupils should be provided with opportunities to
relate observable effects, drawn from familiar contexts, to
their scientific knowledge. Pupils should be taught to use
appropriate vocabulary in describing and explaining
physical processes.
1) Electricity
a. that many everyday appliances use electricity and that
they should be used with care
b. to construct and explore simple circuits involving
batteries, wires, bulbs, switches and other components,
e.g. motors, buzzers
c. that electrical devices will not work if there is a break in
the circuit and that a switch in the circuit can be used to
control an electrical device
Extract from the Revised Northern
Ireland Primary Curriculum [March
2007]: The World Around Us:
Science and Technology:
Movement and Energy
The use of electricity as an energy source and the
importance of using it safely.
10 switchedon
Earlier this year we undertook extensive consumer research on a wide
range of subjects relating to our work. The research surveyed a cross-
section of society in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Two of the main issues of concern highlighted by the research were the
lack of awareness of how electrical legislation affects householders, and
the lack of understanding of the risks associated with not using competent
installers for electrical work in the home.
The alarming results showed that a large proportion of consumers do not
use a registered electrician to carry out work in their home and, of the
39% of people who had had electrical work carried out at home over the
last two years, only 48% had received certification confirming that it was
safe to be put into service.
Perhaps more shocking was that the research showed that 90% of people
in England and Wales are still unaware of Part P, more than two years after
the requirements came into effect.
The Council is continuing to work hard to raise awareness of Part P. For
example, we have published a leaflet devoted to the subject - Part P and
how it affects you. More than 15,000 copies of the leaflet have been
supplied to consumers (either in hard copy form or as a downloadable
copy from our website) since it was published last March.
Well over half of the 1000 people surveyed were unaware that there was
any kind of regulation relating to common electrical jobs around the
home, such as fitting a new power shower (59% unaware), adding new
sockets (64% unaware) or
installing garden lights
(78% unaware), whether
the work was notifiable
or not.
54% of consumers would
definitely like to see a
compulsory periodic
inspection report on the
electrical installation of a
house as part of the home
moving process, and
another 30% said they would probably or possibly like to see its inclusion.
On the results of the research, Phil Buckle said: “We would like to see
mandatory reporting which, coupled with better enforcement of existing
regulations, could make a real difference. Electricity can be a killer, yet our
research shows that currently, people rate it as relatively unimportant. We
need to do all we can to change this and bring down the number of
electrically-related fatalities, injuries and fires – too many people are wiring
up death traps in their own homes. We’d love to see government
supporting our aims and embracing the idea of a zero fatalities target.”
We will be using other results from the research throughout the year to
help publicise our key aims - of securing the mandatory inclusion of an
electrical safety report in the HIP, better enforcement of Part P legislation,
and a zero fatality target for domestic electrically-related deaths.
CONSUMER RESEARCH
Another Council initiative linked to the
schools awareness campaign has been
to support this year’s Child Safety Week,
which was an event coordinated by the Child
Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT).
Child Safety Week ran from 18-24 June. This
year’s theme was ’Safer children, healthier
lives. Pass it on’.
The Council contributed to this worthwhile
cause by providing CAPT with electrical
safety tips that parents and children can
download from the CAPT website
(www.capt.org.uk) and use to help keep
themselves safe at home and at play.
In addition, to promote Child Safety Week
and to help celebrate the launch of our
website for children, the Council has
provided CAPT with a crossword competition
prize draw.
The Council would like to invite all children
aged 5 to 11 to enter the competition. Ten
lucky winners will each win a voucher
worth £25.
To check the answers after the crossword
competition closes on 14 September 2007,
visit: www.switchedonkids.org.uk
To find out more about Child Safety Week
and how to enter the crossword competition
prize draw, visit: www.capt.org.uk.
CHILD SAFETY WEEK
switchedon 11
PARLIAMENTARY SURVEY
CONSUMER DIRECT
In April, Council staff met with Christine Cryne, Director
of Consumer Direct, to discuss ways in which our two
organizations can work together to help consumers.
