Home is where you live, and it’s where your family, pets and possessions are. Keep it safe and free from accidents that will harm you or your loved ones. Knowing the basics of electrical safety will help you avoid electrical accidents inside your home.
- Remove immediately any appliance with a frayed, cracked, or damaged electrical cord. Another person might hold the cord and get electrocuted.
- Never place an electrical device near water. The device can get wet, or fall into the water and kill any one in contact with the water.
- Cover electrical outlets especially if you have children inside the house. A curious child might poke the outlet and get shocked.
- Repair a damaged faceplate or outlet cover immediately. Exposed wiring is a shock hazard to anyone.
- Unplug all bathroom and kitchen counter-top appliances when not in use. Plugged appliances that are unattended can create an unnecessary risk of fire.
- Make sure that all outdoor outlets have weatherproof covers to avoid moisture and rain water from getting inside the outlet. Moisture or water inside an outlet can cause a malfunction or become a potential shock hazard.
- Do not leave any appliance plugged into an outdoor outlet when the appliance is not in use. A weatherproof outlet is not designed to protect the outlet when an appliance is plugged into the outlet. Moisture and rain water can easily seep into the open outlet especially on a windy day.
- Do not plug too many appliances into one outlet without knowing the wattage rating of the outlet. Plugging appliances that have a total wattage higher than the wattage of the circuit can cause a fire.
- Do not force a plug into the outlet if the prongs do not match the outlet slots. Male electrical outlet plugs are designed to fit a matching female outlet according to voltage, wattage, and ampere rating. A mismatched plug and outlet is a fire hazard.
- Check the electrical rating on appliances if you are using extension cords to make sure that the voltage and wattage of the appliance is not more than the voltage and wattage of the extension cord. As a rule of thumb, 16 AWG handles 1,375 watts of electricity.
- Don’t put any type of electrical cord in a traffic path where it will be stepped on. Cords can be damaged when they are stepped on. Any heavy object can damage a cord by crushing the insulation or breaking wire strands.
- Never use a corded power tool near a swimming pool. The corded tool can accidentally fall into the pool and kill anyone inside the pool. Have GFCI, or ground fault circuit interrupter outlets installed around areas near the pool.
Remembering these basic electrical safety tips and applying them in your home will keep you and your family safe.
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