Are the Public Unsafe Outside?

As the cold weather finally seems to be slowly giving way to slightly warmer temperatures, it’s important to consider the safe use of electricity outside.

Over the coming weeks there’ll be many people getting outside in the garden and working with electricity outside more and more as the weather continues to improve.

However, recent rain and snow means that the ground is currently fairly wet which poses a greater risk of electric shock for those using electrical appliances outside than when they use equipment inside, says the Electrical Safety Council.

Even with this increased risk, most accidents still occur because people don’t follow manufacturer’s instructions, don’t concentrate on the task in hand and handle equipment carelessly.

Now however, to help avoid accidents and save lives, many organisations like ESC are encouraging the use of RCD’s. However, it has been reported that even those who have the use of an RCD at their disposal don’t always use them.

ESC’s Emma Apter, reported that many people don’t realise the dangers electricity poses to them and many of the 70 deaths and 350,000 injuries could be prevented by people following simple safety precautions.

What’s your opinion of these findings? Do you feel that the public do need to be more aware of electrical safety and what would you say to encourage them to become safer outdoors?

Written by Sara Thomson