Consumer Direct is a telephone and online consumer
advice service funded by government and managed by
the Office of Fair Trading. It operates in partnership with
local authority Trading Standards Services to offer
consumers clear, practical and impartial advice and
information.
It has around 350 trained advisers in 11 contact centres
across England, Wales and Scotland that deal with
around 1.7 million phone calls and emails a year from
consumers.
The meeting was very positive, with Consumer Direct
agreeing to support the Council in raising consumer
awareness of the benefits of using competent electrical
contractors.
They also agreed to help the Council raise awareness of
the legal requirements relating to electrical work in the
home, such as those in the Building Regulations in
England and Wales, and in the Building Standards in
Scotland.
It is hoped that Consumer Direct will take a part in
some of the Council’s future PR activities. Further
discussions are planned.
Earlier this year, we commissioned some research to benchmark
how familiar Members of Parliament were with the Council’s
objectives and electrical safety issues.
A total of 172 MPs were surveyed, with the data subsequently
‘weighted’ to be representative of the exact composition of the
House of Commons in terms of party and constituency region.
As anticipated, MPs’ knowledge of the Council and its work was
fairly limited, as indicated in the following summary of the survey
results:
Summary of research:
• Around two thirds of all MPs (63%) said that they were not
familiar at all with the Council
• 78% of all MPs said they didn’t know if the Council was an
independent charity
• 18% of all MPs correctly said that the Council was not a profit-
making body
• More than a quarter (28%) of all MPs said they thought the
Council concentrated on consumers’ electrical safety, while 20%
of all MPs thought the Council focused on tradespersons’ safety
• Given that issues around faulty smoke detectors have tended to
receive more press (and Parliamentary) attention in recent times
than electrical safety problems, it was interesting to note that MPs
believed that the threat from both faulty electrical wiring and
faulty electrical appliances was marginally more serious than the
threat from either faulty smoke detectors or scalding tap water
• Although nearly a quarter (24%) of all MPs had never heard of
Competent Person schemes, more than a third (34%) said that
they would definitely ask their contractor about their registration
• Labour MPs attached more importance to their contractor being
registered, as nearly half (42%) of them said they would definitely
ask about registration, compared to only 21% of Conservative
MPs and 30% of Liberal Democrats
• Just over half of Conservative MPs (52%) said that they would
definitely not use a contractor who said they weren’t registered,
compared with 78% of Labour MPs and 81% of Liberal
Democrat MPs.
A number of initiatives have been undertaken by the Council to raise
its profile amongst parliamentarians and to make them more aware
of the importance of electrical safety, and these will continue for the
foreseeable future.
For example, in May, the Council exhibited in the House of Commons
and met with MPs and Peers. The exhibition was kindly sponsored by
Andrew Selous MP, the Conservative’s Health & Safety frontbench
spokesman.
‘IN 2006,
1,051
DANGEROUS
PRODUCTS
WERE
NOTIFIED
THROUGH
THE RAPEX
SYSTEM’
12 switchedon
According to a report published
by the Directorate-General for
Health and Consumer
Protection of the European
Commission, almost a third of all
dangerous products notified through
its Rapid Alert System (RAPEX) are
household electrical appliances.
The report also highlights that ‘injury’
and ‘electric shock’ are the main types
of risk consumers have been exposed
to over the past few years from these
dangerous products.
The report, “Keeping European
Consumers Safe”, published in April
this year, describes the activities of
RAPEX in 2006. It includes information
about the types and origins of products
that have posed a serious risk to the
health and safety of consumers, and
which, as a result, have been
withdrawn from the market.
At a press conference in Brussels,
European Commissioner for Consumer
affairs, Meglena Kuneva, said “This
Rapid Alert System is a powerful
watchdog and an excellent example of
European ‘value added’. The constant
increase in the number of measures
notified is a good sign It shows that
vigilance across Europe is getting
better and better. The annual report
shows that the system in 2006 is
working better than ever before. My
task is to make it grow to its full
potential."
In 2006, 1,051 dangerous products
were notified through the RAPEX
system:
• 924 of these notifications concerned
measures taken by national
authorities or voluntarily by
producers and distributors in
respect of products presenting a
serious risk
• 23 notifications referred to
measures taken by national
authorities on products posing a
moderate risk
• 104 notifications were disseminated
for information only to national
authorities.
