Legionnaire's Disease: A risk Assessment of your Property

From time to time reports surface in the news about a new outbreak of legionnaire's disease. The reports normally follow a pattern. They tell of people being taken ill at a public place, such as at a swimming pool or in an air conditioned building, and of investigators having identified high concentrations of the legionella bacteria in the property's water system as being the cause. In the most severe cases the outbreak becomes fatal, lives being lost as a result of the property owner not taking sufficient precautions to assess and control the risk. But what is less well publicised is the fact that the legionella bacteria is often present in all natural and manmade water systems, domestic hot and cold water systems included. In small concentrations the bacteria is harmless. Let it accumulate though and you could find yourself dealing with an outbreak of legionnaire's disease in your own home!

What is legionnaire's disease?

Named after a severe outbreak of illness at a meeting of the American Legion in 1976, legionnaire's disease is a potentially lethal form of pneumonia. It is caused by the inhalation of water droplets / moisture from water sources containing high amounts of the legionella bacteria. Not everyone who inhales moisture laden with the bacteria contracts the disease. Fit and healthy people with strong immune systems, especially those younger than 20 years of age, are very unlikely to have a problem. Males over the age of 45 are most at risk. If the victim is a smoker and/or a heavy drinker, or if the person exposed to the bacteria suffers from respiratory illnesses or has an impaired immune system, the chances of catching legionnaire's disease is that much higher.

The symptoms

Self-diagnosis of legionnaire's disease is not easy. The symptoms are very similar to common flu. Look out for…

• Fever and high temperature
• Chills
• Muscle pains
• Cough
• Diarrhoea
• Pneumonia
• Mental confusion

The easiest way to determine if you have legionnaire's disease is to visit your doctor. They can prescribe a test to help identify the disease. If the disease is circulating in your community your doctor will be aware of this too - a factor that could aid in your diagnosis.

Legionnaire risk assessment and solutions

Legionnaire's disease is caught only from water sources containing high levels of the legionella bacteria. A build up of the bacteria happens over time in water that stagnates. Optimum conditions for development are when the temperature of the water is consistently between 20°c and 45°c, and where there is rust, sludge or organic material present in the system. Very quickly, over a matter of months, legionella can multiply to a dangerously high concentration.

While it is true that blocks of flats, office buildings and other large-scale premises, where water has a greater opportunity to stagnate, are most at risk of harbouring the legionella bacteria, on rare occasions it can be problematic in residential property. The question you have to ask yourself then is are you and your family at risk in your own home? If the domestic hot and cold water systems are in almost constant use it is unlikely that the water will remain stagnant enough for the bacteria really to get any sort of a foothold. However, if there are baths, showers and taps in rooms that are rarely used there is an opportunity for the bacteria to grow in the pipes where the water is not moving. If you leave your home unoccupied for several months, again there is a risk that the bacteria could build up in your water system. Redundant pipe work (deadlegs), such as a pipe to a washing machine that is no longer in use, is another environment for the bacteria to grow - especially if there is debris in the system, this being the bacteria's 'food'.

So what should you do if you think that your water system is at risk? Well, unfortunately, there's no alarm system available yet to alert you to a build up of the bacteria. It's therefore down to you to take preventative action. First, consider regularly flushing your water system through - i.e. open all taps and water outlets and let the water run for a few minutes. Also, look to remove any redundant pipe work and clean the system so it is free from debris. Replacing old steel and lead pipes with modern copper alternatives can help reduce the risk too, as can regularly bleeding your radiators. Another precautionary measure is to periodically increase the temperature of your hot water tank to 60°c or above for a few days at a time: the bacteria is unable to survive in water above this temperature. Finally, if you are worried that your water system is already infected, you can use a chlorine disinfectant to cleanse it. Should you opt for this course of action do flush the system through thoroughly before recommencing normal use.

Renting your home?

