News Release 2003/0133:
15 July 2003
CRACKDOWN ON DANGEROUS ELECTRICAL WORK SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT'S FIRE PREVENTION AGENDA Tough, new controls on electrical work in the home will reduce deaths, injuries and fires caused by defective installations and save the economy an estimated £93m over ten years, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced today.
The changes to the building regulations underline the Government's fire prevention agenda - with the goal of preventing fires from starting in the first place. This was set out in the recent White Paper 'Our Fire and Rescue Service' and good building design is one of the key factors in effective fire prevention.
The Government wants to curb the rising number of electrical accidents and fires in the home by bringing electrical safety within the scope of the building regulations for the first time.
But the success of the new controls, which could come into force by next spring 2004, depends on the electrical industry coming forward with trade certification schemes to test the competence of installers.
In recent years householders and their families have faced an increased risk of injury from electric shock or fires caused by faults in fixed installations or portable appliances. Many accidents are due to faulty extension and alteration work, use of equipment that does not comply with British Standards or misuse of portable appliances.
Properly designed, fitted and tested fixed installations offer protection against these dangers. This is why the Government, having consulted with the public and the construction industry, now wants national safety standards reinforced by redefining work on fixed electrical installations in the home as building work to bring them within the control of building regulations. Parliamentary under Secretary Phil Hope, the Minister responsible for building regulations, said in a written statement:
"Making householders aware of the need to protect themselves and their families from incompetent workmanship is in line with our drive for better, safer communities in which to live and work. The new measures will also raise industry standards and contribute towards our aim of creating a better-qualified workforce. They reinforce the emphasis in the Fire White Paper published on 30 June of greater prevention of fires."
Notes to Editors
- These regulatory proposals have been developed in response to the Construction Industry Deregulation Task Force's 1995 report which recommended amongst other things that the Building Regulations should address electrical safety and that the administrative burden on builders should be rationalised. The Government responded to these recommendations by agreeing to review the case for new requirements and how they might best be practically introduced.
- The current Building Regulations for England & Wales (2000) do not address the safety of fixed electrical systems in buildings. For the purposes of Building Regulations a fixed electrical system means those parts of the wiring and appliances that are fixed to the building fabric e.g. sockets, switches, fuse-boxes, immersion heaters and ceiling fittings.
- The hazards posed by unsafe electrical installations and portable appliances are electric shock and injuries arising from fires in buildings ignited by electrical components overheating or arcing. Installations properly designed, fitted, tested and commissioned in accordance with BS7671 will help to minimise these risks.
- Each year an average of 30 people die and about 1150 are seriously injured in accidents involving defective fixed electrical installations in the home, including fires caused by such installations.
- It is believed that risks from unsafe electrical installations have increased over recent years due to:
Rising numbers and variety of electrical systems and appliances in buildings plus increased demands being made on them
Privatisation of the supply industry in 1988 leading to fewer electrical supplier interventions in consumer installations.
Voluntary self-regulation schemes provide excellent support for existing subscribers but do not always reach the independents or small businesses that have grown rapidly in number since the recession of the early 1990s.
- Electrical accident rates in houses have risen and compare with those for carbon monoxide poising, gas explosions and collisions with glass - all of which are covered by the Regulations.
- British Standard 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations: the IEE Wiring Regulations is the principal British Standard that covers the safe design, installation and testing of electrical installations in building systems and it is the technical standard almost universally specified in UK contracts for electrical installation work. It would be the basis for approved technical guidance if electrical requirements were to be introduced into the Building Regulations.
- Regulations are considered necessary to bolster the existing voluntary schemes because:
Existing voluntary schemes have attracted less than one quarter of electrical
Large numbers of jobbing electricians and the DIY market are beyond the reach of voluntary controls
- The Building Regulations 2000: Proposals for amending Schedule 1 to introduce electrical safety requirements is available on the DTLR website.
- Paper copies of the electrical safety consultation package can be obtained from: DTLR Free Literature, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7NB; Tel: 0870 1226236; Fax: 0870 1226237; Textphone: 0870 1207405; e-mail: snipped-for-privacy@twoten.press.net. The product code is 02BR00015.
Press Enquiries: 020 7944 3042 Out of Hours: 020 7944 5945 E-mail: snipped-for-privacy@odpm.gsi.gov.uk Public Enquiries: 020 7944 4400 ODPM website:
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15 July 2003