Electrical fires are still accounting for over 20,000 accidental fires in UK homes every year despite increasing publicity about electrical safety and Part P.
Every day a new electrical fire is reported in the news where devastating consequences have resulted in death or serious property damage. Simply typing electrical fires UK into Google reveals the true scale of this horror. The outcome is always the same: electrical fault in the property.
What is meant by electrical fault?
This can mean anything from cable deterioration in the property due to age or carrying out DIY electrical work incorrectly. It can also mean taking risks with electricity such as overloading extension leads or using appliances such as electric heaters incorrectly. Worryingly an electrical fire can also start by using an unregistered electrician in your home.
In fact a recent survey by the Electrical Safety Council revealed that a quarter of UK households had employed an unregistered electrician to carry out work in their home.
Electrical lighting – top cause of electrical fires
Electrical lighting is in the top 5 causes of electrical fires. Only on Monday, a kitchen ceiling was destroyed in a bungalow fire in Preston. The cause was a light fitting that had ignited ceiling joists.
A subject very close to the heart of electricians is the correct installation of down lighters; which can quickly become a fire hazard if installed incorrectly. They are also a significant cause of house fires every year in the UK due to dangerous or incorrect installation.
Down lighters are a risk because they heat very quickly which can ignite materials around them. Such materials include insulation, roof joists and other combustible materials that may be around them. This includes dust and other debris that the down lighter may come into contact with.
11% of electrical fires are caused by faults in installations or by people not installing following the manufacturers instructions properly.
Other top causes of electrical fires
Electrical cooking appliances, laundry appliances, portable heaters and TV's remain the biggest cause of electrical fires every year. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government fire statistics 2008; faulty appliances alone cause £41.6 million of damage per year with electric cookers and lighting the biggest contributors at £24 million and £13 million respectively.
Many of these fires are caused by misuse of the appliances and between them cause 12,000 fires and almost 3000 injuries every year.
Conclusion
The recommendation to householders to avoid electrical fire is to have their wiring checked by a qualified and registered electrician at least once every 10 years for home-owners and every 5 years or change of occupancy for landlords by having an EICR carried out on the property.
Appliances should be kept clean, maintained and used in accordance to the manufacturers instructions.
If there is any doubt over the safety of any electrical appliance or fitting. Switch off and do not use until a qualified registered electrician has inspected it.