| By :
Martin Hofschroer
Homeowners should employ qualified electricians instead of attempting electrical work themselves, according to the Electrical Safety Council (ESC). A survey by the ESC found that one in ten people would consider doing DIY jobs such as rewiring their home in a bid to save on costs during the current economic climate. The ESC has advised people against trying electrical work as half of all domestic fires in the United Kingdom are electrical. ESC director general Phil Buckle told the Times that homeowners should always hire qualified people who have passed the appropriate electrical courses. "Anyone who thinks putting off essential work or trying to attempt it themselves is the answer to saving money should think again," he told the newspaper. "Electrical work, for example wiring new sockets, must be done by an electrician registered with a government-approved scheme such as the NICEIC [National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation]." Some electricians may need to complete Part P courses and 17th edition courses before they are fully qualified to carry out certain jobs. Completing Part P courses will allow electricians to self-certify types of household electrical work that would otherwise have to be approved by a contractor or building inspector. 17th edition courses are aimed at practising electricians, electrical contractors and those who are required to possess a good working knowledge of BS7671:2008 (IEE Wiring Regulations, Seventeenth Edition). A new safety scheme has been launched by the ESC this month which aims to reduce the number of electrical accidents in the home by encouraging people to fit a residual-current device (RCD). Someone in the UK dies every week in an electrical accident in their home and thousands of people are injured every year, according to the ESC. The 'Plug into Safety' initiative will urge householders to take five minutes to carry out simple electrical safety checks including a review of RCD protection. Mr Buckle said: "There couldn't be a better time to launch the Plug into Safety campaign. "The bank holiday is when many people will be getting out in the garden or doing DIY and using lots of power tools, and currently more than half of UK homes - that's 13 million - don't have RCD protection in their fusebox." Mr Buckle went on to say that it was the responsibility of the industry to lead the way in encouraging householders to install RCDs and take basic safety measures so that UK families are protected from the potential dangers of electricity.
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