Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) is asking pet owners to think about their furry friends and reduce the risk of accidental electrical fires.
The Service is supporting Electrical Safety First for Electrical Safety Week (Monday 9th to Sunday 15th November) to highlight the dangers of leaving electrical items on when people leave their homes or go to bed.
Research by the Electrical Safety First found that although 65% of pet owners said their pet would be a greater loss than material possessions in the event of a fire, two thirds of pet owners admitted to leaving mobile phones charging unattended.
Between April 2014 and March 2015 AF&RS was called to 39 house fires which had been caused by electrical items.
AF&RS Group Manager for Risk Reduction, Matt Peskett, said: “In the UK we are a nation of animal lovers and we know that most pet owners treat their animals as one of the family.
“We’re asking people who have furry friends in their homes to protect them from the risk of fire, just as they would their children and other family members.
“A fire in the home can be devastating, destroying belongings and endangering lives. We have a range of safety advice that people can follow to reduce the risk of a fire caused by electrical items.
“Our website features a socket overload calculator application where you can plug in a number of electrical items into an extension lead to make sure it is not being overloaded.
“We also have a link to the Electrical Safety Council’s product recall checker where you can check if any of the electrical appliances in your home have been recalled.”
Safety advice
- Always switch off all electrical items which don’t need to be left on continuously.
- Ensure that mobile phones and tablets are not left charging for long periods of time.
- Look out for the CE mark that indicates chargers comply with European Safety standards.
- Don’t overload plug sockets.
- Switch off washing machines, tumble driers and dishwashers before going to bed.
- Don’t leave portable heaters switched on and unattended.
- Make sure you have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and that you test the alarms regularly.
For more fire safety advice visit www.avonfire.gov.uk.
