Switched On Issue 4

News for the industry from the Electrical Safety Council

issue4 Spring 2007

Prevention of accidental injuries to children Also in this issue: Best Practice Guides for contractors and installers

NEW DIRECTOR OF CHARITABLE AFFAIRS

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Electrical Safety Council into an exciting but challenging second year.

Phil is an experienced leader and brings to the Council his extensive knowledge of the electrical industry as well as his strong marketing and PR experience.

The team has done a great job of launching the Council, and I am looking to build on the foundations already laid to ensure that we continue to grow stronger and to realise our mission to be the consumers’ electrical safety champion’.

n January this year, Phil Buckle took over from Emma McCarthy as the Council’s Director of Charitable Affairs.

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I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATIONS ALREADY LAID

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On taking up his new role, Phil commented: ‘I am very pleased to be taking over the baton from Emma and leading the

Emma McCarthy has returned to the NICEIC Group to resume her role as HR Director.

WELCOME Welcome to this, the fourth issue of Switched On.

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ince it was renamed the Electrical Safety Council last year, the Charity has made significant steps to deliver on its objectives.

But we recognise that we will not make the progress we need to unless we get our communication with stakeholders right.

You will read on page 4 that we have just received our first Crystal Mark for clear communication, which is a prestigious milestone.

The Crystal Mark is just one of the tools we can use to ensure that we engage successfully with those we are trying to reach.

As part of our communications strategy, we aim to cut through the clutter and ensure that our messages to you are interesting and relevant, so that you will want to share them with your customers and colleagues.

Together with our website, Switched On enables us to keep you up to date with our progress. But we are also looking for opportunities to work with other organisations and trade media to promote our key objective of reducing electrical injuries and accidents.

As an example, we’ve become a partner of Voltimum. This will enable us provide a regular update on our activities through their website, www.voltimum.co.uk

We want to hear your views on what we’re doing and on the information we provide to help you at work.

By listening to you, we can gain a better insight into the issues you are facing and be better able to respond to them. So please, have your say!

Phil Buckle

How can we help you to help householders?

Have your say... email Phil at philip.buckle@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT PROGRESSES

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he Council’s website is now entering its third phase of development.

In this phase, we intend to make the site more accessible to all users. This will involve the addition of text sizing options, a site map, and the introduction of a search facility.

We also intend to make our range of safety leaflets available for download in languages other than English. The first such foreign language leaflet is already available on the site, as detailed on page 9.

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The website is still growing as we continue to add information and guidance for consumers and others.

For example, for consumers, the site now has a ‘product safety’ section. Also, the ‘Business and Community’ section has been expanded to include a ‘Guidance for’ part, with information aimed at particular groups such as landlords and those working in the construction industry.

As always, feedback on the content of the website will be appreciated.

So, should you have any ideas or comments, please send them to us using the feedback facility built into the site.

New UK regulations for dealing with waste electrical and electronic equipment. Pages 16 & 17

issue 04 spring‘07

switchedon industry news

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your insight into the electrical safety industry

Council guides landlords Also, revision of BS 7671 a progress report

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New Director of Charitable Affairs Also, welcome, website development

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Testing potentially unsafe electrical products

Crystal-clear communication Also, Council appoints new chairman, electrical safety information for GCSE students

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Best Practice Guides

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Research into the in-service reliability of RCDs

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Fire safety - Building Regulations revised Also, grants for electrical safety improvements

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Schools awareness campaign Also, calender of events

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Polish version of the ‘Electrical safety in construction’ leaflet Also, NHIC 2007 call for entries

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Government audits electrical competent person schemes

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The Home Information Pack

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Letter to the editor Also, shocking!

features 6

Report by the Audit Commission and the Healthcare Commission calls for injury statistics to be made available at both national and local levels

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Landlords and portable appliances Second of the three installments

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New UK regulations for dealing with waste electrical and electronic equipment The new Directives

Published by: Electrical Safety Council 18 Buckingham Gate London, SW1E 6LB www.electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk Tel: 0870 040 0561 Fax: 0870 040 0560 email: enquiries@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk switchedon

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CRYSTAL-CLEAR COMMUNICATION

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o help ensure that our consumer safety publications hit the mark, the Council has become a corporate member of the Plain English Campaign.

The campaign was launched in 1979 by founder Chrissie Maher OBE, who is famous for shredding hundreds of official documents in Parliament Square.

The campaign promotes crystal clear language by helping to cut out jargon, gobbledegook and other confusing language. It has helped many government departments and thousands of other organizations to clarify their documents, reports and publications.

As the primary audience for the Council’s electrical safety messages is the consumer, we felt it important to be able to demonstrate that we make every effort to make our publications clear and easily understandable.

We have already received our first Crystal Mark (the Plain English Campaign seal of approval for the clarity of a document) for our ‘So you think your home is safe?’ leaflet.

For further information about the Plain English Campaign, visit www.plainenglish.co.uk

COUNCIL APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN

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avid Dosset B.Sc. MIEE, Chief Executive of BEAMA*, the Association for the Electrical Industry, and Director of BEAMA Installation, has taken up the role of Chairman of the Council’s Board of Trustees for the next two year period of office. He was previously Deputy Chairman.

David takes over from Bill Howard, who had been the Council’s Chairman since March 2005.

A chartered engineer with experience in the electricity supply industry, the oil industry and 20 years experience in international standardization, David joined BEAMA as an Association Director in 1991.

In the late nineties, David led the successful campaign against the harmonization of plugs and socket-outlets in Europe and has coordinated the BEAMA Installation campaign against counterfeit products.

He is a Director of ASTABEAB Certification Services Ltd and Vice President of CENELEC.

He is Chairman of the Board of ORGALIME** and of its anti- counterfeiting Task Force.

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AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF THE ARTICLE MAY BE VIEWED ON OUR WEBSITE

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** ORGALIME – The Federation for the European Engineering Industry representing the interests of over 120,000 companies in the engineering manufacturing sector.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY INFORMATION FOR GCSE STUDENTS

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he February 2007 edition of Catalyst, the science review magazine aimed at GCSE students, included an article on electrical safety written by the Council.

