POST-COVID SAFETY FEATURES
>>> Continued from page 31
attempting DIY electrical work. This is particularly important, as the development of home offices may well enhance the mainstreaming of the smart home – and offer an opportunity for suitably trained electricians. If the climate emergency has highlighted the importance of electricity, the COVID-19 crisis has (inevitably) highlighted the importance of ‘home’. Our homes are our safe place, the refuge we retire to at the end of the day and, increasingly for some, a place to work from. The primary mission of Electrical Safety First is to help people use electricity safely in their home. COVID-19 has also highlighted inequalities in our society that are reflected in our homes.
Despite electricity being the number one cause of all of Scotland’s domestic fires, housing legislation is subject to a ‘tenure lottery’ – with different levels of protection for different tenures. We believe everybody should feel electrically safe in their own home, regardless of tenure, and this forms the basis of our ‘Inequality Street’ campaign. Electrical Safety First led the charge for regular electrical checks in Scotland’s private rented sector, which came into force in 2015. And social landlords in Scotland must now also undertake five-yearly electrical checks. So our present focus is on extending this safety
“Te development of home offices may well enhance the mainstreaming of the smart home – and offer an opportunity for suitably trained electricians”
essential to mixed-tenure blocks and the owner-occupied sector.
The probability of fire spread can be exacerbated in high density housing, especially in multi-storey apartments or blocks of flats. And many homeowners are older and vulnerable people, yet there is no requirement for regular checks in this tenure. We will continue to campaign for a uniform set of safety measures, across all tenures, to ensure consistent electrical safety. We believe in a collaborative approach and we work with government and industry – and a range of other, relevant bodies – to develop solutions. For example, as members of the Scottish Government’s Electricians Working Group, alongside SELECT, our objective is to ensure the safety of electrical installations.
The charity also sits on the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service’s Electrical Safety Working Group, which works in partnership to reduce the risk of electrical products and services causing
fire, injury and death. And our collaboration with organisations such as SELECT is also fundamental to our work in creating a joined-up approach to electrical safety. Post-COVID, I see such collaboration as even more important. Electricity was already becoming increasingly significant before COVID-19 but this crisis has changed our world and refocused our priorities. We have seen electricians fitting out the temporary NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital at the SEC in Glasgow, carrying out essential repair work under difficult circumstances – and now playing a key role in restarting the economy. I grew up in the north east of England, where the focus on getting a ‘proper job’ meant training in a practical skill to gain a trade. And in the hierarchy of trades, electrical apprenticeships were up there at the top. Many other apprenticeships that were important during my childhood – such as in shipbuilding and mining – have faded. But today, electricians are still as important as ever. In a post-pandemic landscape, they have the opportunity to become even more so. But key to such development, is the provision of a highly trained, skilled, and trusted workforce. Because in an electric world, we put our lives in your hands.
i
A rise in homeworking could bring opportunities for trained electricians
32 CABLEtalk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020
Troughout the year, Electrical Safety First hosts a number of major events to support industry in staying up-to date
with legislative changes, product innovation and risk prevention. Its forthcoming product safety conference
– A Sustainable Future – will be held online in November. To find out more, visit:
tinyurl.com/ thw4vlo
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
