Electrical Safety First

Whether it’s a result of the latest “upcycle” trend or simply to save money, many homeowners enjoy rolling their sleeves up and doing all their DIY and home improvements themselves. Before you decide to handle it all yourself, you need to understand what you should and shouldn’t get stuck into.

Research undertaken by the UK charity Electrical Safety First, found that 80% of people didn’t know that certain electrical jobs should only be carried out by a registered Electrician. Many people don’t realise the massive risks that they are taking every day, by undertaking electrical DIY themselves.

It has been 10 years since the Part P obligations of the Building Regulations for England and Wales came into play, but still many people are unaware of their existence, what they mean and how it affects them. Electrical Safety First, is a charity dedicated to reducing deaths and injuries caused by electrical accidents. Their new online video aims to raise awareness in order to help consumers understand their obligations under Part P of the Building Regulations, together with the importance of using a registered professional Electrician. During the video users can flick between good and bad scenarios by pressing “P” on the keyboard. Viewers can observe both potential impacts of the dad’s decision, which is to either replace the fuse box himself or to call a registered Electrician to complete the work – both have very different outcomes.

The campaign highlights that carrying out electrical DIY could mean that you are breaking the law, or worse, it could result in a fatal disaster – with devastating effects on your family.

You can find the video on the presspforparty website – it is supported by the hashtag #dontdiefordiy.

DIY enthusiasts – before rolling up your sleeves, make sure you research what you should and shouldn’t be taking on yourself.