Electrical Safety

Why is it important to know about electrical safety?

Because using electricity properly can help us avoid:

  • Injury – due to the careless use of electric-powered appliances or tools.
  • Shock – caused by contact with electric current passing through wires, appliances or tools.
  • Fire – resulting from over-heated wires, appliances or electric fixtures.

Electricity always follows the easiest path to the ground. It seeks a conductor, such as metal, wet wood, water – or your body! Your body is 70% water. So if you touch an energized bare wire or faulty appliance while you are grounded, electricity will instantly pass through you to the ground, causing a harmful – or even fatal – shock.

Electricity is so easy to use that you probably take it for granted. But you might be surprised to learn that each year, electricity-related incidents in the home cause approximately:

  • 300 electrocutions
  • 12,000 shock and burn injuries
  • 150,000 fires

Your attention to safety is the key to preventing such accidents.

  • Inspect your home for electrical safety hazards
  • Learn all you can about using electricity safely at home
  • Know what to do in case of an emergency

Check your home’s wiring.

Signs of inadequate wiring:

  • Lights dim or flicker
  • Motors change speed when an appliance goes on
  • Circuit breakers trip or fuses blow frequently
  • Heat-producing appliances are slow to warm
  • Picture on TV screen “shrinks”
  • You don’t have enough outlets

Safety tips:

  • Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs)