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seasonal Safety Tips
ELECTRICAL FACTS
Electrical hazards are responsible for hundred of deaths and thousands of injuries each
year in US and Canada Property damage, the result of residential electrical fires, is estimated at
$1.6 billion annually.
- Nearly 400 deaths are attributed to work place electrocutions
- Residential electrical fires are blames for over 500 deaths
- Approximately 4,000 workplace injuries are due to electrical hazards
- Home electrical fires cause about 6,000 injuries
- 140,000 home fires are related to electricity
- Residential electrical fires cause over $1.6 billion in property damage
Market and demographic trends illustrate the persistence of the gap between electrical
safety knowledge and safe practices:
- Growing demand for electrical products
- People at home and in the workplace fail to recognize and address electrical
hazards
- Globalization creates product safety challenges with codes and compliance.
- Aging home structures add to the safety challenge
- Changing demographics present growing educational challenges, including literacy and language barriers
Spring Electrical Safety Tips
Expert Electric has issued electrical safety tips to help avoid tragic and costly injuries:
- Use appliances and equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Replace damaged electrical equipment or have it repaired at an authorized repair center.
- Make sure power strips, cords and surge suppressors are designed to handle the loads for their intended use. Avoid overloading circuits by plugging too many items into the same outlet.
- Use ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection when working where water is near electricity to protect against electric shock.
- Make certain that an independent testing laboratory approves all products and equipment, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), or ETL-SEMKO (ETL).
- Add protection by installing a new electrical safety device—an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI)—to detect and stop electrical arcs that can cause fires. Arcs are not detected by most breakers and fuses.
- Avoid contact with power lines by being aware of the location of power lines and keeping a distance of at least 10 feet between you and power lines to avoid arcs.
Summer Electrical Safety Tips
Expert Electric warns of dangers that are present when water comes in contact with electricity. To reduce electrical hazards, Expert Electric offers the following safety advice:
- Summer is the season for swimming and boating. Awareness of electrical hazards around water can prevent deaths and injuries.
- Sailboats often have masts of 30 feet or more, which are dangerous when they come into contact with overhead power lines. Staying at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines can help prevent lethal electrical hazards.
- Use outlet covers on outdoor receptacles near swimming pools use gfci protection for all pool power. Electricity and water do not mix!
- Keep cords and electrical devices away from pools.
- Never handle electrical items when you are wet.
- Use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to help prevent electrocutions and electrical shock injuries. Portable GFCIs require no tools to install and are available at prices ranging from $12 to $30.
- Electrical devices such as circuit breakers, fuses, GFCIs, receptacles, plugs and switches can malfunction when water and silt get inside. Replace those that have been submerged.
- Do not allow power cord connections to become wet. Outdoors, dangers such as power lines in contact with water can pose electrical hazards. Indoors, submerged outlets or electrical cords may energize the water, a potential lethal trap. Before flipping a switch or plugging in an appliance, have an electrician check the house wiring and appliance to make sure it is safe to use.
- When using a wet-dry vacuum cleaner or a pressure washer, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions to avoid electric shock.
Fall Electrical Safety Tips
Electrical distribution systems are the third leading cause of home structure fires. These fires caused the most property damage, are the second leading cause of death, and the third leading cause of home fire injuries, according to statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The
Expert Electric recommends that homeowners to have their homes electrically inspected, particularly if they fall into one of the following categories:
- Owner of a home 40 or more years old;
- Owner of a home 10 or more years old that has had major renovation, addition or major new appliance; or
- New owner of a previously owned home.
The following are some of the signs consumers can look for to address home wiring electrical hazards:
- Power outages—circuit breakers that frequently trip or fuses that need replacement;
- Dim and flickering lights;
- Arcs and sparks—flashes of light or showers of sparks in your electrical system;
- Sizzles and buzzes—unusual sounds from your electrical system;
- Overheating — overheated wires can give off an odor of hot insulation; switch plates or receptacle covers are hot to the touch, or discolored from heat buildup;
- Electrical shocks — any shock, even a mild tingle, may be warning of an electrical danger;
- Overrated panel — electrical panels with fuses or circuit breakers rated at higher currents than the capacity of their branch circuits; and
- Damaged wire insulation — cut, broken or cracked insulation.
Winter Electrical Safety Tips
As temperatures drop, many families may use portable electric space heaters to help warm their homes. The Electrical Safety Foundation International warns that space heaters could cause fires and injuries if not used properly. Follow these few simple precautions:
- Read the manufacturer's instruction manual before using any space heater. Check to make sure the heater bears the mark of a certified testing organization.
- Keep space heaters at least three feet away from any combustible materials, such as bedding, clothing, draperies, furniture and rugs.
- Test space heaters frequently to ensure that the shut-off function works when heater is tipped or knocked over.
- Keep space heaters away from water. Check the manual to be sure that the heater is intended for use in such in locations as bathrooms.
- Don't use space heaters in rooms where children are unsupervised. Children may stick their fingers or other objects through the protective guards, causing burns or shock.
- Turn off the space heater and unplug it when not in use.
The holidays likely brought additional computers, televisions and sound systems into your home. Be sure to follow these electrical safety tips to keep you and your home safe from electrical hazards.
- Remember that extension cords are intended for temporary use.
- Don’t overload your home’s electrical circuits.
- Plug expensive electronics into high-quality surge protectors to prevent damage to the equipment and electrical fires.
- When disconnecting an electrical cord, pull from the plug, not the cord itself.
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