The report states that the number of
notifications to RAPEX has risen
steeply over the last few years.
Following the introduction of the
revised EU Directive on general
product safety in January 2004, the
number of notifications to RAPEX
relating to products presenting a
serious risk has more than doubled,
from 388 in 2004 to 924 in 2006.
Over 40% of all notifications concern
voluntary measures taken by
businesses - a considerable year-on-
year increase giving a clear indicator of
growing safety awareness on the part
of European economic operators.
As in previous years, the majority of
notifications in 2006 concerned the
following categories of products, which
accounted for almost 75 % of all
notified products:
• toys (221 notifications, 24%)
• electrical appliances (174
notifications, 19%)
• motor vehicles (126 notifications,
14%)
• lighting equipment (98 notifications,
11%)
• cosmetics (48 notifications, 5%).
Although, for the first time, toys took
over from electrical appliances as the
product category most often notified,
the combined effect of notifications
relating to ‘electrical appliances’ and
‘lighting equipment’ ranks electrical
products as the highest risk overall.
The main categories of risk that
dangerous products pose to
consumers are:
• injuries (274 notifications, 25%)
• electric shock (270 notifications,
24%)
• fire risk/burns (194 notifications,
18%)
• choking/suffocation (157
notifications, 14%)
• chemical risk (95 notifications, 9%).
‘Shocking’ report from the
switchedon 13
The main risks related to electrical
appliances are:
• Electric shock (61%)
• Fire risk/burns (31%)
• Injuries (7%)
• Choking/suffocation (1%)
The People's Republic of China was
indicated as the country of origin for
almost half of all products notified
under the RAPEX system.
Given that China has rapidly become
one of the biggest exporters of
consumer products to Europe, the
Commission signed a Memorandum
of Understanding in 2006 with the aim
of establishing better communication
and collaboration on consumer
product safety, and to support
Chinese authorities in their efforts to
ensure product safety, in particular
for consumer products exported to
the EU.
The report concludes that increased
participation of countries in RAPEX
confirms it as a reliable and effective
tool for monitoring the circulation of
unsafe products and a system that
has strengthened the effectiveness of
market surveillance.
In contrast, however, the results of a
recent impact assessment carried out
by the Commission on proposals to
strengthen market surveillance
activities in Europe indicate that there
are still problems with uniform
enforcement of legislation.
The assessment reports that, under
the current situation, market
surveillance is not carried out
coherently or rigorously throughout
the Community and, as a
consequence, large numbers of non-
compliant (and potentially dangerous)
products reach the market each year.
The Council believes that the findings
of both the RAPEX Annual Report and
the market surveillance assessment
serve to reinforce our message that
dangerous electrical products
continue to present a significant risk
to the health and safety of consumers
in the UK.
In response to these concerns, the
Council has a robust product safety
strategy through which it will
implement a range of activities
designed to target and tackle those
electrical products and product
services that pose greatest risk to
consumers.
The strategy also sets out how the
Council will further develop
relationships with central
government, enforcement authorities,
the Commission and stakeholders to
ensure its continued support and
influence on product safety initiatives
at national and European level.
A full copy of the RAPEX Annual
Report for 2006, as well as other
statistical reports on RAPEX
notifications for the current year, can
be downloaded from the consumer
safety section of the European
Commissions website at:
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons
_safe/index_en.htm
The Commission also publishes a
weekly overview of the dangerous
products reported by the national
authorities (the RAPEX notifications).
This weekly overview gives
information on the product, the
possible danger, and the measures
that were taken by the reporting
country.
Recent and archived RAPEX
notifications can be found at:
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/dyna/
rapex/rapex_archives_en.cfm
Details of all UK electrical
product recalls and safety
notices published through
RAPEX, Trading
Standards and other
Government agencies can
be viewed in the ‘Recalls’
section of the Council’s
website.
european commission
What is RAPEX?
