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Experts highlight that electrical installations in the home can hide the risks over time and become a potential cause of accidents in the future, even serious ones.

Accidents of this type may be due to a range of causes, yet all stem from the fact that the electrical installation is an invisible component of the home, it is rarely considered a subject to wear and aging. As a consequence, it’s maintenance maybe limited, none at all or carried out only following a fault when it’s too late. Let us explain with a metaphor[1], a building’s electrical installation can be considered similar to the human body, in which a disease affects all functions. In an electrical installation everything is also connected and interdependent and it must be kept healthy and under control with good maintenance.

According to the latest Eurosafe report, home injuries are the fourth cause of death after cardiovascular diseases, cancer and respiratory conditions. In Italy, for example, electrical installation faults are the second cause of home accidents, following trips and falls, with approximately 6,000 injuries per year. That is about 16 injuries per day; too many, especially taking into account that 7% of these have mortal consequences and they could be easily avoided by complying with the safety regulations provided in law. They are also known as “silent deaths”, as they are less noticeable than other causes such as gas leaks.

Most electrical accidents occur in the kitchen. These may appear to be small incidents but burns resulting from electrocution, for example touching a ‘live’ metallic object, are the sign of a dangerous installation that might one day cause a fire or become fatal.

[1]Quote by Carmine Battipaglia, president of the Italian National Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises operating in the Installations sector (CNA Installazione e Impianti). In Lombardy the association gathers approximately 2,600 enterprises working in the sector of installations and maintenance (heating, gas, electrical, electronic, broadcasting, elevators, electrical appliances repairs, etc.) and is committed to provide its members with the necessary services to improve the level of their activities.

Electrocution can be a consequence of poor maintenance or of an inappropriate use of electrical appliances in a household’s electrical installation. It may be connected to non-compliant and unsafe installations or not equipped with a Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB).

In Europe, the population is concentrated more densely in large cities, where “old” buildings prevail (in Italy, for example, out of 15 million households more than 50% were built before 1974[1]). These often feature aging electrical installations with an increased risk of overloads and increase the risk of a fire deriving from arcing or short circuits. This is why it is important to know the different types of electrical faults affecting one or more components of the electrical installation. There can be three main causes of such faults: the most frequent is a partially damaged wire, that causes leakage currents. Temporary or intermittent faults and circuit overloads are the other causes.

PRY-CAM HOME proves to be a key solution to make the check of electrical installations easier and more effective for electricians and prove an installation’s safety and longevity.

PRY-CAM HOME also provides the homeowner with a solution that highlights invisible but potentially harmful condition of their electrical installation. This will clarify the hidden signs or failures  and indicate the right time to call in an electrician.

[1]Source: European Statistical System (2018).