MJC electrical have more than just electricians services to offer in and around the Huddersfield area, we also offer CCTV, burglar alarms, pat testing and a full range of electrical services in and around the Huddersfield area.
MJC electrical faulty wiring
MJC electrical run a team of qualified electricians responding to electrical faults in huddersfield and surrounding areas, if you have faulty wiring or any other electrical fault then give MJC electrical a call on 07796 261085 to book a visit from a MJC electrician.
Gain funding to help prevent electrical fires
With half of all domestic fires in the UK caused by electricity, leading safety charity, the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) has established an electrical fire prevention scheme and is now calling for funding applications.
The ESC’s funding initiative, which was launched in 2009 and funded 29 community safety projects, aims to reduce deaths and injuries from electrical fires across the country.
Applicants from local community services and organisations are invited to apply for up to £5,000 worth of funding for projects that play an active role in promoting and reducing the risk of electrical fires in their local community.
Last year’s award winners used their funding to develop a range of innovative electrical fire safety programmes. For example, Gloucestershire County Council’s Trading Standards Service tested the safety of goods bought online; and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Services used ESC funding to support their ‘Junior Fire Safety Citizen Scheme’, where 10-11 year olds carried out a basic Home Fire Safety Check for an elderly person.
To apply for funding visit www.escfiresafety.org.uk. Funding applications close on Friday 16 July 2010.
References
* CLG Fire Statistics United Kingdom 2007
Students need accommodation to make the grade
27/08/10
Living away from home for the first time, students often aren’t aware how to make sure that their off-campus accommodation is as safe as possible. But with research showing that if you live in a privately rented house or flat, you are at a higher risk of electric shock, 1 the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) is advising students to make sure their accommodation is safe.
Poorly maintained and misused electrical appliances are a major cause of fires and student houseshares can be at particular risk of having heavily used appliances that haven’t been tested properly. Government statistics show that half of all fires in the home are caused by electricity2 and every week someone in the UK dies through an electrical accident in their home.
Angela Murphy, media manager at the ESC explains: “Electricity needs to be taken seriously, particularly in student rented homes, where electrical appliances are subject to heavy demand and where there is a lot of confusion about what a landlord’s responsibilities are. The new academic year is fast approaching so it is important parents and students are provided with the information required to know what they should ask and look for when viewing property to rent.”
Here are some of the basics that students and parents should ask a landlord to provide, to help reassure them that the electrics are as safe as possible:
- an electrical report confirming that the electrical installation is safe for use (known as a Periodic Inspection Report)
- a certificate confirming that any recent electrical work meets the UK national standard
- sockets, switches and light fittings that are in good condition with no signs of damage
- that any appliances are provided with manufacturer’s instructions, have up to date PAT test stickers on them (if the product is not new) and are in good working order.
The ESC’s Living together safely leaflet has more information about safe electrics for those living in shared accommodation – view it at www.esc.org.uk
Industry Gets Behind RCD Campaign
14/12/10
The Electrical Safety Council (ESC), in partnership with a range of leading electrical wholesalers, is launching a ‘toolkit’ for electricians. Designed to help contractors communicate the benefits of RCD protection to customers, the pack is part of the ESC’s flagship Plug into Safety campaign. From the 3rd September thousands of packs containing key information about the importance of RCD protection will be available from leading wholesalers throughout the UK and two million leaflets will be distributed via retail and trade outlets.
The Plug into Safety campaign aims to reduce the number of electrical accidents in the home by encouraging the installation and habitual use of RCDs. Every year in the UK about 70 people die1 and 1.2 million are injured in electrical accidents at home2. The Plug into Safety campaign is working with all elements of the electrical industry – including industry bodies, RCD manufacturers, electricians, and wholesalers – to encourage householders to check their electrics and install RCD protection.
Phil Buckle, Director General at the Electrical Safety Council, said: “Currently, more than half of UK homes – that’s 13 million – don’t have adequate RCD protection in their consumer unit, or fusebox as it is more commonly known3. We want to support the industry in leading the way in encouraging householders to install RCDs and take basic safety measures to ensure their homes and families are protected from the potential dangers of electricity. To encourage and support this, we’ve produced these easy-to-use packs to help electricians communicate how crucial RCD protection is to their customers.
We’re delighted with the high level of interest and support we’ve had from all sections of the industry so far, which has been essential to further increasing the momentum of the Plug into Safety campaign.”
Each electrician’s pack contains 50 Electrical Safety Council leaflets which, in addition to basic safety messages, will explain the importance of RCDs and help customers understand the benefits of ensuring their consumer unit contains RCD protection. Detachable blank business cards, which urge homeowners to install RCD protection, will also be included for electricians to leave with customers after a house-call.
Gary Fisher, an electrician based in London, said: “I always advise my customers to get RCD protection but sometimes it can be difficult to convince people just how crucial it really is. These leaflets clearly explain the issues and will help ensure that customers feel well-informed. As the information is from a respected charity and not a commercial enterprise, it also helps demonstrate that I have my customers’ best interests at heart, rather than me wanting to rake in the cash! And, as I can leave information behind for the customer to read at their leisure, I don’t have to do a ‘hard sell’ there and then”.
Neil Thomas, commercial manager at Denman’s Electrical – one of the campaign’s partners – said: “Denmans are delighted to support the Plug into Safety campaign. Raising awareness in this area is bound to reduce the number of electrical accidents and will also help to promote installation of RCDs in UK homes”.