In a recent change to government legislation providers of residential accommodation are now fully responsible for protecting their tenants from exposure to legionnaire's disease, just as commercial premises are. By law, to control legionella, you are required to carry out a risk assessment of your premises and introduce measures to control risk where it is found. For more information on how to implement risk assessment and control measures you should contact the Health and Safety Executive or visit their website at www.hse.gov.uk

Top tips on using Fire Extinguishing Equipment in your Home

Encountering a fire in your own home is a frightening experience. So many thoughts are likely to go through your mind on seeing smoke and flames invading your living space - but, on discovering the fire, you must act quickly and calmly for your own safety and for the safety of others in your property. Within seconds you'll need to assess the severity of the fire. How large is it? Can it be tackled safely? Is it in a dangerous location? Could it spread quickly or cause an explosion? Has it already damaged the building structure? These are your key questions - questions that will help you decide on a course of action.

If the fire is advanced or has the potential to spiral out of control your first priority is to alert others in the property and evacuate. When everyone is at a safe distance you should dial 999 and ask for the fire brigade. However, if the fire is small and caught early on then you may decide that you can extinguish it yourself using your own fire extinguishing equipment.

Fire Extinguisher Types

There are three types of fire extinguisher suitable for use at home. These are…

• Powder extinguishers
• Foam extinguishers
• Water extinguishers

Two types of powder extinguisher are available on the market. These are standard powders and multi-purpose 'dry' powders. For home use the multi-purpose powder is recommended, as this tends to be more effective in 'knocking down' flames than standard powders, especially when the fire is burning solids. Standard powders are more effective on liquid-based fires.

Foam extinguishers too work well in the home. Just like the powder extinguishers there are two types of foam extinguisher - a standard foam extinguisher and an aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) extinguisher. Only the AFFF extinguisher is suitable for our purposes as it can be used to stop all but electrical and chip pan fires.

Water extinguishers are probably the least useful in a house fire. Their function is to cool the burning material, but their usage is severely restricted. At best they can only extinguish burning solids like wood and paper.

How to use a fire extinguisher safely

Fire extinguishers are very easy to use. For most types of extinguisher it is simply a matter of unclipping the hose, removing the pin from the handle and aiming the jet at the appropriate part of the fire. All extinguishers are labelled with instructions on how to use them. As a matter of course you should get familiar with those instructions so in the event that you need to use your extinguisher you can do so with confidence.

When using powder extinguishers you'll knock down the flames quicker if you aim the jet of powder at the base of the fire and sweep the jet from side-to-side. It should be noted though that powder extinguishers do little to cool the burning object(s). The fire that you have put out could therefore reignite. Great care and vigilance is needed then when tackling fires with this type of product.

Water extinguishers and foam extinguishers are used in much the same way as powder extinguishers for solid burning fires. But where the fire material is a liquid a foam extinguisher should be dispensed against a vertical surface, such as a wall, above the fire base. This way the burning liquid is not spread from its original area by the powerful jet or spray dispenser.

Chip pan fires

None of the fire extinguishers mentioned cope at all well with chip pan fires. The main problem encountered is that burning fat and oil is too easily spread around the kitchen by the extinguisher, either by the strength of the jet or by the volume of material it adds to the pan, which then causes the burning liquid to overflow. Water extinguishers can even cause the oil and fat in the pan to explode!

The solution for a chip pan fire then is NOT to use a fire extinguisher. Instead, a fire blanket should be draped over the flames. This separates the burning material from its air supply, killing the fire. 

Ready for action?

Regardless of the type of fire extinguishing equipment in your possession, it will only be of any use to you if you can get to it easily in an emergency. Therefore, don't store fire extinguishers and fire blankets in a back room somewhere or in the understairs cupboard. Instead make the equipment readily available for use in a commonly used area of your home, such as in your hallway, or for a fire blanket, in the kitchen.

For fire extinguishers do remember too that you or a member of your family may need to carry the equipment to a different part of the house to tackle a blaze. Extinguishers should therefore be of a manageable size and easily portable.

Finally, do make a point of having all fire extinguishers in your possession serviced once each year or as per the manufacturer's instructions. It'll ensure that they are in full working order and that they'll be ready to do the job should you need to use them on a fire in your home.

Advice for Landlords

If you rent out your home or a residential investment property you have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of your tenants. Part of your remit is to ensure that appropriate fire extinguishing equipment is available to the tenant, is fully serviced and is in good working order. If the equipment is absent, damaged or non-functional the tenant may have the legal right to prosecute you. It therefore pays to take your responsibilities seriously. Further advice can be sought from your local council.  

