FAO DIYers

[Andy78]

Press Releases News : Electrical Safety Council


An article from the Electrical safety council about the dangers of overconfidence and lack of knowledge when it comes to electrical work in the home.

Electricians say they are spending an increasing amount of time repairing such blunders and are concerned that ‘Dive-in DIYers’ are endangering themselves and their families. This is a serious concern – someone dies as a result of an electrical accident in their home every week in the UK, and electricity is the cause of 350,000 serious injuries each year, as well as half of all house fires.


And FAO forum members

The overconfidence partly comes from relying on the advice of unqualified friends or family (half of those surveyed said they do this) or seeking help online where the advice might not be appropriate – two fifths of people say they use Google to get tips and the same number use online video tutorials, such as on YouTube.

 

[DPG]

that's not an unreasonable comment - but that thread is a good example of how such forums are generally just used as point scoring opportunities - plenty of people have jumped down the throat of the OP on that thread, yet no one has taken the opportunity to point out the potentially serious error he was about to make, and it's got nothing to do with crimped connections

see if you can spot it

Which thread ?? Daz

 

[sean_ork]

http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk...orum/80991-connecting-three-wires-socket.html

 

[DPG]

Which thread ?? Daz

Are you thinking that the socket effectively becomes a spur (albeit a short one), giving two spurs? Daz

 

[decolad69]

that's not an unreasonable comment - but that thread is a good example of how such forums are generally just used as point scoring opportunities - plenty of people have jumped down the throat of the OP on that thread, yet no one has taken the opportunity to point out the potentially serious error he was about to make, and it's got nothing to do with crimped connections

To be fair, the OP asked the specific question re- crimping to 1 wire and was advised Phil d in the next post that it wasn't a option.

Jd sparky's post #10 could not be more informative and professional.

Sadly, the OP could have bought MK sockets, with their crap screws.

Decolad69

 

[IzzyS]

[h=2]From the ESC:

Deaths, Injuries and Fires[/h]1. Low voltage electrocutions and fatal electrical burns in GB from low voltage electricity supplies (2010 data) [SUP]i[/SUP]

• Total: 28
• Work related electrocutions: six
• Home or leisure electrocutions: 22

Now compare to food poisoning (for the same year). Source Hansard.

The latest available figures for deaths registered in the United Kingdom are for the year 2010. We are therefore not able to provide figures for 2011.
In the United Kingdom there were 35 deaths with an underlying cause related to food poisoning in 2010. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define food poisoning are presented in Box 1. Although all of the causes of death included in the answer are related to the ingestion of food, it is not possible to say whether these deaths were definitely associated with the ingestion of food, water or any other substance, since this is not routinely recorded on the death certificate.


And now to road deaths...

The key findings from the Main Results 2010 include: 

The number of people killed in road accidents reported to the police fell by 17 per cent from 2,222 in 2009 to 1,850 in 2010. This is the lowest figure since national records began in 1926. 
A total of 24,510 people were reported killed or seriously injured in 2010, 9 per cent less than in 2009.

There were 208,648 casualties (slight injuries, serious injuries and fatalities) in road accidents reported to the police in Great Britain in 2010, 6 per cent less than in 2009.


DIY Dan is more likely to die on his way to B&Q (or eating his bacon buttie when he gets there) than he is from his bodged electrics.

 

[Andy78]

From the ESC:

Deaths, Injuries and Fires

1. Low voltage electrocutions and fatal electrical burns in GB from low voltage electricity supplies (2010 data) [SUP]i[/SUP]

• Total: 28
• Work related electrocutions: six
• Home or leisure electrocutions: 22

Now compare to food poisoning (for the same year). Source Hansard.

The latest available figures for deaths registered in the United Kingdom are for the year 2010. We are therefore not able to provide figures for 2011.
In the United Kingdom there were 35 deaths with an underlying cause related to food poisoning in 2010. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define food poisoning are presented in Box 1. Although all of the causes of death included in the answer are related to the ingestion of food, it is not possible to say whether these deaths were definitely associated with the ingestion of food, water or any other substance, since this is not routinely recorded on the death certificate.


And now to road deaths...

The key findings from the Main Results 2010 include: 

The number of people killed in road accidents reported to the police fell by 17 per cent from 2,222 in 2009 to 1,850 in 2010. This is the lowest figure since national records began in 1926. 
A total of 24,510 people were reported killed or seriously injured in 2010, 9 per cent less than in 2009.

There were 208,648 casualties (slight injuries, serious injuries and fatalities) in road accidents reported to the police in Great Britain in 2010, 6 per cent less than in 2009.


DIY Dan is more likely to die on his way to B&Q (or eating his bacon buttie when he gets there) than he is from his bodged electrics.

Also from the ESC:

almost half of all severe electric shocks are caused by DIY attempts

someone dies as a result of an electrical accident in their home every week in the UK, and electricity is the cause of 350,000 serious injuries each year, as well as half of all house fires.

a third of electricians said they had seen or been involved with fixing DIY which had resulted in fires, serious electric shock or serious financial cost to repair.

If you want to we can play politicians by choosing which quotes and statistics to present, but that's not why I posted the original article.
I am not in the business of, nor have expertise in, preventing deaths, accidents or injury via food poisoning or road collisions, apart from washing my hands after a dump and driving safely.
I am, as we all are here, in the business of ensuring safety through professional electrical work, and promoting awareness to customers, which is why I made the original post.

