Don’t compromise on electrical safety for an online bargain – that’s the message from firefighters in West Sussex this week ahead of Black Friday.
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is supporting Electrical Fire Safety Week, an annual campaign organised by the charity Electrical Safety First, which runs from today until Sunday urging people to think twice when it comes to electrical safety.
With Black Friday deals already flooding the market, the fire service is reminding people to ensure they don’t put their families at risk by buying a counterfeit electrical item online that doesn’t conform to the high safety standards covering electrical items.
The service is advising people to only buy electrical items from a reputable retailer – the products they sell will not only meet the correct safety standards, but if something does go wrong, you can return the product for repair or a refund.
Nicki Peddle is the service’s Head of Prevention. She said: “At this time of year we are always prepared to see an increase in the number of fires that begin as the result of faulty electrical items, or overloaded plug sockets. When putting up the Christmas decorations it’s all too easy to add another plug to a socket, or daisy-chain extension leads together to make the fairy lights fit where they need to be.
“But this can be incredibly dangerous. The last thing anyone wants to have to contend with at this time of year is a fire in their own home. So we would urge people to think twice when it comes to electrical fire safety.”
Some simple steps to help keep you safe from an electrical fire:
- Never leave electrical items plugged in or unattended, especially at night.
- Unplug all appliances and chargers when not using them
- Make sure sockets and adaptors aren’t overloaded
- Regularly check that flexible cables on all electrical appliances are not worn or coming out of the plug.
- Make sure you have a working smoke alarm.
You can find more information here: https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/west-sussex-fire-and-rescue-service/home-fire-safety/electrical-and-heating-appliance-safety-advice/
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