Latest news for Electrical Safety Council

Incorrectly selected or installed downlighters can the cause of fires in homes
(26/02/2010)

The Electrical Safety Council (ESC) have been working with the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service to investigate concerns that incorrectly selected, installed and/or maintained downlighters may have been the cause of a significant number of fires in homes. As part of the investigation, they commissioned an independent laboratory to carry out a limited safety assessment of, and thermal performance testing on, a selection of commercially-available d... [more]

Plug-in chargers are putting lives at risk
(19/02/2010)

Plug-in chargers are used for anything from handheld games consoles and iPods, to laptops and mobile phones. Every year around 1. 8 million chargers are purchased online, with most homes using several at once. Yet according to a new report from the Electrical Safety Council (ESC), these seemingly mundane products are putting lives at risk on a daily basis. The ESC commissioned an independent laboratory to carry out safety and performance testi... [more]

Test your RCDs regularly to be protected against electric shock
(11/12/2009)

An RCD is a Residual Current Device. Usually it is a big switch in your fuse board but it can be next to the fuse board or somewhere else. It is usually as wide as two of the normal switches and it has an on/off switch and an important little plastic button with a ‘T’ embossed on it. Without going into the boring technical stuff what it does is monitor the flow of electricity around the circuits it is guarding. As soon as it gets even a minute sn... [more]

Electrical Safety Council sets up a dedicated office for Scotland
(18/11/2008)

The Electrical Safety Council was established in 2005 with the aim of reducing deaths and injuries caused by electrical accidents at home and work. It provides guidance on the electrical safety of products, equipment and installations and promotes best practice among electrical installers. The charity has set up a dedicated office for Scotland. The council has recruited Tony Maskens, previously a manager at the British Standards Institution, t... [more]

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