RAPEX is the European
rapid information
exchange system through
which details of all
dangerous non-food
products can be quickly
circulated between
participating countries
14 switchedon
In accordance with the Home Information
Pack Regulations 2007, which came into
effect on 19 April, the provision of a Home
Information Pack became compulsory for
every domestic property in England and Wales
put on the market on or after 1 June.
Properties put on the market before 1 June
will not be subject to the new requirement
until January 2008.
The Home Information Pack must contain the
following ‘required documents’:
• An index
• An energy performance certificate
• A sale statement
• Evidence of title
• Searches (Local Authority enquiries, and
drainage and water)
• Where appropriate, commonhold/leasehold
information.
Building Regulations
Compliance Certificates
The Council was pleased to note that the
information contained in the Building
Regulations Compliance Certificates issued
under competent person self-certification
schemes is included as a ‘required document’
under the Local Authority search.
Details of any electrical work carried out under
Part P of the Building Regulations and notified
via the government-approved scheme operators
will therefore need to be included in Home
Information Packs.
The inclusion of this information is something
that the Council has campaigned strongly for in
both Whitehall and Westminster on behalf of
consumers.
As householders become more aware of the
implications of not receiving the necessary
certificates on completion of electrical work, we
believe market forces will encourage a greater
proportion of electrical installers to register with
one of the Part P competent person schemes.
Building Control records
It is difficult to comprehend more than two
years after Part P came into effect, but it has
come to light that Local Authorities have not
been required to retain the information sent to
Local Authority Building Control by
government-approved scheme operators.
However, in March, Communities and Local
Government (CLG) published a proposal to
amend the Buildings Act 1984 to require Local
Authorities to keep registers of Building Control
information.
The Council has written in support of the
proposal, and is confident that it will be
implemented by government. In the
meantime, CLG is understood to be planning
to require all Local Authorities in England and
Wales to store Building Control information
and make it available for searches from
October 2007.
This legal requirement will greatly strengthen
the importance of the services and information
provided by those registered with Part P
competent person schemes.
In addition, it will be another step forward in
our continuing campaign to get the
government to agree to include details of the
condition of electrical installations in Home
Information Packs.
For more details on the Home Information Pack,
visit www.homeinformationpack.gov.uk
HOME INFORMATION PACK
In March, Electrical Safety Council staff were
invited to a Ministerial Reception hosted by
Communities and Local Government (CLG) to
celebrate the government’s success in
significantly reducing the number of fires and
fire-related deaths and injuries in England.
About 100 guests from the Fire and Rescue
Services and partner organisations attended the
event, which was also attended by senior
government ministers including Ruth Kelly,
Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government, Phil Woolas, Minister for Local
Government, and Fire Minister Angela Smith.
Ruth Kelly congratulated fire and rescue staff
throughout the country and said that the event
also marked the publication of the latest annual
national fire statistics (for 2005), which can be
found at www.communities.gov.uk
Speaking at the event, Ruth Kelly said “Thanks
to the outstanding commitment and bravery of
our fire and rescue staff, fire deaths are at their
lowest for nearly fifty years. The fire and rescue
service staff have worked tirelessly, remaining
cool and professional in very difficult
circumstances.
But we know that we must not rely solely on
the 999 control staff and bravery of firefighters
to save lives when fire breaks out. That is why
the government has invested £50 million in fire
prevention and awareness campaigns.
While the numbers of accidental and deliberate
fires, false alarms, fire deaths and injuries are
down, we must never be complacent. We must
all play our part by recognising the risk to
ourselves, to our families, and to our
neighbours.”
The Council wholeheartedly agrees with the
CLG call to “…play our part” and continues to
support the CLG campaigns to raise awareness
and promote fire safety.
The Council recently made a significant
contribution to the CLG Easter DIY awareness
campaign by incorporating a number of electrical
safety messages into their literature and providing
advice in their media campaign material.
In addition, the Council has now produced a fire
safety leaflet, “Electricity in the home – Guide to
fire safety”, which can be downloaded from the
‘safety in the home’ section of our website.
