News for the industry from the Electrical Safety Council issue4 Spring 2007

Prevention of accidental injuriesto childrenAlso in this issue: Best Practice Guides for contractors and installers

In January this year, Phil Buckle took over

from Emma McCarthy as the Council’s

Director of Charitable Affairs.

Phil is an experienced leader and brings to the

Council his extensive knowledge of the

electrical industry as well as his strong

marketing and PR experience.

On taking up his new role, Phil commented:

‘I am very pleased to be taking over the

baton from Emma and leading the

Electrical Safety Council into an exciting but

challenging second year.

The team has done a great job of launching

the Council, and I am looking to build on the

foundations already laid to ensure that we

continue to grow stronger and to realise our

mission to be the consumers’ electrical safety

champion’.

Emma McCarthy has returned to the NICEIC

Group to resume her role as HR Director.

NEW DIRECTOR OF CHARITABLE AFFAIRS

2 switchedon

Welcome to this, the fourth issueof Switched On.

Since it was renamed the Electrical Safety

Council last year, the Charity has made

significant steps to deliver on its objectives.

But we recognise that we will not make the

progress we need to unless we get our

communication with stakeholders right.

You will read on page 4 that we have just

received our first Crystal Mark for clear

communication, which is a prestigious milestone.

The Crystal Mark is just one of the tools we can

use to ensure that we engage successfully with

those we are trying to reach.

As part of our communications strategy, we

aim to cut through the clutter and ensure that

our messages to you are interesting and

relevant, so that you will want to share them

with your customers and colleagues.

Together with our website, Switched On

enables us to keep you up to date with our

progress. But we are also looking for

opportunities to work with other organisations

and trade media to promote our key objective

of reducing electrical injuries and accidents.

As an example, we’ve become a partner of

Voltimum. This will enable us provide a regular

update on our activities through their website,

www.voltimum.co.uk

We want to hear your views on what we’re

doing and on the information we provide to

help you at work.

By listening to you, we can gain a better

insight into the issues you are facing and be

better able to respond to them. So please,

have your say!

Phil Buckle

WELCOME

How can we help you to helphouseholders?Have your say... email Phil atphilip.buckle@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk

The Council’s website is now entering its

third phase of development.

In this phase, we intend to make the site

more accessible to all users. This will involve

the addition of text sizing options, a site map,

and the introduction of a search facility.

We also intend to make our range of safety

leaflets available for download in languages

other than English. The first such foreign

language leaflet is already available on the

site, as detailed on page 9.

The website is still growing as we continue

to add information and guidance for

consumers and others.

For example, for consumers, the site now

has a ‘product safety’ section. Also, the

‘Business and Community’ section has been

expanded to include a ‘Guidance for’ part,

with information aimed at particular groups

such as landlords and those working in the

construction industry.

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT PROGRESSES

As always, feedback on the content of the website will be appreciated.

So, should you have any ideas or comments, please send them to us using the

feedback facility built into the site.

“ I LOOK FORWARDTO BUILDING ON THEFOUNDATIONSALREADY LAID”

switchedon 3

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Published by: Electrical Safety Council18 Buckingham Gate London, SW1E 6LBwww.electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk

Tel: 0870 040 0561 Fax: 0870 040 0560

email: enquiries@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk

issue 04 spring‘07

switchedon

your insight into the electricalsafety industry

Report by the AuditCommission and theHealthcare Commission callsfor injury statistics to bemade available at bothnational and local levels

Landlords and portableappliancesSecond of the three installments

New UK regulations fordealing with waste electricaland electronic equipmentThe new Directives

New Director of Charitable AffairsAlso, welcome, website development

Crystal-clear communicationAlso, Council appoints new chairman,

electrical safety information for GCSE

students

Fire safety - Building RegulationsrevisedAlso, grants for electrical safety

improvements

Schools awareness campaignAlso, calender of events

Polish version of the ‘Electricalsafety in construction’ leafletAlso, NHIC 2007 call for entries

Council guides landlordsAlso, revision of BS 7671 -

a progress report

Testing potentially unsafeelectrical products

Best Practice Guides

Research into the in-servicereliability of RCDs

Government audits electricalcompetent person schemes

The Home Information Pack

Letter to the editorAlso, shocking!

New UK regulations for dealing with waste electrical and electronic equipment. Pages 16 & 17

ELECTRICAL SAFETY INFORMATIONFOR GCSE STUDENTS

The February 2007 edition of Catalyst, the science review magazine

aimed at GCSE students, included an article on electrical safety

written by the Council.

The article included information about:

• Electric shock and fire statistics

• Electrical hazards

• Types of fault

• The physiological effects of electric shock

• Why accidents happen

• Protective measures

• RCDs

• Safer appliances

• Electrical safety regulations

An abridged version of the article may be viewed on our website.

“ANABRIDGED

VERSION OFTHE ARTICLE

MAY BE VIEWEDON OUR

WEBSITE”

4 switchedon

To help ensure that our consumer safety publications hit the mark,

the Council has become a corporate member of the Plain English

Campaign.

The campaign was launched in 1979 by founder Chrissie Maher OBE,

who is famous for shredding hundreds of official documents in

Parliament Square.

The campaign promotes crystal clear language by helping to cut out

jargon, gobbledegook and other confusing language. It has helped

many government departments and thousands of other organizations

to clarify their documents, reports and publications.

As the primary audience for the Council’s

electrical safety messages is the consumer, we felt

it important to be able to demonstrate that we

make every effort to make our publications clear

and easily understandable.

We have already received our first Crystal Mark (the Plain English

Campaign seal of approval for the clarity of a document) for our ‘So

you think your home is safe?’ leaflet.

For further information about the Plain English Campaign, visit

www.plainenglish.co.uk

CRYSTAL-CLEAR COMMUNICATION

David Dosset B.Sc. MIEE, Chief Executive of

BEAMA*, the Association for the Electrical

Industry, and Director of BEAMA Installation,

has taken up the role of Chairman of the

Council’s Board of Trustees for the next two

year period of office. He was previously Deputy

Chairman.

A chartered engineer with experience in the

electricity supply industry, the oil industry and

20 years experience in international

standardization, David joined BEAMA as an

Association Director in 1991.

He is a Director of ASTABEAB Certification

Services Ltd and Vice President of CENELEC.

In the late nineties, David led the successful

campaign against the harmonization of plugs

and socket-outlets in Europe and has

coordinated the BEAMA Installation campaign

against counterfeit products.

He is Chairman of the Board of ORGALIME**

and of its anti- counterfeiting Task Force.

David takes over from Bill Howard, who had

been the Council’s Chairman since March 2005.