 If you own a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) you'll have extra responsibilities with regards to fire safety. This includes the installation of an adequate fire alarm system and the provision of firefighting equipment on each floor of the property, and in appropriate quantities for the number of residents in the property. Self-closing fire doors must also be fitted. The landlord is responsible too for setting up and maintaining fire escape exits and routes. For furnished rental properties all furniture supplied must be approved as fire resistant. 

For more advice on how to comply with fire safety laws in an HMO do contact your local council authority. The council's fire officer will be more than willing to help you assess your fire risk and to point you in the right direction on how to fulfil your fire safety obligations to protect both you and your tenants.

HMO Fire Safety Laws

In the last article I touched on fire safety in HMOs -- Houses in Multiple Occupation. These are buildings, such as individual houses, flats and maisonettes, where three or more tenants occupy the building, but in two or more household units within the property. So, for example, a house rented to three unrelated students would be an HMO, as would a larger property that has been split into separate living accommodation and rented out to multiple individuals or families. It should be noted however that properties consisting entirely of self-contained flats are, in general, not classed as HMOs provided that the conversion of the house to flats fully complied with the 1991 Building Regulations. If the flat conversions failed to meet these regulations then HMO status applies -- but only in circumstances where more than one-third of the flats are in use by tenants on short term tenancies.  

For HMO properties certain laws apply to safeguard the welfare of tenants occupying the premises. These include stringent fire safety laws. So, landlords and tenants, it's time to listen up. It matters not whether you are an experienced landlord with HMO properties or a seasoned HMO tenant, this article is for you and for all the landlords and tenants out there who are new to HMOs and the regulations that apply to them. What is contained in this article could save your life and, quite conceivably from the landlord's point of view, spare you from serving a prison sentence!

You and the law

On October 1, 2006 new fire safety laws came into force. For HMOs it requires that a fire risk assessment of the building be conducted, and that adequate provisions are made for fire detection, fire fighting and escaping the fire. These elements are outlined below.

Fire risk assessment:

Landlords are responsible for conducting regular fire risk assessments in their HMO. The assessments can be performed by the landlord themselves, or by a responsible and competent person operating on behalf of the landlord. No official fire safety certificate is required from the assessment -- it is purely an exercise in identifying and managing risks.

Government guidelines suggest that fire risk assessments be approached in five steps…

Step #1 - Identify fire hazards. This requires the assessor to pinpoint sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen - the three components needed for a fire to start.

Step #2 - Identify the people at risk. This includes those living in the accommodation as well as neighbours who may be affected by a fire at the property.

Step #3 - Evaluate, Reduce, Remove and Protect from risk. Evaluate the risk and take action to lower the risk based on your findings.

Step #4 - Record, Plan, Inform, Instruct and Train. Keep a record of your fire assessments and the actions that you take as a result. Put an emergency plan in place so people know what to do in the event of a fire.

Step #5 - Review. Keep your fire assessments under constant review. Plan regular inspections and update your actions and emergency planning to take into account changes in the property and in the fire safety laws.

For further details on how to conduct a fire assessment do go and speak to your local council or fire service.

Fire detection and warning:

The new fire safety laws require that you deploy adequate fire detection and warning systems in HMOs. In some instances, battery operated smoke detectors won't cut it. You may instead find that you need an automatic detection and warning system hard-wired into the building, and which is operated from a central control panel. If you are in doubt as to which type of detection system best suits your HMO you should consult your local council or fire safety officer.

Fire fighting equipment:

If a fire is detected HMO tenants need adequate equipment available to tackle the blaze. Serviced and operational portable fire extinguishers must be located on each floor of the property, and in sufficient number. Hose reels and sprinkler systems may also be considered in larger HMO premises, as should access to the building and its floors by the fire brigade. Other installations needed for good fire control are self-closing fireproof doors that can withstand up to 30 minutes of heat.

Fire escapes:

The landlord is responsible for the provision of internal and/or external fire escape routes in the HMO. This could be one or more set of external stairs, internal stairs, corridors or walkways. All escape routes identified as such will need to be fireproofed. The landlord is also responsible for providing adequate signage on where the escape routes and fire exits are located, and how they are to be reached in the event of a fire.

