Five hundred and fifty apprentice electricians and adult trainees in Scotland will get a safe start to their careers – thanks to Electrical Safety First and the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT), who are providing them with free lockout kits valued at £21 each.
The kits allow for safe isolation – securely disconnecting one or all parts of the electrical installation when working on it – which is a fundamental safety precaution, as ‘live’ working can be fatal. Over the next few weeks, the trainee electricians studying at 20 Approved Centres across Scotland, from the Shetland Isles to the Borders, will receive lock-out kits, totalling almost £12,000.
“It’s vital that everyone in the industry adopts safe working practices and procedures and it’s important that this is established right at the start of an electrician’s career”, explains Phil Buckle, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First. “By providing free lockout kits to young electricians we not only give them crucial safety equipment, we also hope to help them make safe working an ingrained habit. Because, as we know, it could mean the difference between life and death.”
Anne Galbraith, Chief Executive of SECTT, adds: “We are committed to improving safety for our industry and this is a great way to support Scotland’s newest electricians. Our longstanding partnership with Electrical Safety First – which is now entering its 9th year – means we have been able to share the cost of these vital safety devices and help safeguard the next generation of Scottish electricians”.
· Electrical Safety First is the leading UK charity committed to reducing deaths, injuries and accidents from electricity.
· The Charity offers a range of tools on its website for both professional electricians and consumers, to support electrical safety and best practice – including a safe isolation app for mobile phones. For more information, please visit: www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk .
· SECTT provides essential information about careers in the electrical industry and useful guidance for employers and young people. See www.sectt.org.uk for more details.