*BEAMA traces its origins back to 1905 when

it was established to give support to the British

electrical industry by developing policies, by

making representations to government and to

other authorities, and by providing services

which it would be uneconomic for members to

provide for themselves.

** ORGALIME – The Federation for the

European Engineering Industry representing the

interests of over 120,000 companies in the

engineering manufacturing sector.

COUNCIL APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN

switchedon 5

Just before Christmas, the Department for

Communities and Local Government

announced revisions to Part B (Fire safety) of

the Building Regulations and the guidance in

Approved Document B.

The changes, which come into force on 6 April,

will affect future building work in England and

Wales, such as the erection, extension or

material alteration of a building, and how fire

safety is designed into a building.

They also include amendments to the guidance

on domestic loft conversions, the use of door-

closing devices in dwellings and the provision

of sprinklers in tall blocks of flats.

For non-domestic buildings, the key changes

include the introduction of a maximum

unsprinklered compartment size for single

storey warehouses, new guidance on residential

care homes (including on the use of sprinklers)

and a new requirement to ensure occupiers are

made aware of their building's fire protection

measures so as to assist with the preparation of

fire risk assessments under the new Regulatory

Reform (Fire Safety) Order regime.

Approved Document B has been split into two

parts: Volume 1: Dwellinghouses and

Volume 2: Buildings other than Dwellinghouses.

Each volume can be downloaded free of

charge from www.communities.gov.uk

FIRE SAFETY -BUILDING REGULATIONS REVISED

As previously announced in Switched On,

the Council’s Electrical Installation Safety

Improvements Grants scheme is being piloted

in England and Wales.

The benefits of the scheme have been offered

to particular groups of people who cannot

afford to restore the electrical installation in

their home to a safe standard.

Applications have been received from a

number of resident home owners aged 60

and over who are in receipt of a ‘means

tested benefit’, and also from some resident

home owners who have been assessed as

having ‘special circumstances’.

For successful applicants, the first stage of the

scheme is to arrange for them to have a

registered electrical contractor inspect and test

their electrical installation, and produce a

detailed report on its condition.

Where the report identifies a need for urgent

remedial work on the grounds of electrical

safety, the second stage of the scheme is to

arrange for another registered electrical

contractor to undertake that work as soon as

possible.

We would like to thank the following

organizations for continuing to assist us

in the operation of the scheme:

• The Department for Work and

Pensions, Kent

• The Electrical and Electronics Industries

Benevolent Association

• British Standards Institution

• ELECSA Ltd

• NAPIT

• NICEIC Group Ltd.

If the pilot proves to be a

success, and additional

funding is made available

by other bodies, coverage

of the scheme will be

extended to Scotland and

Northern Ireland as soon

as possible.

“THE CHANGES,WHICH COMES INTOFORCE ON 6 APRIL,2007 WILL AFFECTFUTURE BUILDINGWORK“

If you are interested in being a sponsor for the

grants initiative, or you would like further

information, please email:

grants@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk

or telephone the Council on 0870 040 0561.

GRANTS FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION SAFETYIMPROVEMENTS

Further details are available from www.planningportal.gov.uk

An article in the previous(winter) issue of Switched Onset out the need for reliable,

accurate and timely injury statistics tobe provided UK-wide, and announcedthe Council’s plans to find a solution.

Since then, the Audit Commission andthe Healthcare Commission havepublished a joint report, based on theirstudy into the prevention ofunintentional accidents to children.

The report, “Better Safe Than Sorry:Preventing Unintentional Injury toChildren”, states that each year thereare about two million attendances bychildren at hospital accident andemergency (A&E) departments as theresult of accidents that might havebeen prevented.

It highlighted that around 230 childreneach year needlessly die throughaccidents at home.1

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, Chairmanof the Healthcare Commission, said:‘The right of all children to beprotected from avoidable accidents andinjuries must be embedded in the workof those who provide public services.Health services need to collect robustdata on the types and causes ofinjuries that they see in the childrenwhom they treat.

Collecting and analyzing thisinformation is crucial to ensure thatthe right strategies for prevention areput in place and lives are saved.Success will depend on partnershipsacross the NHS, local government andothers.”

The report cited the availability of dataas being a key issue in relation tomonitoring local trends inunintentional injury.

Many participants to the report,including a number of hospital A&E

departments and primary health caretrusts’ accident prevention teams,were unclear about what data wereavailable, and which organisations heldthem.

The report went on to state thatsharing of good quality, compatibledata is key to create targeted, effectivestrategies to prevent unintentionalinjury across a local area. It confirmedthat, with the exception of fire andrescue data collection, national data onrates of unintentional injury have notbeen collected since 2003.2

The report declared that the gap at anational level, coupled with a lack ofdata at local level, caused difficultiesfor organizations in identifying theneeds in their area and hence intargeting resources appropriately.

The study recommended, amongstother things, that the Department ofHealth and other central government

Report by the Audit Commission and theHealthcare Commission calls for injurystatistics to be made available at bothnational and local levels

6 switchedon

departments, including the Department forEducation and Skills, the Department forCommunities and Local Government, theDepartment for Transport, and the Children’sCommissioner, should together re-focus theirapproach to unintentional injury by having acoordinated programme, which each cancommunicate to their relevant local bodies ina consistent way, based on:

• Encouraging and enabling localgovernment and the NHS to share timely,high-quality, relevant data acrossorganizations.

• Providing support to restore and managethe Home Accidents Surveillance Systemand the Leisure Accidents SurveillanceSystem currently with the Royal Society forthe Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), toenable data to be used in the prevention ofunintentional injuries, including the designof safer products and environments, forwhich the databases were originallyintended.

The availability of accurate and reliablestatistical data relating to electrical injuries isa key issue for the Electrical Safety Council,as we need it to help identify the electricalsafety campaigns that will be of most benefitto consumers.

We therefore wholeheartedly support therecommendations made in the report,particularly with respect to the collection andanalysis of home accident data.

We intend to continue to press centralgovernment and other organizations, as wellas enlist other like-minded consumer safetybodies, to support our joint project withRoSPA aimed at finding a sustainable solutionto the lack of UK-wide reliable and up to dateaccident and injury statistics.

1 The report covers accidental injuries, butdoes not deal with road accidents

2 Report of the Accidental Injury Task Force,Preventing Accidental Injury: Priorities forAction, 2002

ommission and theon calls for injuryvailable at bothls

‘...each year thereare about two millionattendances bychildren at hospitalaccident andemergencydepartments as theresult of accidentsthat might have beenprevented.’

switchedon 7

Patrick

The Council has been very busy over the

past few months undertaking research into

what electrical safety information, initiatives

and activities are currently on offer to school

children.

