At MS Electrical we always strive to help our customers and the public at large to avoid the unnecessary heartache caused by electrical fires. We dedicate our working lives to carrying out PAT testing and fixed wire testing in Cambridge to prevent exactly the scenarios we’ve now heard are unfolding in Shropshire courtesy of a host of faulty domestic appliances and shoddy wiring.
The county was hit by an unprecedented 254 accidental domestic fires in 2015, many of which were entirely avoidable. The situation has been so bad that local fire chiefs have issued tips to residents to prevent further misery. Horror stories from across Shropshire include a hotel manager who put the tumble dryer on in her garage while she changed for work, only for fire to spread and destroy the metal garage and a conservatory while also melting PVC window frames in the bedrooms.
Elsewhere, a professional couple returned home to discover that a faulty washing machine had caused £40,000 worth of fire and smoke damage to their 20-room historic farmhouse, even though they’d registered to receive updates on faulty appliance recalls. And in a bizarre twist, a firefighter suffered a tumble dryer fire when fluff got between the seal and into the motor and set it alight.
In 2015 Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service made 3,233 fire safety visits to homes occupied by elderly and vulnerable people to highlight the need for smoke alarms and to check for fire safety hazards. The majority of house fires start in the kitchen, usually with cookers, although tumble dryers and washing machines are increasingly being identified as the cause, along with faulty cables, toasters and grills and microwaves.
There has also been a growth in the number of families having a computer in most rooms in the house, leading to an increase in cheap electrical chargers, overloaded sockets and frayed wiring, all of which are common causes of fire.
Should you have any concerns over the wiring within your property or the suitability of the sockets and extension leads you’re using at home or at work, please give us a call on 01223 850301 / 01353 665106 to arrange a quotation for your fixed wire testing and/or PAT testing. The old adage that it’s better to be safe than sorry has never been more relevant, and we’re here to keep your electrical safety in check.
