News Release 2003/0133:
15 July 2003

CRACKDOWN ON DANGEROUS ELECTRICAL WORK SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT'S FIRE PREVENTION
AGENDA
Tough, new controls on electrical work in the home will reduce deaths,
injuries and fires caused by defective installations and save the economy an
estimated £93m over ten years, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
announced today.

The changes to the building regulations underline the Government's fire
prevention agenda - with the goal of preventing fires from starting in the
first place. This was set out in the recent White Paper 'Our Fire and Rescue
Service' and good building design is one of the key factors in effective
fire prevention.

The Government wants to curb the rising number of electrical accidents and
fires in the home by bringing electrical safety within the scope of the
building regulations for the first time.

But the success of the new controls, which could come into force by next
spring 2004, depends on the electrical industry coming forward with trade
certification schemes to test the competence of installers.

In recent years householders and their families have faced an increased risk
of injury from electric shock or fires caused by faults in fixed
installations or portable appliances. Many accidents are due to faulty
extension and alteration work, use of equipment that does not comply with
British Standards or misuse of portable appliances.

Properly designed, fitted and tested fixed installations offer protection
against these dangers. This is why the Government, having consulted with the
public and the construction industry, now wants national safety standards
reinforced by redefining work on fixed electrical installations in the home
as building work to bring them within the control of building regulations.
Parliamentary under Secretary Phil Hope, the Minister responsible for
building regulations, said in a written statement:

"Making householders aware of the need to protect themselves and their
families from incompetent workmanship is in line with our drive for better,
safer communities in which to live and work. The new measures will also
raise industry standards and contribute towards our aim of creating a
better-qualified workforce. They reinforce the emphasis in the Fire White
Paper published on 30 June of greater prevention of fires."

Notes to Editors
1. These regulatory proposals have been developed in response to the
Construction Industry Deregulation Task Force's 1995 report which
recommended amongst other things that the Building Regulations should
address electrical safety and that the administrative burden on builders
should be rationalised. The Government responded to these recommendations by
agreeing to review the case for new requirements and how they might best be
practically introduced.

2. The current Building Regulations for England & Wales (2000) do not
address the safety of fixed electrical systems in buildings. For the
purposes of Building Regulations a fixed electrical system means those parts
of the wiring and appliances that are fixed to the building fabric e.g.
sockets, switches, fuse-boxes, immersion heaters and ceiling fittings.

3. The hazards posed by unsafe electrical installations and portable
appliances are electric shock and injuries arising from fires in buildings
ignited by electrical components overheating or arcing. Installations
properly designed, fitted, tested and commissioned in accordance with BS7671
will help to minimise these risks.

4. Each year an average of 30 people die and about 1150 are seriously
injured in accidents involving defective fixed electrical installations in
the home, including fires caused by such installations.

5. It is believed that risks from unsafe electrical installations have
increased over recent years due to:

Rising numbers and variety of electrical systems and appliances in buildings
plus increased demands being made on them

Privatisation of the supply industry in 1988 leading to fewer electrical
supplier interventions in consumer installations.

Voluntary self-regulation schemes provide excellent support for existing
subscribers but do not always reach the independents or small businesses
that have grown rapidly in number since the recession of the early 1990s.

6. Electrical accident rates in houses have risen and compare with those for
carbon monoxide poising, gas explosions and collisions with glass - all of
which are covered by the Regulations.

7. British Standard 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations: the IEE
Wiring Regulations is the principal British Standard that covers the safe
design, installation and testing of electrical installations in building
systems and it is the technical standard almost universally specified in UK
contracts for electrical installation work. It would be the basis for
approved technical guidance if electrical requirements were to be introduced
into the Building Regulations.

8. Regulations are considered necessary to bolster the existing voluntary
schemes because:

Existing voluntary schemes have attracted less than one quarter of
electrical

Large numbers of jobbing electricians and the DIY market are beyond the
reach of voluntary controls

10. The Building Regulations 2000: Proposals for amending Schedule 1 to
introduce electrical safety requirements is available on the DTLR website.

11. Paper copies of the electrical safety consultation package can be
obtained from: DTLR Free Literature, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire,
LS23 7NB; Tel: 0870 1226236; Fax: 0870 1226237; Textphone: 0870 1207405;
e-mail: . The product code is 02BR00015.

Press Enquiries: 020 7944 3042
Out of Hours: 020 7944 5945
E-mail:
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 4400
ODPM website: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/

Published 15 July 2003