Why we work with Electrical Safety First

Company details

Web: www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

Telephone number: 02034 635127

Email: angela.murphy@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

Checklist: Electrical safety for landlords

Electrical Safety First work incredibly hard to try and make you and me safer in our homes. As an educational and information website, it’s fantastic to be able to work with experts like this to help to reduce accidents that, in the main, may well be avoidable if care was taken.

They have great resources available you can use free of charge and we are fully supportive of the work they do – and very kindly that support is reciprocated.

What do they do?

Electrical Safety First, formerly the Electrical Safety Council, is a campaigning UK charity dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries and fires caused by electricity, which causes around half of all fires in UK homes and over 350,000 serious injuries each year.

The charity undertakes consumer awareness campaigns, supports best practice in the industry and works with a range of government bodies and standards committees to ensure consumer safety is always a priority. Electrical Safety First is recognised as a leading technical authority on electrical safety and is frequently quoted in the media as an informed source on the subject.

A range of tools – from a mobile app allowing people to undertake a visual electrical inspection of their home, to landlord and tenant guides – are available from the charity’s website at www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk.

From the beginning

The origins of Electrical Safety First can be traced back to 1923 when, in its first incarnation, it appeared as the National Register of Electrical Contractors – created to provide protection for consumers against unsafe electrical wiring and equipment.

Awards

In 2017 Electrical Safety First won Third Sector Communications Team of the Year and was shortlisted for the Charity Times PR Team of the Year.

In 2014 the charity won the Corporate Communications Digi Award for Best Use of Video in a Consumer campaign, for Beauty Burns – highlighting the dangers of hair straighteners. The video also gained the gold EVCOM Clarion Award in the social media campaign category. In the same year, the charity was a runner up in the Public Affairs Awards.

Top three tips

1. Ensure your home has a Residual Currency Device (RCD) as this will automatically switch off the electricity if a fault occurs.

2. Always register your appliances and sign up for product recalls so you will be alerted if any of them is discovered to be unsafe.

3. Maintain your appliances regularly, by cleaning out dust and debris, and checking cables for damage. For more information on keeping white goods safe, visit: www.whitegoodsafety.com.