For HMO tenants

If you are a tenant residing in an HMO you should make it your responsibility to ensure that your landlord complies with current fire safety laws. If you think that your landlord is not fulfilling their obligations you should first speak, or better write, to your landlord to inform him/her of your concerns. Ask for a response and for a commitment to addressing the issues raised. If no positive action is forthcoming do contact your local council or fire service. They will inspect the property, and in circumstances where there is non-compliance with fire safety laws, they can take steps to remedy the situation. In some circumstances the council may bring prosecution proceedings against the landlord.

Safety Tips for tenants

• Leave a door key accessible at a low level - where smoke will not initially reach - or in the front door, and make sure all occupants are aware of its location. This will make it easier to escape the building in the event of a fire.

• Where old sash windows were replaced with double glazing and only the top part can be opened it is a good idea to leave a hammer close by so that the glazing can be broken and an escape made.

Fire Office Contacts

London: The London Fire Brigade is run by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA). Each London borough and the City of London has its own fire safety centre. To contact your local centre telephone LFEPA on 020 7587 2000.

Manchester: The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service covers Bury, Manchester, Salford and Stockport. For details of your local fire safety office you can contact the main switchboard on 0161 736 5866.

Most importantly, be sure to have your Mezuzos checked at least twice in seven years, after all it's your safety which is at stake.

Safe Window Replacements: What every buy-to-let property owner should know

In April 2002 the act of replacing windows in a property became subject to Buildings Regulations. The new law, which was, and still is, designed to help buildings comply with energy efficiency directives, specifically thermal performance standards for glazing, means that any replacement windows installed after 1 April 2002 MUST be / have been installed by either

1. A person or company registered with the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme (FENSA), or

2. By a competent individual or firm with specific Buildings Regulations consent from the local authority.

Either way, a certificate to show that replacement windows comply with the new regulations is issued upon completion of the install.

Should you have replaced windows in your property without observing the Buildings Regulations as they apply, you could have a few problems to deal with. Firstly, if you want to sell your property, the buyer's solicitor will make a specific check to ensure that Buildings Regulations were observed for any window replacements. This they will do by asking you to produce your compliance certificate(s). If you don't have them you could find your property difficult, if not impossible to sell.

The second issue is that if the council is alerted to the fact that your replacement windows were not certified, you could have a building control inspector on your doorstep! If, after inspection, your replaced windows are found not to comply with current thermal performance standards, you may be asked to replace the units again.

DIY Window Replacements

Are you planning on replacing windows yourself? If so, here's what you must do to comply with the law…

• Submit a Building Notice / Application to your local authority -- Contact the Building Control department of your local authority and ask for a Building Notice or Application form for permission to install replacement windows. Some local authorities allow you to download the form off the Internet, and even submit your application online.

• Obtain Approval -- Local authorities approve applications as default, normally within 2-3 days of receiving the notice. You will be asked to provide an installation date.

• Inspections -- The local authority will likely make two inspections. The first inspection is conducted at commencement of the work; the second after completion. If the glazing does not meet the required inspection standards at either point, the units will not be approved and you will have to replace them again.

• Completion Certificate -- Assuming the authority inspector approves the final installation, a Completion Certificate is issued. This must be retained and produced as evidence of compliance upon your property's sale.

Your role as landlord

Before replacing windows at your rental property you will need to inform the tenant and make arrangements for access to be granted to the installer on the day of installation. For the tenant's safety and the safety of the installer you should ask the tenant to remove items fixed to the existing window glass, and to remove items on the windowsill. Also ask the tenant to move any objects that they've placed directly outside the window which could obstruct the installer, such as plant pots and garden ornaments. If the tenant is responsible for the maintenance of trees, plants and foliage on the property, make sure that none obstruct the area where the installer will work. This should include, where necessary, the control and cut back of wall-growing ivy that might encroach on the window space.

Advice for tenants

Unless your lease agreement states otherwise, your landlord is responsible for the replacement of windows at your property. The costs involved may be passed onto you if the underlying reason for replacement was due to damage (deliberate or accidental) caused by your actions. However, if the damage was accidental and not your fault - for example if a tree branch falls and breaks the window - you will most likely not be charged for the replacement.

Where windows are fixed into wooden frames it is possible that over time the wood will rot and decay. Again it is the responsibility of the landlord to repair the frame or replace it. However, if you feel that the frame has rotted to such an extent as to pose a hazard to you or the public - for example if the glass pane is loose and liable to fall out - the landlord has a duty to take action under their property safety remit. In the event that your landlord is unresponsive to your requests to repair / replace the frame, contact your local authority for advice.

