Electrical fire notifiable accidents
[ Last Updated 20 January 2010 ]
This is the list of the 15 electrical fire notifiable accidents for which the investigation was completed between April and June 2009.
1 - Event summary: A bathroom fan heater caught fire.
| Event ID |
090401 01 |
| Event date |
17/03/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Room Heaters; Fan heaters; Radiant Heaters; Oil Fin |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the room containing the equipment |
| Outcome of investigation |
On investigation it was found that the fire was caused by a fan heater. Full details of the heater were not available and no further action was taken. The damage was confined to the heater area. |
2 - Event summary: Electrical arcing in a garage metal cladding, the garage was detached from house and showed signs of arcing on metal cladding. Network company will send faultman to the site to look at network connections.
| Event ID |
090329 02 |
| Event date |
28/03/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Control / Safety Device |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the room containing the equipment |
| Outcome of investigation |
Several fires in garages located between two houses were caused by a broken neutral in a mains entry box. It appears that the metal cladding on the houses was acting as the return path for the installation which caused building paper in the roof to catch fire. The houses involved were inspected and no other faults were found with the installations. |
3 - Event summary: Fire in spray booth notified by the Fire Service. The spray booth was switched off at the time of the fire.
| Event ID |
090402 02 |
| Event date |
01/04/2009 |
| Site |
Industrial |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Equipment under 60204 classification |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the direct vicinity of the equipment |
| Outcome of investigation |
The case was investigated by DoL. It was not believed to be electrically related. |
4 - Event summary: A fire in a bedroom resulted in the death of an elderly person.
| Event ID |
090404 01 |
| Event date |
14/04/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Appliances |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
Fatality |
| Injury |
Burn, Asphyxiation |
| Property damage level |
A fire in a bedroom resulted in the death of an elderly person. |
| Outcome of investigation |
On investigation it was found that they were three multi boxes daisy chained together. The multi boxes were supplying a dehumidifier and other small devices. The fire had started in the first multi box connected to the outlet on the wall. |
5 - Event summary: A fire occurred in the vicinicty of a bedside cabinet placed over electrical cabling.
| Event ID |
090415 01 |
| Event date |
14/04/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Appliances |
| Event |
Other/Unknown (Electrical) |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the direct vicinity of the equipment |
| Outcome of investigation |
The bedside cabinet was placed over the supply cord for a baby monitor unit. The supply cord developed a short which resulted in fire confined to the cabinet area. |
6 - Event summary: The Fire Service attended a call for electrical equipment arcing in a rental property. The Fire Service was concerned with the electrical installation and notified Energy Safety.
| Event ID |
090425 01 |
| Event date |
25/04/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Fixed general purpose |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
No property damage. |
| Outcome of investigation |
The landlord’s maintenance electrician was called for remedial work, which was carried out on the immediate dangers within the electrical installation. A report outlining other concerns with the electrical installation was then sent to Energy Safety. The property owner was contacted by Energy Safety with details of the unsafe electrical installation and remedial work was completed by their electrician. |
7 - Event summary: A house truck suffered minor damage to the underside when a cable termination faulted during a storm.
| Event ID |
090504 02 |
| Event date |
04/05/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Caravan |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
TPS Cable |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the direct vicinity of the equipment |
| Outcome of investigation |
The house truck had been parked up for a number of years. It appears that water may have entered a lead termination causing a small fire under the truck which caused minor damage. |
8 - Event summary: Multi box caused fire in house.
| Event ID |
090609 01 |
| Event date |
08/05/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
61558 General |
| Event |
Other/Unknown (Electrical) |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the room containing the equipment |
| Outcome of investigation |
Multi box was covered with clothing and had power supplies plugged in at the time, possibly causing power supplies to set fire to clothing. |
9 - Event summary: Fire in the main switchboard in an industrial location involving the 400A fuse isolator.
| Event ID |
090528 04 |
| Event date |
28/05/2009 |
| Site |
Industrial |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
400 |
| Equipment |
Circuit breaker |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the room containing the equipment. |
| Outcome of investigation |
Fire in the main switchboard in a industrial location involving the 400A fuse isolator. Damage to switchboard contained in the switchroom. |
10 - Event summary: The Fire Service attended a switch board fire within a domestic dwelling. Energy Safety was notified through concerns raised by the power board faultman’s comments, who was also in attendance, as to the common occurrence of this type of incident.
| Event ID |
090529 01 |
| Event date |
29/05/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Switch/distribution board |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the direct vicinity of the equipment. |
| Outcome of investigation |
It appears the probable cause of this incident was a loose connection onto the main switch circuit breaker. A new switch board had to be installed for the remedial work. The event has been noted for trend analysis. |
11 - Event summary: The Fire Service reported house fire where incandescent downlight fitting believed to be source of fire.
| Event ID |
090606 01 |
| Event date |
06/06/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Fixed general purpose |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the room containing the equipment. |
| Outcome of investigation |
The cause of the fire could not be determined, the fitting and wiring was examined by an electrical inspector who could not find any cause due to the extent of the damage to the light fitting. The circuit was protected by an RCD which tripped during the fire. |
12 - Event summary: Total loss house fire, no evidence left at scene.
| Event ID |
090609 02 |
| Event date |
08/06/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Control / Safety Device |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Extended to the site. |
| Outcome of investigation |
Total loss house fire, no evidence left at scene, the occupants stated that there was a smell of plastic when they left the property. The Fire Service notified Energy Safety just for information. |
13 - Event summary: Major loss house fire started in small office.
| Event ID |
090609 03 |
| Event date |
08/06/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Appliances |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Extended to the site. |
| Outcome of investigation |
Due to the extent of the damage it was not possible to determine the cause of the fire, however at the time the fire started a computer and fan heater were plugged into an EPOD. |
14 - Event summary: The occupants in the house saw the dehimidifier on fire.
| Event ID |
090612 01 |
| Event date |
12/06/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Heat pumps; air conditioners; dehumidifiers |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
no casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the room containing the equipment. |
| Outcome of investigation |
The occupants in the house saw the dehumidifier on fire. The dehumidifier was completely destroyed and the make and model could not be identified. The dehumidifier was approximately 7 years old. Fire contained in the room with the dehumidifier smoke damage to other parts of the building. |
15 - Event summary: Bathroom fan heater caught fire melted and dropped down onto floor damaging the lino floor.
| Event ID |
090617 01 |
| Event date |
16/06/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Appliances |
| Event |
Fire |
| Casualty |
No casualty |
| Injury |
No injury |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the direct vicinity of the equipment |
| Outcome of investigation |
An investigation could not determine the cause of the fault in the fan heater. |
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