Super Rod and CEF have teamed up to launch a brand new national safety awareness campaign to get more installers thinking about their health and safety at work.
The Save Our Sparks campaign has been inspired by Michael’s Story. Michael Adamson was just 26 when he died after coming into contact with mains voltage power in an incident at work in August 2005. He was an experienced electrician but there were a number of health and safety failings on the site where he was working.
Last year, Super Rod worked with Michael’s sister Louise Taggart on a campaign to raise awareness of the need for safer working practices in the electrical industry, after a survey of more than 800 members of the Electricians Community Forum on Facebook revealed that a quarter of electricians rarely or never used a lock out kit to isolate the electrical supply they were working on, and one in five didn’t even carry one in their van or tool bag.
The survey also asked about attitudes towards using a voltage tester to prove dead before starting work. One in ten installers said they didn’t use one, and a third of respondents (33 per cent) thought they were experienced enough not to make a mistake, so didn’t need to check with a voltage tester.
More than 400 CEF branches across the UK and Ireland will be supporting the week-long Save Our Sparks campaign this June. As part of the event, electricians will be able to buy a special discounted bundle of products – a lock out kit, a voltage tester and a set of VDE rated insulated pliers – which are of particular significance to Michael’s Story.
The findings of the HSE’s investigation into Michael’s death found that there was no lock out kit used, no voltage tester used and that the electricians had inadequate pliers in terms of leverage and insulation. By encouraging installers to buy these lifesaving tools through the Save Our Sparks campaign, Louise hopes that no other family will have to endure what her family has been through.
During the Save Our Sparks campaign, the special pack of tools will be available for £89.95 plus VAT, making the lock out kit free as part of the bundle. A number of kits will also be donated to the college in Edinburgh where Michael was trained, to ensure the next generation of electricians are well equipped for the future.
