Homeowners considering installing their under floor thermal insulation should heed warnings that they risk electrical shock and electrocution if they don't take appropriate precautions.
Three people have died this year stapling under floor insulation material into power cables.
Their deaths follow a similar fatality in 2005.
The practice of installing under floor insulation has become widespread among homeowners since the Government began promoting ways of making homes more energy-efficient.
And while people may know they must turn the power off while installing the insulation, they can still unwittingly create a death trap when they switch the power back on.
Evidence at a coroner's inquest in Huntly last month showed that entire sheets of newly-installed aluminium foil beneath homes could become electrified once jobs were complete, creating a death trap for anyone who went underneath the house.
Coroner Bob McDermott criticised the Government's lack of warnings over do-it-yourself insulation, asking why safety and awareness campaigns were not launched alongside those to promote energy efficiency.
Since the deaths, Associate Energy Minister Harry Duynhoven has issued a warning advising homeowners of the dangers.
"As with any electrical work being carried out, whether in the home or at work, it is essential that any potential hazards or risks are identified and eliminated," he says.
"A cable that has been damaged by a staple can still make the aluminium foil live when the power is turned on and create the same electric shock hazard.
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