A safety switch is a device that quickly switches off the electricity supply if an electrical fault is detected, to minimise the risk of electricity-related fires, electric shock, injury and death. A safety switch can detect the change in the electrical circuit and switches the power off in as little as 0.3 seconds.
If your child sticks a fork in a PowerPoint or you have a light full of water or if your pet chews through a cable you have no protection from electric shock without a safety switch.
If a safety switch has disconnected the power (tripped), it may be due to a temporary fault, lightning or nuisance tripping. Resetting the switch should restore the power supply.
If you cannot reset a safety switch after it has tripped, you may have a faulty appliance connected to the circuit, or there may be a wiring fault. In this case, switch off and unplug the appliance that you think is faulty. You should now be able to reset the safety switch and restore the power. If you are not sure which appliance is faulty, switch off and unplug all appliances and then try to reset the safety switch. Plug back appliances one by one until the safety-switch trip again. The last appliance is likely the faulty one.
If the safety-switch control light circuit, try to turn OFF all lights and then reset the safety switch. Turn lights ON one by one until switch trip again. The last light is likely the faulty one.
If you are unable to reset the safety switch or can’t work out which appliance is causing a problem, call a licensed electrician to find and correct the fault.