Plug into Safety
Protect yourself, your family and your home.
Electricity kills. Government statistics show that most fires in UK homes are caused by electrical products and installations. Electricity is now the major cause of accidental fires in UK homes.
Most of these accidents could be prevented by RCD protection, yet more than half of us – that’s 13 million homes – don’t have it.
So, Plug into Safety – check your electrics at home and take the following precautions:
- Avoid using faulty or damaged electrical appliances, lighting and switches
- Consider upgrading to a modern fusebox with built-in RCDs or get a plug-in RCD from your local DIY store or garden centre – it could save your life
- If you have any doubt about electrical safety in your home or if your electrics keep tripping, contact a registered electrician
Find out more about making your home safer – http://www.esc.org.uk/pdfs/safety-in-the-home/PluginSafety-Consumer.pdf
• What’s an RCD?
An RCD is a life-saving device that protects against dangerous electric shock and reduces the risk of electrical fires.
RCD stands for residual current device. This is a sensitive switching device that quickly turns the electricity off when danger arises to reduce the risk of death or serious injury. RCD protection is particularly important when using electrical equipment outdoors.
• What kind of RCD should I fit?
RCD in your fusebox – will give the highest level of protection to your family and home as covers all wiring, sockets and appliances on a circuit.
- Plug-in RCD – can be plugged into any socket and will protect you if a problem arises when using a particular appliance. They are available from most home-improvement stores and garden centres.
• Why haven’t we heard about RCDs until now?
In a recent survey a third of respondents said they knew what an RCD was – however we know that many people confuse them with circuit breakers, which offer nowhere near the same level of safety protection.
RCD protection has been around for many years, but there has been no legal requirement to fit it in older properties. With the increasing number of electrical devices we all have in the home and garden, we all need to consider electrical safety more. ESC is running this campaign to cut the number of people killed or injured through electrical accidents by getting more of us to fit RCD protection at home.