Packs will be distributed through large wholesalers from 3rd September, or contractors can go online to www.esc.org.uk/plugintosafety to download a PDF of the Plug into Safety leaflet to attach to emailed quotations or invoices.
If you are interested in finding out more about how to help householders reduce the risk of an electrical accident please visit www.esc.org.uk/plugintosafety.
1Data supplied by the Department of Communities and Local Government, Health and Safety Executive and the World Health Organization – 2007
2IPSOS MORI – Derived from 2 surveys: the Capibus survey July 2010 and online survey June 2010
3Based on a survey of 16,204 homes carried out by BRE (formally the Building Research Establishment) over two years (2006,2007) for the English Housing Condition Survey
Grubby home habits help spark thousands of electrical fires
18/01/11
The kitchen is the heart of the home where families and friends come to meet and eat but dirty and chaotic kitchens are not just a health hazard – they can also be a fire risk. Almost 13,000 [1] fires each year arise from the misuse of, and faults with, electrical cooking appliances.
Leading safety charity, the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) warns that over half of all accidental fires in UK homes – that’s more than 20,000 per year [2] – are caused by people’s casual attitude to electrical safety and misuse of electrical appliances.
“In our opinion – which is shared by the fire and rescue professionals we consulted – a considerable number of kitchen fires occur through a casual attitude to cleaning and safety in kitchens,” explains Martyn Allen, Head of Technical Development at the ESC. “And our research also indicates that over a quarter of Britons suspect at least one of their electrical appliances is faulty [3].”
Housekeeping guru Aggie MacKenzie agrees: “Allowing food and fat deposits to build up on cookers – or trailing leads across them – and using the tops of microwaves as extra storage and forgetting to remove things like tea towels draped over them, can all pose a safety risk. So clean up your act – or you could end up burning a lot more than your toast!”
“We live in an electric world, so it is understandable that people tend to take electricity for granted”, adds Martyn. “But that doesn’t mean we can forget basic safety precautions. And with an ever-increasing number of electric gadgets and cooking tools coming on to the market, we need to be a bit more safety conscious.”
Here’s the ESC’s three top tips for reducing the risk of an electrical fire in your home:
- Keep electrical appliances , particularly kitchen items such as cookers and microwaves, clean and free from grease.
- If an electrical appliance works erratically, has a flex or cable showing visible wear and tear, or you can smell burning when the appliance is in use, stop using it immediately.
- Avoid placing anything flammable too close to electric heaters, cookers or fires.
Electrical Hazards
Electrical hazards are invisible but deadly, causing fires and electrical shocks. These hazards are easily preventable if you use an NICEIC-registered contractor to install, inspect and maintain your electrics.
Government figures estimate that each year there are around:
10 fatal and 2,000 non-fatal electric shock accidents in the home
19 fatal and 880 non-fatal shock accidents in the workplace
There are also about 12,500 electrical fires in homes across the UK each year. Although many incidents are caused by faulty appliances rather than the electrical installation itself, a properly installed and well-maintained electrical system could save lives.
Cables, switches, socket-outlets and other equipment deteriorate with prolonged use, so they all need to be checked and necessary replacements or repairs made in good time.
Whilst it is relatively easy to make an electrical circuit work – it is far more tricky to make the circuit work safely. To avoid the dangers that electricity can create it is essential that electrical work is carried out only by those with the correct knowledge, skill and experience in the type of electrical work to be undertaken.
The Electrical Safety Council published the results of their National Consumer Survey and found that:
- 42% of those surveyed stated they had never had their electrics checked
- 32% of DIYers stated they had experienced one or more electric shocks while carrying out DIY
- 59% of people do not use qualified electricians when carrying out electrical work
- 48% of those surveyed did not know that their electrics should be checked at least every 10 years
Advice on electrical safety for householders can be found at www.esc.org.uk.
Plug Into Safety
Protect yourself, your family and your home – Electricity kills. Government statistics show that faulty electrical wiring and products cause most fires in UK homes. Electricity is now the major cause of accidental fires in UK homes. Most of these accidents could be prevented by RCD protection, yet more than half of us – that’s 13 million homes – don’t have it.
So, Plug into Safety – check your electrics at home and take the following precautions:
- Avoid using faulty or damaged electrical appliances, lighting and switches
- Consider upgrading to a modern fusebox (consumer unit) with built-in RCDs or get a plug-in RCD from your local DIY store or garden centre – it could save your life
- If you have any doubt about electrical safety in your home or if your electrics keep tripping, contact a registered electrician
Find out more about making your home safer
What’s an RCD? – An RCD is a life-saving device that protects against dangerous electric shock and reduces the risk of electrical fires.
What kind of RCD should you fit?
RCD in your fusebox – will give the highest level of protection to your family and home as covers all wiring, sockets and appliances on a circuit
Plug-in RCD – can be plugged into any socket and will protect you if a problem arises when using a particular appliance. They are available from most home-improvement stores and garden centres.
Why haven’t we heard about RCDs until now?
In a recent survey a third of respondents said they knew what an RCD was – however, we know that many people confuse them with circuit breakers, which offer nowhere near the same level of safety protection.
RCD protection has been around for many years, but there has been no requirement to fit it in older properties. With the increasing number of electrical devices we all have in the home and garden, we all need to consider electrical safety more. The Electrical Safety Council is running this campaign to cut the number of people killed or injured by electrical accidents by getting more of us to fit RCD protection at home.
Get an RCD – it could save your life.
For more general information on RCDs click here.
For information on how to recognise and test your RCD please visit our Fusebox Explained section.
