feature: electrical safety
“Clear, concise communication is fundamental to improving product safety”
Most people in the industry know of Electrical Safety First - the campaigning charity dedicated to preventing deaths, injuries and damage caused by electricity. Its core mission is to promote safety and behaviour change by running a range of high-profile media consumer campaigns. But the charity is
also a strong supporter of industry best practice - including its sponsorship of the IER award for the best retailer website. Here, Phil Buckle, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First, explains why engaging with retailers and the industry is essential to the charity’s product safety strategy.
W
e live in a complex world that is becoming more so by the minute. That’s why it needs a
joined-up approach to electrical safety and why we work in partnership with a range of stakeholders to effect change. Our industry engagement takes
various forms - from our highly regarded annual product safety conference and industry seminars, to consumer awareness campaigns which emphasise the need to use trusted traders. But we are also closely involved in developing the electrical product industry’s legislative landscape, with representatives from our electro- technical department involved in a range of national and international regulatory and standards committees.
Electrical Safety First was a key member
of the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety, which produced the report recommending a number of product safety improvements, including the development of a centrally managed product recall database(something we continue to campaign for). Elsewhere on the political front, we helped form the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Electrical Safety in the Home. This was established to address the problem of counterfeit and substandard electrical goods, which not only fills the coffers of organised crime but also presents a significant risk to consumer safety and undermines reputable retailers. In 2017, almost 5,000 fires were caused by faulty electrical appliances and leads,
including recalled items - the equivalent of 13 fires per day across the UK. Highlighted by the tragic Grenfell and Lakanal House fires, product safety – particularly electrical product safety – is now a mainstay of the media and political agenda. So we warmly welcomed last year’s launch of the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) – which the APPG for Electrical Safety in the Home strongly lobbied for - and are working with them in a number of areas. This includes promoting their new code of practice, the PAS 7100, which offers good practice examples and practical guidance for recalling consumer products. A PAS (or publicly available specification) aims to speed up the standardisation process by providing initial guidelines for a process,
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www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk
April 2019
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