Alternatively, up to 500 copies can be ordered
free of charge by sending an email to:
FIRE SAFETY CAMPAIGN – COUNCIL ATTENDSA MINISTERIAL RECEPTION
Stop Press
As this issue went to print, the
government announced that it had
delayed the introduction of Home
Information Packs until 1 August,
pending revision of the detailed
requirements.
switchedon 15
FIRE GATEWAY OPENS THE DOOR TO THEFIRE & RESCUE SERVICE
Access to vital fire safety information and
the ability to carry out a fire safety
assessment on your home is just a click away
with the government's launch, in March, of
the Fire Gateway website www.fire.gov.uk
The new online service makes it easier for
anyone to contact their local Fire and Rescue
Service and submit online requests for assistance
to help prevent fires from happening.
The service is not intended to deal with
requests for emergency services but, for the
first time, users across the country can now
submit online requests for an array of non-
emergency services provided by their local Fire
and Rescue Services. It is a one stop shop to
help prevent fires and thus help save lives.
The Fire Gateway is a national web portal
which has been developed for the Fire and
Rescue Services in England.
The Fire Gateway allows users to:
• self-assess their home fire safety
• make an online request for a free home
fire safety visits from the local Fire and
Rescue Service
• submit online requests for the Fire and
Rescue Service to attend events at schools
and other community events
• request fire safety advice for families and
individuals where there are concerns about
people starting deliberate fires
The website also includes online resources for
parents and teachers as well as children, who
can enjoy a wide range of interactive games
and activities.
However, the new services are not limited to
people with internet access at home. Fire and
Rescue Services are already developing
partnerships with local organizations that have
direct contact with people who are most at
risk from fire.
The aim is to encourage those providing
professional and personal care to use the Fire
Gateway to carry out self assessments and, if
indicated, subsequently submit requests on
behalf of their clients who they feel would
benefit from professional fire safety advice.
The benefits of the Fire Gateway will spread to
those most at risk from the effects of fire,
helping Fire and Rescue Service to reduce fire
deaths and injuries.
The Fire Gateway also has tools to helpmake workplaces safer:
• Businesses can complete an online self-
assessment to check their progress in
complying with new Fire Safety regulations
for the workplace
• A wide range of fire-related content is
available, providing information and advice
about the Fire and Rescue Service and links
to other relevant websites
The Fire Gateway project was initially proposed
by the Chief Fire Officers' Association. It has
been funded by Communities and Local
Government, and developed in partnership
with the Chief Fire Officers' Association and
the Local Government Association, in response
to identified needs from Fire and Rescue
Services to enhance the delivery of electronic
services to the public.
During the successful pilot period, over
40,000 separate users visited the Fire
Gateway, accessing over 2.5 million pages on
the site. By the time the website was formally
launched in March, 5,500 people had
completed a self-assessment questionnaire for
workplace fire safety and over 1,500 requests
had been submitted by members of the public
to their local Fire and Rescue Service.
16 switchedon
This is the third and final article
in the series that has looked at
landlords’ responsibilities for
electrical and fire safety. It provides
information and guidance on the
requirements and recommendations
for fire alarm systems and emergency
lighting systems.
Fire risks
According to statistics provided by
Communities and Local Government,
around 58,000 fires in dwellings (not
just owned by landlords) were
recorded in the UK in 2005. It is
believed that this is a significant
under-estimate, and that only about
20 % of fires are reported to the fire
and rescue service.
In 2005, 491 deaths and 14,100 injuries
were caused in the UK by fire, of which
310 deaths and 11,600 injuries were in
the home. About 65% of all fires in the
home start in the kitchen, with the
source of ignition in 57 % of dwelling
fires being cooking appliances.
Further significant causes of fire
include people hanging clothing over
heaters, and the misuse of cigarettes
and candles.
The trend shows that deaths from fire
are falling, which is good news.
Part of the armoury for ensuring that
this downward trend is maintained is
the installation of the correct type of
fire alarm system and emergency
lighting system, and their regular
testing and maintenance.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)
Order 2005 (the Order) has been
introduced, which replaces previous fire
safety legislation in England and Wales.
