In article published by Tim Ross of The Daily Telegraph, Lord De Mauley is quoted as saying that families would save money by re-using old clothes and repairing faulty equipment. Read the Article HERE
- It's entirely possible that Lord De Mauley may not be fully aware of the dangers in working with Electricity
We are pretty sure that he doesn't mean householders should repair electrical appliances themselves, but does he realise that anyone can? There is no law or registered 3rd Party registrar like “GasSafe” (Formerly Corgi) who can vet that someone is competent in the repair process.
This means that rogue repair persons can simply dress up, paint a sign on a van and then go off and tout for some new business. Signs are that more people are turning to Appliance Repairs as a new or additional source of income. We think this is wrong and that consumers should be protected. Sites like Freecycle and Gumtree state in their terms, that they take no responsibility for any damage or accidents caused by items passed on. We think warnings should at least be issued to it's users when it comes to electrical goods.
No one wants to end up with a loss of life such as was seen recently highlighted the ITV Programme, demonstrating the dangers of our Appliances in the Home. See HERE, if you missed it.
The intent behind Lord De Mauley's comments are laudable as we at EEESafe are keen and support Reuse, but when it comes to Appliances in the home, we believe in a recognised, approved competence based scheme, such as the one we offer any independent repairer who cares to register with us. They must take the online assessment, as well as demonstrate the evidence of their competence, prove they have calibrated equipment, public and employers liability and follow the code of practice on the site.
Our EEESafe Model offers additional local Centres to offer these Waste Prevented items, to reach the community from where they orginated. As things stand, goods are lost locally and have to be brought back from other parts of the country, which not only increases their costs, but exudes more harmful carbon emissions through needless transportation.
The Governments' PAS141 Protocol for Reuse is a risky model. Using a Tick Box Process provided by WRAP, does not teach analytical skills in a repair process, but worryingly it does not require any circuit testing on any of the components that it puts back into circulation. It has no requirement for a qualified and experienced person to conduct the work in putting this item back into someones home. EEESafe has published its Draft Protocol for the Reuse of Appliance Components and is waiting on one or two responses from Manufacturers. www.reeesafe.com will provide further details and demonstrate that we need to maximise limited resources on the planet, but we must do it from a Safe Perspective.
If you ask any Manufacturer of an Appliance whether it believes there is a danger to the consumer if an item is repaired by an unqualified person fitting a used spare into an Appliance, then you will receive an unequivocal yes.
Is Lord De Mauley willing to take that risk? Should the rest of the country be exposed to that risk by a Party Political advocate or should consumers have benefit of knowing a safe standard exists for Appliance repairs, rogue free and with a Qualification course that supports the Community and the Environment just around the corner.