Gas Safety for Landlords and Homeowners

Millions of households across Britain rely on natural gas for heating and cooking. It is a fuel that is often perceived as a cheap alternative to electricity; some even prefer to use it instead of electricity. But for all the convenience it brings, we should remember that gas has a deadly side to it. Not only can it bring about carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of gas appliances not burning their fuel efficiently, but a build up of gas can also cause an explosion due to its high level of flammability. Great care must therefore be taken in installing and maintaining gas appliances, and also in their use.

Gas in the home

The Health and Safety Executive recommend that domestic gas appliances in the home be checked for their continued safety once every 12 months. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, only Council of Register Gas Installers (CORGI) engineers are allowed to service and maintain gas appliances. In fact it is now illegal for an unqualified person to interfere with the gas supply into a property, or work on or install a gas appliance. Anyone installing a gas cooker for example must be CORGI-Registered. Homeowners with knowledge of gas appliance installations could disconnect and/or reconnect bayonet fittings if they wanted to - for the latest rules governing this please refer to the 1998 Regulations and updates provided by the Health and Safety Executive. But the law states that a CORGI-Registered engineer MUST be the person who connects the hose / appliance to the gas supply.

Gas in rented property

Renting out property in the UK requires that landlords adhere to a mass of laws to ensure the safety of their tenants. Among them is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Under this umbrella of legislation landlords must:

• Use a CORGI-Registered engineer for installation of new gas appliances, pipe work and flues -- the flues being the pipes and vents that remove burnt gas from appliances and out of the house.

• Use a CORGI-Registered engineer for maintenance of gas appliances, pipe work and flues (as above).

• Arrange for annual gas safety checks at the rented property every 12 months. Checks are to be performed by a CORGI-Registered engineer. If gas installations are passed as safe the engineer will issue a Gas Safety Certificate. Should repair work be necessary, the landlord MUST (by law) enlist the services of a CORGI-Registered engineer to carry out the repair work.

• Keep records of safety checks for a minimum of two years.

• Provide a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate to existing tenants in the property within 28 days of issue by the engineer. For new tenants a copy of the current Gas Safety Certificate must be supplied at the beginning of the tenancy.

For landlords the requirements may seem like a lot of red tape, and just a further expense in running a rental property. However, the Regulations are there for a reason -- to save lives.

The importance of gas safety checks

In September 2005 52-year old Charles Cook from the Middleton area of Greater Manchester suffered serious burns after a gas explosion at his home in the early hours of the morning. The blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, destroyed the property and damaged neighbouring houses. Mr Cook was taken to hospital and spent time in intensive care to recover from the ordeal. Sadly, Mr Cook's experience is repeated all too often in homes around the country where regular safety checks on gas appliances have been absent. In some cases the blasts are fatal resulting in a tragic loss of life from situations that might have been avoided had safety checks been implemented.

What to do if you smell gas

While gas safety checks are designed to keep you safe long-term, there is still the chance that a gas appliance might malfunction, or that a gas leak develops in the pipe work between annual safety checks. If you smell gas, this is what you need to do:

1. Call the National Grid's Gas Emergency number immediately. It is a freephone number -- 0800 111 999
2. Open all doors and windows to help gas escape. DO NOT use light switches or handle a naked flame. Both could ignite the gas.
3. Shut off the gas supply. This is done at the meter cupboard by operating the shut-off valve. For your peace of mind and for your safety it is a good idea to locate and practice operating the shut off valve. By doing so you'll have practical experience to call on in the event of a real life gas emergency.

Information about CORGI

CORGI started life as a voluntary organisation in 1970 following a gas cooker explosion in a block of flats in London that caused part of the building to collapse. Some 4,000 gas operatives joined the scheme initially, and by 1991 it became a statutory requirement for anyone working with gas to gain CORGI registration. Today CORGI has some 110,000 engineers operating in the UK. Their work is regulated in the field by CORGI inspectors, each CORGI engineer being required to prove their competence with gas once every five years.