Although it appears that delivery of electrical

safety messages to children across the UK is

patchy, we are pleased to be able to report

that there are a number of very good

initiatives going on.

We have made approaches to all of the

organizations conducting these initiatives.

Where appropriate, we intend to get involved

to support their causes and to help spread

good practices to other organizations and

consumer bodies, so that all children in the

UK have access to good electrical safety

guidance and information.

A brief overview of some of the existing

initiatives is provided below to give you a

flavour for the type of activities that are

already available:

Learning About Safety by Experiencing

Risk (LASER), and Crucial Crew

These are powerful, interactive approaches to

safety education. Interactive safety education

schemes provide opportunities for school

children and other members of the community

to learn about safety and the prevention of

unintentional injury in realistic settings.

The schemes focus primarily on home, travel,

leisure and personal safety, and are generally

supported by community services, such as the

local police, fire and rescue services, etc.

Participants are able to learn how to deal with

potential accident hazards by working in small

groups in a controlled and supervised

environment.

If you are interested in finding out about the

centres and events in your area, details can be

found on www.lasersafety.org.uk.

The Council is pleased to report that it has

accepted an invitation to sit on the LASER

Forum Committee to support this cause, and

to look into ways that it can get involved to

best support the Forum’s activities in relation

to electrical safety.

Energy Networks Association (ENA) Public

Safety Taskforce Committee

ENA is a trade association for a number of the

major energy supply companies in the UK. It

coordinates a Public Safety Taskforce

Committee whose remit is to promote

electrical safety amongst the public.

It does this in a range of ways, including

providing educational visits to schools,

attending community events up and down the

country, providing winter packs to the elderly,

and publishing educational websites and

public safety literature.

In January, we gave a presentation to the ENA

Public Safety Taskforce Committee. We are

now exploring ways in which we can work

jointly with members of this group to promote

electrical safety in a coordinated way UK-wide.

To find out more about the electrical safety

educational work of the ENA and its

members, visit the education section of their

website: www.energynetworks.org.uk

Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT)

CAPT is a national charity committed to

reducing the number of children and young

people who are killed, disabled or seriously

injured as a result of accidents.

CAPT arranges sponsorship of an annual Child

Safety Week, which this year will be 18-24

June. Every year during Child Safety Week,

thousands of community-based activities and

events are held across the UK to promote

child safety.

We are currently in discussions with CAPT to

explore ways in which we can support this

cause in respect of electrical safety. To find

out more about CAPT, visit:

www.capt.org.uk

In addition to the collaborative work outlined

above, the Council has recently delivered

Phase I of a project to deliver a web-based

interactive house, aimed at children between

the ages of 5 and 10.

The interactive house is an age-appropriate

way for children to explore the electrical

dangers that are lurking in the home, and

provides information on how to avoid them.

Phase 2 of the development is currently

underway and is aimed at children between

the ages of 11 and 14.

To explore the interactive house, visit:

www.electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk.

SCHOOLS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

8 switchedon

9th March – 1st April

Sponsoring the Home Ideas Theatre at the

spring Ideal Home Show, Earls Court,

London

21st March

House of Commons reception, London,

giving an update on the Council’s

achievements during its first year of

operation. To be attended by

representatives from government,

consumer organisations and industry

22nd-25th March

Homebuilding and Renovating Show 2007,

NEC, Birmingham

13th-17th June

BBC Good Homes Live (combination of

Gardeners World and Good Homes Show),

NEC, Birmingham

26th-28th June

Trading Standards Conference and

Exhibition, Manchester

23rd-27th September

Labour Party Annual Conference,

Bournemouth International Centre

CALE

NDE

ROF

EVEN

TS The Council will be involved in the following events this year:

Every year, more and more organizations

across the spectrum of UK housing are

taking part in the National Home

Improvement Council’s prestigious Annual

Awards scheme, now in its 33rd year.

They are the premier housing awards of their

kind, and highly regarded by people across

the housing spectrum.

As part of its drive to raise awareness of

electrical safety issues, the Electrical Safety

Council is again pleased to be sponsoring the

‘Electrical Safety’ category at the 2007 NHIC

Annual Awards.

This category is aimed at housing

associations, local authorities and other

landlords that have in place effective

electrical installation, maintenance and safety

awareness programmes.

Taking part in the Awards is straightforward

and it is not very time consuming to apply.

Furthermore, it costs nothing to enter, but

ultimately the kudos can be priceless.

For full details and an entry form, visit the

National Home Improvement Council’s

website: www.nhic.org.uk

The closing date for completed entry forms

and submissions is the end of August 2007.

For more information on the criteria against

which the Electrical Safety Council will judge

the applications for the electrical safety

category, and on how last year’s winners in

the category gained their awards, visit

www.electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk/newsa

ward.html

There are 12 categories this year, and the

winners and runners up in each category will

be announced at a special NHIC Awards

Luncheon to be held in London in November.

switchedon 9

NATIONAL HOME IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL 2007AWARDS - CALL FOR ENTRIES

ELECTRICAL SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION LEAFLETNOW AVAILABLE IN POLISH

The Council realises the need to ensure its

safety messages reach the widest possible

audience, and has been carrying out a review

to determine which of its leaflets would

benefit from being translated into a different

language or languages.

According to government figures, some

600,000 migrant workers from Eastern Europe

have come to work in the UK since 2004,

many of whom are working in the

construction industry. Workers from Poland

are by far the largest national group of these

migrant workers, accounting for over 60% of

the total.

It was therefore decided that, by way of a

pilot, the Council’s ‘Electrical Safety in

Construction’ trade leaflet should be

translated into Polish.

The English language version of the leaflet,

which is endorsed by the Health and Safety

Executive, has already been widely circulated

in the UK construction industry, 40,000 copies

being distributed in the first four months of

its existence.

Depending on the demand for the Polish

version of the leaflet, we will be considering

whether to produce other foreign language

versions of our safety leaflets.

The Polish version of the ‘Electrical Safety in

construction’ leaflet is available as a download

from our website. Printed copies will be made

available upon request to

leaflets@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk.

We would also like to know your views on the

proposal to translate more of our leaflets, so

please email us at the above address.

‘WE WOULDLIKE TO KNOWYOUR VIEWSON THEPROPOSAL TOTRANSLATEMORE OF OURLEAFLETS’

10 switchedon

One of the aims of the Council is to target

particular areas of risk where its safety

campaigns can have most impact.

During discussion with the LACORS* Private

Sector Housing Team last year, it became

evident that there was a need to raise

awareness of electrical safety amongst

landlords.

