- Convenience often trumps caution as buyers are unaware of potential risks.
- Project from Hawkesworth provides free testing of electrical appliances.
- North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to provide additional support and expertise.
The Safe Home Initiative is designed to directly address the growing risks posed by unsafe, often counterfeit electrical products - particularly those bought online with little or no safety verification.
It’s a proactive programme from leading electrical testing organisation Hawkesworth, that operates at the heart of communities across North Yorkshire, working closely with North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, who refer vulnerable residents or at-risk households directly to the scheme.
From there, the Hawkesworth team visits homes free of charge to carry out safety inspections, test electrical items, and provide advice or replacements where needed.
Hawkesworth also runs:
- A Drop-In Clinic at Head Office where anyone can bring an electrical item to be tested and assessed by professionals free of charge.
- Community Repair Workshops in collaboration with organisations such as The Repair Café, offering safe, affordable repairs and preventing potentially dangerous items from continuing to be used in homes.
Michael Kiddle, Managing Director of Hawkesworth, is attending Northdale https://www.northdale.org.uk/ to present the Repair Café https://www.repaircafe.org/en/visit/ on Saturday 28th June at 10.30am, with two brand new Seaward PAT Testers they can use within their workshops.
Michael says that after conducting hundreds of tests across North Yorkshire and identifying a failure rate of more than 14%, it became clear that unsafe electrical items are far more common than we want to admit.
He says: "This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a wake-up call. These failures represent real hazards, in real homes, affecting real people. Just imagine how many more dangerous appliances are still to be found, millions!"
"In a world where next-day delivery has become the norm, and convenience often trumps caution, we are all, knowingly or unknowingly, becoming complicit in putting our homes and families at risk. It’s a sobering truth: we unbox, plug in, and carry on with our lives, rarely questioning whether what we’ve just brought into our homes is truly safe."
"As a former firefighter and someone who has spent a profession walking into the aftermath of things gone wrong, I’ve seen the cost of blind faith in safety standards first-hand."
"Now, as Managing Director of Hawkesworth, the UK’s leading electrical testing company, I have both the opportunity and responsibility to drive meaningful change.
"That’s why I launched the Safe Home Initiative, a campaign born not out of fear, but out of the urgent need for awareness, accountability, and action. This is not a commercial service, it is our social responsibility in action."
Michael says the Initiative bridges the gap between public safety services, expert inspections, and individual awareness, and that it’s about giving people peace of mind, especially those who may not have the resources or knowledge to assess these risks on their own.
One example he highlights is that, within a genuine phone charger, there’s a small component called a voltage regulator, designed to step down power from the socket to a safe level for your device. In counterfeit versions, this crucial part is often missing, poorly made, or substituted with substandard materials.
He says: "I’m not here to scaremonger, I’m here to educate and act. No bargain is worth a life. We must move from a culture of assumed safety to one of verified safety. As the landscape of online retail continues to evolve, so too must our approach to protecting ourselves and our communities."
"This initiative is more than a programme, it’s a call to action. Let’s ask better questions before we click 'Buy Now'. Let’s make it unacceptable to live with unknown risks. Let’s work together to ensure that every product in every home meets the standard of safety that we all deserve."
Electrical Safety Fund
The Electrical Safety Fund is an annual grant program by Electrical Safety First supporting community projects across the UK, awarding £500,000 annually to reduce domestic electrical risks.
Electrical Safety First is committed to ensuring everyone can live safely in their homes. Around half of all domestic fires in the UK are caused by electricity, most originating from electrical products. The charity offers free resources and advice to help reduce risks and keep households safe.
Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First, said: “We are delighted to award this grant. Our Electrical Safety Fund is designed to empower groups to help keep local people safe in their communities. With around half of domestic fires in the UK caused by electricity, projects like this are vital in reducing risks.”