Would you a) Be alerted by your smoke alarm? b) I guess my smoke alarm would alert me but I don’t test it, or c) What smoke alarm, do I need one?

Does this scenario seem a bit daft? It will if you have smoke alarms fitted in your home and you test them on a weekly basis – if this is you – then you are in the MINORITY of people who have a smoke alarm in their home AND test it regularly.

If you are a landlord or business  – are you staying legal?

The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (FSO) is the primary legislation for all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including the common parts of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Failure to comply with the FSO is an offence punishable by hefty fines or imprisonment.

So where do you start particularly if you are a new landlord? The good news is that you are in safe hands with Fulcher Edwards.

We can take care of the whole fire safety requirements and legalities of your rental properties and business premises in London and Hertfordshire.
We don’t come and install whats needed and then leave, we design each system for every client to ensure its effectiveness in the event of fire. It is then installed by an expert team of compliant, qualifed electricians to current British Standards and then tested. This is all part of our standard service.

Our service does not end here……we also offer maintenance services – you can rely on Fulcher Edwards to not only install your fire system, but to also maintain it – we’re proud to continue to put our name to our installations long after the first install. We also provide fire warden training as well as fire extinguisher installation and maintenance.

We have many clients in London and Hertfordshire, both big and small – and our guranteed high standard of work is ensured across each and every installation whatever the size.
We also work with many domestic customers who are keen to ensure their home safety. Fire safety goes much further than a cheap battery alarm, give us a call to discuss your requirements – Fulcher Edwards can install a great fire safety package in your own home – without all the annoying beeps that keep you up all night.

For more information about our fire safety services we offer click HERE

You will also find information about the complimentary services offered by Fulcher Edwards including emergency lighting services.

Don’t compromise your safety – choose Fulcher Edwards for all your fire needs.

A week rarely goes by without the team at Fulcher Edwards being slightly concerned by the lack of interest some companies have in maintaining there Emergency Lighting in their building, yet it plays such a major part should an emergency like a power failure occur. Though some companies will happily take our advice as they were not aware of there full responsibilities before, some do just push it to one side.

The British Standards (BS5266) recommends that emergency lighting systems be regularly serviced by ‘competent’ persons, which means these being persons with the necessary knowledge, skills and training to undertake emergency lighting servicing procedures.

The Purpose of Emergency Lighting?

1) To illuminate escape route signs in a building to allow for safe movement and evacuation in a emergency such as a mains failure

2) They ensure that fire alarm call points and fire equipment provided along the escape routes can be readily located and used

3) To permit operations concerned with safety measures

Regular testing in your premises ensures that your emergency lighting system remains reliable at all times and should an emergency occur then this type of lighting ensures that people can evacuate a building safely.

How Regular is Regular?
The British Standards recommends routine testing should be carried out as follows and recorded in a log book:

Daily
This requires a visual check to ensure that emergency lighting systems are operating correctly and that indicators are working. This should be carried out by the ‘responsible person’ delegated by a company. Any faults should be logged and corrected ASAP.

Monthly
All luminaries should be checked for signs of damage or disrepair. All emergency lights should be briefly tested to ensure that they operate in the event of mains electricity supply failure. This will usually be carried out by the ‘responsible person’. Again any faults should be logged and corrected ASAP.

Annually
A full 3 hour system inspection and duration test of the emergency lights should be performed by a ‘competent person’ who will log the details, rectify any faults and provide your company with certification for your fire safety records.

Who is a Competent Person?
This is a person who has the necessary skills, training and knowledge to perform emergency lighting maintenance and servicing. They are qualified, experienced in emergency lighting, registered with a government approved body(such as NICEIC) and comply with the British Standards. Your chosen electrical services company or electrician will also be able to advise if all lighting and exit signs are up to date with current legislation and are adequate for the purpose intended.

Who is a Responsible Person?
This is a designated member of staff in a company who can quickly and easily perform monthly checks and record information in a log book. They also need to be punctual with their tests each month and report any faults immediately to the chosen company who manage your emergency lighting system.

Why is it so Important?
Maintaining your emergency lighting and arranging regular testing in your company, ensures your emergency lighting remains fully functional during an emergency where an electrical failure may occur, lights up exit routes and signs for the specified duration.

We maintain emergency lighting for a number of commercial clients in Herts and London as well as charities, landlord’s properties, rail depots, shops, restaurants & bars. Our aim with this blog post is to make businesses aware of how important it is to maintain their emergency lighting. It plays such an important role for people entering your premises who are unaware of the layout during an emergency; it really could be a lifesaver!

When we visit our clients homes, we always advise on general electrical safety. It is part of our service and commitment to make homes in and around Hertfordshire electrically safer.

One recommendation we always give to our clients is to have an RCD fitted in their home if they do not already have one in place.

What is RCD Protection?

RCD stands for Residual Current Device and is fitted as standard to all new consumer unit (fuse box) installations. It is a sensitive switching device that quickly turns off electricity when danger arises to reduce the risk of death or serious injury.