Since then, a range of electrical safety

information and guidance has been developed

especially for landlords, including:

• Producing a booklet entitled ‘Landlords:

Finding a Competent Electrical Installer’,

which is available as a download from our

website, or in printed form on request to

leaflets@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk. The

booklet has been reviewed by many key

organizations in the sector including the

National Landlords Association, Landlord

Law, Newcastle Private Rented project,

Decent & Safe Homes East Midlands, and

the British Property Federation, as well as

the LACORS Private Sector Housing Team.

All these organisations have recognised the

need for the guidance, and are in the

process of making it available to their

members/stakeholders.

• Contributing to the ‘Landlords

Development Manual’’ published by the

Improvement Development Agency (part of

the Department for Communities and

Local Government). The manual is

available in electronic format only, and can

be downloaded from the ANUK (UK

Accreditation Network) website

www.anuk.org.uk. ANUK is a network of

professionals and organizations that

promotes accreditation in private rented

residential accommodation.

• Publishing a series of articles in this

magazine, targeted at landlords. The first,

entitled ‘Landlords’ responsibility for

electrical safety’, was published in the

previous (winter) issue. The second can be

found on page 12 of this issue.

Our work in this area will continue over the

coming months. We would be pleased to

receive any comments or suggestions on how

we can improve or expand our work to

further assist landlords. Email

landlords@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk

*Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory

Services

COUNCIL GUIDES LANDLORDS

REVISION OF BS 7671 - A PROGRESS REPORT

The deadline for commenting on the proposed changes to BS 7671 passed on

28 February.

The 346 page Draft for Public Comment (DPC), which included all the proposed

changes, first became available to the public in paper form (at a price) in early

December, and then in electronic form (free of charge) in early January.

The Joint IEE/BSI Committee responsible for the technical content of the standard,

together with its five Panels, now has the task of considering all the comments

received, and of deciding what changes, if any, need to be made to the DPC in

the light of those comments.

This work is expected to have been completed by mid-June, to enable the IEE* to

produce the draft of BS 7671: 2008 by November, then to print it so as to make it

available by early January next year.

A further progress report will be given in the next issue of Switched On.

*The Institution of Engineers and Technicians (IET), formed last year when the

Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and the Institution of Incorporated

Engineers (IIE) amalgamated, is expected to retain the well known ‘IEE’ trading

style for use in connection with all its publications relating to electrical

installations, including BS 7671 and the Guidance Notes.

Landlords:Finding a Competent Electrical Installer

This brief guide is aimed at providing advice to individuals who have

responsibility for selecting a Competent Installer to carry out electrical work

in domestic premises.

LandlordsGuide1.qxd 30/1/07 17:21 Page 1

switchedon 11

In support of its product safety campaign, the

Council commissioned an independent

testing laboratory last year to select several

potentially unsafe types of electrical product

and to subject them to testing under the

general provisions of the relevant national and

international standards.

When deciding on appropriate products for

testing, the laboratory reviewed a variety of

websites and mail-order catalogues, with

emphasis being given to those products

marketed as gifts intended for both adults

and young children.

The products chosen were subsequently

purchased from high street retailers and

internet companies, all with proven track

records to ensure traceability. The only

exception to this was the purchase of a

cordless kettle via a well known internet

auction site.

Each electrical appliance was assessed against

specific safety criteria to confirm whether or

not it complied with the general safety

requirements of the applicable statutory

Regulations and Harmonised European

Standards.

Essentially, products are required to be safe, to

be made in accordance with good

engineering practice, and to have a CE

marking which represents the manufacturer’s

declaration that the product satisfies the

provisions of the relevant European Directives.

The electrical products tested and assessed for

compliance included:

• Hair straightener

• Bedside lamp

• Mini toaster oven

• Soldering iron

• Disco light

• Paper shredder

• Cordless jug kettle

In summary, the findings of the research were

encouraging in that, apart from a few minor

points, all the products were found to comply

with the relevant safety requirements.

The minor points were that the standard

marking and instructions for the soldering iron

were incorrect, and a standard construction

departure (described below) was identified on

the cordless jug kettle. Additionally, an

observation was made regarding very high

surface temperatures on the mini oven.

Although no immediate electric shock or fire

hazards where identified, the products in

question were technically in breach of UK

safety regulations.

The problems identified with markings and

instructions on two of the products included:

• Insufficient markings to indicate the

characteristics of the electricity supply to

which it is it is suitable for connection

• No name, trade mark, or identification

mark of the manufacturer

• No statement within the user instructions

to state that the supply cord cannot be

replaced and if damaged should be

scrapped.

The construction concern identified with the

cordless jug kettle related to its shape and

decoration, in so far as it is likely to be treated

as a toy by children.

The product was described by the seller as a

‘Farmyard friends cow kettle’, and “…a great

fun item to brighten the morning or

encourage the children or us big kids at heart

to start breakfast.”

The kettle emitted “moo” sounds when

operated, despite the user instructions

warning that the product has not been

designed for use by children.

Feedback from product safety specialists and

consumer groups continues to indicate that

there are significant concerns over electrical

products considered as ‘child appealing’, and

this raises the question whether product

standards adequately address the potential

hazards such products present.

In this case, it is believed that the original

product was purchased from a well known

chain of high street department stores but has

since been removed from their shelves

throughout the UK, possibly for safety

reasons.

A full report detailing the findings of the

product testing, together with valuable advice

that will help consumers make sensible buying

decisions, can be viewed on our website.

As an integral part of our product safety

activities, and in partnership with

stakeholders, we expect to increase our

product testing activities through the

development of an ongoing test programme.

The Council is

confident that the

progression of such a

programme will

underpin its aim to

establish a firm and

respected presence

within the product

safety arena.

Anyone who believes that they have

purchased an unsafe electrical product should

contact their local authority trading standards

department in the first instance. However, we

would also like to hear from anyone regarding

any general concerns about the safety of

electrical products.

Please send details to:

productsafety@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk

or write to us at:

Product Safety

Electrical Safety Council

18 Buckingham Gate

London, SW1E 6LB

TESTING POTENTIALLY UNSAFE ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS

...findings of theresearch wereencouraging inthat, apart from a fewminor points, all theproducts werefound to comply...

FUSEDFUSED

This is the second of three articlesproviding guidance to landlords regardingtheir responsibility for electrical safety in

their rented properties. It considers thedangers associated with portable appliances,the requirements of legislation andregulation, and the safety checks that shouldbe carried out on portable appliances.

The Housing Health and Safety RatingSystem* recognizes that the majority ofelectric current fatalities in homes resultfrom deficiencies in plugs, leads andappliances, with only 10 % of fatalitiesresulting from a deficiency in fixed electricalinstallations.

