Electrical safety precautions in the home

Take these important steps to keep your home safe. If you’re renting your home, many of these are your landlord’s responsibility.

Use the following advice to make sure you are as safe as you can be.

What are the dangers?

If electrical items in your home are unsafe, you could be at risk of:

• electric shocks - severe electric shocks can cause heart failure
• electrical burns - these can require major surgery and can be permanently damaging 
• fire - every year, 12,500 fires are caused in UK homes by electrical faults.

What are the danger signs?

You can also check for possible danger signs yourself. These include:

• plugs or wall sockets which are overheating or are scorched or cracked 
• cables or wires which are loose, exposed or fraying
• a burning smell when appliances are switched on
• fuses which blow frequently.

If you are concerned about any of the electrical installations or appliances in your home, speak to your landlord or call in an electrician immediately.

How can I reduce the risks?

There are several things you can do to minimise risks of electrical shocks or fires in your home. For example:

• Make sure cables from electrical appliances (including extension cables) don’t run underneath carpets or rugs.
• Don’t overload wall sockets. If you need to use an adaptor, use a multi-socket trailing adaptor, not a multi-way adaptor that plugs straight into the socket.
• If you need to use an extension cable, don’t use a longer one than you need. Don’t keep extension cables coiled, as they may overheat.
• Don’t exceed the recommended bulb wattage for light fittings.
• Don’t put too high a fuse in plugs
• Never use mains powered equipment in bathrooms or near water.
• Don’t leave electrical appliances switched on or on stand by when you’re not using them - this will save you money as well as improve safety.
• Electric blankets are a common cause of fires - the Trading Standards Institute recommends that you get them serviced every three years.
• Make sure that your home has smoke alarms fitted and that they are all in working order.
• Make sure you can access the fuse box and meter easily. Keep a torch nearby, so you can see what you’re doing if the lights go out. Don’t touch or use any electrical items that you think are unsafe.
• Plan what to do in case of fire and be aware of all escape routes.
• Make sure that exit routes are always kept clear.
• Do not carry out electrical work unless you are competent to do so.
• Fully assemble appliances before plugging them in.
• Teach children not to touch appliances with wet hands.
• Keep combustible materials away from heating appliances.
• Unplug small appliances when you’ve finished using them.

Landlords and tenants

A landlord is required to provide a tenant with an electrical installation in good condition and repair.  The landlord should maintain the installation in a condition suitable for the use intended, and ensure that repairs are undertaking by a competent person.  A tenant has a duty to ensure that those parts of the installation that are his or her responsibility are maintained in a safe condition, and to ensure that repairs are carried out only by a competent person.

Periodic Inspection and Testing

Purpose of periodic inspection and testing

As defined by the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) the purpose of periodic inspection and testing is to provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, for:

1. The safety of persons and livestock against the effects of electric shock and burns in accordance with the general requirements of Regulation 130-01, and 
2. Protection against damage to property by fire and heat arising from an installation defect, and 
3. Confirmation that the installation is not damaged or deteriorated so as to impair safety, and 
4. The identification of installation defects and non-compliance with the requirements of the Regulations which may give rise to danger.

For an installation under effective supervision in normal use, periodic inspection and testing may be replaced by an adequate regime of continuous monitoring and maintenance of the installation and all its constituent equipment by skilled persons.  Appropriate maintenance records must be kept.

If an installation is maintained under a planned maintenance management system, incorporating monitoring and supervised by a suitably qualified electrical engineer, with the results being recorded and kept over a period of time, then a formal periodic inspection and test certificate may not be required.  The records may be kept on paper or computer and should record that electrical maintenance and testing has been carried out.  The results of any tests should be recorded.  The results should be available for scrutiny and need not be in the standard IEE Periodic Inspection Report format.

Necessity for periodic inspection and testing

Periodic inspection and testing is necessary because all electrical installations deteriorate due to a number of factors such as damage, wear, tear, corrosion, excessive electrical loading, ageing and environmental influences.  Consequently:

1. Legislation requires that electrical installations are maintained in a safe condition and therefore must be periodically inspected and tested.
2. Licensing authorities, public bodies, insurance companies, mortgage lenders and others may require periodic inspection and testing of electrical installations.
3. Additionally, periodic inspection and testing should be considered:
   (a) to assess compliance with BS 7671
   (b) on a change of occupancy of the premises
   (c) on a change of use of the premises
   (d) after alterations or additions to the original installation
   (e) because of any significant change in the electrical loading of the installation
   (f) where there is reason to believe that damage may have been caused to the installation.

Our JE Building Services would  be happy to provide a quotation for these works. Please contact our customer help line on Telephone 505460

More information on electrical installations can be found on http://www.electriciansregister.com/buildingregulations.php