Denbighshire's County Council Public Protection Service recently secured funding from the Electrical Safety Council to undertake a project of monitoring the safety of the sale of electrical goods sold through second hand shops.
The intention was to raise awareness amongst retailers selling second hand electrical goods and also to check only safe goods were being sold.
Trading Standards Officer inspected a number of second hand outlets across Denbighshire where they not only gave safety advice but also obtained electrical items for analysis at an independent test house. Disappointingly, 18% of items tested failed to meet electrical safety requirements, with the majority of faults being in relation to the plug or the flexible cord. Trading Standards are continuing to work with the proprietors of the businesses concerned to ensure no further unsafe products are offered for sale.
Trading Standards Officers are advising consumers to carry out visual checks before purchasing second hand electrical goods and if possible, to only purchase goods which have been tested for safety.
Emlyn Jones, Public Protection Manager said “The items that failed the test could have been avoided if simple visual checks had been made. We recommend that anybody purchasing second hand electrical goods give the item a basic visual inspection before purchase. For example, look out for frayed or split wires, damage to the casing or plug and check if the plug pins are insulated”
Further advice concerning all electrical safety issues can be found on the Electrical Safety Councils website: www.esc.org.uk
Any member of the public who have concerns about the sale of second hand electrical goods should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or 08454 05 05 for the Welsh language service.
The Electrical Safety Council is a UK Charity committed to reducing deaths and injuries caused by electrical accidents at home and at work.
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