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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: GB on January 22, 2015, 12:36:16 PM
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I have a school boarding house where fairy lights within the girls bedrooms are the current 'must have item'. The lights are PAT tested and only switched on when the child is in the room and switched off during sleep. There is an L1 fire alarm system.
I am looking for stats for these types of fire to assess the risk more fully - can anyone point me to a suitable site?
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low voltage or 240v?
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I queried the HSE over this 'mythbuster' last year and they confirmed low voltage lights don't need testing.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/myth-busting/2013/case239-christmas-lights.htm?ebul=hsegen&cr=6/13-jan-14
Previously it was something that I'd thought to be a risk from my former firefighting life where Christmas tree fires started by lights were a regular occurrence however it appears the modern LV light is not associated with such a risk. My only concern now would be that the correct transformer was being matched to the lights.
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many thanks for the link - they are mostly 240V with some low voltage LED type.
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Then perhaps you should create a policy allowing free use of low voltage lights only
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I don't see how mains powered fairy lights don't need an inspection-and-test. Even if it's a plug-in wall-wart it should still be visually inspected for cracked case, loose pins etc.
I'd expect the fire risks to be similar to mobile phone and similar chargers, and there have been enough cases of those catching fire to be a risk worth assessing. Reputable (not fake) chargers have their manufacturer's reputation at state, but most fairy lights are unbranded and so possibly less likely to have any sensible manufacturing safety checking.
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Some fairly lights are double insulated and do not need a PAT testing. An inspection should be made to ensure the lights are in good condition and safe to use.
But there are some - particularly old 240 volt series sets with screw in bulbs in which the MES bulb holders are simply a push fit into their insulated cup and can easily fall out as the crimps get worn, leaving live parts exposed. Another issue is that the conductors are unsheathed and so on rewirable plugs very often the cord grip is not up to the job.
Unless marked with the double insulated symbol users- especially if they are an employer- should err on the side of caution.
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The potential problem is mismatching the voltage reduction device to the lights string. But that said LEDs are much, much safer than the old incandescent ones. In answer to the question about Fire stats. IRS does not collect this information. It only asks what a fire origin power source was and if it was electricity, it then asks if it was "wiring circuits & plugs" ... as one entry or an "appliance" or "other".