House fire due to lamp!

kcwild

Hi, yeah i do mean the fuse box. The lamp started the fire upstairs in the house basically, it was only when the electrician checked out the whole house including the fuse box that he said "if you hadnt have had a fire up stairs there would have been one here before long"

The lamp was from 'in-store' and it was brand new

silvercar

kcwild wrote: »

What do you mean by there is no requirement to do an electrical inspection?

Correct. There is no requirement to do an electrical inspection. Whereas for gas appliances the landlord needs to produce a gas safety certificate annually.

kcwild

silvercar wrote: »

Correct. There is no requirement to do an electrical inspection. Whereas for gas appliances the landlord needs to produce a gas safety certificate annually.

I have just read this on the internet at a quick glance...

Electrical Safety in Rental Property

Summary

If you let property you must ensure that the electrical system and all appliances supplied are safe - failure to comply with the regulations is a criminal offence and may result in:
- A fine of £5,000 per item not complying
- Six month's imprisonment
- Possible manslaughter charges in the even of deaths
- The Tenant may also sue you for civil damages
- Your property insurance may be invalidated

poppysarah

What responsibilities do landlords have?

Your landlord is required by law to ensure:

• that the electrical installation in the property is safe when your tenancy begins
• that the electrical installation is maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy,

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/home_safety/electrical_safety/electrical_safety_responsibilities

silvercar

The landlord needs to arrange an inspection and for remedial work.

Not unknown for electricians to get jobs by saying things need replacing, not saying if this is the case here.

Did the fire start at the electric plug point to the lamp or by the lamp shade catching fire? Did you have the correct bulb in use?

kcwild

Well I've got a picture of the part he removed which is burnt and melted, also my father in law as been an electrician for 45 years and was standing over his shoulder.

The lamp had the correct bulb also. The part the bulb sits in had set on fire however the cable was in perfect condition and the plug had also set on fire. However the fuse box didn't blow.

Fire_Fox

Do you not still have the lamp itself? You need to report this to the shop you bought the lamp from in case there is a whole batch that are faulty, but you must allow them to inspect. Same for your landlord, he should be allowed to get a professional to inspect the lamp and the fuse box. Were the lamp, bulb and timer all safe to use together, did you read all the instructions?

kcwild

Yeah we still have the lamp but we have been advised by citizens advice to not give the lamp to anyone. My landlords electrician as already checked the fuse box and lamp, he was the one that found the risk for the potential fire with the fuse box.

princeofpounds

What do you mean by there is no requirement to do an electrical inspection?

Exactly what I said.

Landlords do have a duty of care with electrical systems and can be sued for damages if they fail to meet it, but there is no legislation that forces them to get an outside person in to assess them.

I believe that the liability rests with the landlord in this case. Electrical equipment can and does break, and that is why fuse boards exist. You should have been able to rely on a properly functioning fuse board, so whilst the item itself breaking is your problem, the fact that it continued to be supplied with current from the fuse board is what caused the fire.

That's just a personal but considered opinion. However, only a court can decide in the end, if it comes to that.

silvercar

I'm wondering if the plug in the fuse blew, so the fuse box didn't need to trip IYSWIM.