Monday 5 September 2011

Safety: Do you know what your children are plugging into?

Many children’s bedrooms are potential electrical danger zones, according to new research from the AA’s Home Emergency Response Service.

It reveals that although children have a large number of electrical appliances in their rooms, one in three (31 per cent) is rarely or never supervised when using electrical items.
The survey also shows that the wiring in the average British home is more than 16 years old, and 12 per cent of homes have wiring over 30 years old. It says that the combination of old wiring and inappropriate use of electrical appliances could be putting many homes at risk of electrical fires.
With the research highlighting that children’s bedrooms host a wealth of electrical appliances used with little or no adult supervision, these could be among the areas of the house most at risk.
There are more than 3,000 fires a year caused in UK homes by electrical circuits, resulting in several deaths and hundreds of casualties, and thousands more accidental fires ignited by electrical appliances.

we say...
  1. Get a professional to check your wiring on a regular basis – the Electrical Safety Council recommend every 10 years for domestic properties3
  2. Avoid trailing electrical wires
  3. Check plugs, sockets and cables regularly for signs of damage or scorching
  4. Switch off electric appliances before you go to bed
  5. Never put drinks or other liquids on or near electric appliances
  6. Teach your children how to use electricity and electric appliances responsibly and safely, for example, not letting them touch electrical equipment when they are wet.
call us now for common sense advice

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