Plug into safety

13-05-2010

The Electrical Safety Council has launched the Plug into Safety campaign, which aims to reduce the number of electrical accidents in the home through the wider use of RCDs.

Currently, on person a week dies in the UK from an electrical accident in the home and thousands more are injured. The campaign will seek to persuade householders to review their electrical safety, including RCD protection.

Phil Buckle, director general at the Electrical Safety Council, said: "There couldn't be a better time to launch the Plug into Safety campaign. The bank holiday is when many people will be getting out in the garden or doing DIY and using lots of power tools, and currently more than half of UK homes - that's 13 million - don't have RCD protection in their fusebox.

“It's up to the industry to lead the way in encouraging householders to install RCDs and take basic safety measures so that UK families are protected from the potential dangers of electricity."

The review measures proposed by the Council include:

- Checking plug sockets, appliances, lighting and switches.
- Consider upgrading to a modern fusebox.
- Contact a registered electrician about any safety concerns