How to Spot Unsafe Electrical Work and How to report it?

Why is the Electrical Safety is important?

To prevent hazards and avoid dangerous situations, regular maintenance (Households every 10 years and for Landlords every 5 years) can prevent house fires and safe lives. Believe it or not, it is all our due diligence to maintain our home (even if it is a rental property) and report dangerous electrical work.

What is the Unsafe Electrical Work?

If you are an owner or just a user, it is your responsibility to make sure that electrical equipment and installations are maintained to prevent danger.

If the installation you think is unsafe is not owned by you or under your control, you should try to find out who owns it and then contact them. Electrical wiring systems and equipment should have a contact telephone number attached to them.

• Broken or burnt sockets and switches

• Noise of arching and burning smell

• Dangerous wiring such as Twin and Earth cable run outside

• Unresponsive electrical protection devices, etc.

These images just examples. In most cases a full EICR – Electrical Installation Condition Report requires to discover hidden faults or the age of the wiring system and all the part of it.

Don’t worry my insurance will cover it…

I am afraid it is not that simple. You must check it with your Home Insurance Provider first. Generally, if damage occurs resulting from a “sudden and accidental” loss caused by lightning or fire then most typically yes. However, you typically will not be covered if the damage is the result of age or improper maintenance.

In most cases, the main causes of electrical breakdowns are the age of the equipment and excessive hours of operation.

Main causes of electrical damages:

• Voltage surges and drops

• Electrical breakdowns

• Existence of arcing

• Abnormal supply of current or short-circuits

How to report unsafe electrical work?

Trust Mark Government Endorsed Quality Non-Profit Organisation and ESR Electrical Safety Roundtable are experts united with a common goal of improving electrical safety in the Home and in the Workplace.

You should report unsafe electrical work to prevent danger and raise the level of quality installation.

For more information on electrical safety and how to get regular maintenance, testing and protection please get in touch.

You must check if your electrician is qualified and also registered to carry out Domestic work under Part P and he must be registered with one of the 5 main organization, which you can check on the Competent Person scheme here.

Please Feel free to contact Cavendish Eletricals & Services and send us an enquiry through our web page. If you have any question you can email us to info@cavendishelectricals.co.uk or you can call us on 015 3648 3348.

We cover a wide range of areas: Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Greater London (M25).