DIY Dan may be more likely to die on the road or through badly prepared food, but does that negate the risk of electrical deaths ?
And are we only concerned about the number of deaths all of a sudden ?
The fundamental principles of BS7671 are to protect against danger, injury, and damage to persons, property and livestock. Not just to ensure against potentially fatal situations.

 

[Guest111]

that's not an unreasonable comment - but that thread is a good example of how such forums are generally just used as point scoring opportunities - plenty of people have jumped down the throat of the OP on that thread, yet no one has taken the opportunity to point out the potentially serious error he was about to make, and it's got nothing to do with crimped connections

To be fair, the OP asked the specific question re- crimping to 1 wire and was advised Phil d in the next post that it wasn't a option.

Jd sparky's post #10 could not be more informative and professional.

Sadly, the OP could have bought MK sockets, with their crap screws.

Decolad69

If the op cannot get 3 cables in a terminal what hope is there that he will crimp them correctly? that is why I didn't take it any further.

 

[Engineer54]

Also from the ESC:

almost half of all severe electric shocks are caused by DIY attempts

someone dies as a result of an electrical accident in their home every week in the UK, and electricity is the cause of 350,000 serious injuries each year, as well as half of all house fires.

a third of electricians said they had seen or been involved with fixing DIY which had resulted in fires, serious electric shock or serious financial cost to repair.

If you want to we can play politicians by choosing which quotes and statistics to present, but that's not why I posted the original article.
I am not in the business of, nor have expertise in, preventing deaths, accidents or injury via food poisoning or road collisions, apart from washing my hands after a dump and driving safely.
I am, as we all are here, in the business of ensuring safety through professional electrical work, and promoting awareness to customers, which is why I made the original post.

DIY Dan may be more likely to die on the road or through badly prepared food, but does that negate the risk of electrical deaths ?
And are we only concerned about the number of deaths all of a sudden ?
The fundamental principles of BS7671 are to protect against danger, injury, and damage to persons, property and livestock. Not just to ensure against potentially fatal situations.

Electricians are NOT in the business of being the ''Electrical Police'' ethier!!

But you have highlighted what i have always believed and stood by, in that you don't or shouldn't believe everything you read, that's in print, even when it's source is the likes of the ESC!!

 

[Andy78]

I'm not sure where I implied being the electrical police but, if doing a good job and offering advice where I can makes me that, then heigh ho.

 

[Kate]

to protect against danger, injury, and damage to persons, property and livestock.


I love it!! Its like an electrical oath!

Im going to have that printed on my pick-up. It will be like the american police cars!! Protect, honour and serve (I may have made the last two words up :/ )

 

[Clink]

You might not be able to ban dodgy DIY but a making it compulsory to have an up to date satisfactory EICR as part of a house sale wold be a good idea and totally enforcable.

 

[Engineer54]

I'm not sure where I implied being the electrical police but, if doing a good job and offering advice where I can makes me that, then heigh ho.

Meaning, it has nothing whatsoever to do with electricians, if a DIY'er can buy electrical materials part's etc from the sheds etc, or what a DIY'er does in his own home!! Nothing more and nothing less!! lol!!

I'd go along with the compulsory EICR as part of the conditions of sale to houses, and small businesses etc!! That makes perfect sense. Unfortunately i can also see how this can easily go down the line of drive-by certifications. Really need some teeth to these types of EICR's, that are forming part of a legal transfer of property, as well as in a few other areas!!

 

[Stevesplatto]

How many people have avoided serious accidents by doing good research on forums such as this before carrying out works?
How many people have gone ahead and attempted works after being mugged of by the 'you wouldnt couldnt possibly understand, get a proffesional' people?
Most of what we do is pretty simple, a bit of product knowledge, looking up values, small amount of maths, knowledge of regs. Sorry to disapoint but shock horror (oops) it aint rocket science most of what we do, most competent DIYers are capable, with the right guidance, of carrying out most electrical tasks safely in a domestic environment. The ones that arent capable are the ill advised who havent done their research, been given bad advise or havent had the knowledge to leave it alone and get someone in.
I believe sites like this are about sharing the knowledge not hiding it.
To the people who think that's doing them out of work I say actually I've picked up more work by advising people in detail, letting them know what they are taking on, and demonstrating the advantages of hiring a profesional than by sucking my teeth with no explanation.
I hope this forum doesnt just close ranks, go 'members only'. That would be a shame.
s

 

[sean_ork]

exactly right Steve, this forum is filled with folks asking for advise, only to be condemned as Satin if they are not ''qualified'' - it's a shame those words of condemnation weren't used to better effect

don't berate, educate

 

[Engineer54]

While i'm of the opinion that it's nothing to do with electricians what the general public get up to as far as electrical DIY within their own properties, i don't advocate helping them much either!! ( Far too many 17 day whizz kids and electrical trainee's around too, that aren't much off being DIYers....)

The one thing many of you that want to help the DIYer forget, ....is these DIYers will in the majority of cases, not be in possession of any of the relevant test equipment, so would be just as lost, (and probably a lot more so) than an electrician without his test equipment!! If a trained and qualified electrician can't do without his test equipment what chance does a DIYer have, be they so-called knowledgeable and/or competent or not!!!