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Seven easy to do safety checksThe following seven checks are all easy to do and a good torch is the only tool you will need. If you can tick all seven then your house is probably fairly safe. Obviously you will not be able test everything electrical (ie things like R.C.D.s, cables and connections) and that's why the BS7671 safety standard recommends that houses should be tested by a qualified electrician at least once every ten years.If you cannot tick all seven checks below then your electrical wiring is not as safe as it could be and you should contact a qualified electrician for further advice. 1. Check that there are no loose, broken, cracked or browning sockets, switches or other electrical accessories and no inner cables (e.g. red, black, brown or blue) or bare metal wires showing. 2. Check that all lights, switches, sockets, fans, heaters and all other items of electrical equipment work correctly. 3. Check that all circuits are connected through a 30mA RCD (or RCBO). (They should be marked on their front) 4. Check that all RCDs switch off the power to the relevant circuits when the test button is pressed (instructions should be on consumer unit) 5. Check that there are thick green & yellow earth cables securely connected to all three of the following:- a. Main metal water
pipe
near to the main stopcock, often underneath the
kitchen sink.
6. Check that there are green & yellow earth cables
in the bathroom
securely connected to all metal pipes. b. Main metal gas pipe near to the gas meter. c. To metal central heating pipes, often underneath or near the gas boiler. 7. Check your paper records to ensure that your electrical wiring has been thoroughly tested by a qualified electrician within the last ten years. |
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