Tayside Fire & Rescue
Tayside Fire & Rescue

SWITCH OFF

NEW CAMPAIGN TO WARN OF ELECTRICAL FIRE RISK

The minister of community safety Fergus Ewing recently launched the new Fire Safety in the home TV advert at Maryhill  Fire Station with Jim Donaldson representing the Tayside Fire Rescue community safety dept. Each week in Scotland two families suffer fires in their home due to a faulty washing machine or dishwasher while electrical problems with televisions cause a domestic fire every fortnight. The fire risks from cooking are well known and most often due to misuse of the equipment.  But most involving  other electrical goods are due to a fault with the appliance and a key message of the new campaign is to minimise risks by switching off the equipment when going to bed or leaving the house.

The new advert focuses on this with the advert replaying events back to the suppose cause of the fire being electrical with the switch off the washing machine being put on prior to the family going to bed. This a key important message for members of the public to switch off electrical appliances  that will be reinforced by fire crews when carrying out free home fire safety visits.

Please click here to view the advert: www.dontgivefireahome.com

Community Fire Safety Group Manager Stewart Edgar said fires caused by electrical appliances are on the rise in Scotland, with two families a week experiencing a blaze in their homes due to a faulty washing machine or dishwasher.

He explained, “Fires starting in electrical appliances, particularly faulty appliances, are definitely on the increase in Tayside — and in Scotland.

“More house fires are caused by electrical appliances than anything else.

“People really are unaware of the potential danger they are in simply by leaving the TV on standby or by putting the washing machine or tumble dryer on during the night or when they are out of the house.”

Mr Edgar went on, “Obviously, part of the problem is that an average household has far more electrical appliances now than ten years ago.

“Just think about the number of mobile phone chargers and hair straighteners people have in their homes now.

“People also probably use appliances such as washing machines and tumble dryers more now than ever before.”

“Never overload sockets or run electrical wires under carpets. Also, do not try to repair or rejoin cables or wires with insulation tape, always replace the whole cable and try to get that done by a qualified engineer.”

Lastly, Mr Edgar said people should, if possible, have their appliances checked regularly. Most are never assessed from the moment they are purchased to the day they are thrown away.

“You are more likely to die in a house fire in Scotland than you are anywhere else in western Europe, so it is important to get the message across to people that leaving electrical appliances on, especially when they are sleeping, is a danger,” he said.

“If you are sleeping, you will not know anything about it until your smoke alarm goes — that’s if you have got a smoke alarm.”

For a free Tayside Fire and Rescue home fire safety visit, call 01382 835804, text FIRE to 61611, or visit www.taysidefire.gov.uk.