JOINING FORCES TO PROTECT CONSTITUENTS IN MERTHYR TYDFIL AND RHYMNEY

Electricity causes half of all fires in Welsh homes. And recent tragic events at Grenfell Tower have made everyone much more aware of the risks from electrical products – items we use unthinkingly, every day. Which is why Gerald Jones MP has joined forces with leading safety charity, Electrical Safety First, to help protect constituents in their home.

“White goods, such as dishwashers, tumble dryers, and fridge freezers, are one of the leading causes of electrical fires in Welsh homes”, explains Gerald Jones MP.

“Last year, they caused over 1,200 fires – the equivalent of 72% of all fires. I attended Electrical Safety First’s recent reception to find out more about how I can help my constituents stay electrically safe at home – especially now, as winter has arrived and older people in particular, are at greater risk of an electrical accident. I would like to encourage people to sign up and support this campaign by visiting www.supportsaferhomes.com.”

Electrical fires in the home are generally caused by misuse of appliances, poor regulation of electrical safety checks – particularly in the private rented sector – faulty appliances and electrical distribution faults. Electrical Safety First believes these issues must be tackled in tandem to make a real impact on the problem. So it is calling on the Welsh Government to establish a package of measures to build on recent progress with electrical safety checks and reduce electrical fires by 10% over the next five years.  These include implementing a safety campaign for Welsh consumers on fires caused by electricity, with a particular focus on older people in Wales to help prevent a rise in accidents as the population ages.

In the meantime, the charity has developed a range of resources to help check the safety of a property. This includes a mobile phone app, which provides a quick visual check of the electrics in a home, plus a link to find a registered electrician in your area.