New 'Plug Initiative' To Reduce Fires
The Chief Fire Officers' Association (CFOA) welcomes The Electrical Safety Councils initiative to provide free electrical adaptors to be used within UK 3-pin sockets. These conversion plugs will be given to fire and rescue services around the UK for distribution during home safety checks, reducing the risk of fires in the home caused by faulty electrical equipment or incorrectly used two pin appliances.
Consumer safety body, the Electrical Safety Council, has received some worrying reports of the dangerous practice of forcing European type 2-pin plugs into UK 3-pin sockets, which could increase the risk of an electrical fire. European appliances can easily be converted for safe UK use with an appropriate purpose-made 3-pin EU conversion plug which adapts the 2-pin plugs for safe use with UK electrical installations.
Chief Fire Officer Lee Howell, Chairman of the National Prevention Committee welcomed the initiative saying:
"The latest government figures* show that the main cause of accidental dwelling fires is the misuse of equipment/electrical appliances (16,200 fires). CFOA welcomes any opportunity to reduce the chance of fires caused by electrical equipment and this initiative does just that."
Anyone wanting further information about using European electrical appliances in the UK, or to find out from where these EU conversion plugs can be purchased, can obtain a copy of the Electrical Safety Council's free advice leaflet by visiting its website, www.esc.org.uk, or by phoning their consumer helpline 0870 040 0561