Electrical safety

Electrical safety

Electrical accidents and faults cause thousands of serious injuries, deaths and house fires each year.

While we do carry out electrical inspection safety checks in our homes, it is important that you report any suspected electrical faults immediately to us.

You should also know where your fuse box is and how to isolate your electrical supply if there is an electrical fault. Click play opposite to watch a short film explaining how to do this.

DIY electrical work

If you intend to carry out any electrical work in your home then you must apply for written permission from us first.

The work should only be carried out by a qualified electrician registered with an official body such as NICEIC or NAPIT and a copy of the appropriate certification must be sent in to us.

We will also need to inspect the work once complete to ensure it has been done correctly and is safe.

If we need to remove or rectify any unauthorised electrical works then any costs to make safe/remove/rectify the issue will be the responsibility of the tenant.

Safety tips

  • Do not overload sockets or extension leads
  • Use an extension lead with a residual current circuit breaker or residual current device (RCD), which will isolate the electric power if there is a problem
  • Switch off and unplug non-essential electrics before you go to bed and when you go on holiday. Appliances left on standby can be a fire risk.
  • Look out for loose wiring, frayed cables or scorch marks on plugs and sockets.
  • Repair or replace faulty appliances using a competent qualified electrician

If you have a faulty appliance, it is your responsibility to replace any plug with the same size fuse and get a suitably qualified electrician to check other faults.

Need more information?

If you have any questions or concerns about the safety of your building or property, please let us know by emailing buildingsafety@yhn.org.uk or calling 0191 278 8600. In an emergency, such as a fire, you should call 999.

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