| By :
Martin Hofschroer
DIY devotees have confessed to acting like the Chuckle Brothers when it comes to undertaking home improvements. Research by the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) revealed that a significant number of people are sustaining slapstick injuries because they are under-qualified to perform DIY tasks around the house. The study found that 35 per cent of people said that they had got paint on their furniture or carpet while performing DIY tasks. In addition, 33 per cent owned up to having hit themselves with a hammer and 16 per cent said they had received an electric shock during DIY jobs. People who take plastering courses, tiling courses and decorating courses are less likely to cause themselves injury. This is because they will have learned from professionally qualified people about how to undertake DIY properly. David Pollock, ECA group chief executive officer, said that it was fine for people to undertake small scale DIY jobs but complex electrical work should be left to qualified tradesmen. He said: "For bigger jobs, especially those which involve electricity or a skill that you are not familiar with, you should really call in a professional. "Not only will this remove the risk of accidents but it ensures that the job is finished to the highest standard." Mr Pollock went onto say that it was important that homeowners employ tradesmen who have passed the appropriate Part P courses as they will be able to self certify their work. Homeowners who attempt DIY electrical work may be contravening Part P of the building regulations, according to Mr Pollock. He said: "Many homeowners attempting their own DIY are probably unaware of Part P of the building regulations. "This specifies that, with the exception of minor works, anyone undertaking any domestic installation work must notify their Local Authority Building Control before work begins, unless carried out by a Part P registered installer." It is also advisable that an electrician has completed 17th edition courses so that they are familiar with the layout, content and application of the BS 7671 (2008) 17th Regulations Edition. Fully qualified electricians must have completed the City & Guilds NVQ 2330 Level 2 and NVQ 2356 level 3 electrical courses. The Electrical Safety Council recently launched the 'Plug Into Safety' campaign, which aims to educate people about the risk of electrical accidents in the home. Research by health and safety organisations revealed that every week someone in the UK dies as a result of an electrical accident.
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