The article included information about: • • • • • • • • •

Electric shock and fire statistics Electrical hazards Types of fault The physiological effects of electric shock Why accidents happen Protective measures RCDs Safer appliances Electrical safety regulations

An abridged version of the article may be viewed on our website.

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*BEAMA traces its origins back to 1905 when it was established to give support to the British electrical industry by developing policies, by making representations to government and to other authorities, and by providing services which it would be uneconomic for members to provide for themselves.

FIRE SAFETY BUILDING REGULATIONS REVISED

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ust before Christmas, the Department for Communities and Local Government announced revisions to Part B (Fire safety) of the Building Regulations and the guidance in Approved Document B. The changes, which come into force on 6 April, will affect future building work in England and Wales, such as the erection, extension or material alteration of a building, and how fire safety is designed into a building.

They also include amendments to the guidance on domestic loft conversions, the use of doorclosing devices in dwellings and the provision of sprinklers in tall blocks of flats.

For non-domestic buildings, the key changes include the introduction of a maximum unsprinklered compartment size for single storey warehouses, new guidance on residential care homes (including on the use of sprinklers) and a new requirement to ensure occupiers are made aware of their building's fire protection measures so as to assist with the preparation of fire risk assessments under the new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order regime.

Approved Document B has been split into two parts: Volume 1: Dwellinghouses and Volume 2: Buildings other than Dwellinghouses.

Each volume can be downloaded free of charge from www.communities.gov.uk

Further details are available from www.planningportal.gov.uk

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THE CHANGES, WHICH COMES INTO FORCE ON 6 APRIL, 2007 WILL AFFECT FUTURE BUILDING WORK

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GRANTS FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

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s previously announced in Switched On, the Council’s Electrical Installation Safety Improvements Grants scheme is being piloted in England and Wales.

The benefits of the scheme have been offered to particular groups of people who cannot afford to restore the electrical installation in their home to a safe standard.

Applications have been received from a number of resident home owners aged 60 and over who are in receipt of a ‘means tested benefit’, and also from some resident home owners who have been assessed as having ‘special circumstances’.

For successful applicants, the first stage of the scheme is to arrange for them to have a registered electrical contractor inspect and test their electrical installation, and produce a detailed report on its condition.

Where the report identifies a need for urgent remedial work on the grounds of electrical safety, the second stage of the scheme is to

arrange for another registered electrical contractor to undertake that work as soon as possible.

We would like to thank the following organizations for continuing to assist us in the operation of the scheme: • The Department for Work and Pensions, Kent • The Electrical and Electronics Industries Benevolent Association • British Standards Institution • ELECSA Ltd • NAPIT • NICEIC Group Ltd. If the pilot proves to be a success, and additional funding is made available by other bodies, coverage of the scheme will be extended to Scotland and Northern Ireland as soon as possible.

If you are interested in being a sponsor for the grants initiative, or you would like further information, please email: grants@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk or telephone the Council on 0870 040 0561.

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Report by the Audit Com Healthcare Commission statistics to be made ava national and local levels n article in the previous (winter) issue of Switched On set out the need for reliable, accurate and timely injury statistics to be provided UK-wide, and announced the Council’s plans to find a solution.

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Since then, the Audit Commission and the Healthcare Commission have published a joint report, based on their study into the prevention of unintentional accidents to children.

The report, “Better Safe Than Sorry: Preventing Unintentional Injury to Children”, states that each year there are about two million attendances by children at hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments as the result of accidents that might have been prevented.

It highlighted that around 230 children each year needlessly die through accidents at home.1

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Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, Chairman of the Healthcare Commission, said: ‘The right of all children to be protected from avoidable accidents and injuries must be embedded in the work of those who provide public services.

Health services need to collect robust data on the types and causes of injuries that they see in the children whom they treat.

Collecting and analyzing this information is crucial to ensure that the right strategies for prevention are put in place and lives are saved.

Success will depend on partnerships

departments and primary health care trusts’ accident prevention teams, were unclear about what data were available, and which organisations held them.

The report went on to state that sharing of good quality, compatible data is key to create targeted, effective strategies to prevent unintentional injury across a local area. It confirmed that, with the exception of fire and rescue data collection, national data on rates of unintentional injury have not been collected since 2003.2

across the NHS, local government and others.”

The report declared that the gap at a national level, coupled with a lack of data at local level, caused difficulties

The report cited the availability of data as being a key issue in relation to monitoring local trends in

for organizations in identifying the needs in their area and hence in targeting resources appropriately.

unintentional injury.

Many participants to the report, including a number of hospital A&E

The study recommended, amongst other things, that the Department of Health and other central government

k Patric

mmission and the n calls for injury ailable at both s departments, including the Department for Education and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport, and the Children’s Commissioner, should together re-focus their approach to unintentional injury by having a coordinated programme, which each can communicate to their relevant local bodies in a consistent way, based on:

The availability of accurate and reliable statistical data relating to electrical injuries is a key issue for the Electrical Safety Council, as we need it to help identify the electrical safety campaigns that will be of most benefit to consumers.

• Encouraging and enabling local government and the NHS to share timely, high-quality, relevant data across organizations.

analysis of home accident data.

• Providing support to restore and manage the Home Accidents Surveillance System and the Leisure Accidents Surveillance System currently with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), to enable data to be used in the prevention of unintentional injuries, including the design of safer products and environments, for which the databases were originally intended.

We therefore wholeheartedly support the recommendations made in the report, particularly with respect to the collection and

We intend to continue to press central government and other organizations, as well as enlist other like-minded consumer safety bodies, to support our joint project with RoSPA aimed at finding a sustainable solution to the lack of UK-wide reliable and up to date accident and injury statistics.

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The report covers accidental injuries, but does not deal with road accidents

...each year there are about two million attendances by children at hospital accident and emergency departments as the result of accidents that might have been prevented.

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2 Report of the Accidental Injury Task Force, Preventing Accidental Injury: Priorities for Action, 2002

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SCHOOLS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

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he Council has been very busy over the past few months undertaking research into what electrical safety information, initiatives and activities are currently on offer to school children.

