SCOTLAND is suffering a bigger impact from electrical fires than the rest of the UK, a safety charity has warned.
Research by Electrical Safety First reveals that last year there were 3,724 electrical fires out of a total of 4,969 domestic fires, resulting in nine deaths and 598 casualties, representing seven fires per 10,000 people living in Scotland. This is considerably higher than in England where Greater Manchester has been identified as the most dangerous place to live, with just over five fires per 10,000 people.
The charity has called on the Scottish Government to take immediate action, adding that more research is need to find out the cause of the issues north of the border.
The charity's report found that West Dunbartonshire is the most dangerous place to live in Scotland for such fires.
Last year, there were 13 electrical fires per 10,000 people in the area - the biggest tally of any other area of the country.
The report comes as it emerged that councils across London are spending a total of about £383m to make social housing safer following the Grenfell tower tragedy which claimed the lives of 71 people. The 24-storey building caught light in the early hours of the morning after what is suspected to be a faulty fridge exploded.
Dundee was the second most dangerous with 12 fires per 10,000 people. Inverclyde and Aberdeen are the third and fourth most risky places to live, with around 11 fires per 10,000 people and a total of 91 and 245 fires respectively. Fifth on the ‘hot spot’ list was Glasgow (615) with 10 fires per 10,000 people.
The charity said domestic electrical goods such as dishwashers, tumble dryers, and fridge freezers are one of the leading causes of electrical fires in Scotland. Last year, 242 fires were caused by white goods, the equivalent of over four fires per week.
A charity spokesman said: "Electrical house fires are being caused by an inconsistency between electrical safety standards in private and social housing – and even more so in relation to owner-occupied homes, misuse of electricity by consumers, faulty appliances and electrical distribution faults. We believe these must be tackled in tandem to make a real impact on the problem."
Electrical Safety First is calling on the Scottish government to come forward with a package of measures that will include a target of a 10 per cent reduction in house fires of electrical origin over the next five years.
It wants five-yearly electrical safety checks to be extended to all social housing - to bring requirements in line with the private rented sector.
And it says mandatory electrical safety checks should be standard in owner-occupied properties – or, as a first step, in owner-occupied flats.
Wayne Mackay, deputy public affairs manager at Electrical Safety First commented: “Faulty white goods, a disparity in electrical safety standards for housing tenures, and misuse of electricity are a toxic mix that is causing hundreds of people to be killed or injured across the country each year.
"Immediate action is needed by the Scottish Government to reduce this number. If the government fails to implement these changes then it is likely that we will see further tragedies such as those seen at Grenfell Tower, Shepherd’s Court and Lakanal House.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Across Scotland, the total number of fires responded to by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have fallen significantly over the past decade, declining by 46 per cent between 2006/07 and 2016/17.
“We are confident that our fire service take the issue of electrical fires very seriously, with specialist officers who investigate such incidents, close cooperation with partner organisations and work to inform and educate the public in how to minimise the fire risks posed by domestic appliances.”
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