Summer safety tips
Long summer days mean holidays abroad, sizzling BBQs, and pottering in the garden. But staying safe while using electrical equipment is vitally important.
As the warm weather hits, many people love to get out into the garden but please do take care to ensure that electrical garden tools have been stored properly and are still in good condition to use.
Also be aware that using an RCD protects you from electric shocks when working in the garden or cooking on an electric bar-b-que.
If you're spending the summer working on a DIY project, make sure you're taking the correct safety precautions around your home’s electrical installation.
Whatever your plans, during the hot summer months an electric fan can be a lifesaver. But be aware of the risks of using these cooling devices.
Planning an overseas getaway?
When travelling, never assume you are as protected abroad as you are in the UK where electricity safety standards are higher than in many other countries.
Make sure you're aware of the dangers before you go and be sure to use an appropriate and safe travel adaptor.
In our product safety section
Stay safe with electrical products
Check plugs and sockets
Don't ignore burn marks, ‘arcing’ (buzzing or crackling) sounds, fuses blowing, circuit-breakers tripping, or if it feels hot to touch.
Unplug and contact the retailer, manufacturer, or a qualified repair technician.
Protect with an RCD
An RCD (residual current device) in your consumer unit (fusebox) protects you from electric shocks if a product is faulty.
If you don’t have RCD protection, use an RCD plug on the socket where the product is plugged in.
Fit smoke and heat alarms
Ensure there is at least one smoke or heat alarm per floor in your property. Fit enough alarms to cover all areas where a fire could start.
Test alarms at least once a month. Replace them every ten years or when the replace by date is reached.
Selected FAQs
Answers to commonly-asked questions we receive about electrical safety.
You should contact either Trading Standards or Citizens Advice to register your concern.
If you want to forward us supporting documentation and images relating to the product, we can objectively review its safety. Send it to enquiries@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk
If you have purchased an electrical product that you believe to be unsafe, you should contact the manufacturer to let them know of your concerns.
If they do not deal with this to your satisfaction, you should report the product to your local Trading Standards Office and they will be able to investigate further.
We recommend that you register all of your electrical appliances so that, in the event of a problem, the manufacturer can contact you to let you know about it. You can find out more here.
We recommend you don't bring home electrical products purchased from outside the UK.
However, an EU conversion plug could make some appliances safe for use in the UK:
- Check if the type of conversion plug is suitable for use with the EU plug.
- Follow manufacturer's instructions when fitting a conversion plug.
- Remember, travel adaptors are not a suitable or safe alternative.
- If the plug is not suitable for conversion, replace the appliance with a UK product.
Surge protectors (MOVs) in extension leads are generally self-resetting devices.
If the extension lead does not work after a surge event it may be that the protection (fuse) for the MOV has become open circuit.
If the device has a replaceable fuse you can try to change that or change the fuse in the plug. If that does not work we recommend that you replace the extension lead.
We advise against storing a freezer on top of the washing machine.
Aside from the risk of the freezer falling off when the washing machine is on its spin cycle, heat from the washer could also impact on the efficiency and ventilation of the freezer.
Electrical products are recalled more regularly than you might think, but the response rate to a recall is often worryingly low. This means there are potentially millions of recalled electrical items still in UK homes.
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