Keep Your Home Safe - Prevent Electrical Fire

Keep Your Home Safe - Prevent Electrical Fire With strike action by the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) leaving the nation with skeletal fire cover, the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) has issued guidance to householders on taking reasonable measures to minimize the threat of electrical fire. Outbreaks of fire in the home can have tragic results, and many householders have wisely installed smoke alarms as a safety measure. However, most don't realise that failure to maintain their electrical installation in good condition could lead to fire. Checklist to minimise the risk of electrical fire: * Visually inspect sockets for signs of damage and deterioration and especially for signs of overheating * Test residual current devices (RCDs) - if your installation has these special safety devices, there should be a notice on or near your consumer unit (fuse board) advising you to test the device(s) quarterly, simply by pressing a button * Don't leave electrical appliances on unnecessarily - switch them off before going out or going to bed * Don't leave electric blankets on unnecessarily, and follow the user instructions * Make sure your consumer unit (fuse board) doesn't have combustible material stored against or near it * For the protection of you and your family, make sure you have at least one smoke alarm in your home and that it's working properly Electricity is a major contributor to a home's comfort-factor, yet it's easy to forget that electricity is a potentially lethal force. Statistics show that 35 electrical fires occur in the home every day in the UK - a large proportion of these could be avoided if householders gave priority to having their electrical installations checked. Mike Clark, national spokesperson for the NICEIC said, "Our advice is that householders should follow these guidelines, not in an effort to alarm but as a common-sense approach, especially in light of the firefighters' strike where only a skeletal service might be in place. If you are in any way concerned about your electrical system then you should get it checked by a competent electrician, preferably an NICEIC Approved Contractor. For domestic properties, such checks should be made at least every 10 years." The NICEIC is an independent consumer safety organization, which offers advice on electrical safety. For more information visit the NICEIC website - www.niceic.org.uk - or contact the NICEIC technical helpline on 020-7564-2320. For more press information or to arrange an interview with an electrical expert, please contact: Sarah Trombetta or Sarah Gallo at Barclay Stratton on 020 8877 8600 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/11/22/20021122BIT01000/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/11/22/20021122BIT01000/wkr0002.pdf