How To Prevent Electrical Fires

Did you know that more than 50% of accidental home fires in the UK are from electricity? This is normally due to faulty or wrongly used electrical items, many of which are found in the kitchen. This blog will share with you some tips on what you can do to prevent electrical fires to help you stay safe.

Firstly, you should ensure the electrical installation is correct and safe, you can do this by having a qualified electrician check it. Homes should be checked every 10 years or when you move into a new house, and landlords, you should carry this out on privately rented properties every 5 years. Why not fit your fuse box with a Residual Current Device that will switch off your electricity if there is a fault? 

There are many little steps you can also take, like not overloading adapters and keeping portable heaters away from flammable materials. You should always keep an eye out for wear and tear so you can see any damage, you shouldn’t use it if there is any. Similarly, be cautious with straighteners and curlers, ensuring they’re turned off and safe when not in use. As well as this, ensure you have sufficient smoke alarms that work, they should be checked regularly.

Top Tips For Electrical Appliances

• Only buy appliances from retailers you trust and always follow their instructions.

• Never have your dishwasher, washing machine or tumble dryer on whilst you are out or sleeping. These appliances shouldn’t be overloaded either.

• If they start to make an odd noise or are not working well, unplug them and contact someone who can check and repair it.

• Look for burn marks on sockets and plugs, are they too hot to touch?

• Fridges and freezers shouldn’t be near radiators, cookers or directly in sunlight as they’ll need to work harder. You need to clean behind these appliances regularly so dust doesn’t build up, air needs to be able to circulate well in this area.

• It might sound obvious, but ensure you’re not putting anything apart from food in your microwave. Look for microwave-safe materials and follow the instructions on food packaging.

Product Registering

You should always register appliances, so if there are any problems a manufacturer can get in touch. With the average electrical product recall success rate being between 10 to 20%, this needs to be improved. You don’t want unsafe electrical appliances! You can register these appliances easily online, by entering the brand name, model, serial number and date of purchase.

Here at Fire Stoppers, we can help ensure that your electrical appliances are safe. From PAT testing to our range of electrical testing services, our engineers will help you keep your appliances safe and in check. We’ve got over 10 years' worth of experience and can produce electrical installation condition reports. We’re also qualified to carry out any remedial works you might need. As well as this, we can help you with a range of other fire safety needs, from fire alarms, to fire risk assessments. We can be your one-stop shop for all your fire safety needs.

For more fire safety tips and advice, head to our blog page now!