The inappropriate use or misuse of any hand-held electrical appliance will inevitably createan increased risk to the user. For example,after using an appliance, the user may windthe cable around the appliance, such as aniron, and create a twist or ‘kink’ in the cable.Repeating this process over time may lead tocable damage and the risk of electric shockor fire.

To ensure that such risks are controlled,landlords can take reasonable precautions toensure that portable electrical equipmentthey provide is safely used, stored andchecked.

Legal requirements

In 1973, the European ‘Low Voltage Directive’,which relates to the harmonization of lawsregarding electrical equipment, was adoptedby Member States and, in 1993, the ‘CEMarking Directive’ was also adopted.

These Directives are implemented in the UK

through the Electrical Equipment (Safety)Regulations 1994.

Simply speaking, the Electrical Equipment(Safety) Regulations require that electricalequipment is:

• Safe. There should be no risk, apart fromone reduced to a minimum, that theelectrical equipment will in any way causedeath or personal injury to any person.This requirement also extends to domesticanimals and damage to property.

• Constructed in accordance with principlesgenerally accepted within Member Statesas constituting good engineering practicein relation to safety matters.Good engineering practice is generallyunderstood to mean that it complies withthe specifications of a harmonizedstandard, or an equivalent level of safety.The landlord should therefore check thatthe appliance at least has a CE mark. CEmarking attached to a product is amanufacturer's claim that it meets all therequirements of the European legislation.Other recognized marks, such as theBritish Standard Kitemark and the ‘BEABApproved’ mark, indicate that an appliancehas been assessed by an independentbody as complying with the relevantproduct standard.

• Designed and constructed to conformwith the principal elements of the safetyobjectives. Amongst other things this willrequire that the appliance:

~ is used safely and for the purpose for which it is made

~ has the manufacturer’s brand name ortrade mark clearly printed on theequipment or, where necessary, thepackaging.

The guidance booklet ‘Repairs - a guide forlandlords and tenants’, published by theDepartment for Communities and LocalGovernment (DCLG) states that, if a landlordprovides any electrical appliances as part of atenancy, the Electrical Equipment (Safety)Regulations require him or her to ensure thatthe appliances are safe when first supplied.

Although there is no requirement for portableappliance testing to be carried out in rentedaccommodation, the landlord is required totake reasonable steps to ensure thatappliances such as electric kettles, fridgesand washing machines provided as part of thetenancy agreement are safe.

The DCLG guidance indicates that whenaccommodation is re-let, the electricalappliances will be classed as being suppliedto that tenant for the first time, and shouldtherefore be re-checked.

Inspecting electrical appliancesThe types of checks that should be consideredas necessary fall into two categories:

1) checks that may be carried out by the useror landlord

2) checks that need to be carried out by a‘skilled person’. A skilled person is onewith technical knowledge or sufficientexperience, such as an electrician, toenable him or her to avoid dangers whichelectricity may create.

Landlords and portable appliances

12 switchedon *Housing Act 2004 Guidance about inspections and assessment of hazards given under Section 9

switchedon 13

The checks that a user or landlord should beable to carry out safely include confirming that:

• there are no cuts or abrasions in the cablecovering

• the plug has no cracked casing or bentpins

• there are no loose parts or screws• there are no signs of burning, particularly

at the plug• the outer covering of the cable is gripped

by the cord grip in the plug top such thatno coloured cable cores are visible fromoutside the plug. The function of the cordgrip is to prevent the internal connectionsbeing pulled loose.

These checks do not require the use of tools,and should be carried out by the user beforeeach use of a portable appliance.

It is important to note that the large majorityof dangerous defects in electrical appliancescan be detected by such visual inspection.

The checks that need to be carried out by askilled person will include all of the above,plus confirming that:

• the connections inside the plug are correctand secure

• the fuse inside the plug is of the correctrating

• no bare wires are visible other than at theterminals

• there is no sign of internal damage,overheating or entry of liquid, dust or dirt.

A skilled person is likely to use a proprietaryportable appliance tester to check theelectrical characteristics of an electricalappliance.

The skilled person is able to use this type oftester to carry out a series of tests on anappliance, including tests for continuity andinsulation resistance.

Testing should be carried out by properlytrained and experienced operatives. Furtherguidance can be sought from one of theorganizations listed below.

Portable equipment used outdoors

Where portable appliances can be usedoutdoors, it is necessary for the socket-outletsupplying the equipment to be protected by aresidual current device (RCD). An RCDprovides an added level of protection againstelectric shock, and should be used whereverthere is an increased risk, as is the case whenusing electrical equipment outdoors.

The Electrical Safety Council recommends thatall socket-outlets that may reasonably be usedto supply electrical equipment for use outdoorsare protected by an RCD, such as an RCDincorporated in the consumer unit (fuse box).

RCDs incorporated in a fixed installationshould be tested at quarterly intervals, inaccordance with the instructions that shouldbe fixed on, or adjacent to, the consumer unit.

Where such an RCD is not incorporated in theelectrical installation, the Council stronglyrecommends that, as a minimum, electricalequipment used outdoors is connectedthrough a portable (plug-in) RCD. These RCDs,which can cost less than £10, should be testedbefore each use in accordance with theinstructions provided with or on the device.

If no RCD protection is available, electricalappliances should not be used outdoors.

ppliances

BRE Certification Ltd working in

partnership with the Electrical

Contractors’ Association

Phone: 0870 609 6093

www.partp.co.uk

British Standards Institution

Phone: 01442 278 577

www.kitemarktoday.com

Electrical Contractors’

Association

Phone: 0207 313 4800

www.eca.co.uk

ELECSA Ltd

Phone: 0870 749 0080

www.elecsa.org.uk

NAPIT Registration Ltd

Phone: 0870 444 1392

www.napit.org.uk

NICEIC Group Ltd

Phone: 0870 013 0382

www.niceic.com

SELECT

Phone: 0131 445 5577

www.select.org.uk

14 switchedon

As reported in previous issues of Switched

On, the Council is working with other

interested parties to produce a series of Best

Practice Guides on a range of subjects of

interest to specifiers, electrical contractors and

installers.

In electronic format, these guides are intended

to be made available free of charge to all

interested parties.

Replacing a consumer unit wherelighting circuits have no circuitprotective conductor

The first such guide to be published, in

October last year, concerned the replacement

of consumer units in domestic premises where

lighting circuits have no protective conductor.

The purpose of this guidance is to help protect

customers and installers against dangerous

situations that could arise from an old

domestic installation where an installer is

replacing a consumer unit or other main

switchgear in a home built before 1966 and

wired in accordance with the 13th Edition, or

earlier, of the IEE Wiring Regulations.

By following the guidance, it is considered that

installers will have provided protection for the

customer so far as is reasonably practicable.