Although it appears that delivery of electrical safety messages to children across the UK is patchy, we are pleased to be able to report that there are a number of very good initiatives going on.

We have made approaches to all of the organizations conducting these initiatives.

Where appropriate, we intend to get involved to support their causes and to help spread good practices to other organizations and consumer bodies, so that all children in the UK have access to good electrical safety guidance and information.

A brief overview of some of the existing initiatives is provided below to give you a flavour for the type of activities that are already available: Learning About Safety by Experiencing Risk (LASER), and Crucial Crew These are powerful, interactive approaches to safety education. Interactive safety education schemes provide opportunities for school children and other members of the community to learn about safety and the prevention of unintentional injury in realistic settings.

CALENDER OF EVENTS

The schemes focus primarily on home, travel, leisure and personal safety, and are generally supported by community services, such as the local police, fire and rescue services, etc.

Participants are able to learn how to deal with potential accident hazards by working in small groups in a controlled and supervised environment.

If you are interested in finding out about the centres and events in your area, details can be found on www.lasersafety.org.uk.

The Council is pleased to report that it has accepted an invitation to sit on the LASER Forum Committee to support this cause, and to look into ways that it can get involved to best support the Forum’s activities in relation to electrical safety.

Energy Networks Association (ENA) Public Safety Taskforce Committee ENA is a trade association for a number of the major energy supply companies in the UK. It coordinates a Public Safety Taskforce Committee whose remit is to promote electrical safety amongst the public.

It does this in a range of ways, including providing educational visits to schools, attending community events up and down the country, providing winter packs to the elderly, and publishing educational websites and public safety literature.

In January, we gave a presentation to the ENA Public Safety Taskforce Committee. We are now exploring ways in which we can work jointly with members of this group to promote electrical safety in a coordinated way UK-wide.

To find out more about the electrical safety educational work of the ENA and its

members, visit the education section of their website: www.energynetworks.org.uk Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) CAPT is a national charity committed to reducing the number of children and young people who are killed, disabled or seriously injured as a result of accidents.

CAPT arranges sponsorship of an annual Child Safety Week, which this year will be 18-24 June. Every year during Child Safety Week, thousands of community-based activities and events are held across the UK to promote child safety.

We are currently in discussions with CAPT to explore ways in which we can support this cause in respect of electrical safety. To find out more about CAPT, visit: www.capt.org.uk In addition to the collaborative work outlined above, the Council has recently delivered Phase I of a project to deliver a web-based interactive house, aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 10.

The interactive house is an age-appropriate way for children to explore the electrical dangers that are lurking in the home, and provides information on how to avoid them.

Phase 2 of the development is currently underway and is aimed at children between the ages of 11 and 14.

To explore the interactive house, visit: www.electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk.

The Council will be involved in the following events this year: 9th March – 1st April Sponsoring the Home Ideas Theatre at the spring Ideal Home Show, Earls Court, London

22nd-25th March Homebuilding and Renovating Show 2007, NEC, Birmingham

26th-28th June Trading Standards Conference and Exhibition, Manchester

21st March House of Commons reception, London, giving an update on the Council’s achievements during its first year of operation. To be attended by representatives from government, consumer organisations and industry

13th-17th June BBC Good Homes Live (combination of Gardeners World and Good Homes Show), NEC, Birmingham

23rd-27th September Labour Party Annual Conference, Bournemouth International Centre

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ELECTRICAL SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION LEAFLET NOW AVAILABLE IN POLISH

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he Council realises the need to ensure its safety messages reach the widest possible audience, and has been carrying out a review to determine which of its leaflets would benefit from being translated into a different language or languages.

The English language version of the leaflet, which is endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive, has already been widely circulated in the UK construction industry, 40,000 copies being distributed in the first four months of its existence.

According to government figures, some 600,000 migrant workers from Eastern Europe have come to work in the UK since 2004, many of whom are working in the construction industry. Workers from Poland are by far the largest national group of these migrant workers, accounting for over 60% of the total.

Depending on the demand for the Polish version of the leaflet, we will be considering whether to produce other foreign language versions of our safety leaflets.

It was therefore decided that, by way of a pilot, the Council’s ‘Electrical Safety in Construction’ trade leaflet should be translated into Polish.

The Polish version of the ‘Electrical Safety in construction’ leaflet is available as a download from our website. Printed copies will be made available upon request to leaflets@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk.

We would also like to know your views on the proposal to translate more of our leaflets, so please email us at the above address.

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WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR VIEWS ON THE PROPOSAL TO TRANSLATE MORE OF OUR LEAFLETS

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NATIONAL HOME IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL 2007 AWARDS - CALL FOR ENTRIES

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very year, more and more organizations across the spectrum of UK housing are taking part in the National Home Improvement Council’s prestigious Annual Awards scheme, now in its 33rd year.

They are the premier housing awards of their kind, and highly regarded by people across the housing spectrum.

As part of its drive to raise awareness of electrical safety issues, the Electrical Safety Council is again pleased to be sponsoring the ‘Electrical Safety’ category at the 2007 NHIC Annual Awards.

This category is aimed at housing associations, local authorities and other landlords that have in place effective electrical installation, maintenance and safety awareness programmes.

The closing date for completed entry forms and submissions is the end of August 2007.

For more information on the criteria against which the Electrical Safety Council will judge the applications for the electrical safety category, and on how last year’s winners in the category gained their awards, visit www.electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk/newsa ward.html There are 12 categories this year, and the winners and runners up in each category will be announced at a special NHIC Awards Luncheon to be held in London in November.

Taking part in the Awards is straightforward and it is not very time consuming to apply.

Furthermore, it costs nothing to enter, but ultimately the kudos can be priceless.

For full details and an entry form, visit the National Home Improvement Council’s website: www.nhic.org.uk switchedon

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COUNCIL GUIDES LANDLORDS

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ne of the aims of the Council is to target particular areas of risk where its safety campaigns can have most impact.

During discussion with the LACORS* Private Sector Housing Team last year, it became evident that there was a need to raise awareness of electrical safety amongst landlords.

