Professional electrical installation is paramount
Builder Guide backs the findings from a recently published study by the Electrical Safety Council and emphasises professional electrical installation is of paramount importance.
Builder Guide is getting behind the results of a recent study published by the Electrical Safety Council to highlight the importance of checking the electrics within your home are safe. A key aspect of this is having an RCD (Residual Current Device) in your fuse board, also known as a consumer unit. This will prevent electric shocks and dramatically reduce the risk of fire.
The study’s objective was to better understand parents' awareness of electrical safety and how they protect both themselves and their children within the home.
The study revealed that the biggest concern for parents with regards to having a safe home was electrical safety; however, alarmingly the report found that the most common safety precaution measures parents used to address electrical safety is socket covers, with 62% of parents stating they use them. Socket covers were more important to parents than baby monitors and stair gates, but these items are not effective solutions.
David Holmes, Founder of Builder Guide commented, “The key message we need to get across to parents and home owners in general is that the only way to be sure you are protecting your children and your home from the various electrical dangers is with RCD protection. Replacing a consumer unit is paramount if the fuse box is old or does not include an RCD. Generally sockets are safe and socket covers will not give any protection against electric shocks should the installation be unsafe”.
Holmes continued, “As per the Electrical Safety Council’s recommendations, it is crucial home owners complete thorough checks throughout their home to understand whether there are any potential issues that need to be addressed, we are doing all we can to reinforce this message and I would certainly recommend all home owners download the Electrical Safety Council’s free ‘Home Electrical Safety Check’ app, which is available for iPhone and Android phones and allows people to complete some quick visual checks. If there are any issues the app gives solutions to simple issues and where more series problems are flagged then the app recommends getting a registered electrician to get the issue fixed”.
Builder Guide is one of the UK’s leading resources for finding qualified local trades professionals such as electricians for house wiring.
For more information visit builderguide.co.uk.