Following feedback from users, a minor

amendment was made to the guide in January.

The updated version can be downloaded from

the Council’s website.

Safe isolation procedures for lowvoltage installations

As this issue of

Switched On was

being finalized, a

second Best Practice

Guide, on the subject

of safe isolation

procedures for low

voltage installations,

was nearing

completion.

By law, employers must ensure that all

employees involved in work on electrical

equipment are competent. Employees should

be instructed on, and trained in, the

implementation of safe systems of work.

This may involve employees being issued with

written rules and instructions, and having

access to, and using, appropriate locking-off

devices, warning/caution notices, proprietary

voltage detectors and, where appropriate for

the type of voltage detector being used,

proving units.

Nevertheless, every year, people working on

construction sites suffer electric shock and burn

injuries some of which, tragically, are fatal.

Electrical contractors should be aware that

many of these accidents are a direct

consequence of electricians not implementing

safe isolation procedures on low voltage

installations.

The guide is being produced in conjunction

with the Health and Safety Executive, amongst

others. Its purpose is to provide practical

guidance for employers, employees and the

self-employed on safe isolation procedures to

be followed when working on low voltage

electrical installations.

The guidance is aimed at protecting employees

and other workers against serious or fatal

electrical injuries. Although the principles apply

generally, it is particularly relevant to

circumstances where work is being carried out

in the presence of other trades, and to

construction sites and other places where more

than one electrician is employed.

The guide will be published on the Council’s

website as soon as it has been completed.

Connecting a microgenerationsystem to a domestic or similarelectrical installation (in parallelwith the mains supply)

The aim of this guide is:

• to provide an overview of microgeneration,

otherwise known as small-scale embedded

generation (SSEG), and rated up to 16 A

per phase

• to provide information on the legal and

contractual issues related specifically to

installation of microgenerators (including

the relationship of the consumer with the

energy supplier and the electricity

distributor), and

• to give guidance on the specific electrical

issues, included electrical safety issues, that

arise when installing or connecting a

microgenerator.

This guide is expected to become available

before the next issue of Switched On is

published, so visit our website for the latest

information.

Fire precautions relating toelectrical installation work indwellings

With modern construction techniques, it is

becoming increasingly important to pay

particular attention to detail in order to avoid

domestic electrical installations becoming the

source of fire, or potentially aiding the spread

of fire, leading to the possibility of death,

injury, and/or structural collapse.

This guide, on which work is expected to

commence shortly, is intended to provide

practical information and guidance to help

specifiers, and electrical designers and

contractors, to appreciate and understand the

issues, and thereby to play their part in helping

to ensure that electrical installations do not

contribute to fire risks in homes.

Other guides

Consideration is being given to producing

further guides on replacing domestic consumer

units, and avoiding the dangers of asbestos.

News about the development and availability

of these and other guides will be announced

on our website in due course.

BEST PRACTICE GUIDES

switchedon 15

As advised in the previous edition of

Switched On, ERA Technology Ltd is

conducting the second phase of the research

into the reliability of residual current devices

(RCDs) on behalf of the Council.

Load testing ERA has completed the laboratory-based

testing to determine the effects of various

domestic loads on the operating

characteristics of a range of RCDs.

This initial work was carried out to help

determine whether the field testing should

be carried out with or without downstream

loads connected.

In order to assess the effect, if any, of

connected loads on the operation RCDs, ERA

purchased a number from different

manufacturers. These were connected to

various loads, some of which simulated

leakage currents from equipment typically

found in homes.

All the units tested were purchased as new,

apart from one which had been in service.

In summary, the findings from this

investigation were that:

• Although for the majority of RCDs tested

there was no appreciable difference in their

performance, three of the units did

demonstrate different operating

characteristics when loads were connected.

• The presence of leakage currents from

equipment in homes where ERA would be

carrying out on-situ testing could have an

effect on the operating times of the RCDs.

For the purposes on the in-situ testing

therefore, it was decided that all circuits

controlled by the RCD, except the circuit

being used for the testing, should de-

energised, and that any loads connected to

the RCD circuit should be switched off.

A full report detailing the findings and

conclusions of this laboratory-based testing

can be found on our website.

In-situ testing Following on from the load effect testing,

ERA has made good progress with the next

phase of the research, the in-situ testing of

fixed 30mA RCDs installed in domestic

premises.

At the time this issue of Switched On went

to press, ERA had tested over 500 RCDs in

properties owned by Lewisham Borough

Council, Newham Housing and Orbit Housing,

and arrangements were in hand to carry out

further testing in SOHA Housing properties

and Surrey University accommodation.

We would like to thank these organisations

for their continued support to the research,

and for allowing us to carry out the testing

in their properties.

RCDs that fail under test are being removed

and replaced with new. The failed units are

returned to ERA for detailed examination to

determine the cause of malfunction.

On completion of field testing, all data

recorded during the performance testing will

be analyzed for statistical validity, in

preparation for the presentation of findings.

It is hoped these results will be available for

publication in the next (summer) edition of

Switched On.

We would also like to thank those who have

provided feedback describing their own

personal experiences of RCD reliability.

A 68 year old electrician from

Liverpool contacted us to share his

experience of RCD testing on a

caravan site.

He wrote “Each van had its own

RCD located in a proprietary socket,

MCB, RCD & meter unit mounted

on unistrut adjacent to each

caravan. During the October winter

close down period, the power to

the van site was switched off. Prior

to re-opening the following Easter I

tested all the RCD units. The failure

rate was approximately 25%.

After making extensive enquiries

from various manufacturers I

concluded that their advice was to

leave them powered up during the

winter. I was informed that the

heat from the coils kept them in

good condition!”

If you would like to share your experience

with us, there is still an opportunity to do

so by emailing details to:

rcds@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk.

RESEARCH INTO THE IN-SERVICE RELIABILITY OF RCDs

16 switchedon

Electrical and electronicequipment is present inpractically every home and

place of work. Items such ascomputers, mobile phones, TVs, DVDplayers, kettles, toasters and manyother electrical appliances help ourdaily lives, but when they becomedamaged or reach the end of theiruseful life, throwing them away has adetrimental affect on theenvironment.

Waste electrical and electronicequipment (WEEE) often containshazardous substances such asmercury, sodium, lead (in solder), andcadmium (in batteries). Recycling ratesfor most items of WEEE, other thanlarge electrical items such as washingmachines, fridges and TV’s, aregenerally very low.

In 2003, the European Union adoptedthe Waste Electrical and ElectronicEquipment (WEEE) Directive to dealwith the end-of-life problemsassociated with disposing electricaland electronic equipment.

