Column: Kirsty Shepherd, Firefighter - January is Electrical Safety month

Nearly a year ago in February we experienced some pretty wet and windy conditions with flooding to our region plus Storm Eunice caused havoc by uprooting trees and damaging properties in the area.

The summer brought record temperatures resulting in numerous wildfires across our district. Harrogate Fire Station hosted its first open day since Covid which attracted over a thousand people to the station.

We were kept busy up to Christmas with various call outs including property fires, road traffic collisions and assisting other emergency services. Of course we keep busy between call outs by conducting ‘Safe and Well’ visits to your homes which includes installing free smoke alarms, doing school talks, engaging with local scouts and rainbow groups, and spreading prevention messages to help keep everyone safe in our community. We also manage to do some training in between to keep our skills up to date.

Every month, the fire service has a safety theme. January is Electrical Safety month. Electricity is a cause of over 20,000 fires in UK homes every year. 89 per cent of these fires are caused by electrical products, 11 per cent are caused by faults in electrical installations or misuse of electrical installations

There are simple steps that you can take to minimise the risk of fire when using appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers, fridge-freezers and dishwashers. Always buy from a retailer you can trust and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing, using and maintaining electrical appliances. Don’t leave washing machines, tumble dryers or dishwashers running overnight or when you are out. Don’t keep using appliances that begin to make a strange noise or smell of burning – get them checked.

Also don’t overload electrical adaptors by plugging too many appliances into one socket, especially those with a high electrical current rating such as kettles, irons and heaters. We always advise to never use cube style adaptors as this style of adaptor is usually older and don’t always have a fuse. Always use the genuine charger that is designed for use with the product as substandard and counterfeit electrical chargers can be dangerous especially if you charge e-cigarettes. Always look for the CE mark that indicates chargers comply with European Safety standards.

I am always saying this but make sure you have a working smoke alarm. If a fire starts in your home, a smoke alarm will provide an early warning signal giving you valuable time to escape. If you would like some free advice, we can come and do a Safe and Well visit – you can book one on the website www.northyorksfire.gov.uk

Finally, from January 23 it is ‘register my appliance’ week. There have been over 800 electrical product recalls since 2007 so we’re reminding everyone to register their white goods so they are informed of repairs or recalls. Register yours today at https://www.registermyappliance.org.uk. Registering can also save you money by entitling you to an extended warranty or guarantee period.