“Save our Sparks”

in August 2023, electrical workers within the NI electrical industry were asked to complete a short survey designed to gain feedback about safe isolation practices and to get more electrical workers thinking about their health and safety at work.

Here’s What We Found…..

Of the 748 workers who completed the survey, shockingly over 30% reported that they rarely or never used a lock out kit to isolate the electrical supply they are working on.  Worryingly, as many as 1 in 4 don’t even have one in their van or tool kit.

The findings also showed that 1 in 60 don’t use any test equipment to ensure there is no charge.  Even more worrying is that almost 50 workers stated that they were experienced enough not to make mistakes, so didn’t need to test!  More of the findings can be found below in fig 1.

On busy sites, it’s not always possible for electricians to be in control of the electrical supply.   Mistakes can happen, even when steps have been taken to prevent them.  Complacency can also creep in.  When someone is doing the same task day in, day out, people believe that it won’t happen to them.

Charlotte Bamber, Chief Executive of ETT commented “Although a slight improvement on last year’s UK campaign results, there are still some very concerning statistics.   Ultimately, too many risks are still being taken. The message to those in our industry must be clear – nothing is more important than every electrician getting home safe and sound each and every day.”