The Directive seeks to improve the waywe manage waste electrical andelectronic equipment and encouragesand sets criteria for the collection,

treatment, recycling and recoveryof such waste.

Under the Directive, producers ofWEEE that is not from privatehouseholds must set up systems forits recovery and transport toauthorized treatment facilities.Additionally, the Directive setsproposed targets for rates of recovery,recycling and reuse of various types ofWEEE.

The WEEE Directive is implemented inthe UK through two sets of regulations:

• The Waste Electrical and ElectronicEquipment (WEEE) Regulations2006, which implement mostaspects of the WEEE Directive,came into force on 2 January 2007,and

• The Waste Electrical and ElectronicEquipment (Waste Managementand Licensing) (England and Wales)Regulations 2006, which came intoforce on 5 January 2007. Theseregulations cover England andWales, and deal with site licensingrequirements and WEEE treatmentrequirements of the WEEEDirective. Similar but separateprovisions will be introduced forScotland and Northern Ireland.

How are business users affected?

The WEEE Regulations, amongstother things, introduce newresponsibilities for businesses andother non-household users ofelectrical and electronic equipmentsuch as schools, hospitals and localgovernment buildings.

Under the new legislation,organizations will need to ensurethat all separately collected WEEEis treated and, wherever possible,recycled. The decision as to whopays for the collation, treatmentand recycling depends on the datewhen a product was placed on themarket:

• WEEE from products placed onthe market after 13 August 2005.EEE producers are responsible forfinancing the collection,treatment, recovery and disposalof the EEE that they supply tobusiness users.

• WEEE from products put on themarket before 13 August 2005.Different arrangements apply forWEEE arising from productsplaced on the market before 13August 2005.

16 switchedon

New UK regulations for dealingwith waste electrical and electronic equipment

If such WEEE is being replaced by newequivalent products, the producersupplying the new item is responsiblefor financing the collection, treatment,recovery and environmentally sounddisposal of the old item. In other cases,for example where the WEEE is notbeing replaced, the end user (in thiscase, the business) must pay the cost.

It should be noted that businesses thatproduce waste classified as ‘hazardouswaste’ may need to register as a producerunder the Hazardous Waste Regulations.

How are the general public affected?

The WEEE Regulations aim to minimize theamount of WEEE householders dispose ofwith their general waste.

When WEEE is separated from other wasteit can be treated, the hazardous substancescan be removed, and a large amount ofwaste can be recycled rather than sent to alandfill site.

Under the WEEE Regulations,householders should find it easier torecycle their old electrical and electronicequipment.

Distributors of electrical and electronicequipment are required to ensure that the

users of their distributed products haveaccess to information to:

• ensure WEEE is not mixed with othertypes of unsorted municipal waste

• ensure separate collection • explain collection and return (take-

back) facilities• explain their role in waste recovery• explain the potential effects of WEEE

on the environment• explain the meaning of the crossed-out

wheelie bin symbol (adjacent) whichmust appear on the packaging ofWEEE.

Householders are now covered by the ‘dutyof care’ and must ensure they only passtheir WEEE to a Registered Waste Carrieror other approved person. Householdersshould dispose of their WEEE by:

• taking old electrical appliances to theirlocal licensed waste disposal site

• arranging for their local authority tocollect the equipment

• using the take-back scheme providedby electrical retailers.

Further information on the WEEERegulations can found by visiting theDepartment of Trade and Industry website,www.dti.gov.uk or the Environment Agencywebsite, www.environment-agency.gov.uk

The crossed-outwheelie bin symbol isused to alert users ofelectrical andelectronic equipmentthat such equipmentshould not bedisposed of in alandfill site or withmunicipal orhousehold waste.

switchedon 17

ations for dealingctrical and electronic equipment

Part P of the Building Regulations for

England and Wales, which came into effect

in January 2005, was introduced to address

injuries and deaths caused by faults in

electrical installations in homes, including

those causing fire.

At the end of last year, the Department for

Communities and Local Government (DCLG)

commissioned a firm of management

consultants, SAIC Consulting, to conduct an

independent audit of all the competent

person self-certification schemes authorized by

government to operate in support of Part P.

The purpose of the audit was to provide the

Building Regulations Advisory Committee and

Government Ministers with a report on the

operation and degree of success of Part P, and

on the effectiveness of the schemes

authorized to register competent electrical

installers.

Representatives from each of the ten Part P

competent person schemes were interviewed

about the structure and operation of their

schemes, focusing on the following principal

objectives:

• To assess how well the registrants wereachieving compliance with BuildingRegulations

• To assess whether the schemes were

complying with the government’s

conditions of authorization

• To consider whether there were lessons for

DCLG in terms of the design of schemes

that could be improved to gain greater

compliance with Building Regulations.

SAIC also wanted to take a wider view of the

situation, and invited the Electrical Safety

Council, as stakeholders, to give its views

about the operation of Part P, which we were

very pleased to do. The key points we made

to SAIC on behalf of consumers were as

follows:

Effectiveness of Part P

Overall, the introduction of Part P has been

beneficial for householders in England and

Wales, with nearly two million installations

declared to be compliant with Building

Regulations notified to Building Control since

Part P came into force.

However, lack of enforcement is a serious

issue. Although effective policing is seen to be

essential for the continued success and

growth of the scheme, there were only four

prosecutions for non-compliance in the first

two years of operation.

The changes to Part P in April 2006 also

introduced the concept of ‘Qualified

Installers’, allowing Building Control to decide

who they believe to be ‘competent’ which, in

the Council’s view, has not helped to

encourage electrical installers to register with

self-certification schemes.

The removal, in the April 2006 amendment, of

the specific legal requirement for installation

work to be inspected and tested in

accordance with BS 7671 was also of

considerable concern to the Council.

Promotion of Part P

More should be done to promote Part P to the

public and trade, and DCLG, Local Authorities,

scheme operators and other organisations

need to do more to ensure its success. In its

March 2006 survey, more than a year after

Part P had come into effect, the Council

found that 83% of those surveyed in England

and Wales knew nothing about it.

The promotion and lack of number of

businesses coming forward for registration

with Defined Scope is very disappointing.

Only about 1% of those that DCLG originally

envisaged have registered so far.

We would like to see a requirement for the

Home Information Pack to at least include the

information provided on the Part P Building

Regulations Compliance Certificates. This,

together with greater enforcement and

increased public awareness, are the main

drivers that will be necessary to encourage

more electrical installers to register with self-

certification schemes.

UKAS Accreditation

Consumers should be satisfied that any

installer they choose to carry out their

electrical installation work is competent and

can comply with all the relevant requirements

of the Building Regulations, regardless of the

scheme the installer is registered with. This is

particularly so when there are a number of

schemes for the consumer to choose from, all

of which are competing on a commercial

basis.

