2016 saw the Electrical Safety Roundtable make great strides towards electrical safety.
This year has seen the Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR) make great strides in campaigning to raise awareness of electrical safety across the UK and seeking the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector.
The Roundtable has made a concerted effort to review rating websites and understand how they assess the competency of electricians listed on their websites. Across the country, homeowners use rating websites to find electricians in their local area, yet are often not provided with information about their qualifications and competency.
Moving forward, the Roundtable is looking to work with rating websites in an effort to provide consumers with more guidance and information on the installers listed on their websites. With these changes, the Roundtable is hopeful homeowners will be able to make informed decisions about the tradespeople they employ. To tie in with this the Roundtable has also been actively engaging with consumer facing websites in a bid to make the information available on electrical safety consistent and further emphasise the importance of using competent electrical installers.
“Going forward, the Roundtable wants to build on the achievements of this year and continue to demonstrate its value to the industry.”
Improving electrical safety standards in the private rented sector is also a key campaigning focus for the Roundtable. With the Housing and Planning Act 2016 receiving royal assent in May, the Roundtable has been active in showing its support for Clause 122 of the Act. This clause has given the Government powers to introduce secondary legislation to improve electrical safety in the private rented sector.
The Roundtable is intent on promoting the introduction of Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) to be completed at least every five years in the Private Rented Sector. To help push for this change, the Roundtable has been in contact with the Government and key ministers and is represented on the Department for Communities and Local Government working group which is currently exploring the options.
Chris Bielby, Chairman of the Electrical Safety Roundtable, commented: “The Electrical Safety Roundtable has once again proven its worth based on the advancements it has made this year. This success has been reflected by the fact that the Roundtable has gained an additional seven participants therefore broadening the range of industry stakeholders it represents. Going forward, the Roundtable wants to build on the achievements of this year and continue to demonstrate its value to the industry.”
