Did you know that over half of all accidental house fires are caused by electricity, or that nine out of ten electrical fires are caused by electrical products?
That’s why Castles and Coasts Housing Association (CCHA) is supporting Electrical Fire Safety Week, which launches today (14th November), and reminding customers to stay safe.
The annual campaign is run by the organisation Electrical Safety First, working closely with the Government's Fire Kills campaign and fire & rescue services across the UK. It aims to raise awareness of electrical fire risks and the simple steps that people can take to avoid a devastating fire in their homes.
James Allen, Compliance Manager at CCHA said: “The safety of customers is a key priority for CCHA. We have recently appointed contractor Novus Property Solutions to replace 275 fire doors and repair more than 100 further existing door sets, across 13 of our independent living schemes in Cumbria and the North East.
“We continue to engage with residents to promote and improve fire safety and the security of our properties. We carry out electrical safety checks in residents’ homes every five years. These are important to highlight any potential electrical safety issues, as well as being a legal requirement. With Christmas around the corner and all of those extra decorative lights being put up, there are also lots of easy steps customers can take to stay safe and this campaign highlights those.”
Below are just a few electrical safety tips to help keep you safe:
- Christmas lights – always read and follow the manufacturers' instructions and check your lights are not damaged or broken before use. Click here for more festive electrical safety tips.
- Don't overload plug sockets. An extension lead or adaptor will have a limit to how many amps it can take, so to help reduce the risk of fire be careful not to overload them.
- Regularly check for frayed or worn cables/wires and check to see if the cable is fastened securely to the plug. You should always do this before you plug an appliance in and do not use any electrical device that’s damaged.
- Unplug appliances when not in use. Not only will this help reduce your energy use, but it helps to reduce the risk of fire. Unplug appliances when you go to bed or when you go out unless they are designed to be left on, like fridges and freezers.
- Always make sure electrical appliances have a British or European safety mark when you buy them.
- Charging devices - don't leave devices charging for long periods and make sure that you are using the correct chargers. If you are using laptops, don’t put them on soft furnishings, beds or duvets as this increases the chance of them overheating and catching fire.
- Look out for scorch marks, flickering lights, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow or circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reason. These could all be signs of loose or dangerous wiring somewhere in your home.
James Allen continued: “It’s really important to know the signs of a potential electrical problem. If in doubt, CCHA customers should contact us straight away on 0800 085 1171 so that we can have issues checked by a qualified electrician.”
You can find more hints and tips on electrical safety on the Electrical Safety First website by clicking here.