New Year means new danger for home DIY-ers

The UK’s biggest electricity distributor is urging homeowners planning DIY jobs in and around the home to stay safe and be aware of the potential dangers.

Many New Year resolutions may focus on getting more jobs done around the house, but anyone making that pledge needs to consider staying safe around electricity when tackling any overdue tasks

UK Power Networks wants to highlight the risk of coming into contact with power cables inside the home.

The main risk comes from drilling inside a property. The key advice is always to use a cable detector when undertaking this task as electricity cables can be hidden in walls and below floors.

Care also needs to be taken for outside jobs such as needing to look up and look out for any overhead power cables when using a ladder propped against the house or cleaning windows with extendable poles.

Ros Forbes, a safety advisor at UK Power Networks, says, “If people are undertaking work, they do not have recent experience of they could easily forget what needs to be done to complete the work safely.

“If you haven’t put up shelves for years, you could well reach for the drill and start work without a second thought.

“Because we are more comfortable at home it is easier to become complacent or distracted. Accidents can happen if people are not mindful of the dangers around electricity cables and there could be serious consequences for any lapses in concentration.

“We are urging people to take care and remember that power cables can be hidden out of sight. If we are talking New Year resolutions the first one to consider is staying safe at home for the sake of you and your family.”

DIY dangers were highlighted in a recent Energy Networks Association campaign featuring former Big Brother winner Craig Phillips urging those doing any work around the house to ‘plan ahead’ and ‘if in doubt contact their local electricity network company’.