Since then, a range of electrical safety information and guidance has been developed especially for landlords, including: • Producing a booklet entitled ‘Landlords: Finding a Competent Electrical Installer’, which is available as a download from our website, or in printed form on request to leaflets@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk. The booklet has been reviewed by many key organizations in the sector including the National Landlords Association, Landlord Law, Newcastle Private Rented project, Decent & Safe Homes East Midlands, and the British Property Federation, as well as

the LACORS Private Sector Housing Team.

All these organisations have recognised the need for the guidance, and are in the process of making it available to their members/stakeholders.

• Contributing to the ‘Landlords Development Manual’’ published by the Improvement Development Agency (part of the Department for Communities and Local Government). The manual is available in electronic format only, and can be downloaded from the ANUK (UK Accreditation Network) website www.anuk.org.uk. ANUK is a network of professionals and organizations that promotes accreditation in private rented residential accommodation.

• Publishing a series of articles in this magazine, targeted at landlords. The first, entitled ‘Landlords’ responsibility for electrical safety’, was published in the previous (winter) issue. The second can be found on page 12 of this issue.

Our work in this area will continue over the coming months. We would be pleased to receive any comments or suggestions on how we can improve or expand our work to further assist landlords. Email landlords@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk LandlordsGuide1.qxd

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Landlords: Finding a Competent Electrical Installer

This brief guide is aimed at providing advice to individuals who have responsibility for selecting a Competent Installer to carry out electrical work in domestic premises.

*Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services

REVISION OF BS 7671 - A PROGRESS REPORT

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he deadline for commenting on the proposed changes to BS 7671 passed on 28 February.

The 346 page Draft for Public Comment (DPC), which included all the proposed changes, first became available to the public in paper form (at a price) in early December, and then in electronic form (free of charge) in early January.

The Joint IEE/BSI Committee responsible for the technical content of the standard, together with its five Panels, now has the task of considering all the comments received, and of deciding what changes, if any, need to be made to the DPC in the light of those comments.

This work is expected to have been completed by mid-June, to enable the IEE* to produce the draft of BS 7671: 2008 by November, then to print it so as to make it available by early January next year.

A further progress report will be given in the next issue of Switched On. *The Institution of Engineers and Technicians (IET), formed last year when the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) amalgamated, is expected to retain the well known ‘IEE’ trading style for use in connection with all its publications relating to electrical installations, including BS 7671 and the Guidance Notes.

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TESTING POTENTIALLY UNSAFE ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS engineering practice, and to have a CE marking which represents the manufacturer’s declaration that the product satisfies the provisions of the relevant European Directives.

The kettle emitted “moo” sounds when operated, despite the user instructions warning that the product has not been designed for use by children.

The electrical products tested and assessed for compliance included:

Feedback from product safety specialists and consumer groups continues to indicate that there are significant concerns over electrical products considered as ‘child appealing’, and this raises the question whether product standards adequately address the potential hazards such products present.

• • • • • • •

Hair straightener Bedside lamp Mini toaster oven Soldering iron Disco light Paper shredder Cordless jug kettle

In summary, the findings of the research were encouraging in that, apart from a few minor points, all the products were found to comply with the relevant safety requirements.

The minor points were that the standard marking and instructions for the soldering iron were incorrect, and a standard construction

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n support of its product safety campaign, the Council commissioned an independent testing laboratory last year to select several potentially unsafe types of electrical product and to subject them to testing under the general provisions of the relevant national and international standards.

When deciding on appropriate products for testing, the laboratory reviewed a variety of websites and mail-order catalogues, with emphasis being given to those products marketed as gifts intended for both adults and young children.

The products chosen were subsequently purchased from high street retailers and internet companies, all with proven track records to ensure traceability. The only exception to this was the purchase of a cordless kettle via a well known internet auction site.

Each electrical appliance was assessed against specific safety criteria to confirm whether or not it complied with the general safety requirements of the applicable statutory Regulations and Harmonised European Standards.

Essentially, products are required to be safe, to be made in accordance with good

departure (described below) was identified on the cordless jug kettle. Additionally, an observation was made regarding very high surface temperatures on the mini oven.

Although no immediate electric shock or fire hazards where identified, the products in question were technically in breach of UK safety regulations.

The problems identified with markings and instructions on two of the products included: • Insufficient markings to indicate the characteristics of the electricity supply to which it is it is suitable for connection • No name, trade mark, or identification mark of the manufacturer • No statement within the user instructions to state that the supply cord cannot be replaced and if damaged should be scrapped.

The construction concern identified with the cordless jug kettle related to its shape and decoration, in so far as it is likely to be treated as a toy by children.

The product was described by the seller as a ‘Farmyard friends cow kettle’, and “…a great fun item to brighten the morning or encourage the children or us big kids at heart to start breakfast.”

In this case, it is believed that the original product was purchased from a well known chain of high street department stores but has since been removed from their shelves throughout the UK, possibly for safety reasons.

A full report detailing the findings of the product testing, together with valuable advice that will help consumers make sensible buying decisions, can be viewed on our website.

As an integral part of our product safety activities, and in partnership with stakeholders, we expect to increase our product testing activities through the development of an ongoing test programme.

The Council is confident that the progression of such a programme will underpin its aim to establish a firm and respected presence within the product safety arena.

...findings of the research were encouraging in that, apart from a few minor points, all the products were found to comply...

Anyone who believes that they have purchased an unsafe electrical product should contact their local authority trading standards department in the first instance. However, we would also like to hear from anyone regarding any general concerns about the safety of electrical products.

Please send details to: productsafety@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk or write to us at: Product Safety Electrical Safety Council 18 Buckingham Gate London, SW1E 6LB switchedon

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Landlords and portable app This is the second of three articles providing guidance to landlords regarding their responsibility for electrical safety in their rented properties. It considers the dangers associated with portable appliances, the requirements of legislation and regulation, and the safety checks that should be carried out on portable appliances.

through the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994.

