Take care with underfloor foil insulation
The Department is concerned that three people have been electrocuted this year while installing underfloor foil insulation. The deaths highlight the need for extreme care when installing underfloor foil insulation and when working in the underfloor space near a potentially unsafe foil installation.
All three accidents happened when a staple was driven through an electrical cable. Loose cables in the underfloor space can also make the foil live, either during the installation or later, creating a serious hazard to anyone working in the space.
If you are a homeowner:
- hire a professional installer if you are not confident about safety requirements
- take the greatest possible care to avoid contact with any cablingif you decide to do the job yourself
- when installing, refer to a New Zealand Standard, NZS 4246: 2006, which has comprehensive safety information
- get any loose wires or potentially unsafe foil installations checked by an electrician
- turn off the power to the property before working (but remember some cables could still be live if they have not yet come into the switchboard).
If you are a tradesperson or a building official, or anyone else accessing the underfloor space after an installation:
- remember the foil could be live
- get out and call an electrician if you have any doubts about safety.