Huw Irranca-Davies MS:...This year, COVID-19 presents new
challenges for electrical safety. There is evidence that COVID
concerns are pushing Welsh consumers away from the high street and
onto online marketplaces, risking dangerous gifts. New research
from Electrical Safety First suggests that 57 per cent of Welsh
residents will be shopping online this year, and the majority of
these people said they were planning to shop online because they
believed these websites are safer than going to the...Request free trial
:...This year, COVID-19 presents new challenges for
electrical safety. There is evidence that COVID concerns are
pushing Welsh consumers away from the high street and onto online
marketplaces, risking dangerous gifts. New research from Electrical
Safety First suggests that 57 per cent of Welsh residents will be
shopping online this year, and the majority of these people said
they were planning to shop online because they believed these
websites are safer than going to the high street during the
pandemic. However, Electrical Safety First is concerned that
consumers are simply replacing one risk with another, as multiple
investigations for the charity have unearthed dangerous electrical
products for sale via third parties on these sites, with Electrical
Safety First investigations repeatedly finding unsafe electricals
for sale on sites including Amazon Marketplace,
eBay, Wish.com and others. Repeated calls for online marketplaces
to take responsibility for the products sold has not yet yielded
significant action. So, the charity is urging consumers to reduce
their chances of buying dangerous items by sticking to the stores
and websites of well-known and trusted manufacturers and retailers,
such as those on our high streets. So, in Electrical Safety Week,
ask Santa to bring you safe electrical gifts this year—ho, ho, ho!