Detailed information on the Order
which will be of interest to landlords
responsible for common areas in
Houses in Multiple Occupation, flats
and maisonettes is given in Fire Safety
Assessment Guide 3 (sleeping
accommodation), which can be
downloaded from
www.firesafetyguides.communities.gov.uk.
The guide, which applies to England
and Wales only, states that ‘Virtually all
premises that this guide applies to will
need an electrical fire detection and
warning system incorporating
automatic fire detection, sounders and
manually operated call points (break-
glass boxes)’.
Additionally, as part of the need for an
escape route that enables people to
find their way to a place of ‘total safety’,
sufficient lighting should be provided.
Assuming that the landlord is the
responsible person, he/she should
carry out a fire risk assessment which
must focus on the safety in case of fire
of all ‘relevant persons’.
As part of the risk assessment, the
responsible person should ‘evaluate,
remove, reduce and protect from risk’.
The appropriate choice of fire alarm
system and emergency lighting system
will be necessary to reduce and protect
from risk.
Fire alarm systems
The type of fire alarm system will vary
according to the type of building, its
use and the type of person(s) using the
building. The particular standard that
applies to dwellings is BS 5839-6 Fire
detection and fire alarm systems for
dwellings.
It is essential that the occupier of the
dwelling (including all occupiers of a
house in multiple occupation)16 switchedon
Landlords and fire alarm and e
25
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10
5
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
Dea
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per
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Peop
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Year
switchedon 17
‘around58,000 firesin dwellings(not justowned bylandlords)wererecorded inthe UK in2005.’
understands the operation of the fire
alarm system, the action to take in the
event of a fire alarm signal, the means
of avoidance of false alarms, the
procedures for testing the system, and
the need for routine maintenance of
the system.
All grades of fire alarm system need to
be tested periodically to ensure that
there has not been any major failure.
This does not require specialist
knowledge, and can normally be
carried out by the occupier. The routine
tests are:
• A Grade A system should be
tested every week in accordance
with the recommendations of
clause 44.2 of BS 5839-1: 2002.
This type of system is more
likely to be installed in large,
multi-occupier premises,
such as Houses in Multiple
Occupation
• All other systems (B through to F)
should be tested at least every
week by operating all fire alarm
devices in the dwelling. For smoke
alarms and heat alarms, this test
may be carried out by pressing the
test button on the device(s)
• Where the dwelling has been
unoccupied for a period, the
occupier should check
immediately on reoccupying the
dwelling that the system has not
suffered total power failure
• A fire alarm system should be
inspected periodically to identify
faults and, in more complex
systems, to assess the reliability of
the system
• Grade A systems should be
inspected and serviced at periods
not exceeding six months in
accordance with the
recommendations of clause 45 of
BS 5839-1: 2002. A certificate
should be issued. This inspection
should be carried out by a suitably
competent person
• Grades B and C systems should be
serviced every six months in
accordance with the supplier’s
instructions. This inspection should
be carried out by a suitably
competent person
• Smoke alarms in Grades D, E and F
systems should be cleaned
periodically in accordance with
manufacturer’s instructions.
• Where experience shows that
undue deposits of dirt and dust are
likely to accumulate, then more
regular cleaning should take place.
Emergency lighting
systems
It is necessary for people to be able to
find their way out of a dwelling to a
place of safety if there is a fire. The
escape routes should be free from
clutter and have sufficient light to
ensure safe escape.
The guidance provided by the
government on the Regulatory Reform
(Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that in
simple premises i.e. ground and first
floor with no floor greater than 200 m2
in area, where the escape routes are
simple and straightforward, borrowed
light from a dependable source, such
as might be provided by a street light,
may be acceptable.
Exceptionally, where borrowed light is
not available, suitably placed torches
may be acceptable for use.
In larger more complex premises, it is
likely that a more comprehensive
system of automatic emergency
escape lighting will be needed to
illuminate all escape routes.
The inspection and maintenance
regime will vary according to the
nature of the installation. Large
systems will need to be inspected and
maintained by a competent person and
comply with the relevant
recommendations of the relevant
standard(s).