The electricity is turned off in a fraction of a second and is far quicker and reliable than breakers and fuses. An RCD activates if you accidentally touch a live cable which could one day save your life. Electricity is not something we think about on a daily basis, particularly if we believe that everything is OK. It is easy to become complacent and that is where the job of the RCD comes in to play. We can all make a simple error, but don’t let it cost you your life.

Why is an RCD so important?

RCD protection is a ground breaking development and has been responsible for saving many lives and preventing serious injuries. However, there is still more to be done as there are many homes in the UK which are still without any form of RCD protection. Clearly more needs to be done to inform householders on the dangers of electricity!

Our recommendation from us here at Fulcher Edwards is to have an EICR carried out in your home by an electrical contractor in your area. Following the electrician carrying out a thorough investigation on the condition of your home electrical installation, you will receive a report and recommendations which will keep your home in optimum electrical safety. If you currently have no RCD protection, this will form one of the recommendations in the report.

Remember that RCD protection must be installed by a domestic electrician who will ensure that the new consumer unit is fitted safely and correctly and the RCD is working as it should be.

The RCD in the above photo is from a house in St Albans which we carried out works on. This RCD in particular protects all of the small power circuits in the kitchen and office area plus the electric underfloor heating, which is required by the 17th edition of regulation to have additional protection provided by RCD.

The information notice is also a requirement to make the occupiers aware that RCDs should be tested quarterly and also provides instruction on how to test the device.

Other things you can do to stay safe

If you are looking at lower cost ways to keep safe, you may like to consider plug in RCD protection. Plug in RCD protection costs as little as £10 on the High Street and the advantage of plug in RCDs are that you can plug in any type of electrical appliance anywhere in your home due to its portable nature. Commonly they are used in the garden to power appliances such as lawn mowers and hedge trimmers. This is because there is a higher chance of an accident occurring – you could accidentally cut through the cable.
It is worth bearing in mind that plug in RCD protectors only protect the appliance and the person using it.

Electricians will also carry out electrical work for you if you find the cost too high for a new consumer unit. This can include the fitting of RCD sockets in your home. By having a more permanent method of RCD protection installed, you will have peace of mind against the two biggest causes of electrical shock:

Using appliances that are faulty
Cutting or drilling through cables

Lastly, simply carrying out your own visual check of your electrics and appliances can be a life saver. Don’t use any appliances, lights or switches that are faulty or have visible damage such as bare cable showing, cracks, breaks or other damage. Taking a few minutes on a regular basis can really be the difference between life and death.

Electrical DIY remains a big danger in the UK with electricity killing and injuring 1000’s of people each year Many people die needlessly by taking dangerous risks with electricity which could have been dealt with safely by a qualified and registered electrician.

What is electrical DIY?

Electrical DIY by it’s very name can mean anything from changing a socket to bigger, riskier jobs such as rewiring parts of your home. Most electrical work in your home is subject to Part P regulations which means that it is illegal to carry out work in your home without being Part P registered.

As a general rule, you can carry out basic electrical jobs like changing your plug sockets for like for like, however if you are considering electrical work in your home, we recommend that you do not attempt the work yourself. Here at Fulcher Edwards we see every week the problems that DIY work causes. Even a simple job can cause damage to the wiring within your home which would lead to expensive repair work and this alone could become more costly than a qualified and registered electrician doing the job in the first place!

The dangers of DIY

DIY electrical work worries us for several reasons. Firstly it’s the safety aspect. Many people assume that just because the lights are working that everything must be ok. In many cases this is not the case. Electrical fire is currently the biggest cause of house fires in the UK, and in many cases it is bad electrics that are the cause. DIY electrical work is often blamed for these fires because of the way the fires begin.

A common cause of electrical fire is the overheating of cable where the wrong sized cable has been used. Cable has also been positioned incorrectly and the heat from it can cause fire in lofts, joists and inside walls.

The other concern is the lack of testing that takes place beforehand. Work carried out by an electrician is tested to ensure it is safe before it is switched on. There is no way of knowing if DIY electrical work is safe. DIY or bad electrical work doesn’t always kill you instantly either. It can be a number of years before the result of bad electrics catches up with you, and the fact of the matter is you don’t know when that will be.

Are you worried about DIY electrical work you have done?

The first thing to know is you are not alone and we won’t preach to you about how dangerous it is! As electricians in Hertfordshire we rectify DIY jobs on a daily basis and ensure your property is left electrically safe.

Of course it can be difficult to know exactly what you have done electrically over the years, so a good starting point is for a qualified and registered electrician to come and carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which will identify any areas in your home which are an electrical risk.

As a householder, you will then be making an informed decision about repairing DIY electrical work.

If you get into difficulty with DIY work

Stop working immediately and contact a qualified and registered electrician. It is better to do this sooner rather than later as electrical damage can be costly to repair if it is badly damaged. Never attempt to make ‘bodge’ repairs just to get the lights back on. This will leave you and your family at risk of electrical fire, injury or worse.

An electrician will inspect the work, and carry out the necessary remedial works to ensure your home is electrically safe.