Simply speaking, the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations require that electrical

The guidance booklet ‘Repairs - a guide for • Safe. There should be no risk, apart from one reduced to a minimum, that the electrical equipment will in any way cause death or personal injury to any person.

electric current fatalities in homes result from deficiencies in plugs, leads and appliances, with only 10 % of fatalities

This requirement also extends to domestic

The inappropriate use or misuse of any handheld electrical appliance will inevitably create an increased risk to the user. For example, after using an appliance, the user may wind the cable around the appliance, such as an iron, and create a twist or ‘kink’ in the cable.

Repeating this process over time may lead to cable damage and the risk of electric shock or fire.

To ensure that such risks are controlled, landlords can take reasonable precautions to ensure that portable electrical equipment they provide is safely used, stored and checked.

animals and damage to property.

• Constructed in accordance with principles generally accepted within Member States as constituting good engineering practice in relation to safety matters.

Good engineering practice is generally understood to mean that it complies with the specifications of a harmonized standard, or an equivalent level of safety.

The landlord should therefore check that the appliance at least has a CE mark. CE marking attached to a product is a manufacturer's claim that it meets all the requirements of the European legislation.

Other recognized marks, such as the British Standard Kitemark and the ‘BEAB Approved’ mark, indicate that an appliance has been assessed by an independent body as complying with the relevant product standard.

Legal requirements In 1973, the European ‘Low Voltage Directive’, which relates to the harmonization of laws regarding electrical equipment, was adopted

by Member States and, in 1993, the ‘CE Marking Directive’ was also adopted.

These Directives are implemented in the UK 12 switchedon

trade mark clearly printed on the equipment or, where necessary, the packaging.

equipment is:

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System* recognizes that the majority of

resulting from a deficiency in fixed electrical installations.

~ has the manufacturer’s brand name or

• Designed and constructed to conform with the principal elements of the safety objectives. Amongst other things this will require that the appliance: ~ is used safely and for the purpose for which it is made

landlords and tenants’, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) states that, if a landlord provides any electrical appliances as part of a tenancy, the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations require him or her to ensure that the appliances are safe when first supplied.

Although there is no requirement for portable appliance testing to be carried out in rented accommodation, the landlord is required to take reasonable steps to ensure that appliances such as electric kettles, fridges and washing machines provided as part of the tenancy agreement are safe.

The DCLG guidance indicates that when accommodation is re-let, the electrical appliances will be classed as being supplied to that tenant for the first time, and should therefore be re-checked.

Inspecting electrical appliances The types of checks that should be considered as necessary fall into two categories: 1) checks that may be carried out by the user or landlord 2) checks that need to be carried out by a ‘skilled person’. A skilled person is one with technical knowledge or sufficient experience, such as an electrician, to enable him or her to avoid dangers which electricity may create.

*Housing Act 2004 Guidance about inspections and assessment of hazards given under Section 9

pliances The checks that a user or landlord should be able to carry out safely include confirming that: • there are no cuts or abrasions in the cable covering • the plug has no cracked casing or bent pins • there are no loose parts or screws • there are no signs of burning, particularly at the plug • the outer covering of the cable is gripped

The skilled person is able to use this type of tester to carry out a series of tests on an appliance, including tests for continuity and insulation resistance.

Testing should be carried out by properly trained and experienced operatives. Further guidance can be sought from one of the organizations listed below.

BRE Certification Ltd working in partnership with the Electrical

by the cord grip in the plug top such that

Contractors’ Association

no coloured cable cores are visible from outside the plug. The function of the cord grip is to prevent the internal connections

Phone: 0870 609 6093

being pulled loose.

These checks do not require the use of tools, and should be carried out by the user before each use of a portable appliance.

It is important to note that the large majority of dangerous defects in electrical appliances can be detected by such visual inspection.

The checks that need to be carried out by a skilled person will include all of the above, plus confirming that: • the connections inside the plug are correct and secure • the fuse inside the plug is of the correct rating • no bare wires are visible other than at the terminals • there is no sign of internal damage, overheating or entry of liquid, dust or dirt.

www.partp.co.uk

British Standards Institution Phone: 01442 278 577 www.kitemarktoday.com

appliance.

Where portable appliances can be used outdoors, it is necessary for the socket-outlet supplying the equipment to be protected by a residual current device (RCD). An RCD provides an added level of protection against electric shock, and should be used wherever there is an increased risk, as is the case when using electrical equipment outdoors.

Electrical Contractors’ Association Phone: 0207 313 4800 www.eca.co.uk

The Electrical Safety Council recommends that all socket-outlets that may reasonably be used to supply electrical equipment for use outdoors are protected by an RCD, such as an RCD incorporated in the consumer unit (fuse box).

ELECSA Ltd Phone: 0870 749 0080 www.elecsa.org.uk

RCDs incorporated in a fixed installation should be tested at quarterly intervals, in accordance with the instructions that should be fixed on, or adjacent to, the consumer unit.

NAPIT Registration Ltd Phone: 0870 444 1392 www.napit.org.uk

NICEIC Group Ltd Phone: 0870 013 0382

A skilled person is likely to use a proprietary portable appliance tester to check the electrical characteristics of an electrical

Portable equipment used outdoors

www.niceic.com SELECT Phone: 0131 445 5577 www.select.org.uk

Where such an RCD is not incorporated in the electrical installation, the Council strongly recommends that, as a minimum, electrical equipment used outdoors is connected through a portable (plug-in) RCD. These RCDs, which can cost less than £10, should be tested before each use in accordance with the instructions provided with or on the device.

If no RCD protection is available, electrical appliances should not be used outdoors. switchedon

13

BEST PRACTICE GUIDES

A

s reported in previous issues of Switched On, the Council is working with other interested parties to produce a series of Best Practice Guides on a range of subjects of interest to specifiers, electrical contractors and installers.

In electronic format, these guides are intended to be made available free of charge to all interested parties.

Replacing a consumer unit where lighting circuits have no circuit protective conductor The first such guide to be published, in October last year, concerned the replacement of consumer units in domestic premises where lighting circuits have no protective conductor.

The purpose of this guidance is to help protect customers and installers against dangerous situations that could arise from an old domestic installation where an installer is replacing a consumer unit or other main switchgear in a home built before 1966 and wired in accordance with the 13th Edition, or earlier, of the IEE Wiring Regulations.