For smaller installations, where it is
likely that there is no central system,
emergency lighting luminaires should
be inspected and maintained in
accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions.
17 switchedon
emergency lighting systems
All 3 of the ‘Landlords’ articles
featured in Switched On are
available for download from the
Council’s website: www.esc.org.uk
18 switchedon
As reported in the spring issue of Switched
On, the Council is working with other
interested parties to produce a series of Best
Practice Guides on a range of subjects of
interest to specifiers, electrical contractors and
installers.
In electronic format, these guides are intended
to be made available, free of charge, to all
interested parties.
Two guides have already been published, and
can be downloaded from the ‘Business and
Community’ section of our website:
• Replacing a consumer unit where lighting
circuits have no circuit protective conductor
• Safe isolation procedures for low voltage
installations
A third guide, Connecting a microgeneration
system to a domestic or similar electrical
installation, is expected to have been
completed by the time this issue of Switched
On is distributed, but in any event will be
published on our website as soon as possible.
The aim of this new guide is:
• to provide an overview of microgeneration
rated at up to 16 A per phase
• to provide information on the legal and
contractual issues related specifically to
installation of microgenerators (including
the relationship of the consumer with the
energy supplier and the electricity
distributor), and
• to give guidance on the specific electrical
issues that arise when installing or
connecting a microgenerator.
Work on a fourth guide, Fire precautions
relating to electrical installations in dwellings,
has commenced, and may have been
completed before the next issue of Switched
On is distributed. Visit our website for the
latest information.
Consideration is being given to producing
further Best Practice Guides on
recommendation codes for periodic inspection
reports, replacing domestic consumer units,
avoiding the dangers of asbestos, and plug-in
socket-outlet testers.
News about the development and
availability of these and other guides
will be announced in Switched On
and on our website in due course.
BEST PRACTICE GUIDES
The Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA) has
produced a series of leaflets giving advice to
homeowners who are intending to carry out work in
their homes.
Two of these cover work in bathrooms and kitchens in
one or two storey houses.
Another leaflet, Certification: Electrical Installation to
BS 7671, has been prepared to explain to homeowners
how electrical work carried out by suitably qualified and
experienced professionals can be certified as complying
with building regulations.
The leaflets can be downloaded from the ‘home
improvements’ section of the SBSA website
www.sbsa.gov.uk
HOME IMPROVEMENT LEAFLETSFOR SCOTLAND
switchedon 19
Following the successful completion in April of
the in-situ testing of 30 mA residual current
devices (RCDs) in domestic premises, ERA
Technology Ltd has been fully engaged in the
final parts of the research. These are the
examination of RCDs that failed the in-situ tests,
and the detailed analysis of results of the field
testing in order to determine reliability rates.
Investigation of failed RCDs
All the RCDs that failed the on-site tests have
been returned to ERA and subjected to detailed
forensic analysis to determine the cause of
malfunction.
Where appropriate, photographic records have
been taken of relevant visual evidence, and any
component failure, corrosion or contamination
products found inside the devices have been
analysed and recorded.
Techniques used to identify the causes of failure
included optical microscopy, scanning electron
microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis.
The results have been recorded in a database so
that the numbers of failures of each type of
RCD can be compared, and a detailed report
produced.
Analysis of data
The results of the in-situ testing of 30 mA RCDs
used in domestic premises for supplementary
protection against electric shock have been
analysed to determine:
• the overall reliability rate
• reliability rates according to the type
(electromechanical or electronic)
• reliability rates according to the frequency of
testing by consumers using the in-built test
button.
For the research to withstand scrutiny, it is
important that the results are proven to be
statistically valid.
Various statistical analysis techniques are
therefore being applied to the results of the in-
situ testing to ensure they are a representative
sample of all 30 mA RCDs installed in domestic
premises, to give confidence in the accuracy and
validity of the results obtained.
Final report
ERA’s final report, expected at the end of June,
will contain detailed results of the research,
together with conclusions on the overall
reliability of 30 mA RCDs installed in domestic
premises, and the mechanisms that caused
RCDs to fail to operate under in-situ test
conditions.
