In article ,
"BigWallop" writes:
" In Surrey, electrical wiring and appliances are the second largest cause
of domestic fires. We all know that electricity can cause fire but we may
not always understand why. "

" Electricity is often overlooked as a possible fire hazard. Maybe this is
because there is no flame. However some 8,000 fires in the home are reported
each year as being caused by electrical faults, accidents or by misuse of
electrical appliances and equipment. The following advice will help to
prevent a fire in your home due to electricity. "

" Electricity is often overlooked as a possible fire hazard. This may be
because there is no flame. However, some 28,000 fires in the home are
reported each year as being caused by electrical faults, accidents or misuse
of electrical equipment.

Over 2,500 people are killed or injured as a result of electrical fires
every year.

Which is complete ********. Where on earth did you dig that up?
The number of people killed in all fires in the UK is somewhere around
600-800 per year IIRC, and only a tiny percentage of fires are electrical
anyway (and this figure includes fires outside the home too).

Averaged over last 10 years, there were (per year):
5 electrocutions from electrical installations,
14 electrocutions from electrical appliances,
25 deaths due to electrical fires (not broken down into installation
verses appliances, but vast majority are appliances).
These figures have been steadily dropping over the last 30 years.

Compare this to some other sources of accidental death in dwellings:
slips, trips, falls, non-electrical fires, carbon monoxide, explosions,
and collisions with glass account for 2350 fatalities. Electrical causes
of fatalities in dwellings, including electrical installation fires,
account for only 1.8% of the total.

This page looks at the main areas of electrical hazard in your home and
explains how you can stop fire starting. "

" http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?...0&id=186162004 "

--
Andrew Gabriel