Sometimes electrical safety is taken for granted. Fires can be easily caused through electrical faults and carelessness in the home.
Last year there were 31,000 accidental dwelling fires within the UK, 187 of these were fatal. 4,277 were non-fatal fire casualties.
Ensure that you have a smoke alarm fitted and test it regularly.
To reduce the cause of a house fire and fatal electrical shocks to your family, ensure you have a RCD (Residual Current Device) installed in the fuse box. A Residual Current Device is an electrical wiring device that will disconnect an electric circuit when an in balanced electric current is identified. The device will disconnect quickly enough to prevent electric shocks, however, keep in mind they are not intended to provide protection against overloaded currents or short-circuits.
Follow these points and ensure your home is safe:
• Where possible fit smoke alarms on each level of your home
• Test the batteries in your smoke alarm every week and change them every year
• 40% of home fires start in the kitchen so take care when cooking and using electrical appliances
• Take extra care when cooking with hot oil
• Don’t leave children unsupervised in the kitchen when the hob or oven is on
• Check for fire hazards in your home before you go to bed
• Don’t overload plug sockets as this can lead to overheating
• Electrical appliances, plugs and cables that are old or poorly wired can also be a real danger
• Stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully
• Make sure candles have been put out properly when you are leaving the room and keep them away from fabrics and papers
Our handymen are available to fit any home safety device should you need help and advice with installing equipment that you are struggling to do yourslef. If you need a electrical rewire to fit your home safety device or would like a Residual Current Device fitted then get in touch with our electricians.