Campaign drives home electrical safety tips

DUBAI // Residents can call in experts to scour their homes for potential fire hazards in their electrical wiring, as part of a government campaign launched yesterday. The Safe Home campaign, run by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and two private companies, Duval Messien and Eros Group, will send inspectors to any house in the emirate to check for overloaded power points, ineffective circuit breakers and other hazards.

A survey of 200 Dubai residents by Duval Messien suggested that 70 per cent had experienced mild electric shocks, seen burnt plugs in their homes or ignored other warning signs. Saeed al Tayer, managing director, said the campaign was intended to educate the public. "Most accidents are predictable and preventable; we will educate our consumers about the dangers that could be avoided by following simple safety measures," he said.

Renu Ojha, a spokeswoman for the campaign, said measures would include questionnaires to gauge public blind spots. "The feedback from the public will help in future safety campaigns," she said. "Many people overload plugs and so on, but if we don't take care of our own homes and our own lives, the authorities can't help us." gmccleneghan@thenationalae