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.

 

[Guitarist]

The core of the problem though, is that as you have already pointed out, electrical work needs testing. DIY'ers do not have test gear, or the training to use it.
An example of this is when the homeowner has diligently connected their shiney new metal light fittings, but wasn't able to carry out testing. On several occasions now, I have come across no earth connection between the fitting and the CU, due to DIY electrics carried out (often in the loft) resulting in cpc's being disconnected. Only an R1+R2 test (or a simple R2 test) will confirm this.
The DIY'er has done what they consider to be a good job, but has in fact left a dangerous situation. Of course, "it works dunnit" so nobody is any the wiser.
This is just a simple example, and there are loads more I could give.

 

[Stevesplatto]

I agree guitarist so DIYers need to know that their work needs to be tested. It's about passing on good advise rather than putting up brick walls!

 

[Guest111]

I agree guitarist so DIYers need to know that their work needs to be tested. It's about passing on good advise rather than putting up brick walls!

the problem is that a lot of diy'ers don't want to pay for the job done so they certainly won't pay for a test and as has been said earlier they don't have the test gear.

 

[IzzyS]

With regards post 65 it is irrelevant how many deaths are caused by other means, this has no bearing on this at all.
28 deaths from electric shock is 28 too many, full stop!

You cannot just compare it to those other figures and say its ok as there were less deaths than there were through other means. Every single death is a tragedy and should not have happened. Or has the value of human life been reduced to a statistic?

I never said it was OK. It was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek comment, but has been interpreted differently.

However, tragic as it is for those directly affected, a certain number of deaths are inevitable. More so in some fields than others. It is a fact that is accepted by society on a daily basis. Think of the anarchy if the responsible government wouldn't let you buy cigarettes or alcohol, eat high calorific foods, ride in (or on) motorised transport, play dangerous sports, fly in planes, or forced everyone to take part in an hour a day of cardiovascular exercise. All of these would slash the death rate. Given infinite resources it may be possible to eliminate all electrical deaths and injuries, but the sad fact is that many are caused by people seeking to save a few quid, whether it be DIYers, or professionals facing commercial time constraints. I have yet to meet a member of the public who is aware of safe zones, or has even heard of the ESC. Maybe they need to spend some money on better targeted adverts. After all, as you say, what cost do you put on those 28 lives?,

The prime requirement of an electrician is not to kill or injure anyone, or cause damage to property, which I do to the best of my abilities. Where possible I try and inform the public, but if they won't, or can't, spend the necessary cash to make it safe I walk away. In all probability someone else will carry out the work in an unsafe manner. I don't lose sleep over it. I am not the electrical police, and I am not a charity.

 

[Guitarist]

I agree guitarist so DIYers need to know that their work needs to be tested. It's about passing on good advise rather than putting up brick walls!

The fundamental problem with giving advice to people who have no intention of getting an electrician involved in any way, shape or form (once it works), is that you are telling them how to carry out the work which they may, if no advice were available, simply have to accept was beyond their abilities. However few, those people would have got an electrician if there were no advice available.

 

[Stevesplatto]

Agreed, but if they won't pay out, even after being in possesion of all the facts, then we've done all we can do..

 

[Des 56]

The fundamental problem with giving advice to people who have no intention of getting an electrician involved in any way, shape or form (once it works), is that you are telling them how to carry out the work which they may, if no advice were available, simply have to accept was beyond their abilities. However few, those people would have got an electrician if there were no advice available.

You are right Guitarist with most of what you say and no right thinking person could argue the points

However,Diy electrical work will never be curtailed, whatever restrictions that may be put on them
It may be regulation or restriction of advise but neither will curtail the "Have a go Henry"

I prefer to listen to what they have in their mind,find fault with their problems and point out those faults
The actual giving away the step by step instructions on how do do something that may or may not be in their capabilities is probably a step too far

When their own ideas are examined and scrutinised,I would have thought many who otherwise would have a go may think twice about the option when it is shown that it is not just a pair of wires and "Hey presto it works",then perhaps our trade is being promoted in this way

It is for this reason that I personally respond to their threads,its better for them to have any shortcomings pointed out to them rather than them going at a job like a bull at a gate,which is what quite a lot of them would have done whatever response they may or may not get from this forum