Home electrical safety rules everyone should know

Your house is full of electrical appliances and fittings that could pose a hazard if they are not handled with care. Here is a list of important electrical safety guidelines that everyone should know and follow.

Safety with Power Outlets

Make sure there are no missing wall plates or broken plates. If a plate is missing or broken, dangerous internal live parts become exposed and can cause shocks if touched.

Notice any outlets where plugs only fit in loosely. These can overheat and cause fires. Thousands of children suffer electrical related injuries every year. There are several products you can purchase which dramatically increase protection for your toddlers from dangerous electrical currents.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters

One of the most effective protections against electrocution is the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI). These outlets measures changes between currents coming in through the live wire and leaving through the neutral and will shuts of power if even minute differences are detected.

They are especially important in wet areas such as bathrooms as water can act as a pathway for dangerous currents and cause electrocution! If even a small current flows leaks and flows through something else (such as you!) the GFCI will sense this in as fast as 1/30th a second and cut off the current. GFCI’s are compulsory in many states/countries especially for bathrooms and other wet areas.

Electrical Outlet Covers and Child Protection

Apart from a GFCI, outlet covers are a another form of protection, mechanical in nature. They simply cover the sockets in an outlet preventing for example a toddler from exploring them too much! Here are the different types.

a) Complete Covers

These covers “box” around any plugs inserted into an outlet and completely cover them. They provide a very good measure of safety but are more ideal for those outlets where appliances are plugged in all the time, such as next to your TV or desktop computer. Sometimes though they may not be big enough for certain plugs but this happens rarely. Know the rough measurements of the plugs you are going to use before purchasing one of these covers. You can buy these from most hardware/electrical stores and easily fix them on top of your outlet.

b) Sliding Covers

These outlets have sliding covers which must be pushed aside to insert plugs and which slide shut when plugs are removed. These are quire effective and should be considered if you are replacing or inserting new outlets covers.

Outlet sliding cover

c) Plastic Safety Caps/Plugs

These plastic caps fit snugly into the outlets so inquisitive fingers cannot reach inside. However some of these can be easily pulled out by toddlers and may even pose a choking hazard.

Electrical outlet safety caps

Safety with Cords

Electric Cord Shortener

Electric cord shorteners are small plastic cases where you can wind up cords inside. They help to protect against people tripping over long disorganized cords or children pulling them out of outlets. It also exposes less of the cord to animals that may chew on them and damage insulation.

Do not leave cords in places where there is a lot of foot traffic. They should not be placed under furniture or rugs as this will block the path for heat to escape from the cord and this cause fires. Don’t exert too much pressure on cords by placing furniture on top, bending them at hard angles or stapling them to walls or anything else as this can damage insulation and expose live parts. Rubber insulation is there to dissipate heat and if is not there, fires can result. Look out for any cords that are in poor condition and worn away insulation.

Extension Cords Safety

Make sure you do not overload and plug in too many appliances into any extension cord. An extension cord has a rated power capacity and you should not exceed it. Add up the wattage of all the appliances attached to an extension cord and it should be less than the cord wattage. Wattage is specified on every appliance. If not then both voltage and current will be and you can calculate wattage by multiplying voltage and current. Wattage (W) = Voltage (V) x Current (A)

Plugging an extension cord into another one is not a good idea. If the extension cord gets too long, excessive voltage drops can occur across the longer cords and reduce efficiency. Motors may get damaged.

Safety with Plugs

Do not remove the ground pin (the middle prong) to make a three-prong plug fit into an outlet with only two holes. The ground pin is there to protect you from shock by providing a path for dangerous leaked current to return to earth so it is an important safety feature. Make sure plugs fit in to to outlets properly or overheating may occur.

Fixing Light Bulbs Correctly

Replace light bulbs with the correct wattage for the fixture. Turn off power to the light first and wait before the bulb cools down (it can get very hot!) before replacing it. Make sure you secure them tightly as loose bulbs may overheat.

Choosing a Correct Circuit Breakers/Fuses

Make sure the circuit breakers and fuses are the correct size current rating for their circuit. Consult a professional to determine correct sizes for fuses and breakers. Breakers are meant to trip when more current than the wiring in your house can take is being drawn. If you use a breaker with too high a rating then it will not trip when then circuit is drawing too much current and this can lead to fire. Alternatively a breaker with two low a rating may trip prematurely.

Electrical Appliances and Water:  Safety Precautions

Keep electrical appliances far away from water! If an appliance falls into a body of water do not attempt to pull it out! First turn off power at your electrical panel before taking it out. Do not use the appliance again unless a professional has certified that is safe to use. Water is an excellent conductor and so is your body (which contains mostly water) so if a powered appliance comes into contact with water and you touch it, dangerous current can flow through you and cause severe injuries.

Equipment Care and Faulty Appliances

Make sure all electrical/electronic equipment do not have damaged cords or plugs. A faulty appliance can repeatedly blow a fuse, trip a circuit breaker or cause electric shocks. This may be due to wiring that has come loose in the appliance causing a short circuit and over currents. If these symptoms exist stop using the appliance immediately and have it repaired or replaced. Use surge protectors with computers.

Surge Protectors

A surge breaker protects equipment such as your computer from sudden voltage spikes which can be very damaging. The surge protector will react to voltages that rise above a threshold by directing extra current to ground. Belkin is a trusted name in surge protector products.

Belkin surge protector

Outdoor Electrical Safety

Electric-powered mowers and other tools should not be used in the rain, on wet grass or in wet conditions. Inspect power tools and electric lawn mowers before each use for frayed power cords, broken plugs, and cracked or broken housings. If damaged, stop using it immediately. Repair it or replace it. Always use an extension cord marked for outdoor use and rated for the power needs of your tools. Remember to unplug all portable power tools when not in use. Since metal ladders conduct electricity, watch out for overhead wires and power lines when you are up a ladder.

Safety during Lightning

If you think an electrical storm is about to happen unplug all electrical appliances (computers, hair dryers etc.) and avoid contact with them during the storm. Don’t use corded telephones during the storm.

Do not take baths or showers and avoid contact with bathroom fixtures such as sinks, baths or faucets.

Space Heaters

Electrical space heaters cause thousands of fires and injuries annually. These problems can be avoided by following a few guidelines.

Keep electrical space heaters away from combustible materials and do not dry anything by draping it on the heater! Keep heaters away from bodies of water and wet areas (such as bathrooms) and if this is a must connect it into a GFCI. If you you use an extension cord with the heater make sure the cord is rated above the wattage of the heater or else it will overheat. For example use a heavy duty 14 gauge cord. Keep the heater cords out off foot traffic’s way and turn off the heater when not in use.

Halogen Floor Lamps

Halogen floor lamps operate at much higher temperatures than a standard incandescent light bulb. Never place a halogen floor lamp where it could come in contact with draperies, clothing, or other combustible materials. Be sure to turn the lamp off whenever you leave the room for an extended period of time and never use torchiere lamps in children’s bedrooms or playrooms.