Harvey Tyrrell was only seven when he was electrocuted in a pub
The seven-year-old boy died shortly after being electrocuted in the King Harold pub in Harold Wood in September 2018.
His mum Danielle Jones has since campaigned for a change to the law, launching a petition in May 2021 that has garnered more than 50,000 signatures.
Andrew Rosindell MP has supported her campaign and wants checks on electrical works to be carried out at least once every five years by a qualified professional such as a registered electrician.
He will give a speech in the House of Commons today proposing those measures become law and that alcohol licenses are linked to electrical safety checks.
“What happened to Harvey Tyrrell was tragic and completely avoidable,” said Mr Rosindell. “We should all be confident that when visiting pubs they are going to have high standards of electrical safety.
“That was clearly not the case in this instance, with years of negligence leading to an intolerable and dangerous situation. It is right that those responsible are now behind bars, but it is also clear that changes to legislation are needed to ensure this never happens again.”
Current regulations require that electrical installations are constructed and maintained in a way that prevents danger, including carrying out regular tests and keeping a record of them.
However, performing and recording those tests is down to the business and there is no organisation monitoring whether pubs have complied with the regulations.
Mr Rosindell wants local authorities to act as an auditor and ensure businesses are meeting the required safety standards.
Electrical Safety First chief executive Lesley Rudd said: “Electrical Safety First wholly supports the efforts by Andrew Rosindell MP to address the potentially fatal lapses in electrical safety standards within the hospitality sector. Better regulation is essential for avoiding future tragic incidents like the untimely loss of Harvey Tyrell.
“The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 do not currently place any requirement on business owners to have their electrical installations inspected and tested on a regular basis. The introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks in public houses would help ensure the safety of the installations, the property and, crucially, the customers”.
Danielle said: “We are amazed that Harvey’s campaign has reached over 51,000 signatures in such a small space of time. It’s imperative that standards need to be raised and adhered to when it comes to electrical works.
“We are truly thankful to Andrew who has supported us and is continuing to help take Harvey’s campaign to the next level.”
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Tags: Romford, Havering, Harold Wood, Andrew Rosindell, Harvey Tyrrell