Electrical product recall
The Electrical Safety Council welcomed the recent move by ASDA to recall 10,000 of its pre lit Christmas trees and remove a further 50,000 from stock after it was discovered that there may be a potentially lethal electrical fault.
Emma McCarthy, Director of the Electrical Safety Council said:
"ASDA's actions have shown that they recognise the dangers associated with faulty electrical products and we fully support their decision to put the safety of their customers first.
It is important to be careful with purchasing electrical products all year round, but especially during the festive season which brings extra risks."
Recent testing carried out by the Electrical Safety Council showed that Christmas lighting products from a range of reputable manufacturers all meet the required electrical safety standards, which may not be the case for those purchased through markets and shops which only trade over the Christmas period.
The Electrical Safety Council recommends the following top tips for a safer Christmas:
- Ensure you purchase lights from a respectable retailer.
- Always double check any electrical product for fraying or burn marks.
- Try to avoid low-level Christmas lighting that could attract children.
- Check that decorative lighting has a safety transformer. This reduces mains voltage to a safe level of about 12-24 volts.
- Even Christmas lights need a break - switch all lights off when you go to bed or go out.
- Always check that your Christmas lights are not damaged or broken before use and look out for loose wires.
- If you or your child does suffer from an electric shock - firstly make sure you switch off the electricity and remove the casualty from danger, then contact the emergency services.
For further information contact media@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk