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Electrical Safety during Holiday Season
When you are travelling, you should never assume you are as protected abroad as you are at home.
Electricity safety standards in the UK are higher than in many other countries.
Apart from some of the obvious differences, like plugs and sockets, there are other aspects you should be aware of. For example, electricity supplies worldwide can vary from anything between 100 volts and 240 volts. This means it’s not always safe to use UK electrical equipment that is rated at a voltage different from the foreign supply. Check before you plug it in. (The normal voltage and frequency of the electricity supply in the UK is 230 v 50 Hz.
Keeping yourself safe is easy if you follow these simple rules:
- Never touch electrical equipment with wet hands.
- Never touch light switches if they are cracked or show signs of damage.
- Never plug equipment into a socket which looks damaged or cracked, or has part or all of the cover missing.
- Never use mains-powered electrical appliances in a bathroom.
- Always check cables are securely attached and are not cut, nicked or damaged in any way. There should be no joints in the cable and certainly no repairs with insulating tape. Cables should also be checked for signs of overheating, such as discoloration.
- Always check that the travel adaptor you are using is the correct type for the country you are travelling to and never force it into a socket if it does not easily fit.
- Never ignore burning smells, sounds of arcing (buzzing and crackling), fuses blowing or scorch marks on plugs and sockets.
- On campsites check there is Residual Current Device (RCD) protection or a similar device that will cut off the supply if there is an electrical problem.
What to do before you go?
- Find out about the type of sockets and the voltage used in the country you are visiting.
- Think about the appliances you intend to take and whether you will need to use travel adaptors or voltage converters and what their power rating should be.
- Consider buying travel adaptors and voltage converters before you go as not all products available abroad will meet British safety standards.
- On cruise ships, the voltage and type of sockets provided in cabins can vary (even with the same cruise operator) and may not be the same as that used in the country the ship departs from. Check with the cruise operator or your travel agent.