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Conversion plugs for foreign appliances
1st July 2008
We announced our intention to help migrant communities understand how to safely plug in foreign electrical appliances when using them in the UK, if necessary by using conversion plugs. Since then, we have heard from Fire & Rescue Services up and down the country about fires resulting from foreign plugs, such as the 2-pin Europlug, being forced into 13 A socket-outlets.
One report came from Fife Fire and Rescue Service, which was called to a severe fire in a farm building.
In recent years, the building had been used as overspill accommodation for migrant workers, with sufficient beds for 20 people. There were 15 residents occupying the building on the day of the fire.
There was a limited power supply to the accommodation in the form of two extension reels, providing power to the ground and first floor areas. The reels, which were in good condition and fitted with a thermal cut-out, were fed from a double socket in the entrance hall. At the time of the fire, the ground floor extension reel had three appliances plugged in. The first floor extension reel had one appliance plugged in.
Within the ground floor accommodation area, the most severe damage was in the vicinity of a low coffee table, which was severely charred. There were a number of items on the table top, including the remains of an electrical extension cable reel, which was almost fully unwound with approximately 1m of cable still on the drum. Plugged directly into the reel were the remains of two European-style 2-pin plugs, one connected to a hairdryer and the other to a small portable heating element, used to heat water in a cup. A third socket on the reel was clean, the shape of the clean area indicating that a UK style 13 A plug had been plugged in during the fire.
The two European-style plugs were removed from the reel to establish the degree of damage. The plug attached to the hairdryer was fairly easy to remove and was found to be intact at the connection with the reel. The plug for the heating element had fused to the reel and could not be removed without breaking it.
A fire investigation was carried out by two Fife Fire and Rescue Service officers. After eliminating all other possibilities and tracing the pattern of fire spread to its source, it was determined that the most probable cause of fire was overheating or arcing of the European 2-pin plug connected to the water heating element, leading to heating and ignition of the plastic body of the cable reel. Although the other 2-pin plug had not overheated, examination indicated that it had been damaged, most probably by forcing it into the socket. Given this it would be reasonable to assume that the plug that caused the fire was also misused.
The farm owner had a policy of allowing personal electrical items, but they had to be fitted with UK plugs or used with an adaptor. Further searches of the bunkhouse found another two electrical appliances fitted with 2-pin European plugs, although it appeared their owners had been using adaptors. Several more were found in a small caravan park on the farm, also used to house migrant workers.
To help avoid such incidents, we are supplying thousands of conversion plugs free of charge to Fire & Rescue Services across the UK, for them to give out when, during their home safety checks, they come across cases of foreign plugs being misused.
We have also produced guidance on how to convert foreign electrical appliances for safe use in the UK, and supplied copies to Fire & Rescue Services around the UK. If you would like copies of the guidance leaflet, please email us on enquiries@esc.org.uk. We can supply up to 500 copies free of charge.