By following the guidance, it is considered that installers will have provided protection for the customer so far as is reasonably practicable.

Following feedback from users, a minor amendment was made to the guide in January.

The updated version can be downloaded from the Council’s website.

Safe isolation procedures for low voltage installations As this issue of Switched On was being finalized, a second Best Practice Guide, on the subject of safe isolation procedures for low voltage installations, was nearing completion.

By law, employers must ensure that all employees involved in work on electrical equipment are competent. Employees should be instructed on, and trained in, the implementation of safe systems of work.

This may involve employees being issued with written rules and instructions, and having access to, and using, appropriate locking-off devices, warning/caution notices, proprietary voltage detectors and, where appropriate for the type of voltage detector being used, proving units.

Nevertheless, every year, people working on construction sites suffer electric shock and burn injuries some of which, tragically, are fatal.

The aim of this guide is: • to provide an overview of microgeneration, otherwise known as small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), and rated up to 16 A per phase • to provide information on the legal and contractual issues related specifically to installation of microgenerators (including the relationship of the consumer with the energy supplier and the electricity distributor), and • to give guidance on the specific electrical issues, included electrical safety issues, that arise when installing or connecting a microgenerator.

This guide is expected to become available before the next issue of Switched On is published, so visit our website for the latest information.

Fire precautions relating to electrical installation work in dwellings

Electrical contractors should be aware that many of these accidents are a direct consequence of electricians not implementing safe isolation procedures on low voltage installations.

With modern construction techniques, it is becoming increasingly important to pay particular attention to detail in order to avoid domestic electrical installations becoming the source of fire, or potentially aiding the spread of fire, leading to the possibility of death, injury, and/or structural collapse.

The guide is being produced in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive, amongst others. Its purpose is to provide practical guidance for employers, employees and the self-employed on safe isolation procedures to be followed when working on low voltage electrical installations.

This guide, on which work is expected to commence shortly, is intended to provide practical information and guidance to help specifiers, and electrical designers and contractors, to appreciate and understand the

The guidance is aimed at protecting employees and other workers against serious or fatal electrical injuries. Although the principles apply generally, it is particularly relevant to circumstances where work is being carried out in the presence of other trades, and to construction sites and other places where more than one electrician is employed.

The guide will be published on the Council’s website as soon as it has been completed.

14 switchedon

Connecting a microgeneration system to a domestic or similar electrical installation (in parallel with the mains supply)

issues, and thereby to play their part in helping to ensure that electrical installations do not contribute to fire risks in homes.

Other guides Consideration is being given to producing further guides on replacing domestic consumer units, and avoiding the dangers of asbestos.

News about the development and availability of these and other guides will be announced on our website in due course.

RESEARCH INTO THE IN-SERVICE RELIABILITY OF RCDs

A

s advised in the previous edition of Switched On, ERA Technology Ltd is conducting the second phase of the research into the reliability of residual current devices (RCDs) on behalf of the Council.

For the purposes on the in-situ testing therefore, it was decided that all circuits controlled by the RCD, except the circuit being used for the testing, should deenergised, and that any loads connected to the RCD circuit should be switched off.

Load testing ERA has completed the laboratory-based testing to determine the effects of various domestic loads on the operating characteristics of a range of RCDs.

A full report detailing the findings and conclusions of this laboratory-based testing can be found on our website.

In-situ testing This initial work was carried out to help determine whether the field testing should be carried out with or without downstream loads connected.

In order to assess the effect, if any, of connected loads on the operation RCDs, ERA purchased a number from different manufacturers. These were connected to various loads, some of which simulated leakage currents from equipment typically found in homes.

All the units tested were purchased as new, apart from one which had been in service.

In summary, the findings from this investigation were that: • Although for the majority of RCDs tested there was no appreciable difference in their performance, three of the units did demonstrate different operating characteristics when loads were connected.

• The presence of leakage currents from equipment in homes where ERA would be carrying out on-situ testing could have an effect on the operating times of the RCDs.

Following on from the load effect testing, ERA has made good progress with the next phase of the research, the in-situ testing of fixed 30mA RCDs installed in domestic premises.

At the time this issue of Switched On went to press, ERA had tested over 500 RCDs in properties owned by Lewisham Borough Council, Newham Housing and Orbit Housing, and arrangements were in hand to carry out further testing in SOHA Housing properties and Surrey University accommodation.

We would like to thank these organisations for their continued support to the research, and for allowing us to carry out the testing in their properties.

RCDs that fail under test are being removed and replaced with new. The failed units are returned to ERA for detailed examination to determine the cause of malfunction.

On completion of field testing, all data recorded during the performance testing will be analyzed for statistical validity, in preparation for the presentation of findings.

It is hoped these results will be available for publication in the next (summer) edition of Switched On. We would also like to thank those who have provided feedback describing their own personal experiences of RCD reliability.

A 68 year old electrician from Liverpool contacted us to share his experience of RCD testing on a caravan site.

He wrote “Each van had its own RCD located in a proprietary socket, MCB, RCD & meter unit mounted on unistrut adjacent to each caravan. During the October winter close down period, the power to the van site was switched off. Prior to re-opening the following Easter I tested all the RCD units. The failure rate was approximately 25%.

After making extensive enquiries from various manufacturers I concluded that their advice was to leave them powered up during the winter. I was informed that the heat from the coils kept them in good condition!”

If you would like to share your experience with us, there is still an opportunity to do so by emailing details to: rcds@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk.

switchedon

15

New UK regulat with waste elect lectrical and electronic

E

treatment, recycling and recovery

equipment is present in practically every home and

of such waste.

place of work. Items such as

Under the Directive, producers of

computers, mobile phones, TVs, DVD players, kettles, toasters and many

WEEE that is not from private households must set up systems for its recovery and transport to

other electrical appliances help our daily lives, but when they become damaged or reach the end of their useful life, throwing them away has a detrimental affect on the environment.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) often contains hazardous substances such as mercury, sodium, lead (in solder), and cadmium (in batteries). Recycling rates for most items of WEEE, other than large electrical items such as washing machines, fridges and TV’s, are generally very low.