A NICEIC Inspection saves lives

It is very easy to take electricity for granted. For many of us, the invisible force that lights our homes, helps us cook our meals and powers our computers and home appliances is only ever noticed when it is not there. A power outage, for example, underlines the true impact that electricity has on our lives. The same could be said of electrical hazards -- it is often not until we hear or read about the dangers of electricity, or experience for ourselves an electric shock, burn or even a fire caused by faulty electrical equipment or wiring, that we become appreciative of just how harmful electricity can be.

Faulty wiring kills

In Britain around 10 people die each year and approximately 750 are injured, some badly so, when they come into contact with faulty wiring in the home. Newspaper archives reveal their stories. Some have suffered severe burns; others have had limbs removed to save their lives - and these are the lucky ones. Baroness Tonge, former MP for Richmond Park in London, lost her daughter, Mary Wherry, when she was electrocuted by a metal plate rack fixed to the wall. The rack was in contact with unsafe wiring in the wall, rendering the rack live. Electricity really does not discriminate.

First Aid

Should you be first on the scene to someone who has received an electric shock, great care must be taken in administering first aid. If the injured person is still in contact with the electric current they could be 'live', and could pass that current through to you if you touch them. Your priority then is to make the situation as safe as possible before helping the victim.

First, if it is safe to do so, turn off the power at the mains. Next, separate the injured person from the faulty appliance using a non-conductive item, such as a wooden broom handle. This is important as even in situations where the power is off there could be enough residual current in the injured person's body to shock you.

Once you are confident that there is no further danger to you, check the victim for life signs and call for an ambulance. If the victim is not breathing, start resuscitation. Should the person be conscious keep them calm and attend to injuries where possible. For burns, look to cool them with water -- NEVER use ointments or oils on the burns. Stay at the scene with the victim until the ambulance crew arrive and explain to them what happened. The ambulance crew will do the rest, whilst you should then start praying for the injured.

Preventative measures

Electric shocks arising from faulty equipment and wiring are largely preventable. To reduce the risk in your home all you need do is schedule an inspection of your electrical installations by a NICEIC registered electrician. The electrician will inspect all electrical fittings and circuit wiring in your property to ensure it is safe. They will produce a report, known as a "Periodic Inspection Report for an Electrical Installation" or NICEIC Certificate in short, which will detail the results of their findings. If an electrical installation is found to be unsafe the electrician will notify you of the problem and provide you with an estimate to correct the fault.

For fault correction (and new electrical work) in your property you are now required by law to use a competent person or firm approved by the government under Part-P of the Buildings Regulations. By opting to use a suitably qualified contractor who is registered with the NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) you'll comply with these requirements. It'll afford you peace of mind too -- NICEIC registered electricians guarantee that their work meets approved industry standards and they'll provide you with up to a six-year - and in case of new-build, up to a ten year - warranty as well. What more could you ask for?

NICEIC inspections are available to homeowners and landlords alike. However, whereas homeowners can decide for themselves whether or not to check their electrical installations, landlords have a duty to ensure the safety of their tenants, and so must carry out periodic checks. This is normally done whenever there is a change of tenant, the reason being that the departing tenant may have altered, installed or damaged electrical installations without notifying the landlord, or even worse, commissioned unqualified workers to carry out those alterations.  Periodic NICEIC inspections help landlords comply with the law here, keeping tenants safe from potentially dangerous electrics that might be present in the property.

Electrical Storms: Property Safety Advice

Spring! It's that the time of year when the air warms up and the sun's strength (should) have us peeling off the layers. It is also the season in which thunderstorm activity begins to build towards its summer crescendo, thanks mostly to those warmer days, the effects of which give rise to strong air convection and thundery skies. When atmospheric conditions are right spectacular thunderstorms develop bringing torrents of rain, hail and lightning strikes - weather phenomena that have the potential to damage property and take lives.

Direct hit!

One of the most feared consequences of a thunderstorm is being hit by lightning. Lightning is a powerful electrical discharge that flows between its parent thunder cloud and the ground below. Typically a strike carries up to 1.5 million volts, deadly for those who are unlucky enough to be in its way. The discharge tends to earth at the nearest available point to the cloud base. It is for this reason that trees and tall buildings such as churches and office blocks are more frequently struck by lightning than residential housing and people.