If appropriate, the report will also include
recommendations for further environmental
testing needed to substantiate, and compare
the results against, the conclusions reached in
the first, desk-based, phase of the research.
The report will be published on the Council’s
website as soon as it becomes available.
We would like to thank all those readers who
have taken the time to share their experiences
and expressed support for this project. The
feedback received to date has proved very
useful to our research team.
If you would like to share your RCD
experiences with us, there is still an
opportunity to do so by emailing:
RESEARCH INTO THE IN-SERVICE RELIABILITY OF RCDs
As announced in the spring issue of
Switched On, the Council’s Electrical
Installation Safety Improvements Grants scheme
is now being piloted in England and Wales. The
scheme is available to a limited range of people
who cannot afford to restore the electrical
installation in their home to a safe standard.
Applications continue to be received from
resident home owners aged 60 and over who
are in receipt of a ‘means tested benefit’, and
some from resident home owners who have
been assessed as having ‘special circumstances’.
Following further discussions with the
Department for Work and Pensions, agreement
has been reached to extend the coverage of the
scheme to some parts of London.
Orders continue to be placed with registered
electrical contractors to undertake the formal
assessment of the condition of applicants’
electrical installations, and for any urgent
remedial works identified by the reports to be
undertaken, all at no cost to the home owners.
The Council would like to thank the following
organizations for continuing to assist us with
the operation of the scheme:
• The Department for Work and Pensions
(DWP) Kent and London areas
• The Electrical and Electronics Industries
Benevolent Association (EEIBA)
• British Standards Institution
• ELECSA Ltd
• NAPIT Registration Ltd
• NICEIC Group Ltd.
If the scheme is successful and additional
funding can be obtained from other
organizations, it is hoped that it can be
extended to cover Scotland and Northern
Ireland in the near future.
If you are interested in being a sponsor for the
grants initiative, or you would like further
information, please email
telephone us on 0870 040 0561.
GRANTS FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION SAFETYIMPROVEMENTS
switchedon 20
Amongst the variety of leaflets and other
information we distribute at consumer
shows and events is the Z-Card (pictured),
which gives top tips on electrical safety in and
around the home, advice on how to find a
registered installer, and a host of other useful
information.
The cards have proved very popular as they
are compact and handy to keep for reference.
We would be pleased to provide free of
charge to contractors and others up to 500
copies of these cards for distribution to
customers and clients.
Larger quantities are available at cost. Please
e-mail [email protected] to request copies,
or for further information.
Similar arrangements apply to the supply of all
our other leaflets or, alternatively, they can be
downloaded for printing from our website.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS
The need to improve working procedures in
order to ensure electrical safety on
construction sites was highlighted again in
May, when an electrical contractor was
ordered to pay a total of over £133,000 in
fines and costs at the Central Criminal Court
in London.
The prosecution followed an investigation by
the Health and Safety Executive into the
electrocution of one of the company’s
employees, when a fellow electrician
energized a circuit on which he was working.
It was found that the company had no
systems in place on the construction site for
safely isolating and locking off power supplies
to prevent them being energized
inadvertently. The only measure taken was
taping over circuit-breakers, which was wholly
ineffective.
To help prevent similar tragic events, all
contractors reading this article are urged to
acquaint themselves with the Council’s Best
Practice Guide on Safe isolation procedures
for low voltage installations which, amongst
other things, specifically warns that the
practice of placing insulating tape over a
circuit-breaker to prevent inadvertent
operation is not a safe means of isolation.
Copies of the guide, which was published in
March, are free to download from the
Council’s website (under the ‘business and
community’ section), as well as from those of
ECA and SELECT.
Also free to download from the Council’s
website are copies of the ‘Electrical safety in
construction’ leaflet (in both English and
Polish), which is intended to be read by all
construction site staff, not just electricians.
Alternatively, up to 500 printed copies of the
English version of the leaflet can be obtained
free of charge by emailing a request to:
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR FINED £100,000 OVERFATAL ERROR
BACK ISSUES OFSWITCHED ONAll the previous issues of Switched
On are available to read or download
from the ‘business and community’
section of our website,
www.esc.org.uk