In 2003, the European Union adopted the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive to deal with the end-of-life problems associated with disposing electrical and electronic equipment.

The Directive seeks to improve the way we manage waste electrical and electronic equipment and encourages and sets criteria for the collection, 16 switchedon

authorized treatment facilities.

Additionally, the Directive sets proposed targets for rates of recovery, recycling and reuse of various types of WEEE. The WEEE Directive is implemented in the UK through two sets of regulations: • The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006, which implement most aspects of the WEEE Directive, came into force on 2 January 2007, and • The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Waste Management and Licensing) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006, which came into force on 5 January 2007. These regulations cover England and Wales, and deal with site licensing requirements and WEEE treatment requirements of the WEEE Directive. Similar but separate provisions will be introduced for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

How are business users affected?

The WEEE Regulations, amongst other things, introduce new responsibilities for businesses and other non-household users of electrical and electronic equipment such as schools, hospitals and local government buildings.

Under the new legislation, organizations will need to ensure that all separately collected WEEE is treated and, wherever possible, recycled. The decision as to who pays for the collation, treatment and recycling depends on the date when a product was placed on the market: • WEEE from products placed on the market after 13 August 2005.

EEE producers are responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of the EEE that they supply to business users.

• WEEE from products put on the market before 13 August 2005.

Different arrangements apply for WEEE arising from products placed on the market before 13 August 2005.

tions for dealing trical and electronic equipment If such WEEE is being replaced by new

users of their distributed products have

equivalent products, the producer supplying the new item is responsible

access to information to:

for financing the collection, treatment,

• ensure WEEE is not mixed with other

recovery and environmentally sound disposal of the old item. In other cases, for example where the WEEE is not

types of unsorted municipal waste • ensure separate collection • explain collection and return (take-

being replaced, the end user (in this case, the business) must pay the cost.

back) facilities • explain their role in waste recovery • explain the potential effects of WEEE on the environment • explain the meaning of the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol (adjacent) which must appear on the packaging of WEEE.

It should be noted that businesses that produce waste classified as ‘hazardous waste’ may need to register as a producer under the Hazardous Waste Regulations.

How are the general public affected?

The WEEE Regulations aim to minimize the amount of WEEE householders dispose of with their general waste.

When WEEE is separated from other waste it can be treated, the hazardous substances can be removed, and a large amount of waste can be recycled rather than sent to a landfill site.

Under the WEEE Regulations, householders should find it easier to recycle their old electrical and electronic equipment.

Distributors of electrical and electronic equipment are required to ensure that the

Householders are now covered by the ‘duty of care’ and must ensure they only pass their WEEE to a Registered Waste Carrier or other approved person. Householders should dispose of their WEEE by: • taking old electrical appliances to their local licensed waste disposal site • arranging for their local authority to collect the equipment • using the take-back scheme provided by electrical retailers.

Further information on the WEEE Regulations can found by visiting the Department of Trade and Industry website, www.dti.gov.uk or the Environment Agency

The crossed-out wheelie bin symbol is used to alert users of electrical and electronic equipment that such equipment should not be disposed of in a landfill site or with municipal or household waste.

website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk switchedon

17

GOVERNMENT AUDITS ELECTRICAL COMPETENT PERSON SCHEMES Promotion of Part P

P

art P of the Building Regulations for England and Wales, which came into effect in January 2005, was introduced to address injuries and deaths caused by faults in electrical installations in homes, including those causing fire.

More should be done to promote Part P to the public and trade, and DCLG, Local Authorities, scheme operators and other organisations need to do more to ensure its success. In its March 2006 survey, more than a year after Part P had come into effect, the Council found that 83% of those surveyed in England and Wales knew nothing about it.

At the end of last year, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) commissioned a firm of management consultants, SAIC Consulting, to conduct an independent audit of all the competent person self-certification schemes authorized by government to operate in support of Part P. The purpose of the audit was to provide the Building Regulations Advisory Committee and Government Ministers with a report on the operation and degree of success of Part P, and on the effectiveness of the schemes authorized to register competent electrical installers.

Representatives from each of the ten Part P competent person schemes were interviewed about the structure and operation of their schemes, focusing on the following principal objectives: • To assess how well the registrants were achieving compliance with Building Regulations • To assess whether the schemes were complying with the government’s conditions of authorization • To consider whether there were lessons for DCLG in terms of the design of schemes that could be improved to gain greater compliance with Building Regulations.

18 switchedon

The promotion and lack of number of businesses coming forward for registration with Defined Scope is very disappointing.

Only about 1% of those that DCLG originally envisaged have registered so far.

SAIC also wanted to take a wider view of the situation, and invited the Electrical Safety Council, as stakeholders, to give its views about the operation of Part P, which we were very pleased to do. The key points we made to SAIC on behalf of consumers were as follows:

We would like to see a requirement for the Home Information Pack to at least include the information provided on the Part P Building Regulations Compliance Certificates. This, together with greater enforcement and increased public awareness, are the main drivers that will be necessary to encourage more electrical installers to register with selfcertification schemes.

Effectiveness of Part P UKAS Accreditation Overall, the introduction of Part P has been beneficial for householders in England and Wales, with nearly two million installations declared to be compliant with Building Regulations notified to Building Control since Part P came into force.

However, lack of enforcement is a serious issue. Although effective policing is seen to be essential for the continued success and growth of the scheme, there were only four prosecutions for non-compliance in the first two years of operation.

Consumers should be satisfied that any installer they choose to carry out their electrical installation work is competent and can comply with all the relevant requirements of the Building Regulations, regardless of the scheme the installer is registered with. This is particularly so when there are a number of schemes for the consumer to choose from, all of which are competing on a commercial basis.

The changes to Part P in April 2006 also introduced the concept of ‘Qualified Installers’, allowing Building Control to decide who they believe to be ‘competent’ which, in the Council’s view, has not helped to encourage electrical installers to register with self-certification schemes.