That said, every year the media report on countless lucky escapes by those whose homes have been hit by lightning. The immense power of a direct hit can blow a hole in the roof of a property and even collapse the ceilings below it. The intense heat associated with the strike may also start a fire at the property. In the worst cases it is the fire rather than the lightning strike itself that has caused the most damage.

Electrocution by lightning is much less of a concern when inside a building, but it can happen! We have to remember that lightning is an electric current. It searches for pathways of least resistance to the ground. If there are highly conductive materials present in the property, such as a telephone wire or metal pipe, the current is more likely to pass down these routes than through something that is more resistant to the current. To avoid being caught out then you should not use a telephone or touch the metal taps in the kitchen or bathroom during a thunderstorm!

Safety first

So what exactly should you do to keep yourself safe and limit the damage to your property in an electrical storm? Well, rule number-one is already clear - that is to stay away from metal and other highly conductive materials until the storm passes. Electricity and water don't mix either, so avoid taking a shower or bath during a storm - and leave that washing up until afterwards!

Do you have any trees close to the property? If they rise above the roofline they stand a greater chance of being hit by lightning than the property itself. If a tree is hit, debris from it could smash through your windows. It's therefore wise to stay away from those windows that are closest to the action!

Finally, do switch off all non-essential electrical appliances when you hear a storm approaching. Lightning strikes on power lines that feed your property can cause power surges that may damage electrical equipment such as TV screens and computers. As a matter of course you can also route the electricity supply to your most cherished electrical devices via a socket fitted with a surge protector. This not only helps to limit the damage to your equipment in the event of a surge from an electrical storm, but also protects your equipment against other minor surges that might hit your electricity supplier's network from time to time.

"Part - P" - Part II

Summary of Electrical Work Exempt from 'Part-P' Regulations

Following on from our article on the new Part-P electrical regulations that have been introduced into the Building Regulation code in 2005 by the government, this article looks at the types of electrical work that are exempted from complying with the new regulation. As you may remember from the previous article, Part-P necessitates that electrical work in homes and rental properties must either be carried out by a qualified person who is able to self-certify the work performed, or, if this is not the case, that arrangements are made to have the work inspected and approved by the local authority's building control department.

Failure to comply with Part-P is a criminal offence, and could result in a fine or even imprisonment for the perpetrator. Certain types of electrical work though - and by 'certain types' we mean those that are deemed as low-risk and would simply just make for an administrative headache if compliance was required - are indeed exempt. For anyone wanting to work on electrical installations at their property, or in someone else's property - DIY-ers and tradespeople included - it is imperative that differentiation is made between works requiring compliance and those that do not. Otherwise, it might be all too easy to get into trouble with the law!

So let's take a look at and get familiar with the types of electrical work that are exempt from the Part-P regulation. Any of the following electrical work can be performed on a DIY basis without the need to defer to an on-site inspection.

 - Installation of electrical sockets -- If the new socket(s) are to be located in rooms other than the bathroom, shower room or kitchen then the work is exempt from Part-P. If the sockets ARE to be located in a bathroom, shower room or kitchen then Part-P applies.

 - Installation of a new light -- Installing a new light on an existing electrical circuit does not need approval via Part-P, so long as the installation is NOT in a bathroom, shower room or kitchen.

 - Connection of Cooker -- Connecting up an electric cooker to your electricity supply does not need approval.

 - Replacing damaged cables for a single circuit -- This type of work does not need to observe Part-P.

 - Replacing a damaged socket / light fitting -- If your electric socket is pulling away from the wall or is otherwise damaged / inoperable, you do not have to comply with Part-P in order to replace the socket, regardless of its location. The same is true of light fittings.

 - Storage heater installation -- Part-P does not control the fitting and connection of storage heaters in a property.

 - Addition of Fused Connection Unit to ring a circuit -- If the work is carried out in a room other than the bathroom, shower room and kitchen then Part-P does not apply.

IMPORTANT: For all other electrical work, no matter how minor that work might be, or appears to be, YOU ARE REQUIRED BY LAW to comply with Part-P of the building regulation code. For further information, or if you are unsure as to whether or not the work you intend to do is controlled by Part-P, you should contact you local authority's building control department for advice.

If you now feel drowsy - after all the heavyweight legalese - it's time to put the kettle on, you do NOT need a Part-P for this...