Taking Charge for Electrical Safety

Electrical safety is one of the most vital safety measures to prevent dangerous or unpleasant bound to happen in your home. Electrical safety precautions can help protect the household from electrical shocks and burns. According National Fire Protection Association’s Applied Research Department, there were an approximate 34,000 home structure fires reported per year in 2014 to 2018. Involved in these incidents include lighting equipment like cords, plugs, wiring, and lighting. From these, there were 470 reported deaths and 1,100 injuries.

Electrical distribution and lighting equipment placed first in damage among properties and ranked third among the major causes of fire in the recorded number of house fires, fourth in the cause of house fire death, and third in injuries from home fires.

From these data and the list of all common safety hazards around the house by the National Home Security Alliance, it is evident that electrical safety is one major facet that every household should respect and comprehend.

Here are some tips you should consider to avoid electrical incidents.

If you are working on anything electrical, make sure to cut off the power at the circuit-breaker box prior to doing your electrical chore. If you are not familiar with the function of the circuit-breaker, it is best to study the circuit-breaker fundamentals first or if you are really not confident about it, just ask for someone who knows the basics. This is probably the most fundamental way in dealing with electrical safety hazards. Double-check if there is no power to anything electrical that you are dealing with unless you want to have contact with a grounded wire. I guess not.

It is stated in the National Electrical Code that it is required to have a ground fault circuit interrupters or GFCI equipped in any room in your home that has running water; talk about kitchen, laundry area, and bathroom. The main job of a GFCI is to stop the flow of electricity from a circuit whenever it perceives that the circuit has become a shock hazard. This method is compulsory for newer homes. But for older homes, it is best to get your rooms with running water equipped with GFCI.

Refrain from using extension cords as a permanent power source. They sure are great for jobs that are temporary but to use them as a substitute for permanent wiring can be dangerous. Do not ever run through ceilings or walls because if a cord is covered, heat cannot escape, which can cause a fire hazard.

Kids can be so curious about things. This includes your electrical outlets at home. We do not want our kids to share the same fate with the curious cat so if you have children or having any kids soon, it is highly recommended to get tamper-resistant receptacles. These receptacles are specifically designed to prevent children from getting hurt while fidgeting with an outlet.

As much as possible, avoid getting a single outlet overloaded. It can likely to cause harm if a bunch of appliances with high-wattage are plugged into a single outlet. Give the outlet a break! You could consider installing a new one or reorder your appliances to different outlets.

If you happen to come across a warm outlet in your home, you could be dealing with some problems. There are several reasons why an outlet is warm to touch. This can be a hard task so it is best to get the assistance of a professional electrician to do the diagnosing and rest of the job. The best you can do is to limit how many devices are plugged into the single outlet at one time.

If you do not have any electrical experience at all, do not do any electrical job at home on your own as it is a very dangerous task and can cause serious damages and injuries and worst, death. So make sure to acquire the service of a professional when you run into any electrical problem at home if you are not confident with your skill and knowledge about the situation.