We believe that such protection for consumers can be achieved only if all scheme operators are applying common criteria and standards for the assessment and registration of installers. We believe that this is best confirmed by UKAS checking and confirming that all scheme operators are fulfilling their obligations under the DCLG conditions of authorization.

The removal, in the April 2006 amendment, of the specific legal requirement for installation work to be inspected and tested in accordance with BS 7671 was also of considerable concern to the Council.

We are disappointed that, some two years after Part P became law, DCLG has not clarified whether, for accreditation purposes, scheme operators will need to comply with the organization-based EN 45011* standard,

as they originally indicated. This standard is fundamentally different from the other, individual-based, EN 17024** standard, the use of which still seems to be under consideration by DCLG for some competent person schemes.

We firmly believe that all Part P scheme operators should be accredited by UKAS to EN 45011, underpinned, if necessary, by the competence requirements for individuals laid down in EN 17024

Insurance-backed warranty We welcomed the requirement for a six year insurance-backed warranty, which we believe to be of great benefit to consumers in protecting them from the possibility of the work not complying with the Building Regulations and the electrical installer going out of business.

In our view, such a warranty should be provided for every notifiable job undertaken by registered installers, and be a requirement for all competent person schemes, not just for

Part P. Providing scheme operators have a robust procedure for vetting its registrants, such insurance should be available from the market at very reasonable cost to the consumer.

As the offer of a six year warranty is a requirement for all Part P schemes and has clear benefits for the consumer, we believe scheme operators should promote these benefits to them more actively.

As this edition of Switched On went to press, we were still awaiting the consultant’s report to be published.

* EN 45011 - General requirements for bodies operating product certification systems ** EN 17024 - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons

THE HOME INFORMATION PACK

I

n January, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) issued a further news release about the progress of

the Home Information Pack (HIP), which they plan to introduce on 1 June.

Consultation document With this latest news release, the DCLG also issued a consultation document entitled Home Information Pack Update: Towards 1 June, which can be downloaded from the DCLG’s website, www.communities.gov.uk The document explains how the introduction of the HIP will boost efforts to tackle climate change and promote energy efficiency. In order to help reduce carbon emissions from homes, it also includes proposals that, following the introduction of the HIP, estate agents must for the first time include an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with property particulars.

The issue of an EPC will enable buyers to compare the energy efficiency of potential homes before they make an offer. The EPC will also provide advice on what improvements may be made to increase the property’s energy efficiency rating.

Home Condition Reports The government is still keen to promote the voluntary take up of Home Condition Report (HCR) as part of the Home Information Pack,

and is still continuing with the Area Trials that started last November in Bath, Cambridge, Huddersfield, Newcastle, Northampton and Southampton.

In addition, in February, two further trials in Southwark (London) and North-West Wales (Gwynedd, Conwy & Anglesey) joined the existing six areas trialing the Home Information Pack. The trials, in partnership with industry, will continue with the aim of testing both the Pack and the Home Condition Report before their introduction on 1 June.

A key objective of the trials is to understand how the inclusion of the Home Condition Report in the Home Information Pack can provide benefits for both buyers and sellers, and therefore encourage them to take up this option.

We will continue to press government on the subject of electrical safety, reminding them why we believe the HCR should include details of the condition of the electrical installation in the property.

This would require the HCR to include copies of electrical safety documents, such as Electrical Installation Certificates, Periodic Inspection Reports and electrical Building Regulations Compliance Certificates.

In support of this objective, a presentation was made by the Council in January to the

All-Party Building Services Engineering Group at the House of Commons. A number of MPs and representatives attended the meeting, and we took the opportunity to explain to them why we believe that electrical safety information should be included in the Home Condition Report.

Next steps Revised Home Information Pack Regulations were laid before Parliament on 29 March.

These amended the 2006 Regulations, and set out the requirement to produce a HIP when marketing a property.

They also set out both the mandatory and authorised contents of the HIP, and the enforcement arrangements. The Home Condition Report is now an ‘Authorized Document’.

The Home Information Pack Regulations 2007 will come into force on 19 April, ready for the 1 June start. switchedon

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR HAIR RAISING EXPERIENCE!!

M

y 15 year old daughter’s most used Christmas present is the ‘salon style’ hair straighteners. The straighteners are fitted with a 3 metre flex so you can move around the room whilst using them. Not just being content with using them in her bedroom, leaving them on the bed and forgetting to turn them off (causing a potential fire risk), my daughter has now introduced herself to a more personal risk of electric shock.

I arrived home the other day to find my daughter in her dressing gown in the bathroom, with the hair straighteners balanced precariously on the edge of the bath (which was full of water).

I was assured by her that it would not happen again, but she complained that it wasn’t her fault that the socket-outlet in the hall was so close to the bathroom.

My concern is that the 3 metre long flex may encourage others to use straighteners or other portable equipment (with an unusually long flex) whilst in the bath, or even drop electrical equipment (accidentally) in the bath and try to fish it out. Both scenarios introduce a very high risk of electric shock and even death.

In my opinion, the combination of hair straighteners with a 3 metre flex and a socketoutlet in close proximity to the bathroom door is a recipe for disaster.

I immediately switched the power off at the socket--outlet in the hall and unplugged the straighteners. My daughter and I entered into a heated discussion about the dangers of electric shock, why portable equipment should not be used in the bathroom, and the fact that socket-outlets are not allowed in such locations.

Shocking THE DOG TEST An electrical contractor writes ………

A few months ago, while doing some alterations to an electrical installation, we found out how effective an RCD is when actually put to the test.

The owner of the dogs and the property had somehow let them into the work area and they had apparently taken a fancy to the extension lead.

When the builders working on the site moaned at us for turning off the power, as electricians do, we denied such an act. "Not us" we declared as we began checking for the cause.

It was not surprising that the property owner had no more moans about the cost of that new consumer unit, complete with RCD, which had been installed the day before.

We found an extension lead cut in half, with two Labrador dogs looking very guilty nearby, but completely healthy!

Lucky dogs!!!

M Smallridge, MCR Electrical

Have you got a shocking or funny electrical tale? If so, send it to us at switchedon@electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk The pick of the bunch will appear in the next issue.