We believe that such protection for consumers

can be achieved only if all scheme operators

are applying common criteria and standards

for the assessment and registration of

installers. We believe that this is best

confirmed by UKAS checking and confirming

that all scheme operators are fulfilling their

obligations under the DCLG conditions of

authorization.

We are disappointed that, some two years

after Part P became law, DCLG has not

clarified whether, for accreditation purposes,

scheme operators will need to comply with

the organization-based EN 45011* standard,

18 switchedon

GOVERNMENT AUDITS ELECTRICAL COMPETENTPERSON SCHEMES

switchedon 19

THE HOME INFORMATION PACK

In January, the Department for Communities

and Local Government (DCLG) issued a

further news release about the progress of

the Home Information Pack (HIP), which they

plan to introduce on 1 June.

Consultation document

With this latest news release, the DCLG also

issued a consultation document entitled

Home Information Pack Update: Towards 1

June, which can be downloaded from the

DCLG’s website, www.communities.gov.uk

The document explains how the introduction

of the HIP will boost efforts to tackle climate

change and promote energy efficiency. In

order to help reduce carbon emissions from

homes, it also includes proposals that,

following the introduction of the HIP, estate

agents must for the first time include an

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with

property particulars.

The issue of an EPC will enable buyers to

compare the energy efficiency of potential

homes before they make an offer. The EPC

will also provide advice on what

improvements may be made to increase the

property’s energy efficiency rating.

Home Condition Reports

The government is still keen to promote the

voluntary take up of Home Condition Report

(HCR) as part of the Home Information Pack,

and is still continuing with the Area Trials

that started last November in Bath,

Cambridge, Huddersfield, Newcastle,

Northampton and Southampton.

In addition, in February, two further trials in

Southwark (London) and North-West Wales

(Gwynedd, Conwy & Anglesey) joined the

existing six areas trialing the Home

Information Pack. The trials, in partnership

with industry, will continue with the aim of

testing both the Pack and the Home

Condition Report before their introduction

on 1 June.

A key objective of the trials is to understand

how the inclusion of the Home Condition

Report in the Home Information Pack can

provide benefits for both buyers and sellers,

and therefore encourage them to take up

this option.

We will continue to press government on the

subject of electrical safety, reminding them

why we believe the HCR should include

details of the condition of the electrical

installation in the property.

This would require the HCR to include copies

of electrical safety documents, such as

Electrical Installation Certificates, Periodic

Inspection Reports and electrical Building

Regulations Compliance Certificates.

In support of this objective, a presentation

was made by the Council in January to the

All-Party Building Services

Engineering Group at the

House of Commons. A number of MPs and

representatives attended the meeting, and

we took the opportunity to explain to them

why we believe that electrical safety

information should be included in the Home

Condition Report.

Next steps

Revised Home Information Pack Regulations

were laid before Parliament on 29 March.

These amended the 2006 Regulations, and

set out the requirement to produce a HIP

when marketing a property.

They also set out both the mandatory and

authorised contents of the HIP, and the

enforcement arrangements. The Home

Condition Report is now an ‘Authorized

Document’.

The Home Information Pack Regulations

2007 will come into force on 19 April, ready

for the 1 June start.

as they originally indicated. This standard is

fundamentally different from the other,

individual-based, EN 17024** standard, the

use of which still seems to be under

consideration by DCLG for some competent

person schemes.

We firmly believe that all Part P scheme

operators should be accredited by UKAS to

EN 45011, underpinned, if necessary, by the

competence requirements for individuals laid

down in EN 17024

Insurance-backed warranty

We welcomed the requirement for a six year

insurance-backed warranty, which we believe

to be of great benefit to consumers in

protecting them from the possibility of the

work not complying with the Building

Regulations and the electrical installer going

out of business.

In our view, such a warranty should be

provided for every notifiable job undertaken by

registered installers, and be a requirement for

all competent person schemes, not just for

Part P. Providing scheme operators have a

robust procedure for vetting its registrants, such

insurance should be available from the market

at very reasonable cost to the consumer.

As the offer of a six year warranty is a

requirement for all Part P schemes and has

clear benefits for the consumer, we believe

scheme operators should promote these

benefits to them more actively.

As this edition of Switched On went to press,

we were still awaiting the consultant’s report

to be published.

* EN 45011 - General requirements for bodies operating product certification systems

** EN 17024 - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons

My 15 year old daughter’s most used

Christmas present is the ‘salon style’ hair

straighteners. The straighteners are fitted with

a 3 metre flex so you can move around the

room whilst using them. Not just being

content with using them in her bedroom,

leaving them on the bed and forgetting to

turn them off (causing a potential fire risk), my

daughter has now introduced herself to a

more personal risk of electric shock.

I arrived home the other day to find my

daughter in her dressing gown in the

bathroom, with the hair straighteners

balanced precariously on the edge of the bath

(which was full of water).

I immediately switched the power off at the

socket--outlet in the hall and unplugged the

straighteners. My daughter and I entered into

a heated discussion about the dangers of

electric shock, why portable equipment should

not be used in the bathroom, and the fact

that socket-outlets are not allowed in such

locations.

I was assured by her that it would not happen

again, but she complained that it wasn’t her

fault that the socket-outlet in the hall was so

close to the bathroom.

My concern is that the 3 metre long flex may

encourage others to use straighteners or other

portable equipment (with an unusually long

flex) whilst in the bath, or even drop electrical

equipment (accidentally) in the bath and try to

fish it out. Both scenarios introduce a very

high risk of electric shock and even death.

In my opinion, the combination of hair

straighteners with a 3 metre flex and a socket-

outlet in close proximity to the bathroom door

is a recipe for disaster.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR HAIR RAISING EXPERIENCE!!

A few months ago, while doing some

alterations to an electrical installation,

we found out how effective an RCD is

when actually put to the test.

When the builders working on the site

moaned at us for turning off the

power, as electricians do, we denied

such an act. "Not us" we declared as

we began checking for the cause.

We found an extension lead cut in half,

with two Labrador dogs looking very

guilty nearby, but completely healthy!

The owner of the dogs and the

property had somehow let them into

the work area and they had apparently

taken a fancy to the extension lead.

It was not surprising that the property

owner had no more moans about the

cost of that new consumer unit,

complete with RCD, which had been

installed the day before.

Lucky dogs!!!

M Smallridge, MCR Electrical

THE DOG TEST

Have you got a shocking or funnyelectrical tale? If so, send it to us atswitchedon@electricalsafetycouncil.org.ukThe pick of the bunch will appear in the next issue.

Shocking

An electrical contractor writes ………