TOWNSVILLE – Master Electricians Australia (MEA) has today launched a national campaign to provide free checks of domestic switchboards, in an effort to boost the safety of Australian homes and the people who live in them.

Chief Executive Malcolm Richards said the organisation had chosen Townsville for the national launch of its 10-Point Switchboard Safety Check, in order to highlight the importance of electrical safety in the wake of severe weather events such as the recent floods.

“Townsville is a community that is recovering from a major disaster, and too often we see that the basic safety checks on electrical installations are overlooked when people are just focused on getting their lives back on track,” Mr Richards said.

“Master Electricians Australia understands the importance of ensuring basic electrical safety, but we also know how hard it can be for homeowners who have gone through a disaster to think about anything other than just getting back to normal.

“And as someone who was raised here in Townsville, I understand how badly the community has been affected by the recent floods.

“So we’ve chosen Townsville as the first city in Australia to benefit from the free 10-Point Switchboard Safety Check.  I hope that over time many local homeowners will contact an accredited Master Electrician and take advantage of this free service.”

Mr Richards said the inspections would be offered to home owners when a contractor was already on site, and would identify any urgent safety issues visible in the switchboard, such as live electrical fittings, vermin or asbestos.

It would also identify semi-urgent issues, such as a home not having safety switches installed on every circuit, and make recommendations about fixing the issues.

“In the event of an electrical accident, a safety switch can cut the power faster than the critical phase of a heartbeat.  But it’s astonishing the number of times our members open switchboards and find that this cheap and basic protection is missing.

“Through our free 10-Point Switchboard Safety Check, we will help home owners protect themselves and their families by identifying urgent safety issues, as well as giving them suggestions for improving their safety in the longer term.”

Malcolm Richards is available for interview from the afternoon of Sunday March 17 onwards.
Please phone The SAS Group on 07 3221 9222 or 0467 792 013.