Public too embarrassed to ask for electrician’s credentials
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The safety of people and property is being put at risk because 18 million of us feel too embarrassed to ask if an electrician is registered, according to research by Electrical Safety First.
The charity has just launched a major consumer campaign to raise awareness of the need to use a registered electrician. It follows an investigation which discovered that asking an electrician for proof of their professional registration was one of the top three most awkward questions – after asking your boss for a pay rise and requesting a queue jumper to get to the back of the line.
“While most of us claim to use registered tradespeople, only one in five of us actually request proof,” explains Phil Buckle, director general of Electrical Safety First. “It seems that British ‘awkwardness’ is a real barrier when it comes to checking that an electrician is safe to work on your home. But with more than half of all domestic fires in the UK arising from electricity – which also causes 350,000 serious accidents each year – ensuring your electrician is registered could end up saving your life.”
Electrical Safety First is offering consumers five simple tips to help with this awkward question:
The charity has also produced a video exploring British bashfulness.
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